TRACIE_LOU Posted February 23, 2010 Share Posted February 23, 2010 As the title says really i have new puppy since jan he is a cocker spaniel X irish water spaniel... he is adorable!.. but my god his teeth are sharp! Now i am not daft and i know they go thru the nipping and biting process but is there anything i can do to help stop it... more for the kids really..He is gettting alot better with my 2yr old as they are together on a regular basis but i do have to seperate them often and obviously don't leave them on their own!.. My older 2 find it more dificult for some reason... NOt sure if its just simply the excpected a cute pup and didn't fully understand the rest?... Thing is i am now on my own as me and Tony aka red rocket have recently split up so its down to me to try and train him.. if i can afford puppy classes soon then i will def do it but hoped maybe some advice from you guys might help... Some pics of Diesel the pup! x... he is 4months now and has just started going out for short walks so hopefully this may also help tire him out Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bradleyh_15 Posted February 23, 2010 Share Posted February 23, 2010 positive and negative reinforcement is the best thing really with a little tap on the nose when he does nip and every time he does something you ask him or tell him give him lots of affection or a doggy treat! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stevie_b Posted February 23, 2010 Share Posted February 23, 2010 Sorry to hear about your split Tracie. I can't help with the puppy advice unfortunately, but someone more knowledgable than me will be along soon... There is at least one vet on here. Steviekid I think. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tbourner Posted February 23, 2010 Share Posted February 23, 2010 Use positive training methods when they are a puppy, otherwise you can cause them to become aggressive to people when they're older. When playing if he starts to bite just say "NO" and stop playing, stand up and walk away, or cross your arms and ignore him. DO NOT hit him on the nose!! Eventually he'll learn that biting means you stop playing and he gets ignored, and dogs really don't like being ignored. You'll find ignoring him is a great tool for telling him off for anything, when he's doing something naughty just walk away (and when he's older find a place you can 'put' him - small room or cupboard under stairs etc. just for a minute [or until he stops moaning]). Dogs learn pretty quick generally, it should only take a few ignoring sessions to teach him not to bite. you have to remember at 2-6months they can be teething and will want to chew ANYTHING to ease the pain, so getting him some wooden dumbells is a good idea, if he starts biting or chewing furniture, again say "NO" and give him the dumbell - when he chews the dumbell just say "good boy" and leave him to it. We've just been through the puppy thing over the last year, and we've learnt loads. Our dog is a very dominant breed as well, and we're proud of what we've achieved. Chris Wilson is also good with this kind of thing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TRACIE_LOU Posted February 23, 2010 Author Share Posted February 23, 2010 Thanks stevie its a bit of a crap time.. lol:( Tbourner i have a cage for him at night or if i go out... so for example if he starts biting i could put him in there for a bit? and just keep repeating it everytime he bites?... he won't leave the kids feet alone so i can't just walk away and ignore as i have to rescue them lol Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bradleyh_15 Posted February 23, 2010 Share Posted February 23, 2010 my bad about the nose tap I just read an old school book! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tbourner Posted February 23, 2010 Share Posted February 23, 2010 If you're using a crate it should be kept as his 'safe place' otherwise he might start howling when you lock him in at night - so I wouldn't recommend it as a telling off place as well. When Loki's naughty we just shout NO, and if that doesn't work we shout OUT! Which basically means out of the lounge - he normally runs out with his tail between his legs and runs to his bed (not a crate but the same idea). It's hard to think in dog terms, you need to try not to humanise them which is the mistake most people make (for example; when they're scared you don't go up and cuddle them and tell them it'll be OK like you do with people - because they think you're scared as well, you need to lead by example by ignoring the thunderstorm or fireworks - most people don't think that way though). So when he's playing his natural instinct is to bite as that's what his brothers and sisters would have done - you need to teach him that you don't want him to do it. You're not telling him off because he doesn't know he's doing anything wrong, you need to show him in a way he'll understand what you expect of him. Puppies just want to play and run around and be with their 'pack', so if you can find a way to stop play and get his play things (toys and kids) away from him for a few minutes, he'll soon learn that his biting is causing that loss of play time. Note though, dogs have an attention span of at most a couple of minutes, so if he bites and you don't go in STRAIGHT AWAY it won't mean anything to him. People make that mistake with toilet training all the time, telling a dog off even 3 mins after they've weed on the floor is no good, if you don't catch them in the act you can't tell them off for it even though you know full well they've done it!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
