Ripped to shreds

[rippedtoshreds]

Puppy advice please.
We have a springer. Got her at 8 weeks and now she’s 13 weeks.
She’s settled in pretty well, sleeping midnight til 6.30, has had someone home with her pretty much solid since we got her. She’ll settle in her crate in the day time.
She’s eating fine, playing fine etc.
The problem is the bloody biting. It’s horrific. From 6.30am until bed at midnight she just bites, pounces, attacks.
She jumps up for affection and as soon as you pick her up she’s ripping your hair out, or puncturing your hands and arms, even biting noses and faces.
You only have to walk from one side of the room to the other and she’s hanging off your trousers growling or off my shoe laces or slippers.
Every single person who’s come to visit her has puncture wounds in their hands.
The kids are covered in scratches, little bite marks, their clothes are ripped and this is literally happening when walking from the lounge to the toilet. They are separated by stairs gates the entire rest of the time.
If I want the kids to come in the kitchen for lunch then I have to pick them up over the stair gate and carry them to their chairs or they get attacked and bitten on their legs. The whole time the dog is hanging off my jeans biting me while I’m carrying the kids.
We put her in her crate for a minute to calm down, but as soon as she comes out she’s attacking again.
My parents are desperately worried that we’ve got an aggressive dog around the kids, even though she’s only 13 weeks old.

She’s from a registered breeder and is pedigree.
She can’t go out yet as hasn’t had all of her jabs, but I play with her in the garden chucking a ball for 15 minute spells. If anything this ramps up the aggression and she’ll come in all wound up and attack even more.
We take her for car rides and to meet friends dogs which wears her out slightly.
Evenings are the worst. She almost goes into a frenzied attack and we will be sat on the sofa and she’ll just fly through the air at you and basically attack you.
If something has scared her then she’ll attack too.
My LO bought a balloon home from a party. The dog saw it on the other side of the room, started barking manically and then just ran around in a frenzy biting everyone.
I’ve had experience of puppies before, but have never experienced such a bitey aggressive puppy.
Please tell me this is normal for springers and she’ll grow out of it?
I’m so worried that she’ll be an aggressive dog.

Well done that sounds like great progress today.

We stopped playing tug with billy pup until about 7 months as it just wound her up too much.

Also for food try canagan.

Sounds like good progress. I'd definitely stop picking her up all the time though as other posters have also advised

My puppy was very bitey at around 4 months old. My dad advised me to push my thumb under her tongue and push down whenever she started biting. Doesn't hurt her as it's a gentle pressure, but it can't feel nice for her. After a few days I just had to show her my thumb and she would stop trying to bite. She is ten months now and although she still likes to mouth, that's all it is and she is always gentle.

Think that's possibly classed as aversion therapy, but as said, it didnt hurt her, she just really didn't like it.

Oh and when I had my first rescue dog, a little staffie, I got in a behaviouralist to help me with her training. This was some 20 years back now so I don't know if it's still advised but the behaviouralist told me whenever the dog jumped up at me, I was to stand up (if sat down) and immediately turn my back. If she tried to get in front of me, I was to turn again and show her my back. Until she stopped trying to jump up. It definitely worked with my girl.

I can’t believe you are keeping a puppy that bites your children

My cocker was exactly the same , she was evil & a little growler ! Every one will probably say no to this (was told by a trainer about 20 years ago ) but I used empty water bottles with little stones in did one hard quick shake when she was biting with a firm no ! & lots of praise when she was good it worked great , but don't let kids play with it & over scare her , I also found giving her home made toys kept her more occupied empty plastics with real food ( chicken , sausages ) hidden in to chew or to teach find it , puppy's are hard work hope things start to get better

Fly ball & agility is great fun for when she's older 👍

@Smallhorse please don't ever get a puppy! Or a kitten! They have sharp little teeth like needles and aren't afraid to use them! You need to train them out of it, not get rid of them.

She’s been pretty calm today.
Both kids are off on play dates and she’s been in her crate a fair bit while I vacuum and mop. She’s nipped and mouthed a few times, but again, around 10% of what she usually would.
Going to the pet shop later to get something for her to chew on tonight.
Any recommendations? She seems to get bored with filled bones as soon as she’s got what she can out of them, which only takes 20 minutes.
We’ve got those shin bones with a bit of meaty stuff on, but again as soon as the meaty bit is off she doesn’t bother with the bone.
I was debating pigs ears, but they used to give our old dog a really bad belly so I’m a bit wary of them.
Kong again, entertains her for 15 minutes.
I’ve frozen some carrots for later.
What else can I get?

She’s also got a bacon nylabone which she’s not interested in at all.

Oh and also not rawhide suggestions please.
Old dog used to petrify me by swallowing large bits then gagging it up again.
Rawhide is banned in our house!

You could get her a rubber treat ball.
I got a couple for my dogs.
Balls with a hole in to put small treats in and she has to get them out.
Should keep her amused for a little while.

It took a while before Billypup liked the nylabone then she shredded it completely and I didn't notice she was actually eating it!!!

Ask in the pet shop many things are not puppy friendly yet. The reason that she only likes the 'easy' bits is that her teeth are not developed enough to be able to tackle the bone bit yet and you don't want to end up with cracked teeth.

The half antler mentioned before should be ok as she'll tackle the softer marrow that she has easy access to, and don't dismiss the 20/15 minutes that you get from stuffed bones etc just start to plan how you can use your peaceful 15/20 minutes to its best advantage. Billypup takes about that to eat a frozen kong so we give her one when we sit down to eat dinner so we get dinner in peace.

Ok I’ll look for these. Thanks!
I’m not sure what antler I bought in the past, but there was never any marrow. It was just a solid white thing, so old pup was never interested in it.

I don't like rawhide either

I use elk antler
www.bestbullysticks.com/extra-large-split-elk-antler
The grey bit in the middle is dry marrow and they can get to it quite easily. (not from here though I just wanted a picture)

I used to buy cuddly toys from charity shops, 5 for £1 for example. They generally lasted 2 or 3 days but pup had great fun shredding it in that time.

Probably not a good idea if you have lots of decent cuddly toys around that you don't want chewing.

Good call on rawhide OP - it's horrible stuff, chemically treated and a choke hazard. Mine likes his Nylabone but it took ages for him to get in to it!
He used to carry round antlers too but never chewed them!

You really sound like you are making progress with her and it is so lovely to hear about a decent owner doing the right things for their pup when we are used to horrible posts where people want to pts their tiny pup who has chewed something.

Ignore stupid posts like that from smallhorse. She will come good.

I was recommended to give all food through the kong. That helps. Soak the food then stuff it in the kong. Freeze the Kong for extra time.

A smear of peanut butter (Check ingredients, no xylitol!) takes a long time to lick out of the Kong, too.

I think she must have heard my rant as she’s sssooo much calmer today! We find that visitors seem to get her riled up too and she’ll be much bitier if she’s had attention, lots of stimulation.
Will hopefully find some nice chews for tonight, along with her carrots that have been in the freezer all day!

You need to take the credit for the changes you have made. We found once we had made a decision as a family of what consistent response we would give our puppy was so much better. We keep the time our puppy is with visitors very short, especially visiting children, he is now the size of a medium dog so liable to knock over toddlers!

Bull pizzles

not envy

Honestly, try an old sock with treats in it, tied at the top. Our very bitey puppy loved these. It was a game changer for him.