Playbiting

[happydog]

I think to be fair to grunty he is trying hard to do the right thing by his pup and is asking for the right advice (by coming here) That is what COL is all about after all. He knows that some of the advice he has been given outside of COL isn't 'quite right'

i think ive made a major mistake

It is all very well for those of us on our fifth or sixth dog to see straight away where he is going wrong, but I know that first time puppy owners find it really difficult to get good sound advice. There are a lot of 'old timers' (and some of them are on TV) spouting outdated 'dominance' and 'pack theories' out there who are all too willing to offer advice to first time pup owners. I joined COL only two or three years ago and even though I was on my sixth dog and thought I was doing pretty well, I have learnt an awful lot.
I totally understand where some of the above posters are coming from though and why they are posting what might be thought of as harsh comments. I know it is out of concern for the dog.

Grunty, keep reading and posting as you will get excellent advice here. I have . Tell your wife to calm down. I have been in tears with a young bitey pup before and I know sometimes it all gets too much. Try   to stay calm and relaxed and it will eventually transfer to the pup. Cockers are sensitive beasties and will pick up on any anxieties you have. A calm owner will eventually produce a calm and responsive pup. It will get better. It really will.

Oh and get your daughter to put her wellys on meanwhile

[Jeanette]

I think to be fair to grunty he is trying hard to do the right thing by his pup and is asking for the right advice (by coming here) That is what COL is all about after all. He knows that some of the advice he has been given outside of COL isn't 'quite right'

i think ive made a major mistake

It is all very well for those of us on our fifth or sixth dog to see straight away where he is going wrong, but I know that first time puppy owners find it really difficult to get good sound advice. There are a lot of 'old timers' (and some of them are on TV) spouting outdated 'dominance' and 'pack theories' out there who are all too willing to offer advice to first time pup owners. I joined COL only two or three years ago and even though I was on my sixth dog and thought I was doing pretty well, I have learnt an awful lot.
I totally understand where some of the above posters are coming from though and why they are posting what might be thought of as harsh comments. I know it is out of concern for the dog.

Grunty, keep reading and posting as you will get excellent advice here. I have . Tell your wife to calm down. I have been in tears with a young bitey pup before and I know sometimes it all gets too much. Try   to stay calm and relaxed and it will eventually transfer to the pup. Cockers are sensitive beasties and will pick up on any anxieties you have. A calm owner will eventually produce a calm and responsive pup. It will get better. It really will.

Oh and get your daughter to put her wellys on meanwhile

I agree with what you are saying and all is not lost but its not just people you are on their multiple dogs, I am a first time dog owner and no it is not difficult to find advice, there are books and the internet and common sense and I'm not being harsh, was trying to help.   

[happydog]

I wasn't pointing a finger at anyone in particular  .

[Rats and Dogs]

my wifes in bits here crying her eyes out this is no game major problem please help

We are helping. Everyone on here is trying to help you, so please take on board what people are saying, read through all the puppy boards, and learn to realx and enjoy your pup. I bet your kids were hard work too, and your wife was in tears with them many times, it's the same thing.

[Jeanette]

I wasn't pointing a finger at anyone in particular  .

Don't worry, was just saying its not just first time owners who always do this type of things to their puppy.    

I know somewhere there is a great document on bite inhibition and may have seen the link to it from this site where it says at what stages and ages you should be at - does anyone know where that linky is as I found that really useful.    Or maybe I didn't see it on this site.  

[JennyBee]

I wasn't pointing a finger at anyone in particular  .

Don't worry, was just saying its not just first time owners who always do this type of things to their puppy.   

I know somewhere there is a great document on bite inhibition and may have seen the link to it from this site where it says at what stages and ages you should be at - does anyone know where that linky is as I found that really useful.    Or maybe I didn't see it on this site.   

If you look on page two of this thread I've posted a link that leads to the article you are talking about - but it isn't working for me

ETA here it is - is it working for anyone else? http://www.jersey.net/~mountaindog/berner1/bitestop.htm

[Jeanette]

I wasn't pointing a finger at anyone in particular  .

Don't worry, was just saying its not just first time owners who always do this type of things to their puppy.   

I know somewhere there is a great document on bite inhibition and may have seen the link to it from this site where it says at what stages and ages you should be at - does anyone know where that linky is as I found that really useful.    Or maybe I didn't see it on this site.   

If you look on page two of this thread I've posted a link that leads to the article you are talking about - but it isn't working for me

ETA here it is - is it working for anyone else? http://www.jersey.net/~mountaindog/berner1/bitestop.htm

Oh yes, just looked, I didn't look at the linky's as have seen most of them before on playbiting.   Wonder why that doesn't work as its a really good link, maybe MODs can look into it as its posted on the sticky.   

