Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. A phone that grows with your child.

Meet the Other Phone.
A phone that grows with your child.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
Pets

Join our community on the Pet forum to discuss anything related to pets.

Original poster

really struggling with 16 week old puppy

14 replies

kaylasmum · 14/12/2009 10:40

Hi my 16 week old cavalier is driving me insane. I just can't get her to stop biting, if i go to stroke her she automatically starts to bite my hand. I've tried all the things i've read on here about it but nothing seems to work. I'm at the end of my tether and seriously thinking of rehoming her. She is extremely disobedient and totally terrorises my 8 yo cavalier. She is getting so fed up with her, she does warn the pup off but the pup just goes straight back to annoying her. I just found out that my older dog has a heart murmur and i'm worried that its too much for her. I'm finding it increasingly hard to like the pup and i feel bad about that but its so difficult.

OP posts:
slushy06 · 14/12/2009 11:30

I was told to tap my puppy on the nose by a vet, not hard enough to hurt just a gentle tap but it lets him know it is wrong and it seems to be working.

ScaredOfCows · 14/12/2009 11:31

At 16 weeks, your pup is probably teething so will be bitey. Have you been training her? Has she been taught 'leave' commands? Do you have a crate to put her in for a little while if you are too busy to give her attention, to give your older dog a break?

minimu · 14/12/2009 12:12

What do you do when the puppy nips?

You do need to give your older dog space from a puppy. Do you have a crate or puppy gates up to keep them separate?

gegs73 · 14/12/2009 12:26

My dog was like this until he was about 5/6 mo. The only thing that worked was putting him in a different room when he started and bringing him out about 5 mins later. Yelping, ignoring etc didn't work. He really was terrible you couldn't even stroke him without being bitten!

He naturally got better with age and doesn't do it now. I also constantly said 'no bite' which he learnt to understand with age which stopped him. The puppy class lady said to say 'OFF' in a loud voice if he bit and then 'GET OFF' even louder if he continued. This worked for a little while but I found I had to keep swopping tactics. Also pigs ears. He constantly had one of these on the go which helped a little.

I'm pretty sure your dog will get better once he has stopped teething. Good luck.

Romanarama · 14/12/2009 13:31

6 months!!!!! Help, we will all go nuts with ours if it's that long.

Original poster
kaylasmum · 14/12/2009 16:15

hi, i have tried yelping, ignoring her and putting her outside but none of this has any effect at all. I have a crate for her and she goes in for naps, when i'm out and at night but as soon as i let her out she starts to annoy my older dog, she is unrelenting. My vet told me to grab the back of the pups neck and to growl at her, this just seems to make her try harder to bite me.

OP posts:
minimu · 14/12/2009 18:07

Do remember you must praise the good behaviour. So once you have yelped at her I guess she either takes no notice or tries to nip harder?

If this is the case change the noise you are making as she has got used to ignoring this sound. Maybe make it is a really loud oww stand up and then watch her carefully the minute she pauses or puts all four feet on the ground or takes her mouth away from you praise her like mad. I would have treats on me all the time to be able to give to her the minute I see good behaviour

At the moment she is getting told off but she is unsure what she has done wrong. I know really really obvious to us but she is only a puppy and it is like learning a new language for her.

She doesn't think I mustnot do something but tends to think if I do this I get a treat. So really make sure you praise the correct behaviour which will be there but maybe only for a nanosecond.

I do know how frustrating this is and if you get it sorted now it will soon be over. If she does make you cross then put her in her cage for a while and take time out and then start again.

I personally would not use the neck method as yo have found out it tends to just make the nipping escalate as the pup is frightened.

Re the older dog the new puppy must learn that the dog is not there for her entertainment. Some dogs are happy to tell puppies off others do not. If she is hassling the other dog it is your job to give them time out. Also if the puppy is looking to the other dog for entertainment over you you will have control issues later. So can the older dog have time out in a room on its own. I guess you are walking them separately at the moment so after the walk can the older dog have a quiet time withou pup. When they are together you must step in and be more entertaining than the older dog then pup will come to you rather than the dog.

It will take time and commitment from you for a bit but will settle down this is a tricky time with puppies as they are teething and beginning to get confident!

Original poster
kaylasmum · 15/12/2009 13:18

hi minimu thanks for your advice. I will try the praising when she stops biting but tbh when she's like this the last thing i want to do is be nice to her. my older dog does warn the pup off but it does'nt have much effect. I actually take them for walks together and let my older dog off the lead. Should i not be taking them out together? also my older dog does'nt like to be in a different room from me, basically wherever i go, she goes.

OP posts:
minimu · 15/12/2009 13:29

I understand exactly how you feel but you must praise the good behaviour however you are feeling, very very hard I know. Do remember the pup is not delibrately winding you up she just wants you attention and at the moment thinks this is the way to get it.

I would be walking them separately

  1. to give the older dog time out from pup
  2. to make sure that the time with pup can be constructive training time eg walking on the lead properly, meeting other dogs etc.

If the older dog likes to be with you then make the pup be in the other room.

If you are chilling in the sitting room have the pup on a lead so you can all be together but pup has to learn to lie quietly in the room with you all.

Original poster
kaylasmum · 15/12/2009 13:34

i'll try the separate walks but will feel bad as my older dog loves getting out and she'll be upset that i'm leaving her behind. If i keep the pup on the lead in the sitting room should i keep a hold of it to restrain her?

OP posts:
minimu · 15/12/2009 15:51

I would. She has to learn that sometimes it is just time to chill! So maybe give her a little game before hand and then on lead on a cosy mate and time to just be. She will resist a bit but when she is lying still give her a treat and tell her she is a good girl.

I have a settle command for my dogs. Which basically means go away and lie down I want my own time. When I say settle they all quite happily go and find somewhere comfy to chill out for a bit. However it does take a bit of time for them to learn this especially a pup.

BellasSparklyBaubles · 15/12/2009 16:08

Can you get 'settle' commands to work on dc, minimu - what with school hols approaching and everything?

minimu · 15/12/2009 16:15

Nah I am rubbish with DC's. I do make sure they have an hour exercise a day however recall is getting a bit dodgy though, but the clicker seems to get a "whatever" response

Although I am finding the PS3 has quite a motivating response for DC

BellasSparklyBaubles · 15/12/2009 18:42

That is a wholly unacceptable response, Minimu

There used to be a blonde bimbo nanny on here and I used to trade dog tips for dc tips with her. She claimed dc were easier than dogs - lol

New posts on this thread. Refresh page
Swipe left for the next trending thread