Cujo on the leash
Need some advise before I am eaten alive. We have a new puppy is who is 14 weeks old. His name is not really Cujo, although there are times when his name should be. He is a very smart little puppy, who picks up really quick on training and commands. I have had oes's in the past and am very familar with the breeds personality. Although they can be stubborn they are usually delightful parts of the family once they pass the annoying nipping stages. The problem I am having is the puppy goes into attach mode when he is being walked. He is fine when he has to go out to do potty, he knows the commands outside to go potty, he gets his treats and is happy to behave. I exit the house first and he will follow and going into house he knows I go first, all fine. From what I am see it is the times when I am not sure if he has to go potty and I take him in the backyard to walk, that he will get to the bottom step turn toward me and lunge up and nip and bite every part of my body he can get to. I feel like a human pin cushion. My body has bruises all over. He has torn clothing and just goes intoo a red zone. When this happens I try to control keeping him as far away from me as possible, I have tried the water spray he only growls and barks at it. I have flipped him on his side and held him down he just continues to nip away. When he is done with this outbreak he just lays on the grass. By the time this episode ends I am exhausted. This usually occurs once a day and I am not comfortable with this behavior. He has done this with both my daughter and I. I have noticed that this is not done in the street only on the grass. I know that he is testing me and he is stubborn. I understand that the herding instinct includes nipping ankles and I expected that from the breed,but the jumping and lunging frightens me. but I really need some insight on this if any one out there can give me some pointers. I have called a trainer and am waiting to hear back from them, however I hesitate because I think many of trainers are not to familar with the oes personality. I would hate to think of a trainer trying to alter the beautiful oes personality. |
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| Just so you know, you are not alone and anyone with an OES puppy has probably experienced what you are experiencing. I have TWICE and it sucked the 1st time, and it sucked the 2nd time.... but, having an OES is just so wonderful, that you can accept the bad times and know that they will outgrow it. Have you tried stuffing a stuffed animal or tennis ball in his mouth as you exit the house? We always had one in our pockets or by the doors when Dahlia was a bit younger and had her vampire teeth. We also had tennis balls throughout the yard in case we needed one. This really worked for us. We also used sticks since we live in the woods and there is always one available. I know people have mixed feelings about sticks here, but, it worked for us and I am fine with her prancing around with a stick. It kept her from nipping us! I was so happy the day her teeth started falling out---and I wasn't a pin-cushion any longer. |
| I have not tried putting a toy in his mouth outside, I will try anything at this point. I usually put the toy in his mouth when he gets nippy with us inside. I am starting to wonder if this is a sign of any aggression. My past oes's always nipped the ankles when walking but that was kind of expected although he eventually grew out of that. When he goes into this mode I am not even sure he will let me even approach him to put a toy in his mouth, but it is worth a try. I have also heard that if they get overstimulated they will act out so I have not let him off the leash to run the backyard yet, although I usually walk him around the back so he can get a few laps in. Thank you for your input |
| I was also thinking maybe there is a specific lead and collar that might be better to deter this behavior. Currently I am using a lead and collar in one the kind that just drops over his head and it tightens as you pull his lead. |
| We use a Lupine Collar Double ring (Martingale style) This was a requirement by our training school for all dogs and also it is the kind of collar that was required 15 years ago for my other OES when she was in training at a completely different school. For us, it works the best. But, everyone is different. |
| try an gentle leader worked on my boys |
| When we first had Bailee we had a Trainer come to the house for a Training Session. First thing she went over was when the dog acts like yours is (and Bailee was) TURN AWAY AND IGNORE him/her. They will keep jumping, nipping etc. but you have to keep ignoring them. Believe it or not within minutes they realize their actions are not getting your attention and will stop. You may need to give them a "Timeout" Leash them and secure them to something in an isolated area and leave them, not for too long, but until they calm down. They only want ALL of your attention and even if you are telling them to stop they are suceeding in getting it. She also suggested we put a few coins in a tin can and shake it when he got rammy like that. Bailee still knows what the can is for and we have not had to use it in a couple of years, BUT, he remembers. We then took to him to another Trainer (whose schedule was better for us) and did the Obedience Training which had terrific results. That Trainer used the "Gentle Leader" to keep him under control and it was like night & day. The change in how he walked and acted occurred within a day or 2 at the most. Stick with it, it just takes time and lots of repiticious commands. |
