# Extremely Stubborn



## Jennifer (Sep 12, 2009)

The last few weeks Teddy has been getting really stubborn! I'm assuming a lot of it has to do with hormones, but it's getting out of hand.

I would say for the most part he is really good, but when we are outside and he doesn't want to walk the way I'm going or if he doesn't want to move at all he will just stop cooperating.

I tried to take him down the driveway to get the mail and he decided he wasn't coming back inside and lay down, started ripping up the grass and every time I went near him to guide him up he would start trying to bite me. It's gotten to the point that I have to haul him inside as he is attached to my arm. I have bruises all over from him doing this. It's embarrassing having him do this right in our front yard or half way on our walks. I've been in tears trying to get him to stop the biting and jumping when he gets in these frenzies.

I've tried bringing treats and toys...nothing works. I could kind of understand when he would get stubborn on an actual walk, but not being able to walk down the driveway and get the mail?? He even does it in the backyard when we take him out to the bathroom.

I don't know what we're doing wrong. I feel like we've tried it all. 

I'm sorry that this is so long...I'm just so frustrated.

Teddy is a very good dog, but he has these moments when there is no controlling him.


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## kaysy (Jan 9, 2010)

Hi, Jennifer. I can't remember if you had Teddy neutered or were waiting. Marty did this a while back and is doing it off and on again. Walking down the driveway, he just stops, like I'm not going. He's on a regular collar and I just give him a tug and he starts moving again. Teddy sounds like he's beyond this. I don't know if Teddy is used to being off leash and rebelling. Are you in obedience classes? Maybe have the instructor come over and see this behavior. I think I'd be in tears too. Good luck.


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## Florabora22 (Nov 30, 2008)

Flora STILL does this sometimes, minus the biting, although treats always get her inside. 

Is he off leash? I would say if he's off leash and behaving like this, your #1 thing to do is to get him back on that leash so you can control his movements, not the other way around.


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## Jennifer (Sep 12, 2009)

kaysy said:


> Hi, Jennifer. I can't remember if you had Teddy neutered or were waiting. Marty did this a while back and is doing it off and on again. Walking down the driveway, he just stops, like I'm not going. He's on a regular collar and I just give him a tug and he starts moving again. Teddy sounds like he's beyond this. I don't know if Teddy is used to being off leash and rebelling. Are you in obedience classes? Maybe have the instructor come over and see this behavior. I think I'd be in tears too. Good luck.


We are planning to wait a little bit longer to have him neutered, but he's really pushing it. He's in an advanced training class now and our trainer thinks he would be a really good dog to continue into obedience.

He only does it when there is no one around. Our trainer has been over a few times and he's never done it when she is around because he gets so excited and won't sit still. LOL

I'm hoping that once he is neutered this problem will start to fade away. He is also developing a bad habit of trying to hump people (mainly just family). We make sure not to allow that and I think he's starting to understand that that's not an acceptable behavior.

I think when he does go into the biting frenzy outside he's trying to engage us into playing with him and I can't seem to find a way to stop him.


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## Jennifer (Sep 12, 2009)

kdmarsh said:


> Flora STILL does this sometimes, minus the biting, although treats always get her inside.
> 
> Is he off leash? I would say if he's off leash and behaving like this, your #1 thing to do is to get him back on that leash so you can control his movements, not the other way around.


He's on leash and boy is he strong when he doesn't want to be moved.


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## zephyr (Sep 29, 2009)

Hey!! You stole my dog!!!!!!! LOL! That is just so Oscar. :doh: 

Yes, it happens only on-leash, and only with me... he sometimes just has these "frenzies" (a very good word for it exactly!) where he gets extremely... agitated? excited? It happens when we are leaving to go outside (he's crazy-excited), when we don't go where he wants to go (agitated/irritated), and when we stop moving and he wants to keep going (ESPECIALLY when we are standing talking to someone else, and I'm preventing him from jumping all over them/kissing them, either in a sit-stay or by restraining him using the leash).

I agree that the biting is the most upsetting part, because your otherwise very well-mannered dog is chomping you! Oscar doesn't break my skin, but he definitely has left bruises... and they hurt! I usually try to YELP and say OFF or redirect him into a sit or down or "touch" or something (often showing a treat to him and asking for a specific, alternative, POLITE behavior does break his "frenzy" mode, but sometimes he just gets more worked up!)... BUT I try not to yelp TOO loudly so my neighbors don't think I'm actually being attacked :doh::uhoh:

Here are some links to other threads that others have posted, that I have posted in... and we've received some great advice from other GRF members that would maybe be helpful in your situation!

http://www.goldenretrieverforum.com/showthread.php?t=73641 - iamswiss

http://www.goldenretrieverforum.com/showthread.php?t=71636 - jmamom

I feel your pain!!! We are currently managing him by making sure he gets LOTS of off-leash exercise, and I have my boyfriend take him out for the first potty walk of the day (we live in an apartment so we must always take him outside on leash)... I find he is extra-crazy in the morning, and Oscar won't go nuts on Paul, so that works for us. With lots of exercise/mental stimulation, he is a MUUUUCCCCHHH better dog outside... we even had some incident-free walks just the 2 of us last week! But I am hoping someday maturity will mean no more Mr. Crazy Man (also my arms/hands would really appreciate it!)


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## Florabora22 (Nov 30, 2008)

Jennifer said:


> He's on leash and boy is he strong when he doesn't want to be moved.


Lol, I hear ya. Flora's strong when she WANTS to move... a few days ago she snapped her leather leash in half when trying to chase down a squirrel. No more leather for her!


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## IowaGold (Nov 3, 2009)

Have you tried a Gentle Leader? It would give a bit more control and when he gets to biting you can pull up on the leash, closing the nose loop down a little.

My oldest dog kind of fell apart at that age. Thankfully he was never as bad as your boy! I don't think I would have survived if my obedience class instructor hadn't got us into a Gentle Leader.


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## RedDogs (Jan 30, 2010)

I second the gentle leader.

As always, I'll say you should be sure to feed all meals through kibble toys or by training. No more food bowl.

Additionally, don't feel that you -have- to take him on walks. Take a week or two off to work on this behavior and prevent it from happening again. Obviously part of it is reinforcing for him (...the biting part is fun!) and we need to prevent that from happening...and make some other response mre desirable. So, several times a day go out and do training right outside of the house. And then four steps down the drive. Then eight... more and more. Don't push it and go for real walks until you have a super-strong reinforcement history of appropriate behavior.

So, how to provide exercise? If you have a yard, do things out there. If you don't, load him up in the car and go walk elsewhere (...new smells can decrease the leash/person nipping in many dogs. Do lots of training inside. Silly tricks and with your competition and manners behaviors.


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