Hi everyone I'm new to the forum and this is my first post so sorry if any of the issues have been discussed before we really need some advice of how to deal with the following issues Vinny our giant is constantly biting and jumping up my partner which he rarely does to myself,when we take him out for a walk it can be an absolute nightmare jumping and biting at the lead or pulling like a train we have had the odd nice walk but not many, we have had one to one lesson's with a behaviourist that so far haven't resolved any of the issues.
We did our research before getting Vinny but actually dealing with the issues is a hundred times worse than reading about the potential problems at the moment we are really struggling with him any help/guidance on any of the issues above or any future issues will be very much appreciated.
Thanks Alan.
8 month old male giant
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Please feel free to post here if your topic does not fit into one of the categories under 'Caring for your Schnauzer'. There are sections for breeding, feeding, grooming, showing and many more that may be more appropriate than this generic section
Please feel free to post here if your topic does not fit into one of the categories under 'Caring for your Schnauzer'. There are sections for breeding, feeding, grooming, showing and many more that may be more appropriate than this generic section
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Re: 8 month old male giant
Welcome to the Forum Alan
If you haven’t had a browse through the Giant Schnauzer section of the Forum yet, do have a look through the topics as you will probably find you are not alone in discovering that GS puppies can be a challenge:
viewforum.php?f=6
Much of the behaviour you describe is typical puppy behaviour whatever the breed but with a large breed dog it is going to be that much harder to manage than with a very small puppy. At 8 months, Vinny is also starting his adolescence and this is always a time when pups start to play up, forget training and generally test boundaries with their family members.
Some suggestions would be to see if you can find a dog field you can rent for a half hour or an hour to allow Vinny a chance to ‘let off steam’ and enjoy some off lead exercise safely; invest in some challenge toys to get his brain working too and maybe set up kibble trails in your garden and/ or other scent games to find treats or toys. Vinny needs mental and physical challenges that he will enjoy, make his time with you fun and less likely to act up in the way you describe. Your partner should not engage with Vinny while he is lunging and biting but only interact with him when he is calm and ready for a game without the unwanted behaviour.
Are you a member of any of the schnauzer breed clubs? If you are in the U.K. there are several different clubs for schnauzer owners as well as a specific Giant Schnauzer Club and these all have occasional get togethers or you can see if you could arrange to meet other GS families for a walk or play date which may give you a chance to talk about the issues you are having.
https://www.giantschnauzerclub.co.uk/
There are a couple of links here too which may be of interest:
https://www.whole-dog-journal.com/puppi ... s-to-know/
https://www.rover.com/uk/blog/training- ... scent-dog/
Basically, I would say that there is not a real problem with Vinny other than he is going through the hormonal surges of adolescence and you will need to engage him in activities which challenge and give him enjoyment, keep going with the training you will have been doing through his early puppyhood and don’t despair. Everyone does go through these phases with their pups, it is just more daunting when you are experiencing it with a very large puppy!
There is also this website I found during an online search. They offer online and residential training courses and seem to be well regarded from reviews. Personally, I would recommend trying to work through the training with Vinny yourselves rather than ‘sending him away’ to a residential facility as you are the people Vinny relates to as his family and you need to be engaged with helping through his adolescence but, it might be worth a look if you are becoming overwhelmed and they do offer online courses too for you to follow at home:
https://www.adolescentdogs.com/academy
If you haven’t had a browse through the Giant Schnauzer section of the Forum yet, do have a look through the topics as you will probably find you are not alone in discovering that GS puppies can be a challenge:
viewforum.php?f=6
Much of the behaviour you describe is typical puppy behaviour whatever the breed but with a large breed dog it is going to be that much harder to manage than with a very small puppy. At 8 months, Vinny is also starting his adolescence and this is always a time when pups start to play up, forget training and generally test boundaries with their family members.
Some suggestions would be to see if you can find a dog field you can rent for a half hour or an hour to allow Vinny a chance to ‘let off steam’ and enjoy some off lead exercise safely; invest in some challenge toys to get his brain working too and maybe set up kibble trails in your garden and/ or other scent games to find treats or toys. Vinny needs mental and physical challenges that he will enjoy, make his time with you fun and less likely to act up in the way you describe. Your partner should not engage with Vinny while he is lunging and biting but only interact with him when he is calm and ready for a game without the unwanted behaviour.
Are you a member of any of the schnauzer breed clubs? If you are in the U.K. there are several different clubs for schnauzer owners as well as a specific Giant Schnauzer Club and these all have occasional get togethers or you can see if you could arrange to meet other GS families for a walk or play date which may give you a chance to talk about the issues you are having.
https://www.giantschnauzerclub.co.uk/
There are a couple of links here too which may be of interest:
https://www.whole-dog-journal.com/puppi ... s-to-know/
https://www.rover.com/uk/blog/training- ... scent-dog/
Basically, I would say that there is not a real problem with Vinny other than he is going through the hormonal surges of adolescence and you will need to engage him in activities which challenge and give him enjoyment, keep going with the training you will have been doing through his early puppyhood and don’t despair. Everyone does go through these phases with their pups, it is just more daunting when you are experiencing it with a very large puppy!
There is also this website I found during an online search. They offer online and residential training courses and seem to be well regarded from reviews. Personally, I would recommend trying to work through the training with Vinny yourselves rather than ‘sending him away’ to a residential facility as you are the people Vinny relates to as his family and you need to be engaged with helping through his adolescence but, it might be worth a look if you are becoming overwhelmed and they do offer online courses too for you to follow at home:
https://www.adolescentdogs.com/academy
Dogs are not our whole life, but they make our lives whole. ~Roger Caras
Magic - Silversocks Sharade at Darksprite
Trilby - Darksprite Rosa Bud
https://m.facebook.com/pages/category/C ... 916994967/
Magic - Silversocks Sharade at Darksprite
Trilby - Darksprite Rosa Bud
https://m.facebook.com/pages/category/C ... 916994967/