HELP!!! Cockapoo Puppy Bad Behaviour - Constant Barking!!!!

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thomash

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Hi All,

I was wondering if anyone had any good advice, I was told this forum is where the real experts live....

Our 10 month old cockapoo is really well behaved, friendly and obedient apart from in one situation.

When my wife returns home from work before me and I am not there Pepper (the puppy) will constantly bark at her for attention. Even if she is given attention or picked up (only picked up after 1 hour of constant barking) she will continue to incessantly bark once put down, this usually lasts for 30 mins-2 hours. It can happen at any time when my wife returns home but predominantly happens after work. She is completely obsessed with my wife and will follow her round all day and they definitely have a better bond than what I have with Pepper. When I am in the room she never misbehaves and will stop the barking instantly if I say "No" to her. Any tips would be hugely welcome. I should add that during the week she is taken out for a walk around lunchtime, she stays in her crate in the hours after her walk till we get home. She also sleeps in her crate in our room at night (just adding this in case there are any good tips). We have tried rewarding her with treats when she goes quiet and ignoring her but it doesn't seem to do the trick.

Many thanks in advance it is driving us insane so would love some ideas to try?!? :shock:
 
Time out! I do it for any unwanted behaviour from puppy nipping to stealing to rude jumping all over me. You pick them up, no eye contact no emotion and pop them on the other side of a closed door. Then you count to 5 and let them back in, again, no emotion, no eye contact. Any repeat of the behaviour and the go back out. The first time you do it it might take a 20 times, when I did it with my rescue dog my bum didnt even touch the sofa before I was getting back up to put him out. But they get it really quickly. I only ever have to do it once with the pup and the big dog hasnt been timed out for years!

As well as that you need to make sure the dog gets lots of physical and mental stimulation. So enough walks to tire them out and enough training to keep them mentally tired. Its also worth looking at the diet. My big dog was crazed even on good quality kibble but is a different dog on RAW. RAW isnt for everyone :) But there are very good quality wet and dry foods that might help massively if you are feeding thing like pedigree chum etc!
 
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The" bond" is not with your wife but more with you hence her better behaviour and stopping barking when you request. Is she gradually being trained to be left alone for short periods so she does not have separation anxiety.?Poppy needs to have leadership from both of you to make her feel secure. I suspect she has way too much energy that has no outlet.At least a good hour walk daily to work off her frustrations. I think you both need correct knowledge on how a dogs mind works and on training a young dog. Invest in some dog behaviour books or /you tube videos are helpful.
 
Thanks everyone, she gets around a two hour walk (hour at lunch) 30 mins before work and then 30 mins to an hour after work.

My wife takes her for a walk as soon as she gets in but then she continues this behaviour. At weekends she gets around 4 hours walk and also plays with other dogs daily!

What was the advice about the food as well? Also she is on her own for 4 hours and then another 4 hours midweek with an hour walk at lunchtime.
 
What are you feeding her, does she gets treats (what are they), is all exercise on or off lead, are walks in the same place?
Am right in thinking this dog is in the crate for 4 hrs am, 4 hrs pm and overnight?
Has her routine changed at all?
 
Not an expert by any means - but aren't cockerpoo's quite high energy? It may be that half an hour after work is simply not enough - and the dog might benefit from a good hour or so's run.
 
The weekend 4 hour walk does sound like too much exercise for a 10 month old puppy. She needs exercise for her brain as well as physical exercise. 10 minutes of searching/ sniffing for food in your garden can really tire them out.

I would get a trainer in to see what is going on, but it sounds like your wife has done something at some point that has triggered this and has inadvertently rewarded it, remember for a dog any attention is rewarding and they will repeat a behaviour that gets rewarded ( that's why reward based training works so well). I would also look at what you are feeding her, but do speak to a trainer /behaviourist, they can assess and give you the tools to help sort this.
 
How long is the pup being left during the working week? It sounds like most of the day from your post, but I may be reading it wrong. It does seem like a long time for a young dog from a notoriously high energy breed and is probably is part of the reason she is so over-excited when your wife gets home. Would it be possible to send her to doggy daycare when you are both out working so she gets a bit more company and stimulation during the day?
 
