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Recent 'Just Chat'
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If you need help, or have questions, comments or suggestions, please post in the Rat-Terrier.com Info and Help forum.
General Moderators:
Lance
Tracey
Training Moderator:
Nora
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You're Not Alone
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Rat-Terrier.com
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MindiK
Ratterific
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| 09/23/2008 4:08 PM |
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Hey everyone! I'm new and I've been looking SO hard for a site just like this!!
Our little rattie is 3 1/2 months old, or will be in a couple of weeks, and her name is Daisy.
Our biggest problem is one that seems common....she just won't LISTEN. She knows her name, but ignores us most of the time. She's learned to sit and lie down, but has the attention span of a gnat with ADHD.
The biggest things we're trying to work with her on, really, are staying off the table and leaving the Chihuahua alone before she gets eaten. We tell her no, we do everything we can...but nothing. It's like we're not even there.
The other big problem is crate training...I'm able to get home every couple of hours (never more than two) to let her outside...and she won't pee in the crate. But she poops in it without a second thought. I feed her at regular times, but she doesn't need to poo for HOURS. I never can figure out a schedule, and when she's just about on one, she changes. We need to make the crate smaller, but we don't know how! It didn't come with a partition, and she'll eat through cardboard like it's butter. We've had chicken wire suggested, but I think she'd hurt herself on that.
Any and all help would be greatly appreciated!!!  |
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ivy
Bratty Ratty
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| 09/23/2008 4:23 PM |
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| Welcome to the site I am sure others will have ideas for you but I have a 6 month old and at 3 1/2 their attention span is very small. I know with my Ivy she will listen better after a lot of exercise and I mean a lot. I hope you can post pictures of your baby. I try to keep her busy cause I have issues if she gets bored! |
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MindiK
Ratterific
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| 09/23/2008 4:27 PM |
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Thanks, Ivy! I wasn't sure if it was her age, or just HER. I'll be patient and keep working.
Daisy is my avatar, but I hope to get more photos up soon! If I can just figure out how... |
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RatsRule!
Ratastic
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| 09/23/2008 4:49 PM |
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WELCOME!!!
Keep in mind that terriers are known for being stubborn too. My Chloe - I call her my willful child (lol) - can be very willfull (hardheaded) and I'd swear sometimes she's ingnoring me too. The attention span (or lack of)should improve with age. Lots of exercise helps a lot too. Also, obedience training (if not started yet) can also
make a world of difference!
Not sure how to make a crate smaller safely without a divider. What about a baby gate in a hallway? I do that with mine and can then make the "crate" as big or little as I need. Just remember to close the doors to rooms!
Nora the training moderator might have other suggestions too! Good luck and be sure to post some pictures! |
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ivy
Bratty Ratty
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| 09/23/2008 4:51 PM |
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| She is a cutie that is for sure and yep I would give her time to figure every thing out Ivy is like a sponge in training she is by far the smartest dog I have ever owned and I have had a few over the years just make sure to keep the training up beat I know Ivy will shut down if my boys yell at her! |
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tiggarat
Bratty Ratty
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| 09/23/2008 5:19 PM |
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Welcome!  Age is a factor in the stubborness...at 3 1/2 months, they are really testing their limits to see just what they can get away with. But like Terri said, ratties are known for being stubborn...I think thats even stated in the breed description, if I'm not mistaken. I have 2 ratties, Lucy is sweet and obedient, but still has to be stubborn every now and then. Her sister Molly, is far more willful and if you call her, will freeze in place and stare at you like "what? you looking for me? I'm right here, and no, I don't feel like coming in yet."  |
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Lisabeth
furbabies: Lucy and Molly (1 1/2 yr old decker ratties), and Rosie (3 yr old dobie)
Buddy - gone but never forgotten.
"I don't think he has any idea he's a dog, really. Of course, he thinks he has a rather odd figure for a man" - Dodie Smith |
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ivy
Bratty Ratty
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| 09/23/2008 6:36 PM |
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| Lisabeth, that is funny Ivy gave me that look from across the parking lot at break time today then I started going the other way only to have her charge at me like ok ok I am coming!! |
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tink's mom
Rat Royalty
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| 09/23/2008 7:35 PM |
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Hi, and welcome! Training can take a bit for you to figure them out and visa versa - Tink is about 7 1/2 months and we have gotten to understand each other pretty well - so take heart, these wonderful little dogs are worth the work.
