looking after dog who bit my dd!

[bridewolf]

we are looking after my sil dog, while she is on hols.

dog is young, but has no real training that i can see.

it bites feet , esp when out walking, but can also do this at home. its all a game to dog, but it leapt up and bit my dd mid calf on one leg.
and is continuing to try and bite everyone else, doesnt hurt when wearing shoes,but still doenst seem to stop. if pushed away (as you do when a dog his hanging on your ankle) seems to enjoy the challenge and charges back.

also , been advised not to use the word no..so we stick to 'bad shoes' in a firm voice, to no avail really, just encourages the game.

am trying a water spray, but am worried that a older puppy is still totally untrained.

have put down the poo and wee thing in the home because he is in a new environment.
little disapointed in the climbing on my table licking cutlery and plates, and athough not terribly houseproud..........does like to bite holes in carpet.
taking to walking dog for a hour long walk 3x a day, still full of energy.

can be loverly at times, needing human attention and rubbing belly ,ears etc, but if you choose to stop , it goes and 'mouths' you when you move away or stop.

does understand 'sit' for 3 seconds for a treat, so must be trainable.

however, am really worried about the biting, doesnt have a muzzle (it goes for your hands anyway when you put the lead on, dont how i would put one on him) , and now dont let my kids take him for a walk. worry about other children, who might approach a sweet looking fluffy puppy.

how do /should i tell sil that her furry baby is dangerous?

ofcourse you tell her.and you tell her your not looking after the dog again until its had some proper training!your dc are more important than her getting free kennels!

when is she back?

a week............am using a lot of antibac around the home.

Sounds like a perfectly normal puppy to me! Probably made all the worse by being in a strange house with excitable children who, quite reasonably, probably jump around and squeal every time he does the bitey puppy thing. How old is this older pup though? Because if he's still at this stage it is v.unfair to dump him on you and expect you to cope with what is a very demanding age.
Please don't think of putting a muzzle on him though. He's doing exactly what you'd expect.

I just wouldn't look after it.

Can't she use kennels?

This sounds bizarre but on our Jack Russell we used a shaker, plastic bottle full of rice and shook it really loud and really quickly when he did something we didnt want him to do! If it bit, if it jumped up on the table etc. It made a really loud noise and made him jump. Then we say the dogs name in a loud low cross voice.

I dont think he is dangerous it just sounds like he is over spoilt and hasnt been trained.

If you are worried about it round your child though then put it in a kennel - your child is more important!

Use a bilogical washing powder solution or specialist product to clean if the dog has messed. It removes the smell so the dog is less likely to keep going back to the same place.

Puppies do bite - sorry it is part of their socialisation process. We were told to squeal then ignore the dog - its what his litter mates would do.

One of the dogs at our training climbed on furniture. They were advised to keep the dog on a long line lead and if it climbed you can remove it using the lead rather than "rewarding" with touch.

Puppies have a lot of learning to do - chewing etc are all natural. My 8 month old lab still has a crate at night; it keeps him safe and stops him chewing.

Puppies need a lot of time and attention. I have to be honest it would have had to be an emergency for me to have left my puppy with anyone in the early days. I really believe the time you put in initially is so important. Yes I would say how the puppy has been, in a factual way. None of what you describe is unexpected of a young pup.

We were taught to use 'Ba' instead of 'No' asit sounds more like a mother dog telling a puppy off.

Our pup is 8 1/2 weeks and is doing just what you say, although we have begun to train her. I have 3 kids and she sees the youngest (8 yr old) as another puppy. He was just rolling around on the rug and pup decided to play attack him and nipped hard. We are doing what tibni says and yelping to startle her then ignoring, leaving the room if necessary. I can see how it can worry you or scare your dd.

How old is the pup and what breed?

YABU Sounds like a normal young dog who just hasn't had much training. You might sound a bit hysterical if you say its dangerous. Just explain how its been behaving and if tey have anything about them they will take the hint and sort it.

Second the washing powder suggestion. We used this and it does work

Having got a JRT - not a breed who can be guaranteed to embrace training without a very great deal of training! - I found that the best way to minimise puppy biting was to use a sharp "oi!" as a verbal reminder and then take over-excitement out of the situation by putting him quietly in his basket in the kitchen. It's a very long and continuous process is bite inhibition and puppy training though which is why one doesn't just dump a pup on other people without more warning of what to expect! I don't know what breed this pup is but not all are suitable for homes with small children. Although small children and puppies will always be a lot of work if you aren't already an experienced dog person.

