I am so done with this dog.

Kwalz · Posted: Tue Aug 05, 2008 4:13 pm Post subject: I am so done with this dog.

She is destroying something every day. She ate my shoes, she broke a butter dish, she eats the cat's food (which we have tried to block away from her), she swiped food from something my husband was making--right next to him! She jumps on the couch every time we aren't looking. The longer we have her, the more and more destructive she gets.

I don't understand it. She has a ton of toys, that she likes. We feed her four times a day (and treats), we take her on at least an hour long walk/run every day. We take her loads of places with us, anywhere we can.

When I say "No!" she slinks around and acts really sorry, but she doesn't seem to blink at the next opportunity.

We got her from a rescue, and we were told she had "Perfect house manners, that all she did was occasionally get on the couch, but she'd get right off when she was told to." My husband had to drag her off the couch, because she wouldn't get off it! She gets off it for me though.

I don't know how to discipline her! We crated her when we first got her, and then we've been testing her to see how she does by herself, and it's not well. We're going to start crating her again while we are gone, but half of this stuff happens when we're home.

I don't want to hit her, and "No! Bad Dog!" doesn't seem to do freaking squat. Any suggestions? The rescue isn't answering my emails.

weimamama · Posted: Tue Aug 05, 2008 4:18 pm Post subject:

Have you ever had a Weim before? It seems like normal Weim teenage/adoption adjustment issues.
She definatley needs a firm BUT GENTLE leader and NILF--work for EVERYTHING nothing free. not treats, not dinner, not petting. not yet. and EXCERCIZE!! AT LEAST 1 hour per day outside and maybe a short trainign session 10-15 min 2-3x per day...
how long have you had her?
good luck.

LizBiz · Posted: Tue Aug 05, 2008 4:21 pm Post subject: try this!

i know this sounds crazy and you may think im out of my mind but my weimy has been 100% perfect ever since we started fostering other weimys. they play outside in the back yard for a half hour then ask to come in and all they do is sleep when they come inside t hen they ask to go back outside to play when they get up. I do let my weimys get on the couch bc i have a fear of them getting crusty elbow, my personal weim has developed a mental issue with her own bed. hehe

but YES i strongly recommend getting another weimy. you may want to foster like me and my family does. it gives you a great feeling knowing you have done something to help and it will give your weimy a run for its money.

My weim is now 9 months old and seriously the perfect dog. she use to be sooo bad and i was the one writing in comments such as yours.

BELIEVE IT OR NOT

Kwalz · Posted: Tue Aug 05, 2008 4:23 pm Post subject:

We've had her for a month and a half. She's learned to sit, stay, and shake. She has to get in her kennel and sit before she gets a meal, treats are only for rewarding doing tricks, that goes for bones, too. Her chew toys are scattered around so she can play with them as she wants.

She goes running with me for about an hour a night, she's very good on her leash. We're about to start learning to come now that she has sit and stay down.

I really like her, and I've had dogs my whole life (my mom is a vet), although I have not had a weim. She's very smart and very affectionate, but she's so sneaky.

How do you discipline? How do you say "That was bad" when "No!" isn't doing jack?

LizBiz · Posted: Tue Aug 05, 2008 4:24 pm Post subject: one more thing

try hand feeding your weimy their meals. they seem to respect you more when you are the one holding their one and only love FOOD. i hand feed my weim and my foster weims and they LOVE it. they want to do more for you when it comes to telling them wrong from write.

try it

Kwalz · Posted: Tue Aug 05, 2008 4:25 pm Post subject:

You know, LizBiz, she was being fostered with a much more dominate weim when we got her.

We have two cats, but no other dogs. The cats, most emphatically, do not want to play with her.

I don't know that my husband would be up to fostering (he's kind of hit his limit on animals), but we'll check into it.

kjnewk · Posted: Tue Aug 05, 2008 4:25 pm Post subject:

I agree with weimamama and would also recommend enlisting the help of a trainer. They will be able to show you some methods for correcting these behaviors before you get so frustrated that Gracie ends up back in rescue.

It WILL take patience and consistency to correct and right now she is testing the waters to see what she can get away with.

kamfam · Posted: Tue Aug 05, 2008 4:29 pm Post subject:

I would not recommend bringing another weim in, especially a foster, at this point. You should have her behavior under control prior to doing so.