We were able to make the crate smaller by stuffing a pillow inside. We balled it up and shoved it back. I think we paid 2.99 for these at Target (we bought them for something else, so it was on hand) - anyway since it is the smaller type crate (the carryall kind) it closed off the end. She never tried to chew it and now it fits her perfectly. Just an idea. |
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Sharon, mom to 5 skin kids and one well loved rattie named Tink!
"Getting there isn't half the fun - it's all the fun" Robert Townsend |
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DaisysMom
Moderator
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| 09/23/2008 8:25 PM |
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Oh, she hears you, alright. She just doesn't speak English  LOL! Seriously, though, some of it may be that she is becoming more "her own dog" at her age, but some of it may be she really doesn't understand what it is you are wanting from her/expecting her to do. The "come" command, for instance, takes a lot of dedicated traing sessions and I doubt at 3 1/2 mos. old she's had enough training to thoroughly have mastered that one.
Our training moderator has posted lots and lots of great advice in the training forum for many issues already, so you may want to try reading through the threads there for some help, but if you have specific questions about certain behaviors or commands, she will most willingly answer them for you and explain how to teach you Daisy (great name, by the way!) to do, or not do, whatever you would like.
As for the crate, I would look up the manufacturer's website and see if they perhaps do make one for it and where it might be purchased. It is true that making it small enough to only lie down and turn around in should help her learn to hold it as she will not want to poo where she sleeps.
Please keep us posted and stick around. Jump on in anywhere and everywhere! And do not forget to post lots of pics of Daisy....we LOVE pics!!! |
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Tracey - Darlin' Daisy's Mom
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DaisysMom
Moderator
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| 09/23/2008 8:35 PM |
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| P.S. (until Nora, the training mod, can chim in) regarding the staying off the table and bothering the chihuahua...you may want to consider keeping her on leash or long lead while she is loose in the house with you home. One of the keys to getting her to "listen" is to see to it that she has no choice. If, for instance, you are all in the living room area and she has her long lead on and it's attached to you or within your easy reach and she starts to go after the chihuahua in a way you do not approve, you can give her a correction and direct her to you. Once she has focused on you rather than the chihuahua, you can give her praise and/or treat for positive reinforcement. You may find you have to start carrying treats constantly for a while, but this type of immediate correction (without being able to ignore you) and immediate reward for a good behavior is the best and fastest way to teach a dog. |
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Tracey - Darlin' Daisy's Mom
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tauney4
Alpha Feist
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| 09/23/2008 9:49 PM |
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| sounds like you are getting good advice from everyone welcome from tauney and i |
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mphillips
Ratterific
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| 09/23/2008 11:27 PM |
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We have recently been through training mode. A water bottle worked great. Every time she did something she wasn't suppose to we squirted her with water.
On the bathroom thing, we had her on a leash every time we went outside. Someone on this site instructed me to take her back to the same location in the yard where she went to the bathroom. Great idea! There were times when she struggled to wonder off (ADHD kicking in), but we were patient. She hasn't had an accident in weeks. |
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braeli_bryson
Terrier Terror
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| 09/24/2008 7:16 AM |
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| my bryson @ 10 mos of age is astubborn mule... he is sooo smart (almost too smart for his own good!) and he lhears me... he just is tooo stubborn to listen... he knows his commands and is normally a very good biy... but when he is full of energy he is in his own world... just like you said ADHD!!!! he "responds" to the commands in this state when he wants or when he senses he has pushed his limits... sometimes unmanageable/annoying... and sometimes its avery cute characteristic of his personality. i cant help but love that he is like me! |
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"No one knows YOU better than YOU!"
gianni_mahopac, ny
bryson: pearl tri color | braeli: chocolate tri color.