I know someone through my kids' school who 'lent out' her pup for the weekend, along with the mum and dad dogs, to a family who wanted their kids to experience having a dog. The pup was 12 weeks I think and was a bit like the dog you describe in your OP. Very unfair on the pup IMO. The only good thing to come out of it was that the kids decided it was probably too much much hassle to have a dog

the puppy is 6 month old.

and the kids aren just walking with us as we go for a walk.
they only squeal when he goes for their feet.
it bites adults as well.

When I mentioned "squealing" and "children", it was not in a pejorative context. Just that pups and children are often the perfect ingredients for a bitey session. It is not a criticism of your children, merely what happens. Of course the pup will bite adults too. It will bite anything that moves and chew most things that don't. Although at six months old I'd have expected greater progress on the bite inhibition front. But then the animal may well have regressed due to the unfamiliar situation it finds itself.

None of which is your fault! Nor indeed the fault of the pup. But I should be having serious words with your SIL on her return.

6 months old is not a good time to leave an untrained puppy

Does he have any toys to chew on?

yes , he has toys to chew on, but he doesnt seem that interested in them.

i do think the puppy is confused and missing his family.

luckyily the bite wasnt too deep on her leg, if it was any deeper it would have needed a bit of a glue, and its healing well.
i suppose i am innocent about puppys, and expected a dog to listen to a stern voice and at least have some understanding thats something is wrong.

i dont clear up the poop, just the wees,and its done both in different places all the time.

it doesnt like pooing in the garden, but always does one when we walk it.

i can cope with anything but the biting really.

Do you put newspaper down where you want him to poop and wee?

Perhaps a stern 'no', 'baa' or 'stop' or whatever phrase you are going to use when he nips and give him a toy instead.

Training takes time and i doubt a week will be be enough time. Young kids and untrained puppy, a bad mix, poor you!

Biting is very, very normal for a puppy, they explore everything with their mouths just like babies do, but not acceptable in a six month old one. They have teeth like needles and can easily draw blood, although no nastiness is meant.

It sounds like puppy has learnt that th ebiting gets him attention, which in turn has made him bite more. Again, just like children, any attention, even negative works for the puppy, so saying no or responding in any way to the biting will encourage it. The best way to deal with it is to fold your arms, turn your back and ignore him. He will eventually stop to think about why he isn't getting attention and will sit or stand still at that point. Exactly then give him pat/stroke and praise him. If he starts to bite again (and he probably will as he'll be excited) do the ignoring again until he again sits or stands. If the children aren't old enough to do the ignoring, then keep puppy seperate from them when they are up.

I have to say, it's not likely to make a huge difference in a week with a puppy already six months old,but it might help a bit. Squirting water/rattle bottles are not appropriate methods of training for most dogs, but certainly not a puppy, he might think it's more of a game, or it might make him fearful, which could then turn to aggression.

3 hours is FAR too much walking for a 6 month old pup. It can seriously damage the joints and cause problems like hip/elbow dysplacia. 5 mins per month of age is a rough guide, so approx. 30 mins a day, preferably in two shorter walks, for a 6 month old pup. I appreciate the need to wear him out, btu try games to occupy his mind liek hide and seek and feed him by hiding or spreading his kibble round the garden instead of putting it in a bowl. You could also give him a marrow bone (raw from the butcher and usually free) to amuse him.

I have to say, I wouldn't expect anyone to look after my dogs if they were't well trained, and this pup is only going to get worse as it gets older, when there will be a real danger from the biting if it doesn't stop, even if it is in play. I would tell your sister you aren't prepared to look after him again unless she sorts his training out. She can look on www.apdt.co.uk for a good trainer/class. ALL dogs are trainable, and in fact, dogs that are the 'naughtiest' and jump up, steal food etc are usually much easier to train than others, as it is easier to motivate them.

thanks for that, had no idea that we were walking him too much (he still takes us for the walk if you know what i mean)
why didnt my sil tell us that?

do try the eyes on celing hand folded, but that doesnt work when we are walking .

we do have the chew bones and treats for him, which he does like.

so if games and fear turning to aggession dont work, all you are left with is the ignoring of behaviour..........does that imply that he will grow out of it?

he does jump up and pull coat/clothes, so is not just enjoying the walking shoe bit of his game, but moving higher, which is concerning.

this has been a huge learning curve for me as used to older , very well trained dogs. and am fast reading up on it all.

if the puppy bites anyone outside the home, it really will be in trouble.

i didnt expect any of my kids to need a spot of first aid on a bite wound, and had to press a pad on for a while to stop the bleeding, nip or no nip , this really isnt on.

if all puppys bite why do some idiotic people get a dog when they have a new baby?
sounds like sheer madness to me.

