Manic Puppy!

[blueroanlover]

You could try a baby gate at the living room door.  Periodically give your cat a break and put pup out.  He'll still be able to see you but not get at you.  Bit by bit the cat should relax and while I think pup will kick up a fuss the first few times he'll soon get used to it and settle.

Cheers, we have a baby gate on the computer room door because of the cables in here, primarily to keep him out of here, but we have ended up moving the cat and her litter and bed into here simply because she is so scared and he needds access to the back door for toilet training.  Unfortunately poor cat cannot get over the gate or thru it so she must feel she is in jail!

We cannot put the gate on the living room door because we have a kitchen diner and if the pup is locked out of the living room he will go and chew the furniture... aagghh it is a logistical nightmare!

The thing is, the cat will only relax when he stops chasing her - we have to have him on the lead most times to stop that happening. The more he sees her the quicker (we thought) he would get used to her being there but it's not working yet.

[blueroanlover]

Hi There - I have Marco who is a 4 month old solid show type cocker we - he is getting much better but at about 10 weeks I had the week from hell with him - if you look at some of my old posts on puppies you will see what I mean!! LOL

Felt like I had made a massive mistake in getting him, I have had other dogs and as puppies they were never so nippy or just so hyper. I felt I spent all day yelling at him or at my son for getting him excited and the rest of the time clearing up after him and overall had a miserable exhausting week - the more I tried to stop him biting the more he went for me and growled and was an absolute pain. Then suddenly one morning he was just calmer so from that point I just stuck with all the good advice I had been given on here and stopped yelling and tapping noses ect and just tried to enjoy him  dont get me wrong now and again we have an off day - but dont we all LOL

Hang on in there - once you get him out the cabin fever will stop and he will have a whole new world to discover

Debbie & Marco (AKA Lucifer)

thanks! I shall look forward to that magical day!  Our pup barks and growls at us when we tell him 'no' or move him away from chewing our trouser legs etc... I don't think it is aggression, just answering back.

[MaggieR]

You will get there with the cat as well... they might not end up sharing beds but they just need to sort out how to deal with each other.  I've two, Tonic, who decided after three weeks of keeping out of Maggies way that he was going to reclaim his territory and literally stood his ground and showed her who was boss. Not in a vicious manner, he just pinned her head down with one paw, no claws and she understood... they play now, tho as Maggie has got bigger and is going through terrible teen stage I have to keep a closer eye on her.  The other cat is much more timid and ran whenever she saw Maggie. But in the last few months ( so it did take quite a while ) will now be in the same room as her as long as Maggie keeps her distance. If she gets too close/boisterous then she might get a bit of a slap but 99% of the time Maggie respects the space the cat needs and through a consistent message understands not to chase her - long as I can get it out in time lol.....     
Its hard I know - and I was petrified I would lose one of the cats in protest, but its the same as with the biting etc - patience, a consistent approach and time... he'll learn
Friday night! Whiskey!!!! 

[blueroanlover]

You will get there with the cat as well... they might not end up sharing beds but they just need to sort out how to deal with each other.  I've two, Tonic, who decided after three weeks of keeping out of Maggies way that he was going to reclaim his territory and literally stood his ground and showed her who was boss. Not in a vicious manner, he just pinned her head down with one paw, no claws and she understood... they play now, tho as Maggie has got bigger and is going through terrible teen stage I have to keep a closer eye on her.  The other cat is much more timid and ran whenever she saw Maggie. But in the last few months ( so it did take quite a while ) will now be in the same room as her as long as Maggie keeps her distance. If she gets too close/boisterous then she might get a bit of a slap but 99% of the time Maggie respects the space the cat needs and through a consistent message understands not to chase her - long as I can get it out in time lol.....     
Its hard I know - and I was petrified I would lose one of the cats in protest, but its the same as with the biting etc - patience, a consistent approach and time... he'll learn
Friday night! Whiskey!!!! 

Oh I do hope so!  How did you train Maggie that the cat was out of bounds though? I am trying to restrain the pup on the lead when the cat is around in the hope the two will get used to each other.  Our cat is a very timid cat and very small, lightly built.  She has lived with adult dogs all her life and usually been the one to tease THEM!  But she doesn't defend herself and runs into a corner rather than on to the worktop or anything - duh!

[MaggieR]

Initially she was on the lead and the time when they could see each other was short and sweet.  When Maggie made a dive I'd just distract her with her favourite toy - tug toy on a rope, which also saved my fingers from a lot of nipping - and when she was calmer with her reaction I gave her some treats.  It worked with Tonic really well and just meant the first off lead meeting if you like was when Tonic was ready.  With Slim, because she was much more timid I did as far as possible try to keep Maggie out of her face until she had got used to the fact that Maggie was there. That took a lot more time and to this day Slim just stays out of her way unless I'm there, but it was known before Maggie's knee surgery for me to end up with all three of them on the bed with me overnight...

[blueroanlover]

ahhhh.... that's lovely..!  Thanks for your advice - we are hoping that if we keep using the lead it will help the peace process along! LOL!

Thanks again - and thanks to everyone else too for being so informative and helpful.   