| Not that you haven't gotten good advice so far, but I would also call his breeder and ask for help. Maybe the line he comes from needs to be raised a certain way, or maybe he was the pushy puppy, or..? Anyway, it's worth checking in with his breeder. Maybe it's just me, but I don't consider this a normal or inevitable stage of puppyhood, at least not to this degree. On the other hand obviously a bunch of people do, so it could just be a fundamental difference in basic temperament. The person who bred him will know his or her dogs and can probably give you some guidance as well. At that age there shouldn't be any reason not to get it under control. It could be something as simple as puppy is not getting enough exercise/dog needs a job. OR, the flip side, dog gets overtired and cranky and overstimulated. (Crate nap times works well for the latter, but won't work for an underexercised pup obviously) I'm not a big fan of head halters, mind you, and especially for jumpy, squirmy puppies, as they can end up hurting their necks. (Opinions always vary on this, but that's what every chiro vet I've spoken to so far says) so you may want to think that one through and see if there could be something else that might work better for you. I wouldn't worry about risking altering the beautiful OES personality, because what you're describing ain't it, as you clearly already know.  So, here's wishing you successful altering. Soon. Before we have to set up a blood drive for you and your daughter   Kristine |
this is what bob was talking about.  Be A Tree Dogs are excellent at reading body language which is one reason that I prefer to be a tree because once a dog gets the concept, being a tree can be used for a myriad of problems: jumping, elbow nudging (especially when you’re holding a cup of hot coffee!), pawing, begging at the table or any other pesty behavior. To be a tree: 1. Cross your arms in front of your chest 2. Turn at least ¼ turn away from the dog 3. Look away and slightly upwards 4. Keep your mouth shut. We are a very verbal species but trees don’t talk. For example, if a dog is jumping up, be a tree. Ignoring the dog is the worst thing you can do, no one ever wants to be ignored! If you push the dog away your arm motion is like the front legs of a dog when the dog is playing and ‘boxing’ and the dog might think you are playing and that will only positively reinforce the jumping. If you talk to the dog, the dog who is jumping to get attention is getting attention and so talking, even yelling NO!!!! is what the dog wants and the jumping will be positively reinforced. Even more important is to remember that if the dog comes up to you and doesn’t jump, make sure the dog knows what you want and give the dog lots of attention! It’s always easier for a dog to learn to do something (come up to people without jumping) than it is for a dog to learn to not do something (don’t jump). We often forget to make sure that we positively reinforce the behavior we want because we don’t think about it when the dog does it right. If you are sitting at a table or in a chair and the dog paws or begs for food, instead of turning, twist your upper body away from the dog. BE PATIENT! This will probably not work the first time. Stay in tree position until the dog gives up and goes away. If you give in to the dog, even once, you are a slot machine and instead of stopping the behavior, you are making it stronger...oops! People sit at slot machines all day (the dog keeps jumping) because sometimes money comes out (sometimes the dog gets the attention he wants, even bad attention like NO!), even though money rarely comes out (even though your dog rarely gets any attention). If money never came out of slot machines, no one would put money in. So, if your dog never gets any attention, your dog will stop jumping. Once your dog understands the body language of ‘be a tree’ for one thing, it’s easy to start being a tree for all the pawing, nudging, etc. that your dog might do. It will take a few times to sink in, but the dog will learn faster each time. Sometimes dogs are so reinforced for jumping that being a tree doesn’t work very well, although you can still use it for pawing, etc. If your dog’s jumping is not starting to decrease in frequency and you don’t see your dog hesitating before jumping and sometimes not jumping after a while (be patient, it will take some time!), then you try using your hands. Its best if you can move before the dog launches herself, but if not, do it as fast as you can. Keep your hands low because raised hands seem to be a target for dogs, turn your palms downward and slightly outward so they are directed at your dog and extend your arms towards your dog. Do not push your dog or it won’t work. If your dog jumps against your hands, try not to push – it’s hard because pushing back is a reflex - and try not to let the dog push you – keep your hands/arms as steady as you can, preventing the dog from getting closer to you, even if you have to back up, the dog should be at arm’s length or more. Keep your hands in position and look up and slightly away from your dog and do not talk. Repeat, repeat, repeat. And always remember to give your dog lots of attention if your dog comes up to you and doesn’t jump. Copyright Virginia Wind 2008 |
