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Cocker Specific Discussion => Puppies => Topic started by: noisypup on June 14, 2008, 02:19:25 PM

Title: She keeps biting me and just wont stop...
Post by: noisypup on June 14, 2008, 02:19:25 PM
Hey all...I posted a few days ago as my little 9 week old working cocker has become a little devil in the last few weeks crying and howling etc...so we brought a cage...and the cage has def helped us...she no longer cries....well, only for about 3 or 4 mins when first put in it but then stops and sleeps straight through till we wake and no mess on the kitchen floor...actually no accidents in the house at all since we got the crate which is AMAZING, she even seems to like it!

But....she just wont stop attacking me! Seriously....now I know all pups play bite and i understand that totally...so I got her toys, I got her lots of toys, she has bones, rawhide chews, balls, plastic key things all sorts...BUT she doesnt want any of them she only want to eat me!

For the last 3 days I have had to walk around in my partners steel toe capped boots and its making me MISERABLE!

I love Ally to bits, but I am becomming so upset with her as I am the one that has been home with her since we got her, so in effect I have been the one to welcome her and make her feel safe, and she has a good life here with me any partner as she is adored. We dont spoil her but she gets cuddles etc, comes out in the car with me, has socialised well as we always have guests popping in, has been out for rides in the car with me which makes her sleep and is so cute.

When she is naughty and bites me I tried to ignore her, I tried to turn my back, I tried saying no, I tried rewarding her when she stops, I tried putting her in the garden but I cant do anything to get her to stop biting me. The minute I let her out of her crate I dont fuss her, I open the door so she can go toilet..which she does...then she runs straight back in the kitchen then i give her cuddles but as soon as I put her down, she kind of goes back on all fours and starts growling at me then lunges forwards barking and bites my ankles and toes, she has also started jumping up and going for my thigs and my trousers, she tugs at the bottom of my trousers and just WONT get off no matter what and she has hurt me a lot already and ruined 2 pairs of trousers and she sinks her teeth in to them and then wriggles her head side to side like a dammed crocodile trying to kill its prey! i cant do anything to get her off so I have to try and walk away from her which just ends up ripping my trousers, the only thing I can do is to leave the room or put her back in her crate...she cries so I wait till she stops then let her out, but she is straight back to my trousers or feet and it makes me feel like she hates me...I seriously dont know what to do as it is not making my time with her happy at all...she is spending about 80% of her time in her crate or in the kitchen alone at the mo as we cant be in the room with her and this isnt what I expected from a puppy. she had me in tears last night as my partner went away for 2 weeks yesterday so I am home alone which I hate, and wanted to cuddle up with her in the front room, but she just wont settle and relax with me, all she wants to do is bite and play. The first week we had her home she was a cuddle monster and all she wanted to do was sit on my feet or under my legs or on my lap and cuddle...but this week has been a different story and I dont know why?

She drew blood on my partners leg the other night while he was watching tv..when we bathed her we couldn't get her dry as she just bites our hand and the towel and tries to tug it away from us, I tried cleaning her eyes the other night and got bitten lots, I tried to brush her while she was sleepy and she growled and snapped at me and moved away like a little madam...I just cant do anything with her at the moment?

Does anyone have any other advise for me bar me bringing in a dog trainer for behaviour training lessons as they are going to cost me money that I just dont have at the mo and will be a last resort!

Thanks for your reply in advance..!!!