Yes, get her into training! A trainer can help with training YOU on how to be the pack leader! That seems to be it, she doesn't think of you as her boss.

Kwalz · Posted: Tue Aug 05, 2008 4:35 pm Post subject:

If she doesn't think of me as boss why does she listen to me and nobody else? She follows me room to room, she listens when I say no, or tell her to do a trick. She has to wait until I go through a door and let her in (and she does it well), she isn't allowed on furniture, she gets no people food.

It's just the getting into stuff and chewing that is making me crazy.

She seems to listen to me, but I don't know how to make "NO" mean something. How do you do that?

tltrooster · Posted: Tue Aug 05, 2008 5:01 pm Post subject:

I can tell Champ no and sometimes he listens and some times he
doesnt. But I can tell him to leave it, and he leaves it alone.

using other words than NO might work. When I tell Champ to leave
it and he does, he gets rewarded, not treats, but good boy for listening.
just a suggestion

Kwalz · Posted: Tue Aug 05, 2008 5:06 pm Post subject:

So how do you keep them from repeating the behavior when you aren't there?

She stays away from the cat food and off the couch when I'm around, but the second I leave, she's all over it.

We've started using "Off!" a little bit, but I wasn't sure if it was a good idea. I"ll try to vary it more.

mazzywest · Posted: Tue Aug 05, 2008 5:07 pm Post subject:

DukesMom · Posted: Tue Aug 05, 2008 5:22 pm Post subject:

I tell my husband that if he leaves things laying around he might as well kiss them goodbye. I never ever leave shoes laying around or anything else that might be tempting. As far as the furniture and counter surfing I say a firm "OFF" and point to the ground and both of mine know what this means and do respond. That doesn't mean they don't still jump on the couch or get up on the counter occasionally but are getting better. I never ever leave food on the counter within their reach. I think just changing your habits might help ease the stress. For instance, when I am defrosting meat I always put in inside the microwave and such. Or if I must walk away from food for a minute I put it in the microwave. It only takes a second. I also put my dogs in their crates when I'm cooking so I don't have to worry about it. Now if I'm at the counter making a sandwich or such I do leave them out and tell them to "back off". I do this just as training (I could easily put them in their crates). I also eat my lunch everyday in front of them and give them a look like "don't you dare" and if they do dare they get a firm AHTT! I also train my dogs constantly and to me this makes the world of difference in how they respond to me in regards to just about everything. You must be firm, but also to avoid so much stress I would put alot of things up. It's like having a baby in the house. And definitely crate train! It is a life saver.

oceanaussi · Posted: Tue Aug 05, 2008 5:25 pm Post subject:

Sounds like Quen... Laughing

How old is your pup? Quen is a bit like this. You walk around with a sandwich in your hand he jumps and got it. As soon as I'm out of the living room, he jumps on the couch. All his toys have been destroyed, several plants in my garden were killed and heaps of other little things. He's nearly 7 months now and getting better in one way but starts annoying things in another.

I had dogs before but Quen is my first Weim. They're so smart! You have to be really firm and persistent with them. I get up at 4.30 am every weekday to take him and my other dog for an hour of-leash run. He needs that. When we get home, he gets brekkie and then I'm off to work. He's got toys, heaps of space and another dog to play with. They also have an automatic tennis ball thrower. When I come back from work we walk for another 2 hours - mainly of-leash and/or go for a swim. When we come back he's got training. 4times a week he's got lessons (obedience, retrieving, tracking & show) and all of this hardly tires him out. He's a good dog but a Weimaraner IS a working dog and they want to be properly occupied.

I do agree that another dog makes it easier as they can play with each other and burn energy that way rather than destroying things.

When he does something wrong, say a strict 'No', send him to his place and don't let him get up until you allow him to. At the beginning, Quen didn't want to go of the couch and I pulled him of it on his neck, placed him in the crate until I allowed him again to get out. Now all I need to say is 'off'. He'll learn, they're very smart but you really gotta be gentle AND firm with a Wei!

Good luck!

Kwalz · Posted: Tue Aug 05, 2008 5:35 pm Post subject:

Thanks so much for the feedback!

My husband thinks I'm expecting too much perfection. I'll definitely stop leaving temptation available!