# Help! My dog is like Marley from Marley and Me!



## Capron09 (Mar 23, 2011)

Okay so Benny, is very frisky! Do not know if its the breed or the dog! Im at a loss and I dont know what to do. I have tried numerous things but they dont seem to work. Its us not him, I know! Here is a list of what he does and what I need help with. Let me start off by saying that our Female is not spayed. She is 11 and just lays around. Benny is about 6 months and was neutered last week. Seems like everything he is going through is sexual frustration. Is there such a thing for males dogs?

He is nippy! Thsi is my number one issue!.....Constantly walking around panting with his lil tounge hanging out and nipping at our hands, feet, anything that dangles, moves or shakes. The kids walking..nip! Wrap a towel around you and Benny will latch on and drag you across the house. Kids come home from school...backpack straps get tugged. He brings you toys and rubs them on your legs or arms to play and nips with them and pinches you and IT HURTS! Im so over that!

If you run, Benny runs after and tackles you and nips! 

If you are sitting on the floor, benny walks up to you and arches his butt into you like a damn cat! Sometimes he tries to get over you. Has NOT HUMPED anyone yet. Has humped his stuffed animal that I took away because it got grose if you know what I mean. 

Benny BARKS A LOT! He has water, he had food and hes just been out! Whats your problem? Stop barking at me incessivly! So he gets his bark collar on! 

He tears through my carpeted house like a greyhound at a race! Claws digging into the carpet darting back and forth! hes too big for this crap! Not in my house! 

If I tell him no, he usually runs away or automatically lays down on the floor infront of me. But the kids who are 3 and 7....he abuses them! Its like they speak a foreign language and he DOES ot listen to them and I WANT him to listen to my kids too!

All he does is chew sticks and rocks maninly concrete! he ate my stucco bands on my patio! So now for toys I give him big blocks of wood and leather balls to munch on.

This dog is like Marley from Marley and Me! He is AWFUL! But we love him so much. he is so sweet. LOL He just wants to play or is frustrated. Its not his fault! But Im tired of yelling at him and I will be honest, I smack him at times! Not hard or abusive but if he wont let go of the kids towel and is dragging them across the house what do I do? He locks those jaws so tight that I can not pry them open. 

He can Sit, lay, stay/come (if he wants). We dont play rag toy with him or anything like that because when he was a puppy ( a few months old) he would get very agressive with toys like that. We throw toys and have him bring them and get them. We have a big yard he can play in. I have tried pennies in the cans. I have tried vinegar in the spray bottle. Sometimes I will put his collar on when he is being too wild because if he bumps it hard enough it will warn him and he sometimes calms down. 

Please help! I dont know what to do. I know he is a hard dog. Whne they talk about what type of dog you have. He is super hard. He is like no, whatever, screw you, your not my boss!


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## RubyFeuer (Mar 30, 2010)

How often do you exercise him? It sounds like he just has waaaaaaaaaay to much energy and needs to be exercised more. My dog was like that when I got her from her previous owner. They bought her when she was 8 weeks old and gave her away for free when she was 12 weeks old because she acted like this. RUNRUNRUNRUNRUNNIPNIPNIPNIPZAAAAAAAAAAA!!!!!! That was her. So they put her in a cage and left her in there except to go to the bathroom. Whenever she would come out she would tear through the house and nip and bite like crazy. She just had to much energy. They never truly exercised her because just taking a walk to go to the bathroom doesn't count. So I got a $1200 for free lol. About an hour of playing with one of my other dogs and she was calm and normal. Haven't had a problem with her since, since they play so much so she gets a lot of exercise.


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## beverley (Oct 7, 2010)

He is nippy! Thsi is my number one issue!.....Constantly walking around panting with his lil tounge hanging out and nipping at our hands, feet, anything that dangles, moves or shakes. The kids walking..nip! Wrap a towel around you and Benny will latch on and drag you across the house. Kids come home from school...backpack straps get tugged. He brings you toys and rubs them on your legs or arms to play and nips with them and pinches you and IT HURTS! Im so over that!

we have this too! branston is 8mths old and also jumps. we walk him 2 x fast paced 45minutes per day, plus ball playing, tug etc and now clicker training but its still not enough! ive gotten some really good advice on here  and have now managed to sigh him up for classes at the end of april. does benny go to classes?

also, start putting a lead on him in the house. mine wears a lead all of the time and it makes so much difference! if we forget he knows he has no lead on and plays up more. just step on the lead or grab it when he is doing something he shouldnt be and redirect him.