Kit xxx
Title: Re: She keeps attacking me and just wont stop...
Post by: BettyBoo on June 14, 2008, 02:45:28 PM
Don't worry it will get better. Betty was exactly the same with me, nipping and biting my toes and ankles, leaping up and sinking her teeth into my legs too. And my hands were in a terrible state. She didn't really bother my husband though >:(
Everytime she was like this we picked her up and put her behind the babygate in the kitchen or put her in another room by herself for a few minutes. I can't remember when it stopped TBH but it took quite a while. I know it's difficult but try and keep calm and she'll learn eventually ;)
Title: Re: She keeps biting me and just wont stop...
Post by: Jane S on June 14, 2008, 03:05:40 PM
Hope you don't mind but I've changed the title of your thread as I think it could be misleading to use the word "attack" for a very young puppy who is playbiting. Some pups are much bitier than others - your pup is not being vicious & she's not attacking you, she's just using her teeth to play as she did when she was with with her siblings in the litter. Did you ever visit your pup's litter and see them all playing together? If you did, you'll know that pups playing together use their teeth constantly - it's how they explore the world and learn about bite inhibition. It does take time and patience to teach a pup not to bite fragile human skin but all pups do grow out of this phase eventually - you just have to keep working at it and not expect too much too soon (your pup is only 9 weeks old). Sometimes pups which leave their litters too soon can take longer to train not to play-bite so I'm wondering whether you perhaps got your pup at 6 weeks instead of the more normal 8 weeks?

Also some commercial dog foods can make puppies more "hyper" than others so you may want to think about changing your the food you feed, just to see if it makes a difference. Some owners have noticed a radical difference by changing to a brand which doesn't use artificial additives etc
Title: Re: She keeps biting me and just wont stop...
Post by: noisypup on June 14, 2008, 03:14:40 PM
I visited her twice at the breeders and never witnessed them biting her siblings or the breeder once? In fact she never showed any aggression at all and was quite happy playing GENTLY in her play pen with her brother and sister, as she was with us the first week.

No Ally is Kennel Club registered to me now as I have switched her over formerly from the breeder, her date of birth is 6th April 08 so she is def 9 weeks plus now. I collected her from the breeders at exactly 8 weeks along with her brother and sister who got collected the same day so she isnt too young or didnt leave her siblings too young.

She is fed on Chudley puppy and I started a thread on this in the feeding section, a few people have messaged me and said it sound more like she 'is hitting the wall' rather than being hyper and that this is quite normal for a cocker to have a mad half hour. I have thought about changing her food to someting else more 'natural' which I am still researching now..

I really wanted advice on how best to stop her apart from caging her or putting her back in the kitchen as at present she is spending 90% of her time alone having 'time out'!

IShe is in the kitchen again now having time out as I let her in the lounge with me, but she insited to jump up on the sofa where I am sitting cross legged to avoid my legs being hurt, but she managed to sink her teeth in to my toes and rip the little ribbon bow off my fav slippers,  will let her back in again in a mo to start all over again..
Title: Re: She keeps biting me and just wont stop...
Post by: noisypup on June 14, 2008, 03:20:24 PM
Sorry...just worked out she is 10 weeks old tommorow...

I totally understand pups playbite but I dont get why she will ONLY go for my feet and legs at the moment..she doesnt do this with any of her toys, in fact she wont even pick them up and play with them?

I just wonder how long I am going to have to keep shutting her in the kitchen and walking around in these heavy boots - making a cup of tea at the moment is a 10 minute struggle of will, nerves and dominance!!

 
Title: Re: She keeps biting me and just wont stop...
Post by: Jane S on June 14, 2008, 03:30:00 PM
I think you must have visited the litter when they were tired :005: Puppies usually go at it hammer and tongs when they're playing together - all our litters do it (and need to do it to develop bite inhibition) and all grow up to be gentle, affectionate adults. Sorry about confusing your pup's age - wasn't sure how old she was as you say 9 weeks in this thread and also that she's been a devil for the last few weeks (perhaps it just seems like you've had her longer :lol2:)

There's no quick fix solution to puppy biting - it's just something you have to work at and persevere with but you will get there if you are consistent & keep repeating the time-outs etc. By the way, she's going for your legs/feet because they move -a moving target is much more fun to play with than a toy that just lies on the ground doing nothing. It's really not because she's trying to hurt you ;)

