Nipping and biting etc
I am no stranger to dogs and the rearing of young pups but this one is driving me insane. The problem is this: She has been constantly nipping my hands and thos of my children, i have read all of the previous posts on the subject and have deliberately held off of correction techniques used by some for the following reason, i think she is bored. She will be taking her first walk this comming weekend and i will judge her then. I know all about the Alpha dog and i have tought her to sit on command, lay down and basic command structure. But she still insists on biting and jumping up and nipping what she can, she also hangs on to your feet and trousers (pants) when you walk about the kitchen where she spends most of her time due to poor bladder control (which is improving). I make the assumption she is bored stupid 
We will see |
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| Hang in there. Our guy was the "Tazmanian Devil" til he was a few months old and then he slowly grew out of it. I thouht he was nuts because he barked a lot and constantly went after our ankles, chasing and nipping, etc. It's the "herding instinct", we always said.
It 'll get better but takes time. Pacify her with something to chew on to help with the teething and boredom but always monitor for safety. In our case, I would hold the chew in one hand while he chewed away at it, and pet him with the other. Daily walks will help too. The scented pads along with a doggie door worked pretty quickly for potty training. You'll appreciate this temporary madness later because you'll have funny stories to share and it's a beautiful thing to watch your baby grow into a wonderful Sheepdog. Our guy is 8 1/2 now and I have fond memories of when he was "nuts". |
| Thanks for both posts. We have the same issue with our little girl, Cali. She constantly attacks our ankles as we walk. I am amazed neither of us has broken legs because we are constantly trying not to fall down or step on her. Marc has gotten her to follow the sit command. We have been working on stay - which she is getting to obey pretty well. Lay down is a whole other story. She is not much inclined to lay down on command.
Like Oscar said, we attributed the ankle chasing and nipping to her "herding instinct" although at times I think it's pure mischief. We are hoping that as time goes by this will become less of an issue. One thing that I have been doing is when she bites/nips/chews me, I tell her no and stop playing with her. Then she will lick me a bit (in an effort to make up I am sure) and I tell her "Thanks for the mommy kisses" or when she is biting I will say "No biting! Just kisses" and she will stop chewing on me and begin to lick that area. |
| Hi
I can relate to what you are saying about your sheepie as I have the Tansmanian Devil aka Merlin whom turned 4 months old this past Sunday in my home. The first month he did a lot of the nipping, biting and still occasionally does this. The advice I recieved from my trainer has helped big time. In a nutshell you just place something in their mouths like a toy which is appropriate for chewing...then lots of praise..Good puppy!!! Everytime Merlin went to chew on my pant legs or my ankles I would pick up the toy and place it in his mouth...good puppy and praise. It is getting better! Mine too is a challenge although I've been an experienced dog owner and this is my third sheepie...he is by far the most challenging dog I've ever owned. Sigh ...aren't we lucky!!! Yes in time we will be able to look back and laugh at their antics of puppyhood...someday! :O) |
| My husband and I are looking into getting another oes. We had one for our first dog, he passes 15 years ago, so it has been awhile. I do remember though, that we never had any trouble with behavior, other than the typical stubborness. I am getting reluctant, and scared about this new adventure, after reading about all the biting and barking with none of the issues being resolved with some owners. We would welcome some input to help us in picking a ouppy from the right breeder, as we are suppose to go look at a litter this week. |
| We just rescued a 1-1/2 year OES in November; she pretty much is just fit right in with our family. 20 years ago we had a puppy OES she was easy to housebreak and a love even though she had epilepsy and only lived 7 years. The good part of a rescue is that you save a dog's life and most of them are already housebroken. I highly recommend it. Just make sure you get as much information about the dog as you can. This is our 3rd rescue, one cocker (who climbed trees out of our backyard, that was fun...not), an OES/Standard Poodle mix what a great dog she was. We lost her at the age of 15 it was the hardest thing I have ever had to do.
