1 - Give enough exercise. He's a puppy. He naturally has a lot of energy. Give him a healthy outlet to get rid of that energy. A jog around the block, a game of fetch, a training session, etc. Poodles are high energy dogs and Shih Tzus are not mellow, either. A Shih Tzu/Poodle mix puppy needs a fair amount of exercise and mental stimulation. He's "stealing" things because he's bored and curious, as most puppies are.
2 - Teach "Give" and repeat this command several dozen times DAILY. The command "Give" should be so natural to your dog that it's like asking for a "Sit". To teach Give: Hand your dog a low value treat or toy, like a carrot stick. Let him hold the carrot stick. Hold a high value treat in your hand (like boiled chicken). Let your dog sniff it. As soon as your dog loosens its grip on the carrot stick and starts to go for the chicken, say "Give", take the carrot stick from his mouth, and give him the chicken. Repeat repeat repeat!! Gradually, you can start doing this with high-value toys and treats and your dog should still give up whatever in its mouth. Over time, you can phase out the treats.
3 - If he's jumping on you or acting uncontrollably excitable, first consider exercising him. If that's not possible or if you've already done that, you need to teach him self-control. While he may be 10 months, he's old enough to learn a fair amount of self-control. Say he's jumping on you. Quickly ignore him and walk out of the room. Walk back in, and if he jumps on you again, leave the room again. Repeat this until he chooses not to jump on you. At this point, you can praise/treat him. Use this give-take method for anything that requires self-control. For example, if he's jumping at the door to go out, close the door and walk away. If you try to open the door again and he's jumping, close the door and walk away. Gradually, your dog will choose not to jump at the door. At that point, treat/praise and allow him to exit the door.
Reply With Quote
Bookmarks