Help with my puppy, lots of issues?

First topic message reminder :

Hey all! I have a soon 5 month old tibetan spaniel and I'm so lost with training him. He's vivacious, kind but doesn't listen to me that much. He is stubborn. Here's a couple of issues I need help with,

1. If I tell him "no" when he is doing something forbidden like playing with a shoe, I have to say no very many times until he believes me. After that he chooses another forbidden target and believes me after I've said no many times. He has tons of toys to play with and I try to give him one when he's doing this but no..


2. I take him out 3-4 times a day, 1-2 hours each time but he still is afraid to be there. He stops and won't move, he'll stop for 15 minutes unless I carry him. I have to do this like 5 times during each route because he just won't move. He also whines there, I try to give him treats to come but no. I'm calm, I try to be cheerful, I've taken toys with me. I've had him get to know other dogs, lots of people. He won't pee or poo out, he immediately does it inside when we come even if we're there two hours and around 4-5 hours a day is the most I have time to be out with him. So the issues here he won't move outside, he stares at cars and people sometimes barks (not as much anymore, I've somehow learnt to teach him not to), he won't do his needs outside, he whines there and jumps around like crazy.

Can anyone help me?! I'm so frustrated and I can't even train my dog to do the most important things. Funny thing is that he knows "sit", "give paw", "another paw", "lay", "come", "twist" (around an object) and when I put my hand on him he jumps, and his name but not the things he needs to. So he's clearly not stupid, this must be my fault somehow? He trusts me, he always follows me, gets so much attention. Idk what I'm doing wrong but if I don't see some succeed I have to give him away. Help anyone?

Yes, the pr0file pic is gorgeous!!!  

Hey, thank you! Everything's going really good! Nappe isn't as scared to be outside anymore, we can go to places he used to wouldn't even walk at. He's scared when we see other dogs and if he hears another dog barking, he immediately starts to jump around and whine. But always after the 'danger' has gone he seems really happy and likes being outside. I got a friend's dog who's really kind coming over to play with him this week so hopefully it'll help with the fear of other dogs, the puppy school starts on monday too so I hope that will help as well.

On sunday when we went walking around, we had been outside for an hour so I thought he wants to go home but he didn't! so we stayed outside for longer and then all of sudden he peed. I praised him but I was so shocked I couldn't even find a treat for him lol but he still did the same on monday and today TWICE and gave him a treat immediately He doesn't want to do the big need outside though but I'm working on that.

I don't give him as much as attention when we're indoors and he believes me much more and well he hasn't even been doing anything he knows is forbidden. I don't know how his behavior has changed this sudden, it seems like a miracle to me and I'm really happy & thankful of all of your people's help!! I'll be giving more update this week too

Wonderful news!! He's doing really well.  

That's great! Well done! You should be so proud of him - and yourself! These things often take a while to progress, so the fact that you've achieved results like this in a few days is really good!

Please do feel free to update and post pics of Nappe!

One thing I'd like to point out is walk lengths, by the way. The general rule for walking a puppy is five minutes per month of age. For a five-month-old puppy, that means he should probably be getting roughly 25 minutes of on-lead walking per walk, although this doesn't include off-lead running. An hour for each walk is probably a little too much for him! Good for you for wanting to give him plenty of exercise though!

Thank you, I've shortened his walks now. More update. He's continued making his other needs outside which is great but his behavior has changed a little, I guess I rejoiced too soon. ;( He barks to people in the stairway, and when there are people in the stairway and he barks a lot. I'm trying to distract him with treats and toys, it helps BUT he barks even 10 minutes after that and keeps sniffing by himself for ages. What could I do with that, anyone know? I also try to say no but it doesn't really help. He's been obeying me well for the past two days and I haven't been giving him too much attention so I wonder why he's not obeying me today. He barked at some man outside earlier and wouldn't stop although I distracted him. He doesn't really obey me unless I give him treats all the time during trying to teach him or distract him. So in order for him to obey me all the time I'd need to give him around 10 000 treats a day? He also tries to slip to the stairway when I leave and I can just imagine if someone opened the outside door at that moment and he ranaway I try to give him a bone or a treat or a toy, even food when I leave but he still tries to come with me. I've left him home every day 2-3 hours, 5 minutes sessions. What should I do? i feel frustrated once again.

5 minute sessions as well*

Hiya! Just letting you know that I'll try to reply properly to your problems later on - my Internet connection is terrible right now and keeps cutting out!

Yeah no problem Eleanor

Sorry about that!

The barking at people in the stairwell might be due to age. He's probably at the age now where he's starting to become territorial. It might help you to introduce a 'watch me' command. When you're trying to distract him from barking, it often works better if you do it before the barking begins - to do this, you will need to watch him to see what he does just before he starts barking. For instance, if he suddenly looks up just before he starts to bark, that's the time to distract him. This way, you have a chance of getting his attention before he focuses on the people out in the stairwell.

I can imagine it's frustrating having to keep repeating it every ten minutes, but it will get better. He just needs time to learn that barking in that situation isn't acceptable.

As for the escape attempts, is there any way you can fix a baby gate up just before your front door? This way, there are two obstacles between your dog and the outside, making it harder for him to get out.

At first, it sounded a little like separation anxiety. However, it could be that he's just used to going out when you go out and is hoping to go for a walk. A lot of dogs do this - as long as he isn't suffering from separation anxiety after you've left (anxious behaviour, going to the toilet by the door, chewing things, etc.) it's probably something he'll grow out of!

I can't add too much to what Eleanor said. If you need any tips on teaching the 'watch' command, just let us know.

Otherwise, just keep doing what you're doing. You're doing great! There's one positive thing to come out of this, though - very soon you'll know your dog & he'll know you inside out, and that will lead to a really close relationship!  

Don't despair Napukka, you are doing well and have had some great advice.

If, as I am guessing from what you have said, you live in a flat with only a balcony for easy access to the outside world, then toilet training is going to take a little longer. I have brought 3 puppies up in a 3-storey house, where we live on the first and second floors, so taking the pups outside for their toilets (particularly in the early days when they couldn't manage the stairs and had to be carried) meant that there were more "accidents" indoors (especially in the younger days when puppies' needs are more urgent) than might be expected in a house of one or two floors, when access to the garden is much more quickly achieved. I have always used the word "outside" in a cheerful voice, so that gradually the dogs knew that "outside" was the place to do what is necessary as they got older and more able to hang onto their needs for a minute or two. Nappe will learn, it just might take a bit longer given the extra distance and stairs that have to be negotiated.

Regarding escaping as soon as the door is opened, my latest pup (now 2 years old and a Staffy) gave me many heart attacks when he was Nappe's age. If I opened the door to a visitor he would rush through the tiniest gap between all our legs as quick and as slippery as an eel, just as if he was escaping from prison. A baby gate wasn't possible for the front door, so I got a double-folded wooden gate affair from a mail-order catalogue (about £50) so that the front door could be opened to callers without him rushing out, but could be opened easily to allow the visitor to enter once a firm hand was placed on Kuchar. I'll never entirely trust him not to make a bolt for it, but he's gradually learned that the words "wait there" means that he doesn't barge outside the minute the door is opened (like when I go out without him).

Also, he's come to learn when I go out without him, and when he is to accompany me, and that is the magic word "walkies"! He knows that when I say "do you want to go walkies?" I mean what I say, and he'll go walkies. No walkie word, no going out the front door.

I hope this helps a bit

Excellent advice from Lynda!