Growling and biting
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| When Bingley - my OES pup who is 16 weeks old - shows unwanted aggression towards me (such as playing too rough) I put him on his back with my hand resting firmly on his chest/tummy area. When dogs show their bellies to other animals it is a sign of submission, so I have Bingley show me submission. I don't grab him or throw him into this position, but I place him in it and wait for his body to relax. When he does this I praise him and let him get up.
One of the best techniques I use with Bingley is distraction. When I notice he is chewing on something he shouldn't have I tell him no and then immediately replace it with something he can chew on. I shower him with praise anytime I notice him doing something correct. Our big issue is barking. He loves to bark. We're working on completely ignoring him - even leaving the room - every time he barks at us in an inappropriate situation. If we're out playing he's definitely allowed to bark. But if we're inside working on something and he just starts to bark at us, we leave the room. When he is quiet and calm we come back, praise him for being "quiet" and pet him. It's a work in progress. . .  |
Teddy is 16 weeks now and he has been going to puppy class and progressing nicely,I know what you mean about the challenging behavior. I had a problem with Ted barking when I answered the phone, opened the fridge, just attention seeking. The teacher suggested a small tin with a few stones in when the naughty barking persisted just to shake the tin a couple of times next to his ear....the effect was instant....he stopped barking and left me alone. I don't have to do it often but it really sorted out the problem of attention barking.  |
| In addition to being timely and consistant with your correction of an undesired behavior, remember to be just as quick to catch your puppy doing something good and praising for it.
At a workshop I was at for work, it was brought up that people need 7 praises/compliments to equal one critisism. I can't imagine it's too different for our dogs. |
| Let's pretend we are having tea and discussing your puppy's behavior. This is my take on it.
I think he is trying to be a normal puppy and needs some guidence into how to act appropriately with his human family. The alpha roll has been rescinded as a maneuver to use. Putting a dog into a submissive position does not make him submissive. It makes him either upset, angry, or feel helpless....none of which you would want to enstill, I would hope. When a dog wishes to "display" submissiveness he does it voluntarily. Forcing him does nothing except promote fear and distrust. Got Sheep hit it right on the nail. He needs to be shown over and over again what is acceptable behavior and rewarded for it. This is an analogy that I used in my classes: Imagine you are alone in a room with a TV, computer, lots of books, and a phone. You pick up the remote control and a big voice comes out and says "NO". You drop it and go to turn on the computer. The big voice again says "NO" so you skip that. You sit down and pick up a book...NO....Well, geez..What are you allowed to do? You pick up the phone to call someone...NO.....See how frustrating this would be? The puppy needs to be allowed to do something, and you need to communicate to him what that is. A stuffed Kong, squeaky toys, a ball...whatever...Let him know what is allowed and then you can better let him know what is not allowed. Keep him busy. He needs to have something to chew, and bite, and mouth. Any other puppies around that you can have play dates with? That would prove to be invaluable. Not sure how you feel about playing Tug, but that is also a valuable interaction with a puppy, if done correctly. For puppy nipping I always recommend the "yelp like a puppy" method. You need to be consistent and it make take weeks for it to clue in, but this normally only works with a young puppy so use it NOW. No hitting, grabbin, pinning to the ground...nothing like that. Just yelp, and replace with an allowed chewable or gently pat or massage him. Hands should only be used for good things like treats, belly rubs and pats. Otherwise you run the risk of developing a dog with an aversion to hands adn handling..That is not a good thing. Good luck. |
| "The alpha roll has been rescinded as a maneuver to use. Putting a dog into a submissive position does not make him submissive. It makes him either upset, angry, or feel helpless....none of which you would want to enstill, I would hope. When a dog wishes to "display" submissiveness he does it voluntarily. Forcing him does nothing except promote fear and distrust. "
I would agree with this. I've been shopping around for trainers and they all say this - holding them still, down or making them submissive (however you do it) doesn't help and can 'ruin' a dog, one trainer said. Obviously I don't have any of these trainers experiences, so have to go on what they say. The main point- my dog is 12 weeks now and exactly like yours. Loves to challenge, snaps, gets very p'd off when I do anything anyone else has suggested (hold the nose and say 'no bite', hold him still, etc.). Replacing the behavior with a positive one works. Yelping and ignoring works - I find that if I somewhat give him a little shove (gently as if to move him out of my eyesight) when I yelp the 2nd time loudly, and then IGNORE him TOTALLY (my back to him), he does acknowledge the situation, and doesn't challenge. He walks off. I don't have to give him a toy either - it's like he got it that he hurt me and I'm not going to play w/ him anymore. Lastly, After listening to everyone with an opinion about what to do and what not to do - last resort - especially when we're on the couch and he wants to pounce us - rolled up newspaper - lightweight and makes an airy noise he hates. He now does not bite us on the couch, nor does he jump. We leave the newspaper on the couch in eyesight and he's Mr. calm & gentle. He doesn't associate the newspaper with the hand perhaps because it's long. He lets me calmly trim his nails (after a nap), touch him, groom him, clean his eyes, you name it, etc...so just a suggestion to try. Holding them into submission p's my off more than anything. Also, he is a snapping alligator in his high energy states. Most of the time it seems accidental that he catches your foot when he's after a toy etc...I find a walk can de-energize him. And it always seems to be when I'm supposed to be doing homework at 9pm. But at times it's necessary - rain or shine or pitch dark. I think talking to other puppy owners has helped immensely on this board and also to other pup owners not on the board - my school-mate also has a puppy dachshund and she has all the war scars too, so I have to think this is normal. Good luck - hopefully one day in the future we will laugh when thinking back at our baby piranhas. |
| Gallatea, loved your alligator analogy. My hushand referred to Chauncey as a furry alligator when he was a puppy. Now at a year he's somewhat better...we've healed LOL, Kathy |
my dog is 5 months, he is changing his teeth now and he is like that. Not only with me but with all my famiily. First couple weeks always no, no, no after that he started to learn what no mean. Now when we are in the walk no mean no and thats it. He chalenges me, run around me and try to bite me. That i changed with one leson  when hi bite me for my leg i start go growllin on him (i think that growl is that word) lift my arms, start to pound with legs and run toward him. He is afraid and i stop. I do that 2-3 times when hi bites my leg and he stops to do that. But for my hands that is something diferent  i tried to change that on milion ways but without success. Only way for me is to hug him and put my face on his nozzle becouse hi always lick my face for now only that work for me if i find something else i will share that with you. |
| Dred, don't apologize for your English, you're doing fine and easily understood. Thanks for your posts.
George |
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