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## Capron09 (Mar 23, 2011)

@ Ruby, that is a tricky answer! I am a stay at home mom and I work on teh computer a lot! Benny lays around all day leaving my 3 yr old alone. But as soon as Austin comes home about 4:00 all heck breaks loose! lol. he gets a walk to and from the bus stop in the morning and then lays around and sleeps or chews all day. He pretty calm all day. We have a big yard and are teh only house on the street so when we go outside which is a olt with thekids in the afternoon/evening, benny goes out too! He is a romper. he likes to wander off in the woods and find the bigest pile of brush and jump up in it and he looks like a rabbit out there romping and hopping here and there. IF I chain him up, then I have huge landmines all over the yard! Digger! 
@Beverly, I am looking for a trainer now. I really dont have a lot of cash right now so this will be difficult. I want someone to come to my home cuz like I said he does the normal commands fine. Its the behavioral stuff thats the problem. I have heard from lots of ppl that this will pass but Im not sure. Like i said in my intro, I have always had pit mixes but none like this. Im worried one of those harmless nips might end up not so harnless one day. I thought neutering him woudl calm him down right away. Its only been a week but I see no diffirence! I woudl out a lead on him except he has chewed his lead to shreds. Now I have to get another! lol

S:waverry about all those typos. I was in a rush! Ill review next time!


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## RubyFeuer (Mar 30, 2010)

Maybe you could try taking him for a jog or fastish walk before Austin gets home. That way he is already tired when he gets home. He will probably still get excited but it shouldn't be as extreme. Whenever he nips even if it isn't very hard try a high pitched "EEP." That should at least make him think about what made you make that noise if not tell him that he bit you to hard. That's what puppies do to tell each other that they bit to hard so it may work. Other things you can try is a short and stern "AH." Something that I did is when we were playing with our dog as a puppy if they bit I would just say "NO BITE" and pull my hand away and stop playing for a few seconds. Now if we are playing I let them bite because they control themselves and don't bite hard, but if I want them to stop all I have to say is no bite and they will start licking instead of biting lol. If he licks you after you say no then say "good" or whatever it is that you say to him to tell him he's good and even give him a treat if you have one on hand. I'm sure you would rather him lick your hands then bite you. I know that pinchy bite you speak of and it does suck lol. Another thing you can do instead of a walk is like fast paced fetch. Toss the object they run after it, bring it back to you, take it and throw it immediately, if they have a high drive for the ball this should tire him out in no time. Just a few minutes of that for my most hyper dog and he is tired for a little bit and after that he is still calm.


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## beverley (Oct 7, 2010)

branston too has chewed through countless leads, i find the thick webbing ones last a bit longer, if they have padded handles all the better as he chews that before the lead! trainers can be expensive, and i struggled as i dont drive and hubby works all different shifts, but finally ive found one that isnt too expensive. branston too knows some commands, sit being the main one, leave it, down (lay down) and off and is brilliant during the day when its just me and him. if theres a visitor, forget it, lunatic and as soon as the kids come in the same thing! its the distraction that needs to be worked on and i think i'll be working on this forever . branston too was castrated last week and went all hypo on us but i think that was exagerated as he couldnt be walked for a few days.


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## RubyFeuer (Mar 30, 2010)

If you use a chain leash they will stop chewing on it because they don't like the feel. Saves a lot of money lol.


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## beverley (Oct 7, 2010)

we tried a chain, the noise was too much!


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## RubyFeuer (Mar 30, 2010)

Hmm..what about a chain leash with a strip of leather weaved through it or cloth so it doesn't jingle, but still deters from chewing on it.


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## Shiningsummer (May 24, 2010)

Capron09 said:


> Okay so Benny, is very frisky! Do not know if its the breed or the dog! Im at a loss and I dont know what to do. I have tried numerous things but they dont seem to work. Its us not him, I know! Here is a list of what he does and what I need help with. Let me start off by saying that our Female is not spayed. She is 11 and just lays around. Benny is about 6 months and was neutered last week. Seems like everything he is going through is sexual frustration. Is there such a thing for males dogs?
> 
> He is nippy! Thsi is my number one issue!.....Constantly walking around panting with his lil tounge hanging out and nipping at our hands, feet, anything that dangles, moves or shakes. The kids walking..nip! Wrap a towel around you and Benny will latch on and drag you across the house. Kids come home from school...backpack straps get tugged. He brings you toys and rubs them on your legs or arms to play and nips with them and pinches you and IT HURTS! Im so over that!
> 
> ...


