# Yikes :/



## Selli-Belle (Jan 28, 2009)

One important thing...keep him separated from your husband and the kids when they are wrestling. It is unfair to expect him not to want to play, yet his way of playing would hurt the kids. 

He needs MORE exercise, is there someway to find him another dog to play with? Is there someplace he can run off-leash? Tire his little butt out so all he wants to do is sleep, remember, a tired dog is a good dog!


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## Sammy&Cooper (Dec 28, 2011)

I would suggest more exercise. my female who is 1 year 5 months gets a 5 km walk everyday and at least 20-30 mins of playing fetch in the yard everyday. also a play date with another dog might tire him out and release some pent up energy that he might have (the pent up energy can lead to destructive behavior). also toys wise I would suggest a kong filled with a favourite treat (I use peanut butter most of the time) to give him when he's inside (this may deter him from chewing unwanted items because he'll be focused on the yummy treat in the kong).


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## monarchs_joy (Aug 13, 2011)

Just a thought, but he may still be having some anxiety about coming to live with you. If so, that could magnify some of his bad behaviors. My second rescue had lots of anxiety and didn't really even start to settle in for 4 weeks or so. She was terrible! Once she started to settle in she started to calm down a bit and we could make some progress on house manners and obedience. 

In everything, Cash needs time and clear directions. At 13 months he's still young and 3 weeks isn't much time to learn your house rules. He has to re-learn all the manners he already knows from you and any additional you want him to have. You may want to consider limiting the amount of stuff he has access too. I've never given my rescues free run of the house until I know what they're capable of first. Is he crate trained by chance? 

With the jumping up and biting on your husband, is he trying to play? Not acceptable in any case, but that may be what's going on. 

Ditto what Selli-Belle said about wrestling. Cash thinks it's play and is going to want to get in on the action.


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## GinnyinPA (Oct 31, 2010)

When we first got Ben he did the jumping and biting thing a lot, mostly to me. We started using a spray bottle with vinegar water whenever he got out of control. About the third time, all we had to do was head toward the bottle and he stopped. It hasn't been needed for a very long time. Though he does still lose control occasionally, it has never been as bad as it was at first. We used bitter apple on our hands and arms as well, and I remember spraying some of the items he tried to chew. He wasn't that big a chewer but he did test his limits at first and the taste worked on him. Some dogs like bitter apple, he hated it. In a very short time he stopped the chewing on inappropriate items. Finding durable toys was hard at first, but some of the kong toys are good (but not the tennis balls) and he has a couple of cloth toys he plays with that he doesn't destroy. He likes marrow bones and sometimes nylabones. Anything food related is good;-)

What you may need to do is separate the dog from the kids' play area if you can't keep the toys off the floor.


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## mylissyk (Feb 25, 2007)

Strict supervision with the kids, I agree with seperating him if dad wants to wrestle with the kids, it's totally normal for him to want to play too. Keep lots of dog toys in easy reach to redirect him to if he wants to mouth or chew something he shouldn't, actually put in his mouth and and encourage him to play with the dogs toys.

(fyi, I think 4 cups a day is probably one cup too much, possibly even two, over time he could gain too much weight).


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## Marmalade (Feb 24, 2012)

From what I had read before we got him, 1.5 hours of exercise a day was enough for a medium-large dog [he's on the smaller side for a GR]. If he needs more than that, I'm not sure we can provide it for him. He gets a 30 minute jog in the morning, a 20-30 minute walk in the evening & then another 20 minutes a day or tug or war & fetch. He gets outside many many times a day & even though he is currently on a chain to make sure he can't run off, we still play fetch with him that way & ensure he can reach the toy. I cannot take him for walks with me & the children because he is intent on pulling & one of my kids is in a stroller, so it would be difficult. 

The previous owner gave him 2 cups of dry food twice a day. He is not overweight, I actually wonder if he needs to put on a little weight.

While the incident with biting my son's arm happened when my husband & kids were wrestling, the constant biting & jumping up on my husband has happened at many different times, usually when the kids aren't around or there is nothing going on to excite Cash. He has never done it to me before, but then this morning I playing hide & seek with him & when he found me behind a door he immediately jumped on me & bit my arm, fairly hard, & would not let go. I have teeth scrape marks. When he did finally let go, he grabbed my sweater instead...a nice expensive sweater that now has a HUGE rip in it. 

He has a Kong & while he does enjoy it with pumpkin in it, it's effortless for him to get it out & the treat & allure is over & done with in a couple of minutes. He finished off a $20 antler in something like 4 days. Other bones or rawhide are gone in less than an hour & they don't even seem to keep his attention. 

Also, he has been digging up our yard. All the way down to the root of an expensive tree. He's demolished expensive plants & started to dig up the mesh underlay of our garden. The yard & garden is my husband's baby, so he wasn't too pleased.

Please....someone tell me that obedience training will help with a lot of these issues? Because if I can see a light at the end of the tunnel, I'll be okay. We'll be getting a fence installed soon & my husband will have some extended time off, so I think he will get more exercise. But right now, he's driving us a little insane & stressing us all out.I hope I don't sound like a crazy person who got a dog & is oblivious to how much hard work it is....because I know dogs take lots of patience & time & care....but I feel like almost every aspect of our day to day lives is having to be rearranged to deal with his behaviors.


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## baumgartml16 (Jun 19, 2011)

This all sounds like things that can be fixed. My pup is 10.5 months and we dealt with some of these issues especially the biting and jumping at arms. She would mainly do this when we were playing and once we got the toy from her the jumping/biting at the arm began. She would grab clothes, arms, anything she could. She was overstimulated. We started using a spray bottle with water and tell her No and spray her when it happened. We would also stop all play and walk away. Tell your husband to start by turning his back to him and folding his arms. Have him keep Cash at his back if Cash tries to come around to his front. If he continues with this...turn your back to him and walk away to another room and close the door. Wait one minute and then return and use a calm voice with him to settle him down. He needs to understand what he is doing is wrong and right now he is using it as a form of communication.