Ignore, ignore, ignore. Your wife MUST completely ignore the dog while it is doing this negative behaviour. When it (finally) gets bored/realises that it isn't having any effect and quietens down - IMMEDIATELY reward, with treats, attention, toys, whatever.
I would really recommend joining a local training club. Do the Puppy Foundation course; the people running it will be able to give great advice on all sorts of things, including issues like this.
It all comes back to this though: ignore negative behaviour, reward positive behaviour.
If you reward the barking even once, by giving the dog attention, it will think "oh great, it's worked, i'll carry on doing this". Even if the "attention" you give it is shouting at it, or making eye contact! Any attention is a good thing in the eyes of a pup!
 
Also - is the puppy shut in it's crate? Or does it have the run of a room, with open access to the crate? Personally I NEVER shut mine in his crate, it's just a safe space he can retreat to, as and when he desires (which is most of the time, he's always in there when I get home!). I think they should be able to move around, play, access water as and when they require, and being shut in a crate isn't going to allow that. (Obviously may have misunderstood what you meant completely, so apologies if so!).
Mine is left with access to kitchen/utility area, dog flap to secure back garden, treat dispensing toys (which are great to wear them out and gt their brain working - just choose wisely and make sure they are safe to be left alone with) or a stuffed Kong - he now has 2 companions as well but he used to be fine like this on his own too.
And training is much higher value at wearing a dog out (especially a high energy one like a cocker x poodle) than just walking.
 
What is your dog's daily routine? A 30 min walk before work, four hours in a crate, an hour walk at lunchtime and then another four hours in a crate, then 30 minute walk after work? I would personally think eight hours a day in a crate is too long for a young, energetic dog. Is there a dog day care centre or walker who could take her out for the morning and/or afternoon. I am assuming she is an only dog? Dogs crave and thrive on company and so she is probably pretty lonely spending the majority of the day alone.

The cockerpoo cross is made up of two high energy breeds and although this cross is becoming increasingly popular as a pet they do need plenty of training and mental stimulation (as well as exercise) to keep them satisfied. Do you do any training with your dog? Clicker training is great for getting dogs to use their brain and it really tires them out.

If you are new to clicker training ...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_wv1uvvqaSw

The Kikopup youtube has plenty of fun short videos to help you
https://www.youtube.com/user/kikopup

As has also been mentioned, making your dog work for their food is a great way to bond and tires your dog mentally. Scattering food in the garden is one option or, due to the worry of ingesting snails and the associated lungworm, you can buy such things as snufflemats and interactive dog feeders (search for green interactive dog feeder) which makes your dog work harder for her food.

Is she fed on kibble? What brand? As with ourselves, what we put into our body in terms of nutrition can have a real effect on our moods and behaviour. My advice, if you are feeding a complete kibble, is to buy the best you can afford and try to avoid those with lots of artificial colourants (Bakers is a big no no).

I would put in place all the above and if you are still struggling then seek the help of a qualified behaviourist - who uses reward based methods.
 
Got to second the suggestion of clicker training above, I have used clicker training with both my pups with great success and it is great for working their mind which is as necessary as exercising their bodies.
 
You can "actively" ignore by turning and walking away, whenever she barks. It will take a while to learn, but the much better way is to train (with reinforcement) a behaviour that is incompatible with the barking, such as a "down", and then a down/stay. That has the added benefit that training with rewards/reinforcers tires them out due to the levels of concentration and builds a good relationship between dog and handler. Look up "clicker training" if you don't know how to do that but really, the clicker isn't that necessary, it just signals that they got it right and a reward is on the way.
And now we will have all the tough guy trainers saying that giving treats is BAAAAD. No it isn't if they are targeted at a good behaviour.
 
She's spending too long in the crate and too long on her own.
Let her out of the crate and get another dog for company. Four hour spells in a crate will turn any dog bonkers.
 
cobgoblin said:
She's spending too long in the crate and too long on her own.
Let her out of the crate and get another dog for company. Four hour spells in a crate will turn any dog bonkers.
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agreed-she's young, high energy and needs company. 8 hours in a crate (plus overnight?) is a long time for a dog to be alone and a long time to be mostly immobile. Find a good dogwalker/daycare or maybe a slightly older dog for company (none of these things are easy or cheap granted).
 
