hello everyone

[haygar]

Hi everyone were new to this website.. nice to meet people in same boat as us.

We have a rescue puppy, she is a working cocker spaniel named Daisy she has just turned 18weeks.So we didnt know anything about her parents etc.

I have never had a dog before or a cocker spaniel so didnt really know what to expect but boy it has been really hard me and my newly married husband have never argued so much in our time together. she is just so naughty and plays us off against each other if that makes any sense. She is so good in many other ways and sleeps in her crate all night downstairs in the kitchen she can do all her commands (when you feed her hehe) .

The main problem is she bites me all the time and when u stop her from doing something that she wants to do she growls and lunges at you and she doesnt stop until she had bit you. im covered in scrathches and cuts.... but she doesn't bite my husband hardly ever but then im with her most of the time whilst im recovering from shoulder problem...ive tried saying no, no bite,putting her in another room pinning her down like her mother would but nothing works. someone advised squirt her with water but shes so little and cute i dont want to do that..shes really testing my patience. I feel like a failure sometimes cos i try to do my best for her but sometimes wonder if im doing something wrong. she goes to puppy classes on a sunday and is the most untrained, naughtiest puppy there even though she can do all the things at home they ask her to do.

Anyone else had this problem and will she grow out of it.

Ps i let her off the lead yesterday down beach for 1st time and she nearly didnt come back as soon as she spotted another dog she was away miles away and someone had to grab her for me.. shall i keep doing it or is she not ready?
Mamy Thanks
Hayley

[JennyBee]

This is perfectly normal and is essential for puppies to learn bite inhibition - please don't pin her down though, her mum would not do that. Squirting with water and any other type of adversives should be avoided too . There are tonnes of threads on mouthing - my Brodie was a little horror, if she mouthed I would ignore her and fold my arms, if she continued then I would give her a time out for a few minutes. I found a houseline essential for handling her without being bitten. This is something that can go on for quite a while and requires patience until she learns to control herself

Here a couple of threads for you, I found the second one particularly helpful:

http://www.cockersonline.co.uk/discuss/index.php?topic=64171.0

http://www.cockersonline.co.uk/discuss/index.php?topic=64170.0

With the training classes, she is still very, very young so I would not worry about how untrained she is, just keep at it in short bursts and find out what makes her tick . Using kind and positive methods will help with your bond, you will get there but it just takes time

Welcome to the forum and I would love to see some photos of Daisy

[Karma]

She is a perfectly normal puppy...  

If you read some of the other threads on here, you will see many many posts just like yours!

Just a few points.

1) She is not playing you off against one another.... she probably bites you more because you're about more, simple as that.  I remember being very frustrated when I was at home with Honey as a pup, and she would be a nightmare all day long - and as soon as my OH came home, she would curl up and go to sleep....    Turned out it was because OH was putting the TV on as soon as he got home, and she liked the sound of the TV...
2) Please don't pin her down - this is NOT what a mother would do.... take a look at the pinned threads at the top of the puppy board about play biting and see the best way to approach this.  It will take time (there's no immediate results to be seen, I'm afraid!), but a fair, consistent approach is the best way your pup will learn.  As your pup is a rescue, you may well have some catch up to do, as she will have missed the initial bite inhibition lessons, but just put the age aside and treat her as if she was a little 8 week pup who really does't know what she is doing is wrong.... But bear in mind she will also be teething, so ensure she has plenty of stuff she can chew!!
3) Ignore the advice of squirting her with a water spray - this is an aversive and they can seriously backfire.  A "trainer" recommended this to my parents to stop their Border Collie pup barking at other dogs, and she became seriously dog aggressive as a result.
4) Don't worry about how she is at puppy class.... if she can do the stuff at home, she is probably just finding the class situation too over-exciting.... rather than get stressed trying to acheive what the others are acheiving, try to just increase the focus she will give you - reward any calm, focussed behaviour, no matter what!  Keep working on the lessons at home, and she will gradually learn to generalise!
5) As she is that bit older, I would recommend you use a long line to try and work on recall that way - most pups are reluctant to stray far from their owners, but older pups have more confidence and will explore more...
A long line means you can give her a little bit more freedom, but she won't have the opportunity to ignore you if you call her..... again, there are several threads on the training and behaviour board about training a reliable recall, so have a browse through those...

Good luck - it WILL get better, and we have all been where you are now!!!
And just focus on the positives.... she sleeps well and is learning really quickly!

 

[haygar]

Thank you everyone for the advice and tips you hear so much conflicting information from different sources as long as daisy is happy thats all that matters to me. ill try post some photos of her asap..thanks everyone so much x

[Karma]

It is confusing when there are so many people out there who hold on to outdated theories on dog training... rest assured that the positive approaches recommended on here will work, given time, and are the kindest way to train your pup! 

A lot of the old approaches were based on what is now known to be flawed theories about dog behaviour (pack theory, dominance-type stuff).  Some of the aversive type methods can work, but it sets you up into a battle with your dog, rather than you both learning to work together... and there's always the risk that you have to keep "upping the anti" if they are only behaving to avoid something unpleasant.  The real key to good, modern dog training techniques is to get the dog to want to do what you want it to do, rather than to get the dog to just do what you want it to, is you see what I mean.... 

[johndoran]

All I can say is that you will find that nearly everyone who is a first time puppy owner will have gone through this. I know we did with Bonnie Boo. Don't fall out over it,its not worth it. Read some of the older posts on the forum. Try to see the positive side to it that your little girl is just growing up and will calm down soon and in a way you will miss that puppyness (I know i do).Those puppy moments will be gone all too soon and you will have a lovely, still lively but loving cocker. Read the advice from the experienced ones on here and follow it and you wont go far wrong