Author Topic: mad dog mad dog  (Read 4802 times)

Offline michael

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mad dog mad dog
« on: December 30, 2008, 07:52:37 am »
okay, i have a 7 month old giant schnauzer.  I know not the easiest dog to train, but she does really well except for a couple things.  One is the couch territory thing, can't keep her off but we're working on it.  The important one is that at least once a day she goes through these BURSTS for lack of a better work.  Doesn't matter how much exercise or stimulation she has had that day.  I've walked her two miles after playing for a good half hour out in the yard and she's done it.  She tears through the house with no abandon, doesn't matter what is in her way including my 100 pound wife and my 40 pound son.  We've been trying to control them, eventually if i am home i get her to sit but she has gotten worse when i am not home even growling with her run and nipping at anything that gets in the way, couches, people, etc.  Not biting or mouthing, just nipping.  My wife is working on dominance techniques but i know i am the alpha to her and i still take a while to get her to stop.  Really don't want this problem 30 or even 5 pounds from now.  help.

Offline ZooCrew

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Re: mad dog mad dog
« Reply #1 on: December 30, 2008, 11:39:05 am »
I agree, case of the zoomies.
Nigel and Posey get going briefly right before meals.
Gunther rarely ever does it in the house anymore but will get going outside for brief spurts.
With the colder weather, Keiko's been feeling like a young pup again and tries to get the others all going outside....... ...lol.

I guess I should be lucky none of mine really get going in the house......... ....lol.  ::)  ::)  But I remember the puppy days of that.

I do agree though that the nipping can't be tolerated.  Running around crazily is perfectly normal for a young pup, but the nipping should be put a stop to.  I think as soon as she starts nipping, you put an end to the fun and as Tina said, crate her or remove her to a separate room for time out.  You can add an "ah-ah" or other corrective term when she does this.  Sometimes dogs, especially puppies just get so carried away with their fun they get a bit overstimulated, which causes them to nip.  Just like kids.  ::)  ;D

Offline michael

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Re: mad dog mad dog
« Reply #2 on: January 02, 2009, 05:07:28 am »
thank you guys for all your help.  made my wife and start laughing at the zingers instead of trying to contain them.  That stopped the nipping during zingers too.  I think she was just trying to herd us out of the way so she could run.  So we go into the other room and wait for her to finish.  But, since you were so helpful, one more thing...its not really the zingers, but after our hour long obedience training sessions, she gets really frustrated and very mouthy.  Now I'm starting to control the mouthing with doggie "time-outs" and "ouch" and "no bite" and everything else.  But she honestly had me scared for the first time after training the other day.  I really thought she was gonna chomp down on me when i took her out once we got home from class.  Am i doing something wrong or is she just frustrated because of being dominated so strictly for such a long period of time.  She seems to have fun during training, i try to make it fun, but it must not be if she gets so wound up.

Offline ZooCrew

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Re: mad dog mad dog
« Reply #3 on: January 02, 2009, 05:56:01 am »
It's possible she's just releiveing pent up energy in the form of being very mouthy.  It could also be she's just so excited to be done with it that she gets overexcited or worked up to the point of being mouthy.

Is it when you're done with class?  Or when you're getting out of the car at home?  Perhaps one thing you can try is carrying a toy with you and hand that to her before she tries biting.  It may be just that she needs something in her mouth.

Gunther is similar.  He's not mouthy now but as a pup he was.  He would just get so excited he wouldn't know what to do so he would grab you by the arm.  He now knows to grab a toy intstead and pretty much constantly has one in his mouth now.........lo l.  He's very orally fixated.