First of all, I just wanted to say good job on getting Benny neutered. This will help with his behavior problems and you are preventing more unwanted puppies from entering into the world!

Whatever you do, don't smack him when he's acting like that! It only excites puppies and makes them worse. It also teaches him that human hands bring pain, which you definitely don't want. 

Try reading all of the stickies in the training forum and first time owner forum. "The Bite stops here" and "NILIF (Nothing in Life is Free)" are both really good. Have the whole family take part in training him, caring for him, and feeding him. Training will help burn some of his energy too. You say that Benny is like Marley, but the sad thing about Marley was that he was just an untrained dog with a lot of energy and no way to burn it off! He actually had a lot of potential and I'm sure Benny is no different.

It will take time, patience, and consistency on your part to help Benny become the kind of dog you want him to be! You can do it, don't give up!


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## katielou (Apr 29, 2010)

Your baby needs exercise and that doesn't mean running around the yard.

They need walks, lots of them, new smells, sights and people to meet!

Thats all part of owning a dog.


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## doxiemommy (Dec 18, 2009)

I so agree with katielou! Exercise isn't play...it's a brisk walk or two every day, in addition to playtime in the yard! And, walking does more than exercise their bodies, it stimulates their brains, too. Like katielou said, there are new smells sights, people, etc. You can even incorporate training sessions into your walks.

Other thoughts I had:

- kids are louder than grown ups, they move faster, speak in higher voices, make sudden movements, etc. Puppies are very attracted to that, because it seems like they're playmates for them. So, yes, it makes sense that Benny amps up the energy when the older child comes home. There's more activity around the house.

- for the nipping: read and follow the sticky "The Bite Stops Here". Good advice! The biggest thing is you have to be consistent. You have to do what the article says EVERY time he bites or nips. If you don't, he'll keep doing it, because he thinks he might be able to get away with it. AND, don't expect it work overnight, or, even in the first week. Biting and nipping is normal puppy behavior, and he's been at it for awhile now, so it will take patience and lots of repetition, and EVERYONE in the house has to do the same thing.

- "if you run, he'll chase you": yep, he things it's a great game of chase! That is also normal dog behavior. Don't run, or if your kids are out playing, and you don't want Benny to chase them, YOU have to be out to supervise, and have him on a leash.

- the arching his butt sounds a bit like a "play bow" gesture, he's inviting play.

- running through the house: lots of people don't allow their dogs to play rough in their homes, it sounds like you need to try to stop this, too. Not sure what the others would recommend, our dogs are small, and we don't mind a bit of rough play. But, I would say, you need a "settle" type of command, so that when he's tearing through the house, you give the "settle" cue, and he should come lay by you. Then, redirect by having a short training session, or a game a fetch, or taking him out.....
So, basically, you're saying, "that's too rough, here let's do this instead."

- As far as getting him to listen to your kids, that's probably not going to happen, he sees them as playmates. The best thing is for you to supervise and train both your kids and your dog. 

- I would really urge you not to let him chew on wood. It can cause splinters in his gums, tongue, and throat, and or worse, and can cause obstruction. Google heavy duty dog toys, and keep experimenting to find something he likes!

Really, it's a lot of managing. Keeping one step ahead of him. It sounds like he's kind of been allowed to do whatever he wanted, and the things you've tried haven't worked, so he's still doing it. But, good for you, for keeping your sense of humor about this! I hope you get the advice that will help! Keep in mind, everyone has different opinions, so you will probably get a wide variety, but take what you think will work!


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## Curbside Prophet (Apr 28, 2006)

Got crate?


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## doxiemommy (Dec 18, 2009)

Lol! Short and sweet! And, a great idea, to boot!


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## beverley (Oct 7, 2010)

the crate is a wonderful thing! even though branston is 8 mths old, whenever he's being too rough or i just cant watch him, in he goes. that way no one gets hurt and plus the fact that my house isnt big enough for those damn zoomies!


