my strong willed puppy

this morning around 4 jazz was chasing the cat snd chewing on my sleeping boys waking them up i took her and told her no lay down and she kept trying to run off so i would pic her up and tell her "mommy said LAY DOWN" well she didn't like it and stated growling and trying to bite but i kept telling her mommy said lay down finally about ten minutes of this a smacked her but and told her agian mommy said lay down firmly she quit growling and trying to bite but i don't feel i did right there has to be a better way it took her about 20 min to get the point and lay down every time she did lay down i did praise her i know that i have to make her mind and prove to her that I AM THE BOSS and that she was testing this what can i do better and was spanking her wrong she is just a puppy

 

I put all puppies in a dog crate at night when I am sleeping and when I am gone. This is for their own protection against dangerous things in the house. I also don't want things wrecked in my house by a mischievious puppy. This way you get sleep your kids get sleep and the puppy stays safe. when raising your hand to hit, the dog will start to hunker down and become head shy whenever you extend your hand to her and that will make her a nervous dog. She's a very young puppy right now, everything is about play.

 

You need to enroll her and yourself in some obeidence or puppy classes. These classes help you to learn to train your dog. You cannot keep repeating commands, esepecially after 10 minutes. Grabbing her and telling her to "lay down" are quite contradicting.

Im glad you understand that you did not handle the situation well at all ..and that hitting her is wrong.

The Down Command is one of the hardest commands to teach a dog becuase it puts them in a submissive position. She really needs basic obedience of Sit, Stay, Down, Come, Down stay, Sit stay..

And As suggusted CRATE HER at nite!! She's still in that puppy mode where she's gotten away with so much already, you're simply not in control.. she is and she will snap because you are challenging her authority.

Training and leadership cannot happend when she is bad.. it needs to happen all the time. You cannot allow a pup to get away with things one time and expect them to listen or behave another. REally, what it all boils down to is Leadership ... and right now she doesnt respect or trust you as a leader.

So Crate her at nite (no sleeping in beds, couches etc) Im not sure how you treat her otherwise.,. Do you Baby her? Trat her like a human?? If so STOP. She's a dog..you can baby her after she learns to respect and trust you. Start a training regiment. 5 to 10 minutes at a time..even 1 -2 minutes is great. But do not let a training session drag on for 20 minutes..they become bored and fustrated. Work her with No distractions..just you .. and use the same commands.
Remember..dogs dont understand a word we are saying until you train

Also..because she sounds like a dominate pup, start making her work for everything. When you feed her, make her sit and wait for you to put the bowl down. When you put the bowl down, give her a few seconds then take it away .. wait, have her sit and give the food back ..

Good luck..but seriously think of enrolling in puppy classes or basic obedience..it will help you and her!

 

Good advice!

 

ditto---good advice above . . .

If the pup growled at you, so you resorted to hitting to get cooperation, it won't be long before your pup ups the anti, too.

The idea is to get the pup to want to follow your commands willingly---not to get it to follow the commands through fear, which will often lead to aggression in adults.

Follow that advice above for better results. Good luck.

 

thank u and i am waiting for a crate for her if my family wasn't so skow she would have had it by now and yes i do treat her like a baby which i am realising is wrong. im the past i have went through training coarses for my collie i trained to b a service animal im learning very quickly that collies and pitts r very diiferent

 

I've got some of the same problems with my pup, but I never raise my hand to any of my dogs. I've got one that was abused and when I yell, she gets very nervous. So, I try & yell behind closed doors. Take her to training classes and learn with her, it will be good to know for future dogs to come.

 

My pups were crated until they are about 18 months. They are chewers when they were puppies and it is easier to sleep and keeps them out of trouble when your sleeping or out of the house. As far as the hitting, I've never hit my dogs. I simple raised voice or sharper tone usually gets their attention and they follow into line. I have noticed that being a woman, that if I use a deeper voice it works better. Taking a class will definately help. It will be good for you and your pup. Good luck!