I'd recommend reading this article (if you haven't already) as it's very good at explaining why puppies need to bite : http://www.jersey.net/~mountaindog/berner1/bitestop.htm
Title: Re: She keeps biting me and just wont stop...
Post by: Sheryl on June 14, 2008, 03:30:45 PM
It is maybe because your feet and legs are moving which makes them infinitely more desirable than a toy that doesn't.  We had this with Kali for ages.  Trying to brush her was a nightmare because she turned into the Tasmanian Devil ph34r  Hang in there, keep the boots on and ride it out.  It does get better and you could start a new fashion trend :005:

Posted at the same time as Jane.  :lol2:
Title: Re: She keeps biting me and just wont stop...
Post by: noisypup on June 14, 2008, 03:37:28 PM
No worries at all Jane and thanks that article looks good, il have a read through in a mo!

Sheryl - there is no way this would become a trend - I feel like a punk walking around the house in my jeans rolled up to the knee and huge size 11 steel toe capped boots on as I am only a size 7 so they flop around and I walk like a duck - I may as well have my scuba flippers on!!

It is very funny and I get very funny looks when I open the front door - this morning it was my red tartan effect pyjama bottoms and the boots that got a look from the delivery driver!



Title: Re: She keeps biting me and just wont stop...
Post by: EmmaA on June 14, 2008, 03:47:45 PM
Hi Kit

All I can say is it will get better. Puppies are pretty horrible at times but she is not showing aggression she is just play biting and it will take a while to learn what is acceptable. Eric still has a little go at my hands now (7 months) when he gets over excited playing.
Hang in the chuck, your little lass will be your perfect companion in no time.

Good luck
Title: Re: She keeps biting me and just wont stop...
Post by: noisypup on June 14, 2008, 04:43:26 PM
Thanks guys, everyone keeps telling me it will get better and im sure it will too- its just not proving to be much fun at the moment and its really getting to me...especially as my partner is away and im home alone..just me and Ally and she is no company at all at the moment - just a terror not a companion! 

xx
Title: Re: She keeps biting me and just wont stop...
Post by: Karma on June 14, 2008, 04:57:52 PM
I know it seems awful at the minute, but it is just normal puppy behaviour.  Honey had me in tears several times while she got her biting under control...  :-*
Are you doing any training with her?  Even a young pup can start to learn the basics, and it might help you see some positives from having her (which can be hard when you have a land-based pirhana attached to your trouser-legs!!).
You might have to teach her how to play with her toys?  We found Honey loved ragging toys (playing tug of war type games) - some people don't like to play this with pups, because it apparently starts a power struggle, but we found it was great for her to exercise her mouth without hurting us.  (She still loves these games, but will now stop if we say "give" and will let us wave it infront of her until we say "ok", so I don't think it's damaged our relationship in any way!!)  Make sure you praise her every time she so much as sniffs one of her toys, so she knows you approve of this.  It's only in the last couple of months she's actually learned how to play with balls etc properly....

Also for a young pup, a time-out should only be a few seconds, otherwise they will not understand why they are on their own - and when they are back it must be completely forgotten (easier said than done, I know).  It may mean lots of backwards and forwards from the time-out place for a while, and it is exhausting, but it is worth it in the end.  As it is, if she is away from you for longer than a few seconds, she's probably got all the "Oh, look, it's mummy" excitement, which will make her more likely to chew at you!  I think I've read that it's not the best idea to use the crate as a time-out zone, as they may learn to dislike the crate.  Simply shut a door between you and her for a few seconds, take a deep breath and start again!  If you feel yourself getting too stressed, maybe give her a Kong stuffed with something she really loves (cheese or meat paste, perhaps) to keep her occupied for a little while so that you can relax - otherwise she will pick up on your anxiety and react more to it...

It does get better, honest!
One thing that also helped for us was to give a little "yelp" (similar to the sound Honey made when she was hurt) as she made any contact with teeth - I tended to give a warning yelp and stop contact for 2 seconds and if she bit again I gave another yelp and closed a door between us for 5 seconds.  

