I wish i never got my puppy :(

[CannaeCopeCaptain]

He is 14 weeks old and driving me insane.

All I've done today is cry

He is so smart when it comes to commands. Sit, stay, roll over, down, games etc... but he just bites me constantly and has zero concept of toileting.

I take him out at night when he wakes up and cries and he will just bite the lead Or my pants or my slippers for 30 mins straight. Then cry if I put him back in the crate. This goes on all night until he either gets an opportunity to piss indoors or he can't hold it anymore.

I spend all day trying to get him to pee outside and the moment he is indoors he does it.

He just bites bites bites bites bites. My house smells like pee.

I know puppies are hard but I didn't realise it would be this hard.

I feel like it will be forever before he is old enough to pre outside and not bite me and everything I own.

This is so hard :(

You know, I read your original post and thought ‘that’s a spaniel’ before even reading on! Is he working type by any chance? Either way (but especially relevant if working type), spaniels are smart dogs. I don’t actually believe they make great family pets (and I say that as owner of two, as well as a family!) because they’ve got such a strong drive to work and are SO bright. But it can be done! You’re just at the nightmare stage, and puppies are dicks. Fact.

The pee thing is aggro but absolutely normal for 14 weeks, so I’d say tackle the biting first. Do you get down on the floor lots with him? If so, try stopping that for 48 hours and see if it has an affect. Go cold turkey, absolutely no floor cuddles or sitting on the floor to play or anything, all attention you give him should be with you standing and bending down to his level rather than getting right down low. Also if you let him up on furniture (sofas, beds etc.), stop that too.

Our male spaniel was a NIGHTMARE puppy, sounds exactly like your description in your first post. I was beside myself, he drove me nuts. The thing that changed everything was gundog training- it made him use his brain and channel his energy in a positive way, and he instantly became much more manageable at home once we started it.

Good luck! Feel free to PM if you want to have more spaniel chat, happy to help :)

Everything you read online makes you think that you need to be training all the time and you should have mastered house training in a week. I am sure the people who write those things just like to make people feel shit.

A lot of the stuff that is happening right now will get better and you will look back on it and think phew I survived puppyhood. You are not letting him down. If you had the time I would recommend reading all the previous puppy survival threads as you would see that lots of us have been in the exact same position as you and feeling the same. It's just that most people in RL just go awww cute puppy rather than acknowledge how shit it is.

Keep posting as we will get you through this

And yes I have a cocker spaniel. Lovely dog but bloody nightmare little shit when he was a puppy.

I went to gun dog training as mentioned by PP above. Best thing I ever did as they just 'know spaniels' far better than any general trainer and they probably saved my sanity in the end.

First off, bio washing powder or liquid to clean down where he's gone. It's an enzym cleaner as mention above but cheaper. It does work.

Second, this a completely normal way to feel! I have a Goldien Retriever, she's just turned 2 & has only started to become genuinely lovely in the past 4/5 months. The first 6 were awful & I questioned our decision to get her on an almost daily basis (& we already had a dog). She gradually got easier from then on but the 'teen' phase wasn't the easiest. I think the think to keep in mind is the 'end goal' a lovely family dog that will be a part of your lives for years to come, the cute but hard puppy & teenage phases really don't last long in comparison.

For mental stimulation you can scatter his food in your back garden so she has to 'work' for it. Do you have a sunny spot you can sit in out there? (Even if you need a coat) so you can just sit quietly after until he's calmed down enough to toilet?

I have a working cocker, and this phase will pass!

What phrase do you use for going to the toilet? Whether "hurry up" or similar, use it frequently when he is in the garden, and especially when he goes. He will soon learn what's required. It does sound like he is getting too excited when he is outside. Take him out in the garden every 30 minutes or so on the lead, don't play, don't do anything except repeat your phrase. When he comes inside, pop him in his crate and leave him. If he pees then, at least it's contained. As they're a lot smaller at that age I had half the crate as a bed and half covered in newspaper so if he was desperate he could pee in the crate. I was soon able to then take that away once he had more control.

And finally, lots and lots of chew toys! The antlers are good.

Sorry just realised I called him a her in parts there, I'm used to having bitches. Also sorry about typos, forgot to proof read.

Hi, I felt like this at 15 weeks too. DDog is 6mo now and I still feel like this at times.

What has helped me is:

Doggy Day Care once/twice a week. I found a great day care that does half day afternoons and he goes there once or twice a week. He gets socialised and I get some time off to do actual stuff. And some time off.

Walks - i dropped the 5 minutes rule from about 16 weeks. My GSP needs a lot more exercise than that and we now walk him twice a day for 40 minutes each or once for about 1H10min.

I also do lots of training while we are on the walk.

