Do y'all have any suggestions on how to stimulate an unruly puppy?
I have a very smart 4 month old goldendoodle who loves getting into everything. She has no interest in her toys or chews. I'm at my wits end. She won't respond to any correction or redirection. I puppy proofed tf out of my house but she still finds shit to get into. Idek where she gets some of the stuff she finds.
I can't give her super flavorful bones because my beagle tries to fight her over them. That's the only thing that has held her attention recently, but my beagle is a dick when it comes to bones.
I brought home like a dozen new toys yesterday but she doesn't want them. She also doesn't really care for treats when training. She'd just rather be called a good girl and get head pats.
My beagle isn't nearly as smart as her, so it didn't take much to stimulate him. Now he just wants to nap all the time lol.
Your dog wants love and attention, not distractions. That may change a bit as they get older but some dogs are just this way.
PlasmaDistortion is right. Unfortunately your responding to bad behavior with attention is training your pooch to behave badly.
You have to find a humane way to respond a way that the dog dislikes.
For my dog it is simply withdrawing all attention. Pretend she doesn't exist until the behavior corrects. My dog was confused at first and tried harder so I get went about my day like she didnt exist. Finally she moped and laid on the floor so I pet her and said good girl and gave her some cuddles.
Now when she acts out or gets rough I just have to drop my shoulders and look ahead and she calms down pretty quick.
Such as? Potential future dog owner here
Immediately and firmly say NO, BAD DOG, while holding eye contact and pointing at them. Then move on. The key is that you have to do it every single time. Dogs need total consistency or they get confused, or try to push the boundaries. The more intelligent the dog, the more important discipline is. But don't turn any discipline into an ongoing punishment. Sensitive dogs get their feelings hurt really easily if you continue shaming them. Say no immediately until you see it had an effect, then redirect them to positive behavior and praise them. They respond a lot better to praise than punishment.
The cool thing is that the more intelligent the dog is, the fewer times you need to praise the right behavior before they learn whatever you're trying to teach them. Also, sensitive dogs respond really well to praise. Being told they're good absolutely makes their days. My little Pomchi learned tricks after about 5 repetitions, and retained them for years, even without doing them again. Some dogs are crazy intelligent.
I have no idea how to give her love and attention other than talking to her constantly. She doesn't like cuddles or too many pets. She sometimes lets me brush her without issue. She's really weird lol. Maybe just hanging out on the floor with her would work? She despises sitting in my recliner with me.
Does she have toys? What about walks?
She has so many toys lol. She gets lots of outside time in the yard with her tie out. I haven't been taking her or my beagle to the park because they have been picking up parasites left and right and I need to get it all straightened out before I'll be comfortable taking them places where other dogs have been. They're on medicine for it and it seems to be working pretty well, but their digestion is wrecked. They get probiotics and special meals. My vet said it may take a while for them to get back to normal. My beagle also just got diagnosed with active lyme and started antibiotics for it, which isn't going to help his belly any.
I try to make their toys new and interesting. I made one of their balls into a tetherball by attaching it to a doorknob with some string The dogs go to it occasionally lol.
She needs more walks outside into interesting places where she can see new things and smells etc. The best way to deal with this is tiring her out with significant physical activity. Swimming is good and she should like that for her breed. Just being tied on a lead all day by herself in the same old yard is not enough. They don’t need to go to an actual dog park, but they need real walks!!
Also, golden doodles are known to be stubborn idiots.
Not park time or off leash time, your dog needs leashed walking through the neighborhood with you. Walk circles around a nearby school or weave through the streets and do "focus" training with her to bond.
We had a dog that liked balls, but when we put a ball inside a sock, he went absolutely bananas. He flipped that thing around the house and yard for hours! Then he carried it off to his bed and slept with it. Try putting a tennis ball inside of a sock.
That's a great idea! My dogs love chomping on plastic, so I can put water bottles and grocery bags in a sock as well.