Title: Re: She keeps biting me and just wont stop...
Post by: tiamaria on June 14, 2008, 05:00:47 PM
I found once Charley could go for walks, it seemed to break the day up a little, if he was getting a little wild id put his harness on and take him out to burn some energy off - made him go to sleep for a while too!  ;)
Title: Re: She keeps biting me and just wont stop...
Post by: Mudmagnets on June 14, 2008, 07:30:38 PM
I found once Charley could go for walks, it seemed to break the day up a little, if he was getting a little wild id put his harness on and take him out to burn some energy off  - made him go to sleep for a while too!  ;)

With this in mind you could try some 'fetch' games with her, specially if she likes her victims to be moving!! get her really interested in one toy, smother a bit of her fav treat flavour on it if you have to, then repeatedly throw it for her, and hopefully you will wear her out a little too (use something big enough and soft enough so you can hold it at the same time as her if she brings it back without her nipping you and it won't break anything if you are a bit eager with the throwing :005:) just a suggestion - hope it helps.

Like everyone says it does improve - just does not seem like it at the moment aye >:D :'(

As for the food with less additives, have you considered Burns or James Wellbeloved?

You could tie a bit of rope on the toy so if she doesn't bring it back you can pull back yourself, even more fun as it moves along the floor!!!
Title: Re: She keeps biting me and just wont stop...
Post by: ali carrera on June 14, 2008, 10:47:56 PM
Hi Kit,

I also have a little play biter.  :luv:

As previously suggested I have adopted the following methods;

I have invested a great deal of time with interactive play... with GENTLE play and pull games, teaching her to sit, leave and then fetch. I always let her win the toy and then at the end of the game( i dictate)...when I have her full attention withdrew toy and give her lots of praise.

I completely understand your time out method, but in adopting for such extended periods,I wonder if you are maybe missing out in the bonding that play offers :luv:

When I need a little time out from a DEMANDING puppy I make Kongs(medium pup size in my case)(she is 11 weeks) consisting of plain yoghurt, small tin of tuna in olive oil(oil drained) , and two slices of wholemeal bread. I blend them together and fill Kongs(plug small hole with a little bread) and freeze. I take the Kong out of the freezer prior to my interactive game and then give her the Kong......peace for you for around 25 minutes...and then hopefully your pup will then feel sleepy. Oh these are quite messy when they melt, so feed them to your pup outside!

PS....please remember to deduct a little from her regular feed if you use Kongs.

I hope this helps....and believe me....I do understand x









Title: Re: She keeps biting me and just wont stop...
Post by: noisypup on June 14, 2008, 11:44:05 PM
Ah thanks ladies I will try all these techniques...I have to go to pets at home tommorow so will invest in some of the kongs as keep seeing them spoken about but havent got any as yet so will do this tommorow - someone else said dip a flannel in yoghurt and freeze that also as they can then suck it for ages - anyone else tried this?

So these kongs can be stuffed with anything you like can they...am I ok to give her 'adult' food as she is only 10 weeks old...I havent tried her with anything else at all yet...can she have normal plain yoghurt then...look at me all naive!!

I spoke to a dog trainer who lives near me on the phone earlier and she said it sounds like Ally is very bored and that is why she is biting me as is trying to get me to play with her and I just need to learn to teach her the right and wrong ways of playing...so after that I took her in the garden and we played ball and frizbee for about 20 mins, she hasnt learnt the fetch thing yet but def loves running around, which I have been doing with her every day anyway - but today I made extra sure I wore her out a bit more then took her indoors and rewarded her with some treats - and guess what I havent had her bite my trousers or feet since about 2.00 this afternoon..miracle!

So...I def need to work out more ways to play with her and take her mind off biting me, so I will invest in these kong toys tommorow and try the frozen flannel too....if anyone else has any more ideas please let me know as I am determined to make her sweet to me again!!

