# Sophies doing awesome, but I need some help



## divinedecadencex (Jan 15, 2009)

Sophie is doing great. She is almost 7 months now. Shes nearly perfect, but theres a couple things she does that I would like to improve.

1. She growls at all kinds of things, people...dogs....shrubs..... not like constantly, but, she growled at my alarm clock this morning (mind you, so did I...but...haha). When im walking her, she sounds ferocious to people who dont know her, growling and barking. What can I do to help that?

2. She pulls a lot on the leash. Thats all for that one.... just not sure how to make her not pull so much.

Other then that, shes great... any help would be great.


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## BeauShel (May 20, 2007)

Have you tried a gentle leader or halter? They help so much with pulling. Someone told me that around that age, they do go thru a fear stage. Is she around many dogs and people.


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## Abbydabbydo (Jan 31, 2007)

I've been growling at my alarm clock lately, too, so I can't speak to that .

ACC has a great thread about pulling on the leash, search for it.


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## timberwolf (Apr 1, 2009)

Timber is going through a real spooked stage.
We passed a house yesterday that had balloons tied outside, killer balloons by the way Timber reacted. It was a bit of a process to get him to walk past that house 
He makes the funniest huffing and puffing sounds when he sees something that he hasn't noticed before!

As for walking, he was a real pain with pulling until I got the EZ walk harness. It took no time at all (maybe 2 corrections) and now 95% of our walks are loose leash walking!!! The other 5% is trying to convince him that we can't stop and play with every dog we pass


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## divinedecadencex (Jan 15, 2009)

Well, she lays on the back of the couch, looking out the window, and growling, and teling her no does nothing at all. When im walking, she barks, and growls and the scruff on her neck sticks up, and she sounds like a monster.... but the second that person, or dog comes up to her, she gets low to the ground and sniffs and then wants to play....but it scares people, and they really think shes mean.....

I mean, i want her to bark if someone is breaking in my apartment, but i want her to stop if i say no..... anyone know what i could do?


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## divinedecadencex (Jan 15, 2009)

did you all give up? cause i dont know what to do...


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## hektor (Jan 26, 2009)

I dont know if it is that the case, but hektor does it too. He doesnt like kids (they used to throw him rocks and shout very loud at him when he was at the yard, while I was at work), so he is now afraid of them and he growls at them. So I try to re-establish that relationsheep by asking help from a trainer. He also doesnt like poeple that doesnt know and meets them for the first time, although with the people he knows from the age of puppy he is ok. Until the class of socialisation begins (september), the only thing I do, is tell him no when he growls and take him with me wherever I go (friends meetings) very very carefully (not to do something stupid) so as he learns that strange people dont do any hurm. He also doesnt like to be touch by strangers, so i tell them not to do it.
I guess some dogs arent so fsocial as others and perhaps I will have to live with that! With me is the suitest dog in the world and i can do whatever i want with him (even throw him at the air! joke!) He allows me everything!


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## moverking (Feb 26, 2007)

Well, here's a different take on it...my girl Sadie is a real vocalizer. With growls. Once, I stopped trying to correct her, and turned it into a conversation (yep, it sounds nuts). I can make her change pitch and volume...really quite the scene when we decide to 'talk', lol. It was never a terrible ferocious growl, and now its much less frequent. Sometimes I'll start a little growl at her, sometimes she'll initiate if she sees something outside. She only does this when inside, tho.

Sorry, not a lot of help for Sophie...just thought maybe she's a really verbal pup and will probably outgrow this as she matures and becomes more secure and experienced.


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## jwemt81 (Aug 20, 2008)

I also highly recommend Gentle Leader or even a Halti. They are both great for teaching dogs not to pull. It was a lifesaver for Tucker, who also was a huge puller for the longest time.


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## AmberSunrise (Apr 1, 2009)

Here is a link that shows the developmental stages a young dog goes through and some suggestions on handling each stage. 
http://www.diamondsintheruff.com/DevelopmentalStages.html

It sounds like Sophie may be fully in a fear stage that requires patience and a LOT of new experiences to prepare her for her life; my best advise would be to get her out and about to many new places where the risk of her being hurt or attacked is very low; this would exclude dog parks or any other uncontrolled environment unless you are willing to step in between Sophie and another dog approaching aggressively - me; I do step between the dogs  but I don't do dog parks.

If she is not already enrolled, you might wish to step up training classes; not puppy classes but positive training classes where the young dogs are no longer allowed to play together - this would also limit the possibility of her developing a permanent fear.

Good luck


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## divinedecadencex (Jan 15, 2009)

Sunrise said:


> Here is a link that shows the developmental stages a young dog goes through and some suggestions on handling each stage.
> http://www.diamondsintheruff.com/DevelopmentalStages.html
> 
> It sounds like Sophie may be fully in a fear stage that requires patience and a LOT of new experiences to prepare her for her life; my best advise would be to get her out and about to many new places where the risk of her being hurt or attacked is very low; this would exclude dog parks or any other uncontrolled environment unless you are willing to step in between Sophie and another dog approaching aggressively - me; I do step between the dogs  but I don't do dog parks.
> ...



I read that a few times, the website, but im still honestly not sure what to do to stop the barking/growling. She really cant see ANYTHING without growling, and no one can be in my apartment hallway, and the neighbor upstairs basically can't move! haha. If i tell her to quiet, or say no, she doesn't stop at all. I would really like her to stop when I tell her.... I don't mind as she long as when i tell her it's fine, she stops. I don't know where to go from here.


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## Muddypaws (Apr 20, 2009)

I don't have your problem, just the opposite both of my want to be "Miss or Mr. Congeniality". But if they do react to something we face it and use it to train. When walking if they see another dog and pull, bounce or bark I make them sit and focus on me, when they "look" I reward them. Start slow and work up. You may need to just start in your house or front yard.

I agree that you should go to classes, lots of socialization, and get an easy walker harness. As she gets bigger and pulls it can be dangerous, Kirby has knocked me down several times and she is the "little" one.

If she is going to the windows to growl and bark, take it away. When she growls or barks say "no bark" and remove her, use gates, crates what ever but she will learn fast that access to the sofa/window/room depends on her behavior. She is a puppy and she is testing her boundaries.

Just remember, she can read you, if you get tense when you see another dog because you think she will react - she will. Take deep breathes and talk to yourself/her about the trees, flowers, whatever to keep yourself calm. And when you start to become frustrated stop - go in to the back yard and p;ay, do something fun but never get upset or mad at her. Always, always keep it positive and she will gain confidence in herself and you.

Good-luck and let us know how things are going.... when necessary this is a great place to get out the frustration!!


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## dmsl (Jun 7, 2009)

We just learned in basic ob. about pulling...and Bear is really responding to this! We use a regular collar & leash, and if he starts to pull, I stop dead still. He eventually turns and looks at me like "hey mom, whats wrong" and when he loosens the leash or turns back near me, we walk again. Believe me, it didn't take long for him to figure this one out! The more I do it, consistant working with it, he remembers well. They teach you to actually walk back and forth - stopping & turning, so the dog always sees you in front before walking, but I keep going in the same direction once he loosens the leash. Do whatever works for you, but mainly be still when they pull & they'll associate it with not going anywhere.
'
good luck!


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