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## doxiemommy (Dec 18, 2009)

LOL! We live in a small cottage in the country, and we have two small breed pups, so we allow a bit of playing in the house. But, even that can get crazy sometimes! You should see it! We have 2 small pups, two kittens (pups and kittens LOVE each other and play together fabulously under supervision) and an African grey parrot. When they all have the zoomies at once it's CRAZY!


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## lisak_87 (Mar 23, 2011)

What is your normal reaction to his biting? Have you done any obedience training with him at all? I've started using the advice in the "The Bite Stops Here" thread tonight with my 9-week old puppy and I've gotten almost instantaneous results. However, I'm finding he responds to a low voice better than to a high "yelp."
When he nips too hard or runs up and tries to bite my pants I go "OW! NO!" not screaming, but fairly loudly. I turn my back to him and fold my arms, and if he doesn't stop immediately, I leave the room or step over the baby gate with my back TURNED. NO attention. A few seconds later, I turn around and redirect him to chewing his toys.

I'm also having him approach me and I immediately get him to sit for attention which is really helping him be calmer.

Of course, I've only had this puppy for a few days. These are just things I'm noticing working tonight! 

Hope some of it helps


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## lisaj1354 (Feb 23, 2008)

Why do you hit your dog? Seriously. Hitting your dog is never a good idea. It doesn't create a bond of trust, and certainly won't take you far in training him. What you will do is create a fearful dog.

He is a puppy. He has a ton of energy, and you're sitting at the computer instead of taking him for a bunch of long walks during the day. Bring the kid too. Exercise for the whole family is a good thing.


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## Willowy (Dec 10, 2007)

ALL Lab pups are like Marley. It's The Way Things Are, LOL. Not sure why anyone gets a Lab pup after seeing that movie or reading the book. . .

Anyway, exercise and patient (no hitting! Ever!) training will eventually result in a dog you can live with. That and the natural maturation process. No Lab is any good until he's 18 months old (or so I'm told by hunters). So be glad it's not forever . And the rule with exercise is that when you think he's had enough, exercise him some more! Hard exercise, like running or swimming, not just a walk around the block. If he'll fetch, that's a nice easy way to exercise him in your own yard.


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## hanksimon (Mar 18, 2009)

You've got some good suggestions, but I agree Willowy - A Lab is a wonderful dog but a horrible puppy. I think they are also the cutest puppies.... because if they weren't, I think the hunters would shoot them 

To recap what others have already said:
1. His entire life is about chewing and playing, both if possible.
2. Check the New Owner forum for the Bite Inhibition sticky: The Bite Stops Here ... and let us know the results so that we can advise. Everything that you've written sounds like playing, nothing aggressive... but yes, a bite is a bite, even if it is play.
3. Another reason not to hit a Lab, is the same reason that you don't hit a Pit or a Rott... sometimes they think that you're playing and they like it !
4. Think of your dog as being a high school athlete in the summer during a thunderstorm with no driver's license, no job, no TV, and no video games. The dog needs exercise and play. Can you find neighbors with a similar sized pup to play with?
5. In any case, he needs a 30 min. walk in the morning, a 30 min. walk in the afternoon, and a 10 -15 min. walk just before bed. Try taking him for a 30 min. jog at 3:30 before Austin gets home, so he is tired out... Just try it once to see the result. If you can do it for a week, you might establish a pattern.
6. Get him a hard rubber chewtoy bone.
7. If he likes water, squirt him with the hose for 10 min. ... Only retriever owners can do that 
8. Nipping - after reading the BIte Stops Here, try yelping every single time that he bites anyone or anything, in appropriately. When he backs off, pet and praise him. He'll probably nip you again. So, yelp again. If he does a playbow with elbows on the ground and butt in the air, or if he barks, then that is an apology. Pet and praise. If he keeps nipping, turn your back for 15 sec. to withdraw attention. When he barks at you during this training exercise, ask him to sit, then pet and praise. When he bites the fourth time, you want to try to leave him in a timeout for 2 min. At his level of intelligence, I don't have advice for where you can train him and then leave him alone so that he can't get into mischief. If all of you are consistent and yelp every time he nips, then you should see softer nipping or less frequent nipping after the third day... keep it up for a couple of weeks. But keep playing with him.
9. Note to above: The yelp is a magic communication when it works, because when he nips you and you yelp, he will startle, back off, and wait to see what happens. If you look OK, he will resume playing. When he nips you again, he'll begin to get the idea that you are serious, and start to understand the yelp mean " I don't like that, please don't do it." Imagine what you can do with that type of communication... but it has to be implemented at his rate of understanding.
10. So, the issues are: Teach Bite Inhibition; exercise 2.5 times a day; find a way to socialize with other dogs and other people once a week at a minimum, even if you have to invite them to a puppy party; keep training him and loving him because his goal is to do what you want, but he doesn't yet understand all of the rules of good behavior. 