Kit xx
Title: Re: She keeps biting me and just wont stop...
Post by: Karma on June 14, 2008, 11:53:29 PM

The flannel soaked in yoghurt sounds like a great idea.... we used to put wet flannels in the freezer to let her chew them (especially when teething)...
Kongs are great - any natural simple food can be put inside... as she is she young, I'd avoid anything too strong in flavour or with additives etc.  Yougurt is great, as is tuna....
Also some of the food you give her...

 :D
Title: Re: She keeps biting me and just wont stop...
Post by: stuffster on June 15, 2008, 10:44:09 AM
Ally is just a few days older than Purdey, and I have to say that I think this is perfectly normal puppy behaviour. I just keep a chewy toy with me all the time so when she starts biting and nipping I just give her the toy instead. She will hardly ever sit nicely with me, WITHOUT trying to chew my fingers or bite my chin, so having a little rope toy ready gives me something to bite while I get to enjoy the cuddles!

It is more of a worry for my kids because they dont understand that it is play biting, and it obviously hurts them much more than it does me.

I found that yelping in the sad noise that pups make (when you accidentally tread on their tail - oops, bad mummy  ph34r ) when they are biting you gives them a shock and often she will apologise with a sniff and a lick, but I reserve this for REAL bites rather than just the playful ones.

Title: Re: She keeps biting me and just wont stop...
Post by: Beth on June 15, 2008, 11:01:55 AM
They do all go through this stage unfortunately. :-\ but it DOES get better.

Jarvis was HORRIBLE at that age, i genuinely didn't like the little monster ph34r, but once he was allowed walks, things improved drastically. :D Agree with all the suggestions, playing fetch kept me sane! :005:
Title: Re: She keeps biting me and just wont stop...
Post by: PennyB on June 15, 2008, 11:17:38 AM
It is maybe because your feet and legs are moving which makes them infinitely more desirable than a toy that doesn't. 

I was about to say this as well. I've just fostered a cocker pup for a few days while he was en route to rescue. He reminded me soooooo much of Ruby at that age, aka welsh tasmanian devil. I took him walking on the park and he's managed to rip my trakky bottoms in several places as it was so much fun (for him ::)) to throw himself at my legs and hang on while I was walking along.

Give your pup time and work out the times when he is at his worst (usually when they have their mad half hour --- I do this then stand well back so I don't get in the way of teeth!) --- Ruby is now a lovely adult who wouldn't dream of ever biting anyone.

I also found with my cocker foster pup, aka Freddie Kruger :005: that when he was biting if I was trying to put his harness on or similar I would get the harness ready so i knew which bits were going where rather than faffing around, gave him a biscuit and did the 1st bit then gave him another and so on. My 1st attempt at doing the harness without treats was like working with a snapping alligator and my hands were shredded in places, the next time I used treats and result ;) it was like a walk in the park. I'd forgotten this was the way I was taught to work with Ruby as a pup but that was 5 years ago so the pain was forgotten from then. I did the same when I gave eye stuff and thornitts in ears etc.
Title: Re: She keeps biting me and just wont stop...
Post by: mharriss on June 15, 2008, 01:36:07 PM
It WILL get better, the others have given briliiant advice and sounds like you are following it.  Ii may get better even more when you can go out for walks to wear the little one out too. Good luck.  Stick with it. x
Title: Re: She keeps biting me and just wont stop...
Post by: noisypup on June 15, 2008, 05:23:17 PM
Yeah thanks guys...today has def been a better day for both of us as she has only bitten me and my trousers twice and both times I managed to take her attention to something else and get her off my trousers...she has still tried to bite my ankles a few times but the boots saved me! So a better day all round..but then we have been out in the garden a lot more as I have been gardening when it has stopped damn raining! She loved to help me garden...I was trimming the tree in the back garded and she was helping me by picking up the branches and running off with them..needless to say making a lot more work for me then clearing the garden afterwards..but it helped ware her out and she is now fast asleep in her bed in her crate so very happy for the break now!

