Author Topic: Manic Puppy!  (Read 17174 times)

0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.

Offline blueroanlover

  • Inactive
  • Jr. Member
  • **
  • Posts: 77
  • Gender: Female
Manic Puppy!
« on: January 27, 2010, 01:02:21 PM »
I can safely say that I have never known such a manic pup as this one - and I have raised a few. Not Cockers although my partner has had Cockers and they were not like this.

Absolutely worn out.  (Us not him!) He is 10 weeks old on Friday and I know he is just a baby. We have taken all advice to try and divert him away from biting us all the time and the furniture; thank goodness for the crate.

Advice varies depending who you speak to:

1) Say OUCH or NO... done that - no response, just bites harder.
2) Divert him with a dog toy and praise him for accepting it - he doesn't want to know.
3) Walk away, ignore him and deprive him of our attention - impossible as he is attached to our trouser leg most times!
4) Bite him back or to hurt him in some other way (!!) perhaps by pinching scruff of neck till he yelps. Didn't bite him but hated grabbing him by scruff of the neck till he yelped - within half an hour anyway he was retaliating by barking at us and growling. Don't blame him really. I support the reward based training rather than punishment but there you go.
5) Stuff a kong and divert him with that - tried it but he doesn't want to know that either.
6) When he gets uncontrollable to crate him and let hiim cool off.  Yes it cools him off,he usually sleeps, but when he wakes and we let him out the same happens all over again.

The biting is constant - anything and everything he can get hold of but most of all us. Barks at us alot now when we say NO in a firm voice; we can get him to sit and then praise him ... but after a minute he gets up and launches himself back at us to start again.

It is impossible to look away and ignore him... those teeth hurt!  And it has no effect if we praise him for being good when he accepts a dog toy - he just doesn't seem to take any notice, it's as if he doesn't know the difference between praise and NO - he certainly doesn't just want to please us!

I know he is only a baby and hope that it is normal puppy behaviour but have not known this type of extreme manic biting before in any dog and I have had a few.

We go to bed at night exhausted, me in tears; wondering have we got the pup from hell.  We really don't know what else to try.  It's early days I know that - but we must be doing something wrong - either that or he has something wrong with him!

Offline Poppypuppy09

  • Donator
  • Hero Member
  • *
  • Posts: 3381
  • Gender: Female
Re: Manic Puppy!
« Reply #1 on: January 27, 2010, 01:22:19 PM »
Awwww....I am not going to give you any advice because all the things you have tried are what I would have suggested but I do know what you are going through and it's real hard at times. My current puppy has so far been a text book baby and no problems at all  :luv: but my previous cocker, Lucy was well  >:D She tried the patience of a saint and when we hit the puppy training class managed to reduce the dog trainer to tears  :005:That said she grew up to be the most loving gentle girlie so take a deep breath and hang in there x

Offline M4ndy

  • Sr. Member
  • ****
  • Posts: 266
  • Gender: Female
Re: Manic Puppy!
« Reply #2 on: January 27, 2010, 01:33:10 PM »
Sadly he is being normal. It will get better so hang in there.
Have you done a search of the puppy board for biting. You'll find lots of advice and people in the same boat.
My tips would be to keep a house line on him. He will savage it I expect but it makes it a bit easier to remove him when you need to.
I would also get a big soft toy, at least as big as he is and basically use it as a barrier between him and you. Every time he opens his mouth get the toy in there first. He'll eventually cotton on to the fact that he can play with the toy and its fun where as biting you results in end of game.
Remember that he won't understand no yet and that hurting him will cause him to lose all trust in you.
Gin and tonic and large glasses of wine are also useful at this stage :005: (for you not him!!)