| another from ian should be helpful. The Bite Stops Here Dogs in Canada Annual, 1991 Puppies should be encouraged to play-bite – so you can teach them when to stop. By Dr. Ian Dunbar Puppies bite, and thank goodness they do. Puppy biting is a normal and natural puppy behavior. In fact, it is the pup that does not mouth and bite much as a youngster that augers ill for the future. Puppy play-biting is the means by which dogs learn to develop bite inhibition, which is absolutely essential later in life. The combination of weak jaws with extremely sharp, needle-like teeth and the puppy penchant for biting results in numerous play-bites which, although painful, seldom cause serious harm. Thus, the developing pup receives ample necessary feedback regarding the force of its bites before it develops strong jaws – which could inflict considerable injury. The greater the pup’s opportunity to play-bite with people, other dogs and other animals, the better the dog’s bite inhibition as an adult. For puppies that do not grow up with the benefit of regular and frequent interaction with other dogs and other animals, the responsibility of teaching bite inhibition lies with the owner. Certainly, puppy biting behavior most eventually be eliminated: we cannot have an adult dog playfully mauling family, friends and strangers in the manner of a young puppy. However, it is essential that puppy biting behaviour is gradually and progressively eliminated via a systematic four-step process. With some dogs, it is easy to teach the four phases in sequence. With others, the puppy biting may be so severe that the owners will need to embark on all four stages at once. However, it is essential that the pup first learn to inhibit the force of its bites before the biting behaviour is eliminated altogether. Inhibiting the force of bites No painful bites The first item on the agenda is to stop the puppy bruising people. It is not necessary to reprimand the pup and, certainly, physical punishments are contra-indicated, since they tend to make some pups more excited, and insidiously erode the puppy’s temperament and trust in the owner. But it is essential to let the pup know when it hurts. A simple "ouch!" is usually sufficient. The volume of the "ouch" should vary according to the dog’s mental make-up; a fairly soft "ouch" will suffice for sensitive critters, but a loud "OUCH!!!" may be necessary for a wild and woolly creature. During initial training, even shouting may make the pup more excited, as does physical confinement. An extremely effective technique with boisterous pups is to call the puppy a "jerk!" and leave the room and shut the door. Allow the pup time to reflect on the loss of its favourite human chew toy immediately following the hard nip, and then return to make up. It is important to indicate that you still love the pup – it is the painful bites which are objectionable. Instruct the pup to come and sit, and then resume playing. Ideally, the pup should have been taught not to hurt people well before it is three months old. It is much better for the owner to leave the pup than to try to physically restrain and remove it to a confinement area at a time when it is already out of control. If one pup bites another too hard, the bitee yelps and playing is postponed while the injured party licks its wounds. The biter learns that hard bites curtail an otherwise enjoyable play session. Hence, the bite learns to bite more softly when the play session resumes. No jaw pressure at all The second stage of training is to eliminate bite pressure entirely, even thought the bites no longer hurt. When the puppy is munching away, wait for a nibble that is harder than the rest and respond as if it really hurt: "Ouch, you worm! Gently! That hurt me you bully!" The dog begins to think "Good Lord! These humans are so mamby pamby I’ll have to be really careful when mouthing their delicate skins." And that’s precisely what we want the dog to think – so he’ll be extremely careful when playing with people. Ideally, the puppy should no longer be exerting any pressure when mouthing by the time it is four to five months old. Inhibiting the incidence of mouthing Always stop mouthing when requested. Once the puppy has been taught to gently mouth rather than bite, it is time to reduce the frequency of mouthing behaviour and teach the pup that mouthing is okay until requested to stop. Why? Because it is inconvenient to try to drink a cup of tea, or to answer the telephone, with 50 pounds of pup dangling from your wrist, that’s why. It is better to first teach the "OFF!" command using a food lure (as demonstrated in the Sirius video*). The deal is this: "If you don’t touch this food treat for just two seconds after I softly say "Off", I will say "Take it" and you can have the treat." Once the pup has mastered this simple task, up the ante to three seconds of non-contact, and then five, eight, 12, 20 and so on. Count out the seconds and praise the dog with each second: "Good dog one, good dog two, good dog three…" and so forth. If the pup touches the treat before being told to take it, shout "Off!" and start the count from zero again. The pup quickly learns that it can not have the treat until it has not touched it for, say, eight seconds – the quickest way to get the treat is not to touch it for the first eight seconds. In addition, the regular handfeeding during this exercise helps preserve the pup’s soft mouth. Once the pup understnads the "Off!" request, it may be used effectively when the puppy is mouthing. Say "Off!" and praise the pup and give it a treat when it lets go. Remember, the essence of this exercise is to practise stopping the dog from mouthing – each time the pup obediently ceases and desists, resume playing once more. Stop and start the session many times over. Also, since the puppy wants to mouth, the best reward for stopping mouthing is to allow it to mouth again. When you decide to stop the mouthing session altogether, heel the pup to the kitchen and give it an especially tasty treat. If ever the pup refuses to release your hand when requested, shout "Off!", rapidly extricate your hand and storm out of the room mumbling, "Right. That’s done it, you jerk! You’ve ruined it! Finish! Over! No more!" and shut the door in the dog’s face. Give the pup a couple of minutes on its own and then go back to call the pup to come and sit and make up. But no more mouthing for at least a couple of hours. In addition to using "Off!" during bite inhibition training, the request has many other useful applications: not to touch the cat, the Sunday roast on the table, the table, the baby’s soiled diapers, the baby, an aggressive dog, a