Oh and by the way...I did the flannel in yoghurt in the freezer and she LOVED it...she sat in the garden playing with it, altho dragging it through the house twice and making a real mess, it took up a good 15 mins for her to lick it all so I swiftly put more yoghurt on it and back in the freezer for when she wakes up!!

I also have a dog trainer coming round for 1.5 hours tommorow to observe us and help us out a little...for £30 I think its well worth it if she can help out!!

Kit xx
Title: Re: She keeps biting me and just wont stop...
Post by: lopey99 on June 16, 2008, 02:29:04 PM
All I can say is I totally sympathise with you, at 20 weeks (today!) cassie is still a nippy puppy but its to be expected. When she was smaller she would get a mad time where anything and everything would have to go into her mouth and arms/legs/trousers etc were much more interesting than toys. We learned that a good play session helped, she loves tug-like games basically where we trail something along the ground in different directions and she loved chasing after it, when she caught it we never pulled, just held it and let her play kill (when she shakes her head from side to side) and when she stopped the game would begin again. It seemed that trying to follow what direction the toy went in soon tired her out.

Like your pup, flapping trousers are a pet fav for cassie, I've lost count of the many times I've almost fallen down the stairs because she has been attached to my trouser leg. As soon as I come home from work now I change out of my good clothes, I've learned the hard way that tiny puppy teeth do a lot of damage to nice clothes.

Once your puppy can be walked it'll make a difference, even though sometimes a 25min walk for cassie seems to never be enough she can still be a bit bonkers when she comes home. Mental games are good too, have you tried putting some treats inside an empty toilet roll tube with the ends folded up, cassie loves trying to tear the tube apart to get them out. Or if you get fed up lifting chewed bits of cardboard off your floor (I have!) you can try putting the treats in a empty water bottle with the lid off, generally the more noise it makes the more interesting it is to cassie.

You can try the loud ouch when she is chewing but we found that it just seemed to spur cassie on and she got really excited and chewed harder. So we try and do 30second time out where she gets put in the hall but that really isn't always practical.

From what I've heard on here it does get better but to put a dark cloud on it cassie has gotten worse since being 10 weeks although I think it has been down to her teething over last week or two so fingers crossed it can only get better from here on it, I'm sure one day we'll be missing our little energetic monsters when they are calm controlled adult dogs!
Title: Re: She keeps biting me and just wont stop...
Post by: noisypup on June 18, 2008, 03:26:50 PM
Yeah thanks for that - Lopey99 - tell me about it...my trousers are RUINED! She has made holes in all my good linen trousers I wear for work and always in the thigh area too the little monster, it wouldnt be so bad if it were round the ankles as you wouldnt see it so much,

She has been better this week, but I had a trainer come round monday for an couple of hours and she taught me to put Ally out a bit more than I do, so I am trying to put her in the garden for 10 mins at a time throughout the afternoon/evening now on her own as she needs to try to learn to play alone instead of needing me to be there with her all the time as this just isnt practical for me.

I really do hope it will get better when we can walk her, we are counting down now as we had her 2nd injection yesterday so we are going to take her to the beach next weekend for her first outing - which we hope should wear her out when we get home, we have a park right at the back of our house too so walkies should do her good daily now too...

I got her the kong chew yesterday with the chicken filler but she wont play with it unless I am holding it for her, same as the rawhide cigar chews I got her, she loves that but only if I hold it for her so she can chew the other end.

We also learnt from the trainer to stop her in her tracks each time she starts to bite and tell her down, then sit, then reward her so she associates the reward with good and being calm and not the biting as the trainer thinks the biting is to get my attention as im not paying her enough....so now we have more time together but I make sure its fun and energetic,..then I put her back in her crate for a while or let her have the run of the kitchen - which gives me time to myself then too. It seems to be better for us both as since Monday evening she has only 'gone' for my feet and trousers a handful of times, whereas before she was literally hanging off my legs like you say Lopey99!