Offline Trixie780

  • Full Member
  • ***
  • Posts: 165
  • Tucker - April 2009
Re: Manic Puppy!
« Reply #3 on: January 27, 2010, 01:45:05 PM »
You could be describing my Tucker!!  He's now 9 months old and, while it does get better, he is still a ferocious biter and chewer.  We have tried EVERYTHING and the only thing that works is to put him in a "time out".  We use a small lead and tie him in the kitchen for a few minutes.  He hates going to time out and will nip and snarl on the way, but calms down once he's on his own.  We go through this process many times a day!  :lol2:  I have talked to many, many others who say that this is something he will grow out of but it takes a while. Now, I just try to be patient and we give him lots of appropriate chews (stuffed animals and most dog toys do not last in our house!).  Wine does wonders for keeping YOU calm!  Also, cherish the calm moments.....they may seem few and far between but cockers are so sweet when when they're being loveable.   :005:
Draper....July 1997 - May 2009.....Missed always

Offline terwish

  • Sr. Member
  • ****
  • Posts: 362
  • Gender: Female
Re: Manic Puppy!
« Reply #4 on: January 27, 2010, 01:56:12 PM »
We've just gone through early puppy stages twice in quick succession - so I know exactly how you feel - and there were times along the way when I thought both my patience and my body wouldn't take the strain!

I'm guessing as your pup is only 10 weeks he's probably still "confined to barracks" until his jabs are effective?  We did find with both of ours that once we could get them out into open space, running about etc etc even if only for short play periods they were physically tired and tended to give us a bit of breather!

Suddenly at around 4 months we noticed first one and then the other stopped the really painful nipping - so hopefully you will see the light at the end of the tunnel quite soon.

I'd reitterate the value of a sacrificial soft toy or two - we picked up some for next to nothing from charity shops and used them as our buffers - they did get savaged (RIP Big-Teddy! :005:) but at least we didn't!

Don't think you are doing anything wrong - or that there's anything wrong with him - he's just "being a puppy".

Trish XxxX

Offline MaggieR

  • Donator
  • Hero Member
  • *
  • Posts: 4769
  • Gender: Female
Re: Manic Puppy!
« Reply #5 on: January 27, 2010, 02:05:26 PM »
I've nothing practical to add other than hang on in there, you're doing everything I did and more.... it will be worth it.  But I know those early weeks can seem to go at a snails pace when things aren't going as well as you'd like... Get through them tho and you'll look back on it and not really smile, but maybe have an exasperated grin about it all :)
Lisa & Maggie x

One reason a dog can be such a comfort when you're feeling blue is that he doesn't try to find out why.  ~Author Unknown

Offline blueroanlover

  • Inactive
  • Jr. Member
  • **
  • Posts: 77
  • Gender: Female
Re: Manic Puppy!
« Reply #6 on: January 27, 2010, 02:10:18 PM »
Thank you all so much!

He has just dropped off to sleep... first nap today really outside of his crate and that was only for ten minutes.

I agree - a glass of wine helps!

Thanks for suggestions re a big cuddly toy - we shall get a couple!  The houseline sounds a good idea too... we have a cat to persuade him not to chase as well.

Yes, he is still confined to barracks - not having second jab till a week on Sunday and then we can take him out 2 weeks after that. Which is only a few days before the puppy socialisation class we have booked him on.  Will we last till then?? ;-)

We are determined not to hurt him - as you say, it will destroy his trust in us surely.  It was the breeder who told us to do that; she is a good breeder and a lovely person but I cannot agree with that method of training.

Offline MaggieR

  • Donator
  • Hero Member
  • *
  • Posts: 4769
  • Gender: Female
Re: Manic Puppy!
« Reply #7 on: January 27, 2010, 02:15:00 PM »
One thing I did find with Maggie when she was that age was taking her out for a walk with me in my coat... where she could just see what was going on etc, meet lots of people. Twenty minutes of that and fresh air and she was zonked!  Don't know how practical that is with your little fella given his excitement levels and want to nip... but maybe worth a shot, he may be so distracted he doesn't try to bite  :-\
Lisa & Maggie x

One reason a dog can be such a comfort when you're feeling blue is that he doesn't try to find out why.  ~Author Unknown

Offline blueroanlover

  • Inactive
  • Jr. Member
  • **
  • Posts: 77
  • Gender: Female
Re: Manic Puppy!
« Reply #8 on: January 27, 2010, 02:21:12 PM »
Thanks - as soon as this nasty rain and wind stops, I will be out there! Probably something to start doing tomorrow... great idea.... thanks.