Get rid of the crate detestfull things and too much time in there will also cause joint problems a dog needs to be free to move around change position stand up walk about.
 
Kaylum said:
Get rid of the crate detestfull things and too much time in there will also cause joint problems a dog needs to be free to move around change position stand up walk about.
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Crates are fine if used in a responsible manner, ie overnight and one or two short spells during the day when the dog could reasonably be expected to sleep. But they should not be used to contain the dog when the owners are out working all day.
 
I simply don't understand why people buy dogs if they intend to leave locked them in a crate for huge amounts time. Would they do that to their children? It's just plain selfish to inflict this degree of loneliness and boredom on an animal. If you don't want to spend time loving and playing with a young dog don't get one.
 
TGM said:
Crates are fine if used in a responsible manner, ie overnight and one or two short spells during the day when the dog could reasonably be expected to sleep. But they should not be used to contain the dog when the owners are out working all day.
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Sorry I just don't like them you bring a dog into your home you then confine their movements for your convenience. Seen it happen too many times people getting the wrong dogs for the their lifestyle.
 
I was in town yesterday and met a lady walking a 4 month old one - puppy just could not control his exuberance, even though she was doing a fairly good job, stopping and getting his attention whenever he lost it. Bad combination of breeds IMO, seems to bring out the worst of the spaniel traits? Another lady was saying she knew one pretty much the same, owned by an arthritic elderly neighbour :o
I would most definitely use clicker or similar to focus his brain and get him tired through concentration if OPs is anything like that one
 
Kaylum said:
Sorry I just don't like them you bring a dog into your home you then confine their movements for your convenience. Seen it happen too many times people getting the wrong dogs for the their lifestyle.
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You confine their movements for your convenience and their safety. If you have a baby, do you leave it free to roam around the house all night? Or do you put it in a cot, so if it wakes up without you knowing it can't get into mischief or danger? When my daughter was very young she slept in a cot and had naps in one during the day. I do exactly the same with my new puppy, but she goes into a crate rather than a cot. However, you shouldn't leave a baby in a cot all day, and nor should you leave a pup in a crate all day. The problem is not so much with the crates themselves, but rather with people who take on a dog without having enough time to give them the company and stimulation they need.
 
I agree, I have just rehomed a young husky who has spent his entire young life (until he ended up in a rescue kennel) crated in a room on his own, he had never even been taken for a walk, he is now 2 & experiencing the big wide world for the first time.
Although I don't like crates & have never used one myself, I think they can have their uses, if used in moderation. Cockerpoos are cute looking dogs but it is a potentially tricky cross, I know 2 & they are both high energy, fun dogs but they are not for everybody.
 
Kaylum said:
Sorry I just don't like them you bring a dog into your home you then confine their movements for your convenience. Seen it happen too many times people getting the wrong dogs for the their lifestyle.
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I am not anti-crate and do think they have their uses in responsible hands, but it is interesting to note that in Sweden they are actually banned!

This is what the law states (along with their other dog specific laws)

*You are not allowed to tie your dog up indoors (you may keep it leashed for an unspecified shorter amount of time if the dog is being unruly)

*Outdoors a dog may be tied up for 2 hours maximum. It may be kept in a dog pen but has to be taken out once a day.

*It may not ever be kept in a crate with a closed door. Exceptions are: shows, competitions, exams, hunting (up to 8 hours), during transportations (may not be crated for more than 3 hours in a standstill vehicle). Play pens are also illegal.

*Electric- or prong- collars are strictly forbidden. Electric (invisible) fences are also forbidden.
 
JillA said:
I was in town yesterday and met a lady walking a 4 month old one - puppy just could not control his exuberance, even though she was doing a fairly good job, stopping and getting his attention whenever he lost it. Bad combination of breeds IMO, seems to bring out the worst of the spaniel traits? Another lady was saying she knew one pretty much the same, owned by an arthritic elderly neighbour :o
I would most definitely use clicker or similar to focus his brain and get him tired through concentration if OPs is anything like that one
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I don't know that many but my friend, who is a pro dog walker and dog trainer, has met many and she says they are all really high energy with little focus - not a good combination for your average family.
 
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