I'm also going to change her food as at the mo she is on chudley puppy as per the breeder, but after doing my research is a cheap and nasty feed, so switcing her to Royal Canin - just need to remortgage the house to buy it for her each month now - how expensive is it!!

Anyway...thanks for the advise/help again!!

Kit xx
Title: Re: She keeps biting me and just wont stop...
Post by: Sheryl on June 18, 2008, 04:01:41 PM
Why not try Burns, JWB, Autarky or some of the others.  Just as additive free and you don't need a second mortgage!   Kali's trainer told me that it is all to do with response.  They jump up, you push them away, they think 'great game' and jump again.  She said that the only response to negative behaviour is no response.  It definitely worked with Kali and her whining/squealing/screaming/howling, although she is still a work in progress ph34r :005:
Title: Re: She keeps biting me and just wont stop...
Post by: Hurtwood Dogs on June 18, 2008, 04:38:13 PM
Only just seen this thread or I would have written earlier.. she is doing everything my cocker pup did last year and continued to do until he was 6 months old... it was a pain in the wotsit and I really disliked him a lot of the time. Telling him 'no' was a waste of time as it just aggravated a full on attack every time and he was more determined than I was. He was a truly hideous pup.. much much worse than my previous cocker pup. But he is now a complete softie and a joy to own. I can't recommend enough that you just continue with time out and no confrontation at all.. Dave (my pup) spent pretty much 6 month behind bars (a baby gate across the kitchen :005:) as I have a 5 yr old son too and another dog and they were both sick to death of him as much as I was and very scarred! :005: The sooner you can start puppy classes and more games and training with her the better too.

Lots of luck, hang in there. It's a sh*t time but you will be rewarded with a lovely dog in the end - you won't believe how she'll change into a sweet natured wonderful companion and you'll forget all about these awful few months and the scars will fade - trust me it's just unfortunate that it isn't instant and they don't come as 'nice mature doglets'!  :005:

Good luck just get your head down for a few months and keep posting!

Hannah xxx
Title: Re: She keeps biting me and just wont stop...
Post by: MegandMolly on June 18, 2008, 04:50:07 PM
Think you need to learn to love wearing jeans, and flip flops are a definate no-no! (unless you like pain!)  :005:
They do outgrow this stage of life honestly! :D
Title: Re: She keeps biting me and just wont stop...
Post by: noisypup on June 18, 2008, 05:00:21 PM
Thanks Hannah....yeah, I have to admit, Ally spends most of her time behind bars at the mo too! She is let out, we go in the garden, play for 20 mins, she starts to get rough, I try to 'tempt' her away with the ball or a treat, she stops for 5 mins, then goes back to rough play, so I put a stop to the playing and we go back in the kitchen, I go in the lounge and she cools down in the kitchen, if she doesnt calm down enough or play quietly, she goes back behind bars. Once in her crate she wins a little then sleeps for an hour, till I let her out and again and we start all over again.

It is a bit harder for me at the mo as my partner is away till Sunday night, but when we are both here we take it in turns to play with her, there is only so much fetch the ball I can stomach in a day at the mo..hehe!

I love her when she is playful or cuddly (which isnt that often anymore it seems  :'( ) but othertimes I absolutely want to strangle her (in the sense of the saying - not a case for the RSPCA I promise!) or take her back and swap her for the cuddle monster we got at 8 weeks old! Where have all my cuddles gone, as the ones I get now involve teeth on my chin or nose - which actually does make your eyes water belive me!

Yeah no no confrontation at all def seems to be working as when she was hanging from my thigh and trying to kill her prey, no does absolutely nothing...its just sometimes hard to get across the kitchen with a little furry alligator hanging off my thigh - and not respond or SWEAR loudly!!