One worry is that because he is so wild, his day consists of us saying NO to him, putting him in the crate to cool off etc., and not any  quality time together, starting to do basic training.... or maybe it is too early to think of doing that. We have already taught him to sit on command but would like to teach the Down command and OFF for when he jumps up.  At the moment though it is just a cycle of sleep and naughtiness, LOL!

Offline MaggieR

  • Donator
  • Hero Member
  • *
  • Posts: 4769
  • Gender: Female
Re: Manic Puppy!
« Reply #9 on: January 27, 2010, 02:24:46 PM »
Never too early to start with the training and the mental strain of that will help tire him out as well. I'm a newbie to the site but I'm sure there are probably some good stickies out there with tips etc for when they're that young. :)
Lisa & Maggie x

One reason a dog can be such a comfort when you're feeling blue is that he doesn't try to find out why.  ~Author Unknown

Offline blueroanlover

  • Inactive
  • Jr. Member
  • **
  • Posts: 77
  • Gender: Female
Re: Manic Puppy!
« Reply #10 on: January 27, 2010, 02:29:53 PM »
It's just that he is so manic it is impossible to make him listen and respond! LOL!

Offline B52

  • Sr. Member
  • ****
  • Posts: 319
  • Gender: Female
Re: Manic Puppy!
« Reply #11 on: January 27, 2010, 02:44:19 PM »
Hi

Hang in there...

Bracken is coming up for 15 weeks - and she was a holy terror >:D, and still has her moments - BUT they are becoming more infrequent

My hands are recovering nicely, thank you !!!

I tried all of the suggestions - and found the one that worked best was 'time out' - but instead of taking her to a 'time-out' place and having a few seconds delay - I walked out of the room we were in, and shut the door - 15 seconds later, one calm-ish puppy  ;)

Once she could explore the world - it really helped... and of course, Puppy Classes, and now Training Classes plus every opportunity to keep her busy - games of fetch, asking her to wait every time she walked through a door

Offline blueroanlover

  • Inactive
  • Jr. Member
  • **
  • Posts: 77
  • Gender: Female
Re: Manic Puppy!
« Reply #12 on: January 27, 2010, 03:12:24 PM »
Sounds encouraging then! LOL!

We have tried the 'leaving the room' bit but he just tries to scratch the door down so to save the paintwork, we open it again!

He is in the crate again now - having a cooling off period!

Offline MuckyMeech

  • Full Member
  • ***
  • Posts: 106
  • Gender: Female
Re: Manic Puppy!
« Reply #13 on: January 27, 2010, 08:04:00 PM »
Hiya, sorry to hear about your plight! I was there a couple of weeks ago and it is UNPLEASANT!!

If your pup is anything like ours was (completely beside himself hyper, even when clearly shattered) it might be worth changing his food? Bomber was on Pro Plan puppy and I changed to JamesWellBeloved (because I prefer the brand, NOT in the hope of seeing a behaviouraral change) and yet he is definitely calmer and his moods (silly, grumpy, tired, happy etc) are much more coherent than just a week or so ago, when his attitude was overbearingly bitey and nuts!.... Bomber is now 10.5 wks so I don' t think the change is simply down to 'growing up', although that would be nice  :005:

Offline blueroanlover

  • Inactive
  • Jr. Member
  • **
  • Posts: 77
  • Gender: Female
Re: Manic Puppy!
« Reply #14 on: January 27, 2010, 09:06:41 PM »
You know, I think we will try that.  Do you know what the protein content in the Wellbeloved food is by any chance?

Your pup and ours seem very similar - completely hyper, bordering on aggression.

Thanks for any info you can give us on the food content.

PS Just looked it up on the net. I note it is mainly for dogs and cats with digestive probs., but maybe it would still be suitable for dogs who don't suffer from those?