The pulling - have you considered a prong collar? Koda was a major puller and we did the easy walk harness but it wasn't doing what we were looking for. Our obedience class suggested everyone get a training collar (prong collar). She has been 10 x more manageable since we got that. She corrects herself most of the time when she feels the pressure. It does not hurt them at all even though it looks intimidating. Take Cash up to your local pet store and they will most likely help you fit him for one since it needs to be fitted properly to work. Ask for some advice on how to use one when you purchase it as well.

I agree with the Kong stuffed with treats idea. We mash banana and throw some green beans or carrots in and then a little water and freeze it. Might want to buy two so you always have on full. Takes Koda around 45 minutes to finish a Kong. Also you can look into bully sticks. They have also been a big life saver. These require more supervision though as some dogs tend to attempt to swallow them when they get smaller. I hold it for Koda once it gets to about 6 inches but you can decide to toss it at that point too if you are worried. I get mine off www.bestbullysticks.com. Koda chews apart every toy as well, even the "durable" ones so I feel your pain. We stick to rubber toys and avoid stuffie toys for now. 

I dont have much advice for the barking as Koda has never taken to that, thank goodness. I think you are doing a good job by closing the blinds and not giving him the opportunity to bark. The barking could be his anxiety of moving to a new place though so maybe give that time and as he is more comfortable that will subside. Keep at what you are doing though.

When the next class is offered, take it! They do make a big difference and give you another thing to do with him - train!  

Stay positive, sounds like you are doing a good job with the situation you have!


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## Selli-Belle (Jan 28, 2009)

When they say 1 1/2 hours of exercise, they mean all-out, tearing around craziness, certainly not just a walk at a human pace or even a 30 minute jog. You also have a dog who is at the apex of his energy levels, he could run all day, really. 

Training will help as mental exercise is quite tiring, and there is no reason to wait until you find a training class to start. Teach a series of say six commands, sit, down, stand, spin, forward and back and then do drills where you mix up the order of the commands and drill some more. Train more commands and add them to the drill. Keep it positive, make it a game, he will love it and anytime he gets bitey, start drilling him.


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## monarchs_joy (Aug 13, 2011)

Marmalade said:


> While the incident with biting my son's arm happened when my husband & kids were wrestling, the constant biting & jumping up on my husband has happened at many different times, usually when the kids aren't around or there is nothing going on to excite Cash. He has never done it to me before, but then this morning I playing hide & seek with him & when he found me behind a door he immediately jumped on me & bit my arm, fairly hard, & would not let go. I have teeth scrape marks. When he did finally let go, he grabbed my sweater instead...a nice expensive sweater that now has a HUGE rip in it.


Ahh, I know this maneuver very well. My Rosie was very fond of it. In fact, the constant shirt ripping is how she found herself in rescue and made her way to me. Cash is trying to play with you and he probably got very excited while playing hide and seek. When he "found" you he couldn't keep it in. I personally probably wouldn't play hide and seek or wrestle or tug with him right now. He wants to play with you, he has a lot of energy, and he hasn't found a positive outlet for it. I would do as suggested and turn your back to him if he's jumping and biting at you. It takes some repetition but it does work. You could also try spraying him with a squirt bottle or walking away. I know with Rosie that the shirt ripping happened when you tried to walk away, so it was better for us if we dealt with it by turning around and "being a tree" or squirting her. This is fixable but it takes work and patience. 

For exercise, all of this sounds to me like Cash has energy to burn and maybe some anxiety. Sometimes it's not the quantity of exercise and is instead the quality. Cash sounds like he's a very smart boy. He may need some mental stimulation beyond just running/walking/fetch. Training or games would probably help to tucker him out. I know there's not a class available right now, but maybe you could work with him on some house manners stuff. Is there anything specific you would like to work on? "Leave it" maybe? 

I know the barking and jumping and biting and general knucklehead stuff are really frustrating. I'm sorry that you didn't get full disclosure from Cash's last family and some of this stuff is taking you by surprise. All of this is fixable with training and Cash can absolutely be a cool guy with an on/off switch. You just have to find the switch with some training and try not to get too frustrated in the process.


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## Marmalade (Feb 24, 2012)

Thanks everyone!

We love the guy to death...that's the thing. It's like a child, they frustrate you to your breaking point sometimes but you still love & adore them & couldn't live without them.

Today we tried a spray bottle w/ water when he had snatched something or was chewing something he shouldn't be. I asked him to "drop it" twice & if he didn't, he got a squirt. He would immed. drop it after the squirt, so I think a week of this [or less perhaps] & he'll learn that me bringing out the squirt bottle means business. 

He's def. a smart boy. I just wonder if I'm capable of training him myself [well, or my husband & I] in the meantime before "official" training. I did try clicker training for a bit, but he seems so focused on the treat. He would do what I wanted, but still seems so focused on the reward & then I worry that when I stop rewarding he'll regress.

Did I mention he's a big snugglebutt & sleeps between my husband & I in our bed. Maybe a bad idea...def. for us since he's a romance killer, lol.


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## Selli-Belle (Jan 28, 2009)

There is a process for weaning the dog off the treats, but right now just focus on getting him to do the behavior, worry about the weaning off later.


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## monarchs_joy (Aug 13, 2011)

I just sent you a PM with some info about the play biting. Hang in there!

LOL about the snuggle bug. Been there, done that. The best is when they're drooling, snoring, etc.


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