Problem with leash-pulling pug
Hello,
I have a pug. He is one year and five months old. I have a problem with my pug even though I love him to death. I hope you can help.
When out for a walk, he constantly chases after other dogs and pulls on the leash. This also occurs with children and people. It is not that he would bite - he just wants to play with them.
Also, he gets up on the table looking for food and when he finds a bone or food outdoors, he growls at me and won't give it up. If there is food anywhere, he will continually bark and try to get at it. He is obsessed with food. He gets plenty to eat so it is not that he is starved.
He will also scratch and dig a lot. Not outside, but in and around the house. The couch, doors, etc, and he will also chew things apart trying to get to food or even if he thinks there is food there. He even eats things that are not food such as pens or pencils, brushes, rocks that he has thrown up afterwards.
I also have a daughter that will continually leave things around, even after being told not to, so making sure things are put away from him is very difficult. Thank you for your time and I really hope you can help me. - Sheri and family
Hi Sheri,
Firstly we will deal with your dog's leash pulling problem. If you refer to the last issue of K9 perspective you will see my article on problems with pulling on the leash. Basically you want to use the environment to teach him not to pull on the leash. If he wants the walk then he does not pull - if he does pull then you stop walking. As people or other dogs approach have him sit and treat him while the people or dogs pass by. You may even have to put your foot on the leash to stop him lunging at the passers-by. Do not shout at him or push him into the sit position, just tell him to sit and treat every time he does it by placing food into his mouth every second until the passers-by have gone and then continue your walk. Never let any dog off a lead when out for a walk unless it is a safe area and you can completely trust your dog to come back when called.
I would also advise you to work on ways to calm your dog in the home, such as learning T-touch or just sitting with your dog for short periods of time and hold him, talk to him, and give him the odd treat every time he is calm and still. You can do this when watching T.V.
As far as his problem getting onto the table is concerned, I am not sure how a small pug can get up onto the table. It would be advisable to take away anything he is using as a tool to climb onto the table - chairs should either be pushed in under the table or removed to another area. Also keep the table clear of food as much as possible, especially when you are out of the room. If for some reason you are unable to remove his climbing tools then I would suggest you get a small empty tin and place something into the tin that is very noisy such as a chain or marbles or anything that make a terrible noise. Seal up the tin so contents cannot fall out. When the dog begins his assent to the table say "off" or "leave" or whatever word you choose (use the same word all the time) and throw the tin down near him (not at him). This noise will break his focus and he should stop the behaviour. When he stops this behaviour lure him with a treat into his bed or somewhere that he is allowed to be and give him a nice chew bone or a nice toy to play with.
During meal times it may be a good idea to put him into his corner away from the table with a big Kong, this is a big rubber toy (usually red) that you can stuff with many yummy things such as cottage cheese, cream cheese, sausages, or almost anything that is very yummy to your dog. Place the stuffed Kong into your freezer and bring it out only during meal times until the table is clear. Then lure him away from the Kong with a toy or a game of ball and put the Kong back into the freezer for next mealtime. Top up the Kong after each meal. The reason for it being frozen is so that it takes much longer for him to get the food out.
Scratching, digging and chewing are all natural instincts for dogs and they just love to do it and see nothing wrong with it, some dogs will do different behaviours more than others depending on breed and temperament. As I said earlier, treat him in the home for his calm behaviour and ignore the bad, do not shout at him but just remove the obstacles that he may be tempted to chew. You can also use your tin to throw near him, especially if you see him approaching anything dangerous or digging or scratching at your furniture.
Go to your local butcher or pet shop and get a few nice big meaty marrowbones for your dog. Don't be afraid as these are safe for your dog as long as the bones are eaten raw. Give him one of these bones for an hour each day, at a time when you think he may get bored or destructive such as when you are busy cooking or when you have visitors etc.
Another tip you can do to curb his digging instinct is to prepare a little sand pit especially for him. Bury some toys and bones in it, perhaps every day, to encourage him to dig in that place only. If he tries to dig anywhere else inside or outside then use your tin to deter him and show him where he can dig and what yummy things he can find by digging in his own sand pit. Play with him sometimes too, especially when he does find a toy in his pit. However, only play for a few seconds rather than minutes as it keeps his enthusiasm stronger. Do not play until he is worn out but just for a few seconds.
Make sure your pug's walks are at least half an hour long as he is at an age where he can now cope with longer walks and if possible a bit of free run or play somewhere safe away from other dogs and people. Please be aware that some dogs lunge at people and other dogs due to a form of active stress. If your dog does not improve with this programme over the next few months then I would advise you take him to a behaviourist who can put you him on an appropriate programme to deal with the problem. - Regards, Nicole Mackie
