Throwing Fits!

S

SheltieSmile

Forums Regular
My sweet Disney is 10 mo now and has a very odd behavior that I haven't seen in my other two boys. We call them fits. When he wants something he goes into a howling barking fit. It last for about a minute or two with a combo of loud barking and howling. We have tried ignoring. Just walking away and not giving him what he wants. It is just getting worse and it's waking everyone up when he has to go potty in the early am. Any suggestions. This is not good!!

Thanks Konni
 
Well, first part: Ignore him and walk away. Mine all do this. Honey does it when she wants anything, usually we figure out what it is and do it for her because well, she's my baby and I want her to be happy. She just cries though.

Ruutu has tantrums occasionally when he doesn't get his way and we ignore it.


The second part about waking up: I suggest you hold your urine all night and not go when it tells you you should. Sure, you can ignore it, but you might wet yourself. This is how he's feeling. Either wake up, let him out or ignore it and let it continue and possibly have a soiled crate.
 
My sisters Pom does that! So annoying, I swear if I'm a minute late to letting him in the neighbors must be convinced I'm beating him.

If he's doing it because he needs to go to the bathroom, I would train him to ring a bell to let you know he needs to go. That way he has an alternative means of voicing the problem. When he pitches a fit like that take him over to ring the bell and let him know he needs to do that before you'll do anything. I would also try limiting his water intake in the evening, at 10 months Honey was able to hold it through the night, although 8 hours was the limit, if I mistimed the evening bathroom break I was definetely getting throughly whined at until I got up in the morning.

Another way to break the cycle might be temporarily increasing his bathroom breaks, in addition to teaching the bell; that way his yowling isn't what's catching your attention and bringing you over to him.

You don't want to ignore him when he really has to go of course, but if he's doing it to get food, or just get you to play with him and ignoring the behavior isn't working, I don't know what might. Have you tried teaching him the bark command yet? Once I taught Honey that one, I also taught her speak, as a seperate one, where I treat on soft growls instead.
 
Missy used to do this as a puppy. I just turned my back to her and ignored her. I didn't give into the barking, and telling her to hush actually made her bark more. She stopped doing it after a while. Now she throws "fits" at flyball when she gets taken out of the ring...
 
Shelby is always testing us to see if she can get her way. If we ignor her she will eventually stop. However DH often gets annoyed and gives into her. So she knows who she can manipulate :lol: But she is so smart, just give into her once and she will never forget.

Lay does carry on like crazy in class because she is so eager to work. Unfortunately I can't ignor her like I would like b/c I hate disturbing everyone else. So she knows she can get away with it and get treats to be quiet. Normally I would just ignore her and she would eventually get the hint.
 
teach him what you WANT him to do instead- sit, down, go to your mat, roll over...
as for potty stuff teach him to knock on the door or something:lol:
 
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