fecal deposit of unknown denomination… Not only does this exercise teach the "Off!" request, but also to "Take it" on request. Never start mouthing unless requested. By the time the pup is five months old, it must have a mouth as soft as a 14-year-old working Lab; it should never exert any pressure when mouthing, and the dog should immediately stop mouthing when requested to do so by any family member. Unsolicited mouthing is utterly inappropriate from an older adolescent or an adult dog. It would be absolutely unacceptable for a six-month-old dog to approach a child and commence mouthing her arm, no matter how gentle the mouthing or how friendly and playful the dog’s intentions. This is the sort of situation which gives parents the heebie-jeebies and frightens the living daylights out of the mouthee. At five months of age, at the very latest, the dog should be taught never to touch any person’s body – not even clothing – with its jaws unless specifically requested. Whether or not the dog will ever be requested to mouth people depends on the individual owner. Owners that have the mental largesse of a toothpick quickly let play-mouthing get out of control, which is why many dog training texts strongly recommend not indulging in games such as play-fighting. However, it is essential to continue bite inhibition exercises, otherwise the dog’s bite will begin to drift and become harder as the dog grows older. For such people, I recommend that they regularly hand-feed the dog and clean its teeth – exercises that involve the human hand in the dog’s mouth. On the other hand, for owners who have a full complement of common sense, there is no better way to maintain the dog’s soft mouth than by play-fighting with the dog on a regular basis. However, to prevent the dog from getting out of control and to fully realize the many benefits of play-fighting, the owner must play by the rules and teach the dog to play by the rules. (Play-fighting rules are described in detail in our Preventing Aggression behaviour bookelt.*) Play-fighting teaches the dog to mouth hands only (hands are extremely sensitive to pressure) and never clothing. Since shoelaces, trousers and hair have no neurons and cannot feel, the owner cannot provide the necessary feedback that the dog is once more beginning to mouth too hard. The game also teaches the dog that it must adhere to rules regarding its jaws, regardless of how worked up it may be. Basically, play-fighting teaches the owner to practice controlling the dog when it is excited. It is important to refine such control in a structured setting, before a real-life situation occurs. In addition, play-fighting quickly becomes play-training. Starting the games with a training period, i.e., with the dog under control in a down-stay, produces utterly solid stays at a time when the dog is excited in vibrant anticipation of the game. Similarly, frequent stopping the game for short periods and integrating multiple training interludes (especially heel work and recalls) into the game motivates the dog to provide eager and speedy responses. Each time the owner stops the game, he or she may use the resumption of play as a reward for bona fide obedience. Everything’s fun! Potential problems Inhibiting incidence before force A common mistake is to punish the pup in an attempt to get it to stop biting altogether. At the best, the puppy no longer mouths those family members who can effectively punish the dog but, instead, the pup directs its mouthing sprees toward those family members who cannot control it, e.g., a child. To worsen matters, parents are often completely unaware of the child’s plight because the pup does not mouth adults. At worst, the puppy no longer mouths people at all. Hence, its education about the force of its bite stops right there. All is fine until someone accidentally shuts the car door on the dog’s tail, whereupon the dog bites and punctures the skin, because the dog had insufficient bite inhibition. Puppies that don’t bite Shy dogs seldom socialize or play with other dogs or strangers. Hence, they do not play-bite and hence, they learn nothing about the power of their jaws. The classic case history is of a dog that never mouthed or bit as a pup and never bit anyone as an adult – that is, until an unfamiliar child tripped and fell on the dog. The first bite of the dog’s career left deep puncture wounds, because the dog had developed no bite inhibition. With shy puppies, socialization is of paramount importance, and time is of the essence. The puppy must quickly be socialized sufficiently, so that it commences playing (and hence, biting) before it is four-and-a-half months old. If a puppy does not frequently mouth and bite and/or does not occasionally bite hard, it is an emergency. The puppy must learn its limits. And it can only learn its limits by exceeding them during development and receiving the appropriate feedbacks. Ian Fraser Dunbar lives in California and has a doctorate in animal behaviour. He is author of the book Dog Behaviour and 15 Behaviour Booklets; he will be holding seminars in Canada in 1991. *The Preventing Aggression behaviour booklet and the Sirius Puppy Training videotape by Dr. Dunbar are available from James & Kenneth Publishers – Canada. For more information, contact Judy Emmert, Flander’s Farm, R. R. 2, campbellville, Ontario. (416)659-3955. Dogs in Canada - http://www.dogs-in-canada.com |
| OH Gosh, I have to read through all responses and make sure I understand, everything being said. I am determined to get my boy to an acceptable behavior that makes us all happy. I did speak to the breader, and she has had no issues from any of the other puppies or parents. She was concerned and is going to speak to her vet and get back to me with further info. She said he was fine and playful with all. |
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