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Comment by Carla on August 12, 2010 at 3:25pm

There's so much conflicting information about the flipping/pinning/alpha role out there; I'm not an expert, so have no idea whether or not it really works or what, so what I say should be taken with a grain of salt and is based on nothing more than hearsay and first-hand experience....that said, I would think that with a young pup, it is probably a bit extreme. Most young pups know they're at the "bottom of the totem pole" so to speak, and when they act out, it's not really hard to let them know that they're being little stinkers and need to stop.

Being proactive about making sure you’re the pup's "leader" and that that behaviour is unacceptable is probably your best bet. Time-outs worked wonders for my dog, who, when a puppy, would just get more and more excited when she nipped at you and you corrected her. My approach to almost all her "problem" behaviours (ie - the ones that I decided were not acceptable) has been to either leave myself, or put her somewhere isolated (sometimes it was simply not feasible to leave her alone in a certain space). She realized that fun stopped and people left when she acted in certain ways, and that people hung out with her, had fun and gave her attention when she acted in other ways. Social isolation is a very powerful training tool for dogs. Fun happens when you play nicely and by “the rules” (whatever they may be for you); it stops when you don’t.
Keep in mind that for a lot of dogs, any attention is better than no attention; so if they do something you don’t like, and you freak out and make a big scene and what-not, they learn that they get a pretty big reaction for behaviour X. Even if the reaction is “negative,” it’s something. If, instead, they do behaviour X and you leave and then nothing happens and life becomes boring, there is no reinforcement for the behaviour.
Consider trying either a more positive method first (redirection and rewards for the behaviour you want) than a harsh one (alpha rolling).

A note on alpha rolling: The dog trainer who I took puppy class with did do this SPARINGLY with some dogs that really had a problem with "dominance" (or whatever you want to call it). The one thing she did say about it, was that if you're going to do it, do it to completion. That is, do it until the dog is 100% calm/submissive/whatever you’re looking for. She said this could take anywhere from 5 minutes to an hour, depending on the dog, but if you don't do it until they're actually calm, you’re not accomplishing anything, and they're probably not learning much.

Comment by Alaina, Dyer and Odin on August 12, 2010 at 3:21pm

We brought him home on the 8th so he was 9 weeks, he will be 10 weeks on the 14th.
Also I try to do the "OW" thing when he bites but it seems to not phase him. I am looking into puppy training, its just trying to find the right place thats close enough and reasonably priced( I know it can be expensive though). He usually growls when I'm trying to prevent him from doing something, he is very stubborn and is not a good listener. I mean besides this behavior thing right now he is doing really great. He goes potty on the papper most of the time, he sleeps in his kennel well ( I put him in his kennel in the restroom, its right across from my room), he eats good and so on. It's just his behavior we need to work on.

Comment by Michelle on August 12, 2010 at 2:17pm

I agree with Natalie. Flipping the dog over on his back and forcing a submissive behavior might be a little extreme for this behavior. Our female had four puppies and we started out with the "OWWW" treatment early on and it checked the nipping.

The growling I believe is a trickier situation. Remember that his habits at this age can dictate his behaviors in the future and a full grown dog that growls can be very hard to handle. He has to simply be trained out that behavior. Sometimes a stern "NO" followed by turning your back on him and ignoring him or walking away from him is a potential solution (following the "NO"). They are much like children in that when they act out when they are looking for your attention, be it bad attention or good attention. Ignoring him denies him that right.

Also remember that when you are going to pick up a dog you should not do so without warning. Sometimes they can get very spooked if they do not realize they are about to be scooped up and supspended in the air 3 or 4 feet.

Hang in there it's just growing pains!! ^,,^

Comment by Natalie, Lance &Tucker on August 12, 2010 at 1:16pm

Your pup is young. I would suggest that when your pup tries to nip you, that you give a big Owwww. You also want to redirect your pup and give something appropriate to chew on. For growling, you definately want to let him know that is not acceptable behavior, I would also say No Growl!!!!! I really recommend that you dont roll your pup on his back as that could make things worse, Im sure many people would agree with me on this.

Your pup will grow out of the bad behaviors with lots of training and patience. Your pup needs to know your in charge and not him!!! Corgis will try to take charge if they feel that no one else is being the leader.

How old was Odin when you brought him home?