SearchHurricane Kay...
Uh oh...Kay's done it again.
By "done it again", I mean found another way to make sure I know she isn't actually as old as I think she is, AND make herself so unbelievable un-scoldable.
When she was 13 weeks old, her "I love you and everyone else who just got up!" in the mornign was adorable. It consisted of her running around the house, falling over because she didn't know where her legs were, bowling into you, sitting at her feet, wiggly-waggly tail and little puppy whimpers. Every morning this would happen.
So, me, being the future-looker-onwarder that I am, realised it wouldn't be so cute when she was older. Then I had someone come to stay with me, who thought it was just too adorable not to respond to. Of course, this guy wasn't going to have to deal with a 13 month old, 80lb. eating mashine flinging into his legs every morning.
Imagine having the choice: Do the boring thing and sit to be petted, or go ahead, do whatever you like, you know it's fun and I think it's cute! ... What one would you REALLY pick? Yes, Kayenne thought that as well.
I've now got the itty bitty problem of legs that don't bend that way to deal with. She doesn't fling from behind, she flings from infront, effectively shoving my knee back. Whoop. Not just the fact she could seriously INJURE me, but she's wrecking the house. When she was 13 weeks, it wasn't too bad if she knocked a stack of papers down. Now that she's 13 months, I've got to worry about electrics, tables, chairs, glasses, mugs, the other dogs (as the majority of them are little, with breakable legs and trample-able bodies) AND the 17 year old, blind-as-a-bat cat.
Since she's huge now, and, having been praised as a puppy for her "morning zoomies", is more excitable than she used to be, it's a lot harder to actually STOP her from running around. I can bellow, and make her lay down in her bed, but I can't actually grab hold of her, keep her sitting and pet her at the same time, to let her know that sitting is what gets her the pat on the head...
I've tried using a lead, but she gets more excited, thinking she's going out, and she starts howling like a banshee at 7AM while a baby and toddler sleep right next door...
It must be obvious, so gimme just a hint of what I must do, to cure this leg-breaker.
I could have written that story, Cleo, who is also 13 months, is also very excitable, we have never ever had a doberman who is so hyper. the trouble is she loves everyone and thinks, no EXPECTS, everyone to love her back. She is such a happy dog but she wriggles, jumps, sqirms, clilmbs up on everything and everyone and no matter how we address it she just does not calm down.
I try to ignore her completely but it doens't help. She does seem to understand that when I fold my arms that she must sit down but sitting down means wriggling on her bum, wagging her nub and making squeaking noises. I was so fed up with her last night that I grabbed her by the collar and threw her out of the room. I left her there for a while then opened the door and in she came again all guns blazing so out she went again and this time when I opened the door she walked in calmly, had a sniff around and went and played with her toy. So that is what I am going to do now, if she won't calm down I am going to expel her and hopefully she will understand. She is so quick to pick up all other commands that I hope she will know why she is being thrown out.
Having said all that she is the most loveable girl, such a personality and such good fun and I don't want her to lose her personality.
Eugh, times like these are when I wish I had doors in this house. All we have are baby gates.
I've tried the out-you-go technique but she just runs around in that room. If I let her in when she's calm, she goes crazy again. if I take her out, again, she goes crazy, calms, in she comes and crazy again.
Silly cow.
Wow.. I can only imagine the havoc wrecked in your home.. sounds to me like Kay might need a little more excercise ( yes MORE) than she's already getting.. Have you tried her on a treadmill?? I know she's still young and the growth plates haven't formed completely so a lot of hard running is out of the queston but HOLY COW.. unless you strip your house bare of all bumpable essentials, it's going to be a disastor area within weeks..
" They" say that a mental workout is almost as tireing as physical.. can you teach her the "Find it" game. ( as in "find the turned over table".. " GO Find the crutch I need for my broken leg" ) Seriously, I wish I had a solution... But unless you start wearing splints on your legs..... just sayin'
Stay tuned.. I'm thinking you might get a solution or at least a suggestion from one of our more expereinced trainers here on the Forum
She actually knows Find it, and we practice it regularly with the ball in the field, as well as treats around the house. All the dogs do it. I've been teaching her to pick things up and bring them back. My little JRT did it really well. If I ever dropped something, he'd pick it up and carry it with me until I realised, thanked him and took it off of him. I figured I could get Kay to take over the role. She's doing fairly well...Bit scared with things like keys and drink cans, but she warms up easily, so we'll continue!