j_jza80 Posted February 23, 2010 Share Posted February 23, 2010 Thanks stevie its a bit of a crap time.. lol:( Tbourner i have a cage for him at night or if i go out... so for example if he starts biting i could put him in there for a bit? and just keep repeating it everytime he bites?... he won't leave the kids feet alone so i can't just walk away and ignore as i have to rescue them lol I would't associate his bed with being told off though, as he may start whining every time you put him in there. I learned that the hard way! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ellis Posted February 23, 2010 Share Posted February 23, 2010 It took our Cocker over a year to stop eating the house! They do pack it in eventually, usually when there's no skirting boards left or the sofa is down to the wooden frame! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TRACIE_LOU Posted February 23, 2010 Author Share Posted February 23, 2010 Blimey think i need to do alot of reading up, i get what you are saying and alot of it seem to be doing anyway.... but there are bits of what you say that yes i hadn't realised etc...i hadnt been putting him in his crate i just put him in the kitchen as it has a stair gate so it keeps him away from little one at times.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TRACIE_LOU Posted February 23, 2010 Author Share Posted February 23, 2010 It took our Cocker over a year to stop eating the house! They do pack it in eventually, usually when there's no skirting boards left or the sofa is down to the wooden frame! Oh god cheers for that!!! Its the kids and there feet that he likes at the minute!... or any part of their body he can jump and bite! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
danhicks22 Posted February 23, 2010 Share Posted February 23, 2010 Good advice from tbourner there. I don't have a dog myself but have witnessed my girlfriend's mum's two dogs grow from puppies (and one of them had a litter of 4 puppies last year) and it's amazing what a strong word and a bit of ignoring can do - as long as you reward the subsequent good behaviour with praise and attention. It's very funny still watching them get in trouble. The two had a massive fight last week and got shouted at and one of them sulked for 20 minutes looking very sorry for itself cuddling my girlfriend, refusing to move or look at anyone. They're Tibetan Spaniels so very much lap dogs - they were bred, in part, to warm the feet of Tibetan monks. tbourner - Loki's an Alaskan Malamute, isn't he? I seem to remember seeing a thread about him a while ago. They're gorgeous dogs - I can't wait to be able to get one. Good luck Tracie, I'm sure you'll have no problem sorting out the biting with a little hard work Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris Wilson Posted February 23, 2010 Share Posted February 23, 2010 I believe this may help, but be aware some of Ed Frawley advice in his other podcasts are aimed at people training working protection dogs, be sure you read his site to see where a podcast is aimed! http://www.chriswilson.tv/puppiesthatbite.mp3 His main site is http://www.leerburg.com IMHO it is one of the best dog training resources on the net, although some of his stuff on training working protection dogs may seem a bit radical. The site is at Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TRACIE_LOU Posted February 23, 2010 Author Share Posted February 23, 2010 Thanks Chris i shall def be taking a look! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris Wilson Posted February 23, 2010 Share Posted February 23, 2010 Or a listen even ? I remeber a friend of mine who was a vet, now retired saying that he had suffered more bites from Cockers in the surgery than any other breed In my experience playing tug with a pup that likes to bite is disastrous, it is too young to disassociate pulling an old rag to tugging at your hands, legs and fingers. It's a great way to teach a pup to grab someone or something in later life though. I'd stop that straight away, unless you plan to work it on shoots. