Heya,
wow, this is freaky - I am in a very similar boat to you, in some ways. I also have 2 new CSV puppies, and a toddler (who is just about to turn 3), and am having some trouble with the puppies.
People really are not exagerating when they say that CSV puppies are challenging. I have dealt with a few puppies in my time, even with more than one at a time (there have been a few breeders in my family, and several breeders as family friends, over the years). Also, my wife's family was involved in husky sled racing when she was young (though she has less experience with dogs than I do).
That said, with that experience behind me, I have never had or even heard of dogs which were this tough to deal with. Honestly, it is sometimes difficult to decide whether they are just to stupid to understand what is expected of them, or they have no respect for pack authority (which I doubt).
My puppies are 9 weeks old, and I have only had them for 5 days, but progress is painfully slow. With any other dog I've ever had to deal with, I would not be expecting after 5 days for the puppies to still not understand where thier food is (and what things are not food, like stones). I would also expect (from day one really) that a dog should understand that being corrected means that something is a bad idea. Obviously, I would expect them to try again the minute your back is turned - but these two pups with just keep going, endlessly sometimes, back to do what ever they have been told not to, as if you have never bothered to correct them at all!
So, my pups eat plants, poo, stones, paper, and almost anything else they can find. They fight a fair amount (mostly playing, but far more aggressivly than I would like), and will not even pause when corrected, however harshly. They are terrified of just about everything, so much so that taking them outside to pee is useless if someone walks past, because they will just start climbing the door to get back in and whining, and cannot be convinced to settle down.
They are, however, very good at taking pills (which they both need, as one of them arrived with a scratch and lump on her nose, and the other came with diahorrea and an infected sore on his lip caused by a slightly squint tooth).
So, ignoring, for the moment, the remarkably negative-seeming feedback so far (though some of it is definatly useful to a new owner), can anyone tell me if this is *really* 'normal' for CSV pups? And does anyone have any 'magic-bullet' fixes?
Or, for that matter, any more useful tips?
How, for example, did you all discipline your pups when they were young? What type of correction did you find works best for teaching them boundries? What did you find was the best way of rewarding good behaviour (ours don't seem that food motivated)?
TIA folks!
-Malgor