How do I stop my puppy from doing this?

Question

She knows what "put it down" and "no" means, and obeys most of the time, but when she finds something she likes she turns into a brat. Sometimes she even runs outside (she knows its impossible to catch her there) and proceeds to lay happily on the grass chewing on the item, ignoring me. She won't listen and only runs away if I get near her. She has toys to chew on but I guess she gets bored of chewing on the same thing and looks for something new and shiny. I use possitive reinforcement and when she listens, she gets a treat and affection, but she doesn't care about treats when she's like this. This ticks me off more than any other thing she does, and I feel so angry and frustrated at her. She seems to know she can get away with it.

What is an effective way to correct her behavior?

She is a lab, 4 months old.

Hannah · Accepted Answer

I had a border collie with a similar issue! I found that a clicker WITH treats helps. Like your pup, my pup did not care for treats as she ran in the distant with goodness knows what (a stone or stick perhaps). But when I started using a clicker, she responded better. Once your pup associates the sound with something positive, she will realise that it is a good thing and might just be enough to turn her attention! I honestly think pups know that they are being cheeky when they do this. At first it is quite funny but I understand that as time goes on it becomes a real issue! So yes, try a clicker. Click it, say 'good girl' and give a treat (we used choc drops or similar).

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How do I stop my puppy from doing this?

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