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gwacie
Rat-A-Tat-Tat
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| 09/24/2008 7:32 AM |
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One of the keys with getting a young pup to check in with you regularly is to be very interesting. Get some nice stinky yummy dog treat. I like to use cooked chicken breast in small pieces but if I really want their attention I will cut up an all beef hot dog into little pieces, put it in a baggie and into my pocket. At first don't call her over but any time she comes near you give her a tiny piece of treat. You will find your interest level has gone up. After a short while when it is clear she "gets" it that you are interesting, start ignoring her and have her go off and get busy playing. Once you are sure she is distracted but not TOOO distracted, make a sound or movement and get her attention back and say her name in a happy tone. As soon as she comes your way give her a morsel.
If you do this sort of work several times a day for a week she will learn that good things randomly happen when she is near you and she will pay more attention to you. Now you have a dog that you can start to train easily because she's engaged and interested.
This is why in my house my "official" title is "mom the giver of all good things". |
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gwacie (Bethany)
My Doggies: http://www.myadams.net/dogs/
Rescue: http://www.newrattitude.org |
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JERSEYGIRL
Obsessed
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rattytatty
Training Moderator
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| 09/24/2008 8:10 AM |
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It is the nature of these dogs to jump. Watch for the signs that she is going to jump up and tell her "no" then. You need to give her the "don't even think about it" message or else it can be perceived as a game of the dog jumps up and down, only realizing that the down part gets her a reward. So the reward needs to be for not jumping on the table to begin with... NOT for jumping off the table once she's on it. I've seen so many people reward their dog for jumping off the table... the dog learns that jumping off the table is a
good thing because then they can get your attention/praise/reward for jumping down afterward. The key is to train them not to jump on the table at all... and to reward THIS behavior. You can train this... and Daisy isn't too young to start.
I would imagine she has to jump in a chair before she lands on the table, right? Keep the chairs pulled away from the table when you are not there to supervise. It's highly unlikely that at her age she'll be able to get on the table without using a chair as a "stepping stone" so to speak. If she's jumping on the table only during times when you cannot supervise... this will cure that.
If she's jumping on the table right in front of you... you can train her not to jump. When you see her position her body into "jump mode", simply say firmly "NO JUMP" which should get her attention. When she looks at you, reward her with a yummy treat and praise her. Back off and let her start to jump again.... when you see her begin to jump say again "NO JUMP"... and the INSTANT she looks at you or stops (preferrably you want her to look at you)... treat her and reward her. This will teach her that NOT JUMPING is what brings the praise and reward. She will learn this very quick.
As far as the crate is concerned... put a divider in it to make it smaller. Most dogs do not want to be where their feces or urine is. The rule of thumb is that a dog can be crated up to 1 hour for each month of age.. so letting her out every 2-3 hours at this point is good. She will get it... just hang in there!
Welcome to the forum. Daisy is certainly a beautiful pup!
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~Nora~
Mom to Hoss, Lil'Bit, Buster & Bailey, CGC, OA, OAJ |
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MindiK
Ratterific
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| 09/24/2008 8:34 AM |
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Thanks, everyone, for all the great advice!!
I really like the squirt bottle idea, since we've already kind of figured out that she doesn't like to be surprised by anything. She stops what she's doing with a clap of the hands and a "No!" but that's not a long-term fix because she just goes back to it. I think a nice squirt or two will get her attention better, for sure!
We're wanting to work on the "come" command more, but I learned yesterday it's hard to find a place without distractions. Harder than I thought at least. Our neighbor has six large, stinky, ugly mixed breed mutts that constantly bark when we're outside, so she's always on edge. That's seriously causing trouble with the house training, as well, because she'll get outside to do her business, they'll bark and she'll run away rather than do her business.
But we'll definitely keep working with her!! You'll all be sure to hear more from me!
Oh, and I've got more pics, but I'm not sure how to post them!!! |
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rattytatty
Training Moderator
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| 09/25/2008 11:11 PM |
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| Use a 25-30 foot long line to teach the "come" command. |
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~Nora~
Mom to Hoss, Lil'Bit, Buster & Bailey, CGC, OA, OAJ |
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