Cecil, he’s still the best.. but

[poiuytrewq]

We have got a few issues!

He’s generally brilliant and easily the best accidental kind of decision ive ever made ?
However, if anyone can advise on the following couple of things.
1. He was house trained. He was the easiest one ive ever had. Dry over night from the second night and text book easy in the day.
Until now! I *think it coincided with my daughter and her puppy properly moving back in. I put it down to playing, excitement and I guess forgetting to go outside. I thought if I took a step back and started taking them out again more often it would right itself. It’s improved but still not good. I suspect it’s a bit of both of them.
Then really disappointingly last night they slept crated side by side for the first time as daughter was away and hers struggles to settle in her room without her, they both wee’d in their beds gutted at that one.
2- Cecil learnt to cock his leg and is practising it out inside the house over items on the floor, this isn’t a “ah need a wee” it’s a deliberate scent mark (I think!) usually he doesn’t actually wee but did pee on my washing basket yesterday. He had a good telling off for that. I’m trying this only positive re-enforcement but didn’t feel I could just ignore that?
3- Another bit of a disappointment! At puppy classes the other puppies all say hi and play with each other and then the owners get chatting… Cecil turns into Satan on a lead and everyone instantly pulls their dog away and then avoids us
I know he will actually be a bit growly maybe air snap but then get over it and be friends but (understandably) no one lets their dogs chat long enough for him to realise it’s ok. I think it’s a nervy thing, he seems particularly nervous at puppy class. How can I help him over this?
On the plus side, he’s still a little superstar!
He’s great off lead, perfecting recall which we practise poo picking the field! Friendly to people including kids of all ages. Is good at work and gets on with all the other dogs there, they were all introduced off lead, he had his little snarl and are now all best friends.
Walks nicely on a lead 95% of the time and is a generally nice little all rounder!
If anyone can advise on the above id be really grateful ?

 

[poiuytrewq]

No one?
not even a like for a super cute photo?!

edited to say the photo like request was a joke! I was just surprised not to get any advice whatsoever

 

[Fluffypiglet]

I'll give you a like for the photo but don't have a dog or any helpful knowledge of dogs so sorry I can't help. He is very cute tho! Hopefully someone helpful will be along soon....

 

[Smitty]

He can come and wee on my washing anytime??

I cannot remember when mine started cocking his leg but he will usually give something a good sniff before peeing on it so I would keep a watchful eye on Cyril and send him outside before he gets a chance to start. It's very hard as you don't want to make them ashamed or worried about urinating in front of you but you need to make it clear that marking in the house is just not sociable.

I cannot help on the puppy party front. The first one mine attended at perhaps 12 weeks old started off with him having to be coaxed out from underneath a car in the car park where he had dived in fright at seeing a Chihuahua puppy. I should have left him because he emerged as a sex offender and spent the whole session attempting to mount every pup there. He went to another at a different place a couple of weeks later and as his depraved behaviour had not improved I was too ashamed to go again...

Hopefully somebody will come along with constructive advice ?

 

[poiuytrewq]

He can come and wee on my washing anytime??

I cannot remember when mine started cocking his leg but he will usually give something a good sniff before peeing on it so I would keep a watchful eye on Cyril and send him outside before he gets a chance to start. It's very hard as you don't want to make them ashamed or worried about urinating in front of you but you need to make it clear that marking in the house is just not sociable.

I cannot help on the puppy party front. The first one mine attended at perhaps 12 weeks old started off with him having to be coaxed out from underneath a car in the car park where he had dived in fright at seeing a Chihuahua puppy. I should have left him because he emerged as a sex offender and spent the whole session attempting to mount every pup there. He went to another at a different place a couple of weeks later and as his depraved behaviour had not improved I was too ashamed to go again...

Hopefully somebody will come along with constructive advice ?

Oh dear ? that makes me feel a bit better anyway!
I don’t think I ever realised before but “little dog syndrome” as people keep calling it is a very real reaction to over zealous giants leaping at them. Poor soul.
Nb. Since posting last week the toilet issues are improving.

 

[Parrotperson]

It’s really just a case of chucking him out a LOT! So he doesn’t get a chance to wee inside.

the only puppy party I ever went to was a disaster (my tiny jrt with all the big puppies because the vets where it was happening had mistakenly invited all the big puppies to a small puppy party)

should've turned round and gone home but just as I was dithering a high gsd puppy came in towing its owner and lept on mine! She was never the same with other dogs after that.
He is cute though!