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TRACIE_LOU Posted February 23, 2010 Author Share Posted February 23, 2010 Or a listen even ? I remeber a friend of mine who was a vet, now retired saying that he had suffered more bites from Cockers in the surgery than any other breed In my experience playing tug with a pup that likes to bite is disastrous, it is too young to disassociate pulling an old rag to tugging at your hands, legs and fingers. It's a great way to teach a pup to grab someone or something in later life though. I'd stop that straight away, unless you plan to work it on shoots. Haha you knew what i meant!!..... You're right about the play tugging tho i do play that with him and often wondered if it would confuse them when it then comes to hands and feet etc... Out of curiousity is it more a male dog thing?... as my parents have his sister pup and she isn't as much of a biter? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris Wilson Posted February 23, 2010 Share Posted February 23, 2010 No, definitely not a dog / bitch thing. We have eleven dogs right now, I can assure you our biggest nightmare is a bitch. You need to remember a cocker is bred as a gun dog, and has had thousands of generations of genetic engineering teach it flush out live birds, then search and find dead ones, pick them up and retrieve them to the handler. By nature of their breeding they are mouthy, and like to find grab things. The job someone using one for their intended purpose would have is not to mouth, they know all about that, but what to mouth, how hard, when, and just when to stop mouthing and drop. Your job is to direct and control the mouthing into harmless pursuits. You probably won't undo the trait. In all seriousness, you may need to give serious time to making a Cocker the adorable house pet you probably want Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tbourner Posted February 23, 2010 Share Posted February 23, 2010 His main site is http://www.leerburg.com IMHO it is one of the best dog training resources on the net, although some of his stuff on training working protection dogs may seem a bit radical. I was going to mention Leerburg, but as you say it can seem quite radical and without REALLY knowing what you're doing I wouldn't want to suggest his training techniques to anyone! Having said that I haven't looked at the site for some time - is he still doing the "when you bring your dog home, lock it away and don't interact with it for 6 months except to feed it and exercise it" thing? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris Wilson Posted February 23, 2010 Share Posted February 23, 2010 Yes, you either love him or hate him, but he has trained some of the best protection dogs in the US, and his basic training for pet dogs seems very sound to me. Barbara Woodhouse he isn't Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tbourner Posted February 23, 2010 Share Posted February 23, 2010 tbourner - Loki's an Alaskan Malamute, isn't he? I seem to remember seeing a thread about him a while ago. They're gorgeous dogs - I can't wait to be able to get one. Yes he is, and he's lovely! They're definitely a strong willed dog, he's at the teenage stage now so he's constantly testing us! We have to be very firm with him but he knows his place and seems happy enough. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
adnanshah247 Posted February 23, 2010 Share Posted February 23, 2010 when my mates staff used to bite he used to get an aggressive look and a finger flick on her head. she stopped in absolutely no time. remember the more dominant you are at younger age and prove your dominance the pup will listen and learn more for future years. or thats what i have been told, seen and learnt. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tbourner Posted February 23, 2010 Share Posted February 23, 2010 the more dominant you are at younger age and prove your dominance the pup will listen and learn more for future years. or thats what i have been told, seen and learnt. This is true, but don't confuse dominance with bullying. A lot of breeds (including mine) do NOT respond well to aggresive behaviour and will most likely go completely the wrong way and fight you as hard as they can. Being dominant is understanding what they want and how they're feeling, protecting them and giving them clear boundaries and CONSISTENT training. IMO if you smack them and growl at them you are trying to play them at their own game and you'll have to be willing to go all the way if they decide to test your muscle. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
S44M KT Posted February 23, 2010 Share Posted February 23, 2010 no idea how to help with the biting sorry but he is absolutely gorgeous!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TRACIE_LOU Posted February 23, 2010 Author Share Posted February 23, 2010 no idea how to help with the biting sorry but he is absolutely gorgeous!! Lol sam thank you! and yes he is... Some very good advice here guys:D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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