Stopping a Rambunctious Portuguese Water Dog’s Unwanted Behaviors

For this Omaha dog training session we helped Mochi, a one-year-old Portuguese Water Dog puppy. His guardians set up this in-home training session to learn how to discipline a dog that won’t listen.

Mochi has some bad puppy habits like jumping, mouthing, not listening, stealing, and ignoring commands from humans.

When I sat down with Mochi’s guardians to discuss his behavior, they described a mature puppy who did not see most of the family as authority figures. Although he was no longer small in stature, he still acted very much like a puppy. As I continued this discussion, it wasn’t hard to see why.

Tips to Train a Rambunctious Puppy

Mochi had very little rules or structure. This can easily confuse a puppy into thinking they have the same authority as the human family members. If a puppy thinks they are equal to you, they might not listen. This can make it difficult for the puppy to respect humans as leaders.

He could also signal to people when to pet him, and when they didn’t do what he wanted, he would bark, whine, paw at them, jump up, or show other playful behaviors. When a puppy demands attention like this and you give in, it teaches the dog that it’s in charge. After all, if they tell you what to do and you do it, they see themselves as the leader.

To deal with this, his guardians had started separating him from the family via gates and closed doors. Using this as a quick fix is okay, but don’t rely on it too much. It doesn’t solve the real issue, just hides it temporarily.

Dogs find being separated from the group to be a very strong punishment. Repeated banishments usually makes things worse and that was the situation I walked into for this puppy training session.

How to Discipline a Dog that Won’t Listen

I suggested that the guardians start petting with a purpose, use passive training to reward desired actions and behaviors, and introduce rules to begin shifting the leader-follower dynamic. This structured approach and positive puppy training will significantly help with Mochi’s unwanted behaviors.

Most of Mochi’s mouthing and nipping are just attempts to play, but as he’s almost fully grown, it can become dangerous. It’s easier to train a puppy not to nip when they are young. However, the methods to stop this behavior remain the same as they grow older.

Here is a link to a video I did with another client that includes dog training tips to stop nipping and mouthing.

Another option is what is referred to as a Negative Punishment. This involves removing something that the dog finds desirable.

If yelling or giving another object doesn’t help, the person should quickly leave the room and close the door behind them. Wait for a few minutes, then return. If they are consistent with this technique, Mochi will learn that playing that way has a consequence; the human he enjoys playing with leaves.

I also shared the series of Escalating Consequences I use to disagree with unwanted behaviors. I showed the family a leadership exercise I created. This exercise will help them train their puppy, Mochi, to be a better listener.

After Mochi was responding well to the exercise with me, I had the family’s father take a turn. You can watch him run Mochi through this puppy training exercise in the video below.

The rest of the family took turns running through the leadership exercise, but struggled at times. Mochi had little to no respect for the other members of the family. The mother is very kind, but Mochi saw this as a weakness. Her constant giving in only made the dog think she was weak.

The family’s children were seen as playthings as opposed to leaders. Because of these things, it took more practice at the exercise for them.

The youngest struggled the most, so I recommended using a kennel for a different version of the exercise. The family used the kennel for Mochi as a time-out, but the dog saw it as a bad thing.

Overcoming Unwanted Puppy Behavior

I recommended that the family practice this kennel exercise if they are unable to successfully do the leadership exercise. Once Mochi gets comfortable in the kennel, the rest of the family should practice the leadership exercise.

I’ve developed a reputation for solving most dog problems in only one visit. So far after 2400+ dogs, I have only needed to come back again for 13 clients. I have a sneaking suspicion Mochi may be number 14.

If the guardians add in rules and structure, they should start to see better behavior quickly. That will allow them to start teaching Mochi how they want him to behave in various situations.

It would be highly advisable for the two boys to take turns teaching him a new trick or command each week. Mom could actually get involved in this too. Not only will this train the puppy to do new tricks, it will help develop its respect for them as authority figures.

To address unwanted puppy behavior effectively, it’s important to use positive reinforcement to encourage good behavior. Dogs learn best when they receive rewards for following verbal commands and displaying the desired actions. By consistently applying this method, you reinforce the behaviors you want to see more of, while discouraging the unwanted ones. This approach helps create a clear understanding for the puppy, guiding them towards more acceptable behaviors over time.

To help the family remember all the dog behavior tips we covered in this in-home training session; we wrapped things up by filming a Roadmap to Success video you can watch below.