I purchased a block game, where you can put a treat under movable blocks, all on a tray, and the dog has to nudge the blocks away to get the treat. Kay does it too quickly. I've even started not showing her where the treat is going, but it only takes her about 10 seconds to get the treat.
I've been doing a lot more brain games with her, because she hurt her paw fairl y badly when running with the other dogs. It was just a pulled muscle, but it took 2 weeks to settle back down, and I don't want to bring it up again. She's only getting two 20 minute runs a day, chasing the ball (mixed up with training sessions) and then a walk around the block, on lead...I really don't want to overdo it, but she's settled into this routine fairly well.
I left her out of her crate last night. First time ever. Well. She tried chewing my alarm clock ariel a few times...But settled down shortly after. 8AM, I awoke to two Dobie noses in the face. Surprisingly, Kay didn't jump around or run in and out or anything. (No broken legs yet - wah-hey!) I was starting up the computer and having a coffee when she came and sat by me, with her piggy little eyes and pulled back ears, wiggling her tail like there's no tomorrow...But I gave her a pat on the head, told her to go and lay down, and she did.
I might move her crate into the bedroom, to see if it makes a difference. She's in the kitchen at the moment, so maybe it's just because she hasn't seen people for a few hours? Very people oriented dog...! :-P
LOl she sounds adorable :) it must be hard with a pulled muscle im sure...hope its getting on the mend soon :)
Lol great story! I don't have any advice, aside from the time out. But it was a great thread to read. You are a great story teller!
She may sound adorable...
But this ^ is what I see multiple times on a daily basis. It's her, excited/shocked/startled/happy/sad/guilty/guilt-inducing face. Her "normal" face is beautiful, so it's all good. ;-)
I tried her in the bedroom again, with the crate. I admit, I let her out about 10 minutes after putting her in. Tia was wandering around and exciting her, making her whine. Seeing as she seemed to be alright out of the crate at nighttime, I decided I'd rather awaken to some chewed up shoes, than get her into the habit of whinging and whining in the crate.
Turns out I didn't have to put up with either of those two things. I let her out, she tried climbing on the bed once...And then she chewed on Tia's ears for a few minutes before falling asleep with Tia's ear...IN her mouth. I'd have given anything for a camera right at that moment. However...She's making icky ears worse, so no more cute habit for Kay.
This morning wasn't as good as yesterday morning (yestermorn? ...). While she didn't wake me up, she did bounce around the bedroom for 5 minutes while I was getting the Jacks ready for the day ahead, refused to come down the stairs when I called her, and then used the face demonstrated above on me when I dragged her off of my bed and put her collar back on (something she managed to get off in the night...As if it wasn't a highly complicated collar that I can barely take off.)
If this week doesn't appear better than last week, then Kay will be moved back downstairs and we'll go back to the drawing board. While I like the fact Tia is completely trouble-less...Kay is more of a "me" dog. "Just keep Tia, nobody will have to know" jokes that are running around in the family are getting a little old.
C'mon Kay, lets prove 'em wrong! You do have a (working) brain! (lets just say it a few more times...Maybe it'll come true...)
quit trying new things...she whined in her crate so you let her out after 10 minutes? what you actually just taught her is if she whines she gets what she wants. She actually just trained you!
Moving her crate around ever couple days has the same affect...it didn't work so lets try here, nope how about here. you're confusing her and she knows if she makes a big enough fuss you'll move her or do stop. Again, she's doing the training at this point.
Pick what YOU want and stick with it. Not for 2 days or 3-4 but until she behaves the way you want her too. That's not to say you can't try new things if something isn't working but you can't possible expect her to learn something in 2-3 days then change it and expect her to learn something else in 2-3 days.
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I will be following this post I sooo need an answer to a very similar problem! My lil girls only 6months old so I could only imagine how your doing!! Good luck!! And Ill be following along!