Settle training and chews - I have a huge variety of chews to give him. Stuffed Kongs, Pigs ears, pig roll, butcher's bones. It keeps him busy and allows me to put him in the crate without him crying while we have dinner etc

Toiletting - we didn't have trouble with this but we started out with loads of praise when he did do a wee outside.

Also, we've ditched the crate at night. He is much happier sleeping on the sofa downstairs outside of the crate at night than in the crate. (Although this is obviously only a possibility once they are reliably toilet trained.)

He's still a bastard around the cat, and I can't let him in the garden unsupervised as he tries to get in the chicken run to have a go at the hens. Also his recall, although improving is still iffy

If you catch him mid pee in the house you can make a loud noise (will shock him into stopping), pick him up (he won’t pee on you) and take him out to finish. Then you can praise! You’ll also start to notice they have a little pee dance (like a human toddler)

Springer spaniels are highly strung and difficult. I never understand why first time dog owners get them

Also just wipe up the pee and poo, you don't need to steam clean everything. Dogs shit, it's a fact of life. Your house smells, so what? It's just a phase, he'll get through it.

We used to praise our pup very loudly and say "Wee Wee [dog's name]" when she was toileting outside (wee/poo doesn't matter) so she'd associated the words with the action, and then give her a treat immediately afterwards. It worked well for us.

Good luck.

I have had four spaniels of various types to date.

Right now I have a cocker who will be two in November and a cavapoo who is two.

Do you know if you have a working type dog? I have a show cocker, but working cockers have much more energy!

Do you put down puppy pads so at least it is going in one spot?

Hang in there, spaniels are so intelligent and it will be rewarding eventually

Very normal feeling, even with a well behaved dog - it can be a shock sometimes how much they depend on us.

Biting, seriously. Peanut butter is your pal. Get the dog version. Smear over arms, hands, legs, feet neck, ears, face (obviously don’t totally cover - just put some on each part of that body lol) Tell your pup good boy kisses and when he’s finished give him a chew toy and tell him bite/chew.

Crate training, only ever feed him in his crate and only give treats (aside from training) when he is in the crate. Fill a kong with nature’s harvest or other good quality wet food and give him it when he’s in the crate because you need to do chores etc. If he associates the crate with goodies he will soon love it and take comfort from being there.

If you’re toilet training him in there start off at every half hour bring him out to toilet, give toilet command give five mins, if goes toilet, he has 30 mins play, toilet command then 10 mins play (if he toilets) and crate, straight to crate if no toilet, at his age he should be able to wait an hour between loo breaks as you train him. Eventually he’ll learn to give signals.

Exercising his brain will tire him more than exercise. So keep up with training and look into brain games for dogs

Everything you read online makes you think that you need to be training all the time and you should have mastered house training in a week. I am sure the people who write those things just like to make people feel shit.

This bears repeating over and over.

Also, Battendog is a springer. Honestly, he has been called an arsehole everyday of his life because he has been such hard work. A more loved dog he could not be - but still an arsehole

As with all breeds, you pick your poison when you pick a breed. A springer is an enthusiastic dog who is smart, energetic and wants to be involved in everything you do. This is both their talent and their curse . The best thing I have found with Battendog is to keep him involved but help shape what that looks like. For example, he always wants to "help" with the gardening. So, I allocate him little jobs like carrying the empty compost bag about. or chasing after his ball.

He wants to help with the laundry so he gets given a sock to carry and then give back to me at the machine.

He wants to help unpack the post so gets the job of shredding the box when I have removed the contents.

The first few weeks take forever, but time gets faster and faster as they get older. Battendog is now 15 months old and every week he steadies up just a tiny bit more. Mostly now he is more fun than trouble.

There's no way I want to return him. The breeder is reputable and said we can return him at any time but there isn't a chance in hell. I love him. Im just struggling.

He isn't my first dog but previously I've had a very dopey, fat toy breed who was nothing like him! So it's a learning curve.

I have a sprocker and he was just the same with toilet training. He'd come in the sitting room after his walk, look me in the eyes and pee on the rug. So many times I was like you and then one day he just got it - they're so clever and energetic they can only pee when they're not hyped.

The biting will stop, Yelp loudly and turn away every time.

It does get better, honestly

Puppies are hard word. I cried a shit ton, and I still find it hard at 7 months in with a very large breed and it being my first puppy.

It does get better though. Slowly sometimes, but better. :)

I have a 7 month old large breed puppy and he's still not dry at night and still jumps up but he is getting much better, be assured all this will pass!! He's been going for long walks from 12 weeks.

My vet said the 5 minute exercise rule is a myth, the best thing to support joints is strong muscles and ligaments and plenty of off-lead exercise is the best way to develop those. (Not repetitive pounding pavements on a lead, but gamboling happily off lead in the park/forest) there is no evidence that exercise as a puppy is related to hip dysplasia.

Working dogs are bred for stamina and need lots of exercise to keep them happy and calm.