It is really unlikely he'll grow out of it now. Out of interest, what age was he when your sister got him?

Basically, dogs do or don't do things for only a couple of reasons. If they do something it is because there is somethng in it for them, the behaviour is rewarded (as far as the dog is concerned) either deliberately or inadvertantly by the owner, or by the environment. If a dog doesn't do something when asked then it is either because the dog doesn't understand what is being asked of it or it is not motivated enough to comply. (for example, dogs don't speak English, so no point in shouting 'sit' repeatedly if the dog hasn't learnt an action, eg. sitting, that complies with the word. Also, if you use food rewards for training, they might work at home, or int he garden, but if the dog is walking and you call it back it might know what you mean and that it will get a food treat if it does, but the rabbit it's chasing is more interesting, so it won't come for the food)

So, it's not just about ignoring bad behaviour, but rewarding the correct behaviour. So, ignore the dog jumping up/nipping, but then when it sits and doesn't bite, give it attention. With a 'new' puppy they soon learn that the quickest way to get attention is to sit in the first place. Same thing if you want the dog to sit nicely for it's dinner, you don't put the food bowl down until the dog decides to sit. You'll need to put it down as soon as the dog sits at first, but then you can lengthen the period between the dog sitting and getting it's dinner once it has got the idea and it will patiently wait because it wants it's dinner and knows there is no way it will get it unless it's bum is on the floor.

It will take longer to train the dog out of it's bad habits because they have already been re-inforced inadvertantly. Jumping up/biting worked for the dog before, so it will try harder to get ot to work now, so the bhaviour will get worse before it gets better.

As for why people get a dog when they have a new baby, the biting isn't an issue really if the owner knows that they are doing, you just simply don't allow a situation where puppy can nip baby. I personally don't allow my childrent mix that much with my puppies until the basic training is done anyway, children aren't condusive to good dog training!

'if all puppys bite why do some idiotic people get a dog when they have a new baby?
sounds like sheer madness to me.'

bridewolf - I think an awful lot of people would agree with that! We had a dog before our latest pup, but he came to us as an adult from a rescue centre. I have older kids who help a lot with the pup but I am still quite surprised at the amount of attention a puppy demands and am SO pleased I didn't have one when the kids were babies.

Agree on the pups and babies. My lab pup was like having my ASD ds as a toddler again! It has taken patience and a lot of work but my pup is now fab. Yes he can still get over excited but he has made much progress. To get here he has attended Good Citizen puppy skills, has passed his bronze and is working towards his silver award - he is no where near silver yet he just isn't mature enough yet. He has training every day at home - it takes time and commitment.

I don't think people realise the reality of having a puppy. I had done a lot of research and it was still tough.

took dog on a walk, let him sniff, etc, having fun.

two dogs , fat labs , guided away and past by owner. our dog really pulling to get near..........i carried on walking and tried to bite my leg.

so far, its tried to bite everyone, has left teeth marks/brusies on arm , and teeth marks,scrapes and puncture holes on my daughters lower leg.

if this is 'nipping' i would hate to see a bite.

have told hubby that if the rest of today and its walks are uneventual i will keep it for one more day.
however, i will call sil and ask which kennels does she want it put in.

My first dog did bite a bit as a puppy but not like that. My second didn't at all as a puppy and she's a feisty Jack Russell.

I have been doing one to one training with a police dog handler as she had become very naughty - chasing joggers, cyclists, barking at other dogs and children.

The first time we went out, we did some on lead practice and then she was supposed to sit (which she does well at home). She refused so he said 'force' the sit. Lift lead and gently press on her bottom - she snapped at me.

He told me that this sort of biting has to be stopped and that I should slap the dog so I tapped her on the nose - the bad behaviour is corrected where it's happened. I was told to give her quite a whack not a gentle tap. I didn't like doing it but I only had to do it a couple of times. Problem sorted. When I see things that she is likely to bark at, I make her sit and she quietly watches things go past now - where she would have been straining at the lead and very angrily barking.

We use the word 'no' - why were you told not to use it?

So far it's been 6 weeks of lots of trainig (on top of puppy classes last year) and we are seeing a difference. It takes a lot of work! I think your SIL needs to be told to get on with some serious training.

I agree that small children and puppies are not a good combo! I'm glad we waited until mine were teenagers.