 

[MurphysMinder]

As you have suggested, I suspect a lot of the breakdown in house training is due to the other pup in the house. At his age it's not really surprising and I suggest you go back to basics and just keep taking him out, staying with him until he does something and then loads of praise. I wouldn't tell him off for marking in the house, because this might lead to him becoming sneaky and disappearing to do it, you just have to be totally on the ball and watch for any sign. The weeing at night is probably because they disturb each other, might be better to sleep them in separate rooms for now.
As for the training , I am not a fan of puppy classes where the pups all play together, can be very stressful for the less confident pup. In my view pups should meet others on lead, and I apply the 5 second rule, ie quick greeting and sniff then move on. Obviously if he doesn't want to do that then you will have to work on it, if it is the sort of free for all puppy class you might be better finding one where the training and socialising is more structured.

He is absolutely gorgeous, and I'm sure you'll soon iron out the little quirks.

 

[SusieT]

He looks lovely. Ref the anxiety round other dogs this needs dealt with now while he is young. Is the trainer at puppy class helping? Other puppies are unlikely to be the best if hes nervous as the owners understandably wont want their pups growled/snapped at. You need someone or people with good stooge dogs and lots of variety and also a trainer who is able to guide you. If the trainer at puppy class is just ignoring this, or at least not resolving it in the sessions I would look for a behaviourist or trainer who can help - it is not overkill to seek behavioural advice because he's too young to do damage/its not serious because if he retains this behaviour it will make him difficult to take out as an adult. toileting in the house has been covered above.

 

[MissTyc]

I find the boys think it's hilarious to pee on things when they first start to cock their leg. I treat it a "different" house training i.e. they have to learn to wee outside, to poo outside, and also to cock their leg outside!

As for the socialising. I would personally consider your dog's behaviour as "pre-reactive" and would probably work a lot on counter conditioning to help him gain confidence. My own terrier was like this - little snarl but always friendly right until he was about 14 months old at which point the friendly part wasn't required any more. Any dogs we met before that point are still close friends; new dogs are much trickier to introduce. I wish I'd better understood he was anxious back then.

 

[Flyermc]

I dont know much about dogs, but would he be better away from a puppy class and get introduced to well balanced older dogs first?

Has your puppy trainer suggested anything?

 

[Clodagh]

Well I'm sorry I ignored your post, I honestly didn't see it. Are you sure you didn't shelve it somewhere? I'm sure someone would have admired Mr Wee pants!

I can't help with the housetraining. I never have two pups together and I never have dogs, they always seem to always pee on things. But he is very cute!
I would say BITD when we had terriers they were so difficult to house train and took far longer than other dogs. You've had labradors now, you have forgotten what it is like!

I'd stop puppy classes if him growling meaning he gets left alone - thinking of CC's advice here, he has a win every time he snarls. Stick to friendly on lead dogs for now who won't be intimidated by him.

 

[Christmascinnamoncookie]

One of mine cocked his leg on the sofa once, I think just because he’d learnt how and was all proud. He got shouted at and taken outside, praised for peeing out there.

The snarly thing concerns me: does he feel threatened? Unsafe? Do you have mates with dogs he gets on with? Little dog syndrome?

 

[poiuytrewq]

Ahh, that’s better!! ?

Thank you all for the replies.
The wee’ing in the house including the marking type wee seems *touch wood* to have stopped again. The wet beds seems to have been a one off thank god! Perhaps they just wound each other up in the night or I have wonder if each had marked the others bed before I put them in, the wetness wasn’t at all obvious, it was only that I felt around to check. So hopefully we are on the right track again!
@Clodagh our last lab was nicknamed Puddles the first year for a reason ?‍ You have a point though, the previous two were easy.

The snappy aggressive bit is still a concern though.
In the puppy class we work separately in our own space. There’s no problem with this. So the trainer hasn’t seen.
They are all on leads or long lines at all times.
It’s the pre lesson everyone arriving and letting the pups say hello that I noticed the issue. I’ve spoken to the trainer and made her aware. She said we will cover it in lessons and that he’s so small it’s intimidation and nerves. So I *think she is going to help.
I have enquired about some separate one to one sessions elsewhere aswell.
He has other dog friends, he’s met a lot. We have 2 older dogs and now daughters puppy. There are 5 others at my work place and he’s gone to play with various other friends dogs. All these introductions have been off lead because it just never occurred to me there could be a problem.
He has maybe in hindsight had a little growl at a few but after a few seconds they are playing.
I think he is quite a nervous little dog in general. He has reacted the same way to a few things, cyclists, cows, big vehicles. Generally I’ve got down to his level (well not quite but closer to him!) reassure and give a treat for sitting quietly while they pass and that’s worked.