It will take many hours over the next two weeks to train Bite Inhibition and to manage his energy levels. But, after you get these under control it'll only take minutes every day, in addition to the daily walks... When my own Tasmanian Devil Retriever turned 3 yo, he started sleeping most of the day, satisfied with two 30 min. walks per day, a one hour play session with other dogs on the weekend, and one or two training sessions every day or so...it gets better.


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## discin (Mar 22, 2011)

My Lab was an absolute terror when he was a puppy, that's just the way they are. Not to discourage you, but he was pretty sassy until he was 3 or 4 years old. And I'm by no means saying he's been an angel since, but he's really well-behaved now with the occasional naughty moment. (The picture below is my Lab at the age of 7.) Just make sure you stay on top of it and ALWAYS distract him with something that will keep him occupied when he gets out of hand (or bored). My Lab has gone through countless cow leg bones. Make sure he has something to chew on that is acceptable to both you and him, something durable and tempting to him - like the leg bones I gave (and still give) my Lab - and give it to him as soon as he gets too rough.

Guilty?


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## JuneBud (Feb 17, 2010)

discin said:


> My Lab was an absolute terror when he was a puppy, that's just the way they are. Not to discourage you, but he was pretty sassy until he was 3 or 4 years old. And I'm by no means saying he's been an angel since, but he's really well-behaved now with the occasional naughty moment. (The picture below is my Lab at the age of 7.) Just make sure you stay on top of it and ALWAYS distract him with something that will keep him occupied when he gets out of hand (or bored). My Lab has gone through countless cow leg bones. Make sure he has something to chew on that is acceptable to both you and him, something durable and tempting to him - like the leg bones I gave (and still give) my Lab - and give it to him as soon as he gets too rough.
> 
> Guilty?


That photo is precious. "Who me?" 

May last AED was still shredding paper until she was 12 or so. I bought step-on trash cans so she couldn't get any yucky tissues out of them. My pup shows the same paper fascination.


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## hanksimon (Mar 18, 2009)

It's good that you have him paper trained


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## Cracker (May 25, 2009)

Exercise.
TRAINING SESSIONS USING REWARDS, including drop it, leave it, extended stays, recall and take it. 
NILIF
Doggy Zen (impulse control)
Your pup digs because he's bored. He grabs you and your things because he's bored and wants to play. 
I'm curious about what you mean about him getting 'aggressive' when you played tug with him...what does that mean? What does that look like? 
Management, including tethering and crating.

This is not about him being the boss. It's about teaching him impulse control. Dogs are naturally more active in the early morning and late afternoon/early evening..this is usually where the zooming craziness happens. Be aware that by walking around in a towel, without dog in a crate, is ASKING him to grab it...he needs an outlet, for doggsake LET him hump his bed or toys, it's a great release of energy and stress. IT's normal dog behaviour.

When he's barking DO NOT GIVE HIM ANY ATTENTION. Dogs like you describe LOVE it when you engage, whether that is to punish him, yell at him or tug your towel away from him. You are inadvertently rewarding him this way. Mark the behaviour and put him into a settle or into his crate or tie him to something solid and WALKAWAY. Remember that by not giving him stimulus at appropriate times this is contributing to the crazy behaviour when you find it inappropriate..does this make sense?


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## hanksimon (Mar 18, 2009)

Usually, he may get the zoomies near the same time every day. You might walk him or play with him for 10 -15 min. before then. For example, lots of young dogs get the zoomies just before bed time. That's because they need to burn that last bit of energy before they go to sleep. Personally, I didn't have a problem with my dog, because I put him in the back yard before bed time. But, if you don't have that option, then you can take him for a 10 -15 min. walk before bedtime, rather than just a quick potty walk, to help burn off energy...


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