I've cursed my decision to get a puppy at times too, so you're not alone, but it'll be worth it in the long run.

Zak George on You Tube has some good training tips....

I have a really well behaved, clever golden retriever who sleeps through the night, is great at training, only has the odd toilet accident indoors. Yesterday I cried for an hour because I felt so low, was fed up of all the work I have to do with him annoyed with kids because they’re bored of interacting with him and just missed my old pre doggy freedom.

Read lots of old threads on here and doggy forums and felt a bit better knowing the puppy blues is a real thing even when you get a great one like me. Trying to relax and chill out today - and looking forward to when this tricky phase is over.

The one tip I do have is find a big safe park/green space and let dog off the lead for a mad runaround. He has fun at his own pace and comes home knackered needing his bed - mine much prefers that to a big walk on the lead.

Sorry meant to add he’s 15 weeks old.

I have a cocker spaniel and she was bitey mcbite face incarnate! She bit peoples feet and stole their socks whilst they were wearing them. She got to teenage years and I really did wonder what the hell I had done getting a dog. But, she started to listen and do what I asked, so she got praised more and did more things she was asked.
The toilet training takes ages. Her breeder used a command word for the puppies, which we took on too and still use 6 years later.
Everytime your pup has a drink, or some food, you need to take him outside on a lead as its not playtime amd he does not come in until he has gone. You need to praise highly with reward treats and soon as he does what you ask and also repeat the command. He will get it, I promise.
You are correct about the walking. Its not all about walks, you also need to do mental stuff to wear him out that way. As he likes scent work, work on that in the house or the garden.

Be consistent, ignore the unwanted behaviour and reward reward reward the good. Keep at it OP! What you put in now you reap in spades when he is a bit older.

Things we learnt from our second dog
(He is lovely now . The first dog made us feel like amazing dog trainers but it turns out that she was just a biddable soul) :

Make sure that everyone - family or friend - follows the same rules with the pup.

Separate playing from toileting.

(Ours won't think of anything except the stick/ball if play is offered... even now he is 6 years old! We wait until he has relieved himself before starting any game. ) Let him out but don't interact until he pees/poos. Then reward him with play/kind words.

Night calls
Be really really really boring when you take him out during the night. (Even if he is very cute!) Keep lights low and voice low/silent.

More out than in
Take him outside many more times than he needs - praise and play AFTER he performs out there. (I had a chair in the garden for early puppyhood training and got so much fresh air.) At the beginning of this, house training can be seen as garden training really!

'Crate' training (or keeping him in a small fenced area when indoors) is less fashionable these days but can help if you are struggling and it keeps the smell/mess in one area. Dogs respond differently to different things but they mostly like to be away from their beds when they mess. Just take him from pen to outside at very frequent intervals. Spaniels need lots of fun and stimulation - but they also need quiet and rest at regular intervals too. Increase the size of the pen you are containing him in and the intervals between visits outside as he gets better at using the outside.

Biting (and jumping up)
With the biting - this is play that puppies engage in with each other. They have tougher skins than us but they still have to regulate the game. The ones that get bitten yelp loudly (we can do this too) and turn their backs on the biter. The game ends. This is boring for the biter. Puppies soon find that it works better against biters than biting back or being dramatic. The biter eventually learns to be more gentle - or if offered another interactive game, plays something else instead.

We found that slowing down a response to the excited biting/jumping pup and speaking in a deeper voice worked best. Getting higher in sound and faster in action is interpreted as playing the game.

This first bit is hard but it does get better. There is so much fun ahead.

Ah OK then OP... in that case... cockers are the best dogs in the entire world . Stick with it!

Just to say, I totally sympathise OP. We've got a 10 week old puppy at the moment. I got up early, went downstairs in dressing gown all bleary-eyed, took puppy straight out for a wee. Praised her, brought her back in, she shits all over the kitchen floor. I'm ashamed to say I used the F-word at that point, and the kids may have heard it, but I'd been out of bed for about 4 minutes, and... well, FFS!!

We're actually now at the point where we keep our shoes on indoors (downstairs), just in case. DS2 knelt down to pat DDog yesterday just before setting off to school, knelt in a puddle of piss. Change of school trousers with 5 mins. to go, another shit waiting for me on the kitchen floor on my return from school run.

So yeah, . Think those Japanese might be onto something with those robot dogs...

One day they just stop biting! And you forget how intolerable they were at the beginning. Stick with him.

I 99% promise you that your poopy will learn, and one day will just get it! From about 8 weeks to 16 weeks I was researching how to rehome my GSP on a daily basis - she caused no end of arguments and sleepless nights in our house, but now at almost 7 months she is the most loving, relaxed, but still playful, puppy I could have asked for. When you get home from work and she acts like she hasn't seen you in weeks, it's the best feeling in the world! Don't give up hope, you will get there, don't forget they are still a baby (despite how big they might be).