[Karma]

I did a search for Ian Dunbar puppy biting and found

http://www.roycroftcavaliers.com/manualbiteinhibitionarticle.htm

It's not quite as detailed as the link in the sticky was, but gives some good initial reading... 

editted to add....

This one is a great article with several good links!

http://www.doggonesafe.com/stop%20puppy%20from%20biting.htm

[Jeanette]

Found this

http://dogtime.com/puppy-training-biting-nipping-dunbar.html

[grunty]

my wife phoned the breeder last night shes traveling 95 miles to sort out the pup shes saying 1 thing and other people are saying different who do i believe, i know shes grab the pup behind his neck and shake him like his mum does in the pack i said to her  will this turn the pup violent she said if anything hell go of and sulk shes been breeding cockers for 45 years + the advice on here is brilliant but we need to be shown i think , i know a few people on here will object , im not sure its right either?

[milly]

my wife phoned the breeder last night shes traveling 95 miles to sort out the pup shes saying 1 thing and other people are saying different who do i believe, i know shes grab the pup behind his neck and shake him like his mum does in the pack i said to her  will this turn the pup violent she said if anything hell go of and sulk shes been breeding cockers for 45 years + the advice on here is brilliant but we need to be shown i think , i know a few people on here will object , im not sure its right either?

Grunty your pup doesn't need 'sorting out', your wife could save herself the time, effort and expense of a long trip if you read through the links you've been given above rather than visit a breeder who up to now hasn't given you best of advice.
If you think about whats been posted, lots of people have told you they've been through a similar experience and the pup is behaving like any other. To 'sort it out' read through the links, take a deep breath, keep it in perpestic and try not to over react. You have a small pup displaying normal behaviour and there is good advice in the links about the best way to handle it without resorting to harsh methods.

What is she travelling all that way to be shown? Your post makes it sound like the breeders going to demonstrate (in your words) 'grab the pup behind his neck and shake him like his mum does in the pack'.

I appreciate you're asking for advice which is good, but now try to listen to the advice thats been given.

[HarveynMax]

not thinking your breeder is the sort of person too many people would appreciate on this site, although i am new myself    But seriously, just begin again today, you must have read all of your replies, now just put the kettle on have a cup of tea, sit on the back step and enjoy watching your little baby run around the garden, then huge praise when he does anything, if he does anything.   Then when your tea is finished sit a while longer then all go back in and have a cuddle infront of Match of the Day.   then when thats over, more tea and more playing outside then Chester will probably want to go and have a little snuggle somewhere.   Make sure your daughter is really calm around him or  why not get your wife and daughter to pop out for a while.  then it will be quiet in the house. and you can read more advice when Chester is sleeping.

It's all learning, but gentle and slow.  None of the training stuff happens over night but a few months down the line you will one morning think yahoo there has been no biting, or wee on the floor but it takes time.
Please think very carefully about what you are doing taking advice from the breeder as opposed to the kind people on here who give their advice without bias.  REMEMBER your breeder will be desperate for you not to return Chester, these wonderful people on here have nothing to gain but peace of mind you are treating your pup with care, love and UNDERSTANDING!!!! Good luck

[Bluebell]

Grunty,
In which part of the country do you live? I only ask this as I am sure a member on COL will be able to recommend a good dog trainer for you to seek well quailfied advice from
Much better that, than rely on the 'help' of your dogs breeder. TBH, from what you've said, I wouldn't let her in the same room as one of mydogs

[happydog]

Well put Harveynmax  .

I haven't checked out all the links given, so apologies if this is the same, but this is another one of Ian Dunbars advice on puppy biting. If you can substitute the Americanisms for UK responses you wont go far wrong.
http://www.tristateweimrescue.org/information/info_dog_bite.html

I found out very early on that it is easy to overexcite a cocker pup (not sure if it applies to all breeds, but I suspect so) , purely by tone of voice alone, especially a tired one. A tired and overexcited one can easily get into a biting frenzy that it doesn't respond well. If you can't calm him down by tone of voice, and then  ignoring him,, then the next option is to immediately remove yourself from the room ( if that is not a safe option,  then quietly and gently removing him from the situation to a safe place), so that he gets no attention until he calms down. You will undoubtably have to repeat this several times a day for several weeks, but in this way you will have dealt with the situation without jeapordising your future relationship with him. HTH

 

[HarveynMax]

Forgot to add.... My breeder is absolutely lovely and she would be absolutely appalled by the advice you have been given.   LOVE is the only way forward for you......please don't let your baby get shaken!!!!  I am sure you wouldn't let your daughters carer, shake her if she is throwing one so please don't let anyone do it to Chester. x CALM CALM CALM Did I miss which part of the country you lived?