I read somewhere that having a dog was supposed to lower your blood pressure, but I am certian that if I went to see a Dr at the moment, I would instantly be admitted to hospital with complete the opposite!!.. :005:

Oh yeah - Meganandmolly - I am a flip flop girl and live in them usually, but I have succumbed to jeans, turned up and my OH's boots, which I am sure wont be a fav of mine in the heat of the summer, so will have to try and come up with something else to protect my tootsies!

Kit xx  
Title: Re: She keeps biting me and just wont stop...
Post by: PennyB on June 18, 2008, 05:34:49 PM
Oh yeah - Meganandmolly - I am a flip flop girl and live in them usually, but I have succumbed to jeans, turned up and my OH's boots, which I am sure wont be a fav of mine in the heat of the summer, so will have to try and come up with something else to protect my tootsies!

Kit xx  

I still wear boots in the summer (mainly as most of the terrain I walk on requires them) but I wear the more expensive coolmax socks from the walking/climbing shop that aren't too bad when its hot
Title: Re: She keeps biting me and just wont stop...
Post by: SwanJack on June 18, 2008, 06:45:27 PM
You are not alone and I'm glad I've another soul getting as desperate as my household.  Our nine week working cocker seems to bite as if her life depended on it.  She will play fetch for ever but as soon as we stop, the biting returns.  We have tried numerous toys, some work for around 10 seconds and some not at all.  What does seem to work is those dried pigs' ears, they keep her occupied for hours.  We give her one in the evening and a sense of normality returns until bedtime.  She does sleep through the night though and did so from day one, so things could be much worse. The day that she is able to go out for walks seems along way away at the moment.
Title: Re: She keeps biting me and just wont stop...
Post by: noisypup on June 20, 2008, 02:14:17 PM
Hi guys...I thought id update on here as Ally is getting better with her biting so the light at the end of the tunnel is getting closer day by day!

She is 12 weeks old this week so I am hoping is growing out of it a 'little' bit and realising it doesnt get her rewarded!!

So...thought I would post a few pics of her for you all to see the terror!!

(http://i296.photobucket.com/albums/mm180/weedusmaximus/100_14501.jpg)

(http://i296.photobucket.com/albums/mm180/weedusmaximus/100_14021.jpg)
Title: Re: She keeps biting me and just wont stop...
Post by: EmmaA on June 20, 2008, 02:42:38 PM
Yeah right, like that little bundle of cuteness would bite you  :005: :005:
Title: Re: She keeps biting me and just wont stop...
Post by: bluegirl on June 21, 2008, 12:18:06 PM
When I've had pups that like biting I have used distraction techniques. Set boundaries and stick to them. If biting ankles and clothes especially trousers are out of bounds ( and they should be for safety) then she needs to know this and it needs to be stopped. All the commands she needs to know, have to be used regularly ie her name, coming to you when called and "No" for when she is going to do something dangerous or you don't want her to. If you shout "no" when she is coming over to chase your trousers (a game to her) then stop immediately,tell her "no" and I would probably pick her up so she isn't continuing to bite put her down a little way from you and use one of her toys to continue her play. They soon recognise with the tone of your voice and the consistant commands used what they can and can't do.This would however apply to anyone who she did this with even if they found it funny. If you're not consistent she will be come confused and the message you send her is even if I say "no" it's ok to ignore me.
Pups need alot of attention and guidance and although they can sleep alot when they are awake they are like young children and need you're undivided attention or how else can they learn what is acceptable and what is not.
Anger and aggression should play no part in shaping a pups early development so you have to be cunning at thinking up distractions or you could soon come to hate your new addition rather than the feeling of love you first had. Pups haven't got the ability to be evil, so any undesirable behaviour must be checked to allow your pup to integrate into your world rather than you living around the pup and their undesirable habits.
Good luck,it all takes time she is very young still but not too young to start to learn andin ant case those needlesharp teeth start to fall out from around 4 mths of age  ;)