Riley Update Tuesday Night

[[Ok, I wrote this on Tuesday night, after midnight, so it was really Wednesday. So I don't know why the blogging system put "Monday, November 29, 2004", when it was really "Wednesday, December 1, 2004". Blogger does weird date stuff sometimes. ]]

Note: Riley turned 15 weeks old yesterday (Monday).

Riley is asleep near me on the floor, he is so cute.

Not much is really new.

I know that as soon as I say it, he'll do the opposite, so I won't write about how well he's been doing with certain issues, I don't want to jynx it. ;)

One thing I want to mention right now is that sometimes I write things here for my own future reference, so if you ever see me say something like "oh he was bad today because he did this and that", it's not that I'm complaining and it's not that I expect my baby puppy to be behaving perfectly at his age. Part of the reason I keep this blog (online journal) is so that later on I can look back and see what his progress was at certain times. So don't assume I'm upset or expecting too much if I write here about how something went wrong along the lines of training.

That being said, he has been SO very good! I'm amazed at how good he's been doing with some issues.

Meanwhile, his biting is still terrible. My main concern at this point is the biting of the leash. We've had to wrap it in duct tape to keep it from being destroyed. Biting and grabbing the leash is a dominance thing, and I can't break him of it, no matter how hard I try. It's a stubbornness issue, because he's SMART enough to learn many many other things. I try to establish dominance using methods I learned from Cesar, not harsh things, just stuff like walking before feedings and affection, having him walk thru the doorway behind me, having him sit calmly before getting his food (he does this anyway on his own anyway), etc. But Riley is stubborn and wants to be dominant, so it's going to be a struggle.

His biting in general is still pretty bad. He bites the sh*t out of me and everyone; other dogs, other people. These big tough guys came up to him and he hurt one on the hand bad enough the guy yelled "Ouch! Sh*t!". He bites little girls who come up to him in public and they yell "Ouch!!!" and then their parents look at me funny. I'm afraid I'll get sued if I don't get him to stop it soon. (Yes I warn people but they don't listen, "oh look a little harmless puppy!")

He bites everything, so we can't let him have run of the house yet, or he'll chew the furniture (he tries!), the books and nicknacks on the lower shelf, the CAT (HE TRIES TO CHEW CRYSTAL!)*, the cat toys, shoes, socks, electrical cords, etc. Thank god for pens and crates is all I can say, and thank god that I work at home so that I can take him out potty, out on walks, out on the porch, around the house on a leash, out for car rides, etc. This way he's not all cooped up. But if I wasn't working at home, I could not have a puppy. It'd be too much for me!

[[ He, we think it was him, he pulled a whole plug of hair out of crystal's neck, it's red and sore and bald. :( He's always biting her hair and pulling it like he wants to pull it out, a whole mouthfull, but we always stop him. But we think she had her back to the cage, she sleeps by him, and we think he yanked her hair out thru the cage.]]

I know I'll miss the puppy period, but I really can't wait 'till the biting and chewing stops and he can have run of the house.

A group puppy training class starts in January and he'll have all his shots by then. I can't wait to get him in it. I think it'll help alot.

I called two trainers that come to the house which can come anytime, but private trainers are $$$$$!

Ok, I'm tired, I'm going to bed. :)