my Patterdale Terrier x pup is out of control

[Glenbo]

Hi i have a 4 month year old Patterdale Terrier x Cocker Spaniel called 'Brucey'....

And I'm making a real mess of training him.

He is my first dog i have ever owned, being a long time Cat owner, i didn't realise how hard it was to own a Dog, that being said i love him and I'm attached to him, so looks like i need to train myself as well as him.

Here is my problems with him.

-Messing in the house, randomly anywhere, on sofas, floors, anywhere

-The dog coming between me and my partner when we are sitting on the sofa

-Stealing/Snatching food, running off with it, then getting aggressive when trying to retrieve it from him (he also does this with my toddlers toys)

-Aggressive play fighting, including growling, biting, scratching

-Running off any chance he can get (we have stair gates to stop him getting into the hall way where the front door is, but the kids will leave it open occasionally and he will make a run for it, he did this today and got hit by a car in the road outside my house, luckily he was not hurt)

-Running up stairs and hiding, he is not allowed up stairs in the house but any chance he will get he will run upstairs and hide under the bed where we can't get to him

-not lying in his bed so constantly havign to get him off the sofa

-can't take him off the lead, he will make a run for it or attack other dogs

-Attacking/jumping on/biting/pulling out hair of other dogs that are friendly to him

-Chasing 1 of my 3 cats to the point it wont come down the stairs, the other 2 fight back at him and hes scared of them

-Stealing the cats food

List is pretty endless, theres probably plenty of things i have missed out.

Where do i start? today he got hit by a car after chasing him outside for half a hour after he got out of the house, he wasn't hurt but very nearly.

Any help would be useful, i never realised how hard keeping a dog was and if i knew i wouldn't of jumped in head first like i did, but i have him now, and i want to make him obedient without paying lots of money for classes etc and make him a happy family dog.

[Pawsitive]

Hiya,

Firstly, I would suggest puppy classes - meeting likeminded folks can help you discuss issues and solutions as well as being a great way to socialise your pup - which can avoid many other issues in the future!

Also, a trainer will be able to give you advice and guidance which will make you feel more confident with your pup.

4 months old is a real baby so messing indoors isn't really suprising. I would suggest taking him outside and encouraging him to 'go weewees' every half hour to an hour, especially after eating or sleeping.
Don't get angry with the mess indoors, ignore it. But make sure every elimination outside is praised.

With regards to the sofa - do you want him on there or do you not want him on there? Whatever you decide be consistent. If he's not allowed on the sofa, give him his own space (rug / blanket / crate) that he can relax on (and make that a good place to be! Ie. feed him puppy kongs there etc)

With resource guarding (ie food or toys) play swapsies - trade up for a higher value item that the pup will really want. Ie if you want your toddlers toys back, swap for a piece of tasty chicken or something he really loves.

You could also teach him a really reliable 'leave it' - if this is reinforced you should be able to ask him to leave any items that he is not allowed to play with.

Aggressive play fighting - this is hard to define properly without seeing it but I have a feeling what you're describing is normal puppy play - mouthing / snapping etc. If the play gets too rough, stop the game and turn your back or leave the room. The pup will learn that too rough means the game stops. Also, if he is mouthing, again stop the game but you could also give him something he IS allowed to chew on (ie puppy kong / toilet roll etc)

Recall is something that needs to be worked on consistently inside and out so when you are in the house, practice recall with him (you can use a long line in the house and in a park etc) but make it a game. Call him between you and someone else, praise when he comes and reward too (high value treat / favourite toy).

NEVER tell him off when he comes back to you - otherwise he will learn that coming back is not a good thing to do.

You have to make yourself the most exciting person to him and also a GOOD PLACE TO BE. Make him WANT to come back to you.

Puppies do bite / mouth other dogs. It's how they learn puppy manners when the other dog tells them off for lack of doggy etiquette. Obviously, you don't want to meet an aggressive dog that is going to 'scare' him but if he is meeting nice dogs, let them teach him a few manners. Dogs teaching dogs is really one of the best ways for puppies to learn what is and what isn't acceptable.

You need to do some gentle socialisation with the cats - I would suggest looking into clicker training. You can work on his desire to chase and associate them with something good at the same time (ie when he sits and just 'watches' you can reward him with something he really wants - game / food etc)

There is a wealth of information in books and online and of course the forums but I would really say that if you are worried about any behaviour you should go to a trainer or behaviourist (positive methods only otherwise you are opening yourself up to a world of problems if you decide to use aversive techniques) - even if it just serves to help you feel more confident and able to understand your pup more.

Puppies are naturally inquisitive and mischievous. And when they reach the 7-18mth period they can push boundaries even more. But with good training and patience I am sure your pup will be a lovely family dog.

Keep us posted with how you get on!

p.s. just another quick question - how much exercise is he getting?