Sheepies have so much personality...most of it good  (I forgot the happy face)
Happy New Year and good luck! Maggie’s Mom |
| My sheepie just turned 3 in December - and until he was about a year he nipped. It gradually tapered off. Mostly he would nip my 15 year old daughter. She could be just standing there and he would walk up to her and nip her in the butt. It was hard not to laugh, but we always told him "No bite" and ignored him for a short time, just a minute or two. I agree with the other posters - sheepies are a handfull when they are pups. My boyfriend used to insist that this dog was crazy and there was something wrong with him. We joke about it now because Shaggy is the most lovable sweetest boy ever. I think he made up for his "rough childhood". It's hard, but try to be patient and firm. Good luck! |
| I had a few problems with Abbi as a puppy, but now that she is 4 she is the best dog I have ever owned. She learns new tricks faster than ever now.
I feel like I was wasting my time the first 2 years, then when she was three, I finally taught her to heel and lay. Now she is four and has mastered so much. Yesterday she was running after my dad's cat (Dad was ready to kill her --again) and I said SIT! Stay. And she did, even though I was 100 feet away. I ran up to her and gave her the biggest hug! Then had her do her dance, speak, give me her paw, lay, jump back up and go to the car (about 50 feet away) to get her leash! And she did it all to an admiring crowd of grand parents and cousins. I couldn't have been more proud, unless you get me talking about my 21 year old dean's listed, scholarshipped daughter or my 13 year old french horn playing straight A daughter, or my artistic 8 year old hellion daughter who reminds me of Abbi. Yes, puppies are a handful. Older, already socialized dogs are much easier to get along with, but my ABBI will always have my undying support and affection. We walk together, play together, and ignore each other with such ease. She is just another member of my great family. (Guess I should have said something about my gorgeous, ever-supportive and equally talented husband of 14 years now). Getting an OES puppy is like adopting a kid. And just as rewarding if you persist! If you want an easy dog, who just sort of sits around waiting to be petted you had better look elsewhere. Abbi will do that now, but it took 3-4 years. The first 2 years she ran us all ragged. Hope everyone is enjoying a great New Year! |
Where here is an update. I have spent the last 3 days doing the following. Each thime she has lept up and tried to nip my hand (or anything that dangles  ) I have put my hand flat out just above her nose and when she leaps (or tries to) she bumps into my hand. she has definately improved 100% and i much happier about her behaviour, tho im still waiting to take her out on Sunday for her first walk (should be a right laugh)
The nipping has reduced due to the constant NO, her barking only happens now when she is excited and wants to play. All in all a 100% improvement in just 3 days of persistance, and what an intellegent breed of dog !!  |
| Thanks for the reply to my question about getting a new puppy. In my first post, I failed to mention, that we tried the rescue route several times in the last 6 months. We have applications in at least 10 agencys, and have gone to 3 differant states to get dogs. Every time someone is ahead of us, or closer to the shelter, and we miss out. We always loved our sheepie, and saw our neighbor down the road had gotten one, and it brought back memories. I would love to rescue an older dog, but it just doesn't seem to be in the cards. I am still concerned after reading all the posts regarding the behavior problems, but am willing to try with a puppy. We want to make sure we pick the right breeder, and are checking their referances, but I don't think you ever know what you are going to get, until they are a little older. |
| Good luck getting a puppy. I think dogs are like kids, if you are uptight, they are uptight, if you are firm, consistent and patient they do better. All animals want to know their boundaries because when they do the right thing they get praise and respect…oh yeah…and a biscuit (my son doesn’t do too much for the biscuit now that he’s 22…he’s into cash but hey, bribery is bribery and isn’t that what it’s all about?) Anyway, good luck with your new puppy. I have found this forum to be so helpful and addicting, I am often petting Maggie and reading the internet at the same time (I am also addicted to the internet…so much to read and learn) |
| I definitely agree a sheepie pup is a handful. Mine is not quite a year old and it has been a little bit of a struggle as to who runs the house! She also likes to nip, and her bites are a killer! But its hard to be serious when I say no because you don't even know its coming. She walks up and nips you in the butt, the back or the sides, then backs up and gives me that challenging look, along with a low woof, like "come get me." Its hard to keep a straight face around her, she is such a clown, definitely full of personality. haven't found anything to help with the nipping, she thinks no means yes, so since I have two small children, the youngest she thinks is her chew toy, I have to muzzle her. About five minutes with that, then I take it off of her, it settles her down quick. She hates it, but when scolding doesn't work... |
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