new puppy question

[mjbgalt]

we have a 14-week old german shepherd/chow mix. she is very smart, can do a lot of tricks already, and comes when called. otherwise she is a hellion. she fights with our adult shepherd ALL waking hours, pees and poops on the carpet, and chews and destroys everything she can reach, down to wood work and furniture, while there are 5 puppy toys within easy reach.

i can put her out or walk her for an hour, all the while she waits until she is INSIDE to poop. what the hell is going on in this dog's head?? i can't seem to get through to her.

last night i was reloading ammo and dropped a loaded cartridge on the floor. i immediately looked for it but even though i heard it hit the floor i could not locate it. i looked for a long time and then this morning again. my fear is that she swallowed it. she was not in the room when i dropped it but since i couldn't find it, i had no choice but to let her in later since that is "her" room to sleep in. its a flat point but does have lead exposed and if she swallowed it whole she is better off than if she chewed it. no signs of being sick in the last 24 hours, so maybe SHE can't find the cartridge either?

she may not have eaten it but who knows. the big thing is to train her so she doesnt act like this forever. when our other dog is outside, she is a perfect angel and a very sweet puppy. but as soon as we put them together the adult acts like a puppy again and neither behaves.

ideas? please! i am going nuts trying to get this puppy trained.

-Matt

[Moss88hunter]

You might be doing this already but...praise her every time that she uses the bathroom outside. When she uses the bathroom inside, stick her nose right up next to it spank her and say no in a deep stern voice. If you have a kennel put her in it and leave the room for 10-15 min. Is she play fighting or actually trying to fight? If she is just play fighting the adult will put her in her place when she has had enough.

Evan

[deltecs]

I've a 1 1/2 year old yellow lab that I dearly enjoy.  He is playful and still puppy in heart with the size of a full grown dog.  About 85#'s.  One of the tricks I've learned over the years to assist training is to always carry a few animal cookies in my jacket pocket.  When the dog enthusiastically obeys a command, I give him one cookie.  There is very little nutrition so he doesn't get fat, but is a good enforcement tool.  He now comes every time to a survival whistle, no matter what he is doing.  He is easier to train knowing that sometimes he gets treats along with the atta boys.  The animal cookies are much better and cheaper thant doggie biscuits for him too.  A large bottle of animal cookies (about 2 gal bottle) can be bought in most box stores quite cheap.

[moxgrove]

The answer is crate training. I consider it the first step of all dog training. I start all my pups with it even if they eventually do get the run of the house. Having them in their crate and then putting them out to go potty and being consistent is huge.You may have to really watch like a hawk to catch the pup when it starts doing the sniff and walk telling you it is going to do its business and then rushing it outside. After a while you will develope radar. I recommend the crate for anytime you are not focusing on the puppy alone. At first it will get po'd and cry and howl, but it will pass. It also makes for a dog that's a good citizen. You know if you have visitors over who may not be overlyu fond of or allergic to dogs it is nice to just say kennel and have your dog trot off for a nap. I know it seems rough while in the early stages , but in the long run your dog will be thrilled to have its own little haven. When mama fires up the vacuum, the dogs just head off on their own. They are perfectly secure and calm when they are in their crates. If you need more detaills, there are a ton of good sources around. Good luck and enjoy your pup!