[ginnygirl]

We have 2 cats, Marie and Poppy. Marie is the more cautious with Ginny , when she wanted to come into the house from outside I would pick up Ginny up (when she was younger) and then call her in....she stopped using the cat flap for a couple of weeks, she soon realised when I called her in I had the dog under control. I then progressed to having Ginny on a short lead and calling Marie in, eventually she started using the cat flap again. I would put Ginny on lead while the cats ate their breakfast and sit with her..again on lead....keeping her still...on my knee if i had to. She slowly realised that I expect her to sit in that spot and wait her turn for breakfast and not bother the cats, I can  now keep her on that spot using word command. The cats now know they aren't going to come to any harm. Poppy is a different character to Marie and stood her ground within days and will now sometimes initiate play with Ginny. She is definately the boss; she commands the whicker chair that Ginny loves and Ginny won't attempt to oust her and last week lay in Ginny's bed ....Ginny looked a bit confused but didn't attempt to reclaim it  It is lovely when we are all relaxing in the living room, Marie on the back of the sofa, Poppy in the whicker chair and Ginny lying on the sofa  I never expected them to be that relaxed in each others company, and I think the cold snowy weather has helped as they all want to be in the living room snuggled up...so don't give up hope!

[mlynnf50]

Hi, Iam collecting my new pup at the end of Feb, and am now wondering if i have done the right thing (only kidding)...lol I think I will be writing lots of posts.

You sound as if you are doing a great job keep up the good work.x

[blueroanlover]

We have 2 cats, Marie and Poppy. Marie is the more cautious with Ginny , when she wanted to come into the house from outside I would pick up Ginny up (when she was younger) and then call her in....she stopped using the cat flap for a couple of weeks, she soon realised when I called her in I had the dog under control. I then progressed to having Ginny on a short lead and calling Marie in, eventually she started using the cat flap again. I would put Ginny on lead while the cats ate their breakfast and sit with her..again on lead....keeping her still...on my knee if i had to. She slowly realised that I expect her to sit in that spot and wait her turn for breakfast and not bother the cats, I can  now keep her on that spot using word command. The cats now know they aren't going to come to any harm. Poppy is a different character to Marie and stood her ground within days and will now sometimes initiate play with Ginny. She is definately the boss; she commands the whicker chair that Ginny loves and Ginny won't attempt to oust her and last week lay in Ginny's bed ....Ginny looked a bit confused but didn't attempt to reclaim it  It is lovely when we are all relaxing in the living room, Marie on the back of the sofa, Poppy in the whicker chair and Ginny lying on the sofa  I never expected them to be that relaxed in each others company, and I think the cold snowy weather has helped as they all want to be in the living room snuggled up...so don't give up hope!

Many thanks - I have tried to pick the cat up and do stuff like that but she is really terrified and struggles like mad.  She knows when the pup is in his crate though - and will walk past him now.  Mind you we have problems coping with the pup from playbiting and manic behavious so I can't be surprised.

[blueroanlover]

Hi, Iam collecting my new pup at the end of Feb, and am now wondering if i have done the right thing (only kidding)...lol I think I will be writing lots of posts.

You sound as if you are doing a great job keep up the good work.x

At the moment it doesn't feel like it! LOL! Absolutely shattered, stressed and in tears with him but good luck with yours - I do hope you enjoy him!

[bosso20640]

I've had similar with a GSD, just could never tire him out and when he came home he just whined and winged on something terrible. Partly, as well as training which I agree would tire him out mentally have you tried "Two Balling him?" ie thrown a ball or his play thing for him to fetch and when he comes back to you produce a second identical item, when he drops the first one for the second one throw the second one and repeat on his return with it, ie throw the first one again. They love it!!! running backwards and forwards not realising they are exhausting themselves. Simply, if he's too tired he'll not bother you and just want a nap or a rest

[blueroanlover]

Hi Bosso

Yes, we do that - he brings it back to us great... then won't drop it even for another one!  He locks his jaws on it and growls like mad when we try and take it... or swop it for another toy!  I agree withyou though, it is a great way to tire him out and stop him biting us all the time.  He wants to play tug of war with everything though and we did read that was to be discouraged because it might encourage him to think he is the boss, if we cannot get the thing off him.

Onwards and upwards!

[Woodstock]

Hi Blue Roan

My Woodstock is 5 months old and he's silly with giving the ball back.  I tried today though getting him to sit and offering a training treat which he opens his mouth for and ball drops out then big praise for "give" (which is what I ask him to do when trying to get ball). 

Seemed to work after a few goes - might be worth a try.

Love your description - I think they're all manic.

B

[blueroanlover]

Hi Woodstock - LOL!  Yes we did that too - it worked at first but now he just holds on to whatever he has in his mouth - challenging us all the time! That applies to when he has our clothing or fingers locked in his jaws as well, LOL!

[JennyBee]

Hi Bosso

Yes, we do that - he brings it back to us great... then won't drop it even for another one!  He locks his jaws on it and growls like mad when we try and take it... or swop it for another toy!  I agree withyou though, it is a great way to tire him out and stop him biting us all the time.  He wants to play tug of war with everything though and we did read that was to be discouraged because it might encourage him to think he is the boss, if we cannot get the thing off him.

Onwards and upwards!

Forget anything to do with him being the boss or challenging you - dominance theory is really out of date now . I really wouldn't try and take something from his mouth as you may end up with him guarding the object in question - you need to find a really tasty treat or something he sees as of higher value that he will happily swap the object for