My 5 month old puppy randomly bit someone today and I’m so upset

[Makinganewthinghappen]

We have been having trouble with our dog barking at people and dogs And sometimes (not always snarling at other dogs).
Before today he has always just sniffed them and them been happy.

We he a good trip to the beach , he has been doing well coming back when called and he met a few dogs with a few barks and a sniff no problem.

We were walking home and I had him on a short lead (I always keep him close on the pavements because of barking etc) a man walked up really close so that he was in range of our dog and he just jumped up and went for his hand.

I apologised to the man and he didn’t have any marks on him so I don’t think our dog actually bit him but nevertheless they guy was really angry and I am a bit shaken now.

I thought our “puppy training” was starting to go really well and now I just fell like a heap of anxiety again.

I am wondering if I should get a muzzle for him to go out so that this isn’t a problem going ahead.

I should add he is a pretty small dog - his head is below my knee so I can easily pull him back from things - the person today was just so close that even on the shortest lead he was well in range of my dogs mouth. I don’t know how I can stop that other than muzzle!

I have been trying for a while to book puppy training classes or socialisation but they are all shut at the moment!

So we have been taking him everyday for walks to see people which obviously hasn’t helped ☹️

Would you advise a muzzle in this case? I feel really mean putting a muzzle on him but I can’t have him randomly biting people or dogs!

If your dog is biting strangers on the street unprovoked then yes I would muzzle him. If he can jump up and bite an adults hand he can jump up and bite a child's face. He's still a puppy, it can be fixed, but until your confident he won't bite people you should be a responsible dog owner and muzzle him.

You definitely need to muzzle him and also stop letting him off leash, until he’s been trained out of it. He’s only young and the chances are really good that he can be trained out of it. What breed is he? Is he still nippy at home?

5 months is still a little baby. Had you over tired him? Ours used to go a bit lairy and bitey if they were overtired

Also you should not feel bad about muzzling him. Whenever I see an owner with walking a dog with a muzzle on I don't see an aggressive dog with a cruel owner. I see a responsible owner keeping their dog and others safe.

He is half beagle half cocker spaniel - no he isn’t nippy at home now. He has never bitten anyone before he barks ( and growls sometimes ) but he’s never actually bitten anyone. I have no idea why he just did this. I will get him a muzzle before our next walk.

He is our first dog . We had a cat for 17 years who died at the start of the year - we thought would get a dog since our kids are older now and we live next to a beach. I am learning rapidly about dog care !

Try getting his attention and giving him a treat every time someone walks past him. Do it far away from the people walking past to begin with so he can't bite anybody.

Dog trainers in England are doing 1-2-1 and zoom sessions. Do get in touch with one to help you with this.

Firstly don't panic

Secondly get a well-qualified dog trainer to work with you (ask fellow dog walkers or local grooning parlours, or your vet for recommendation)

Thirdly, make that short lead even shorter until you get the behaviourist. It's not just the attempt to bite, jumping up at other pedestrians is a problem in itself. You need to ensure you DPuppy is never that close to other road users until progress is made

Dog trainers around here (England) are running classes out of doors, both group and 1:1.

You should be able to find someone.

Personally I would muzzle him. This is to protect your dog. Next time if he bites you could have the police involved. Dont just put the muzzle on you need to muzzle train. Obviously this man was too close in order for your dog to bite so that's where you need to start. Hes only young but get a baskerville muzzle as they can breathe and still drink water. You need to look for a qualified trainer for socialisation. I would not waste my time with online classes. I'm not sure if outdoor group classes are still going?

You dog is still a baby and they investigate with their mouths. Could also be teething and have a sore mouth so is being a bit more mouthy than usual. It’s normal, just keep a bit more distance where other people/animals are

“I have no idea why he just did this.”

If he’s stressed and anxious about other dogs and people - there gets to a point where they just can’t take any more, so every encounter makes him a bit more stressed and the stress hormones build up and suddenly - they go over threshold.

Have a look up of trigger stacking and dogs and spoon theory

“I will get him a muzzle before our next walk.”

You can’t just stick one on, lots of dogs react badly to things on their face, you’ll need to spend a fair bit of time muzzle training before he can wear it long enough for a walk, or he’ll be even more stressed and anxious.

m.youtube.com/watch?v=6BjPpXer8IE

Ditto everything that @tabulahrasa said

You also need professional help. I came on here assuming this was a normal case of puppy biting, but from what you've said, it's not.

Trainers deal with issues like teaching a dog to sit / stay / come back when it's called / not jump up at people / house training. Given your puppy is five months, old, you probably need some 121 sessions for this anyway - I'll say 121 both because of the lockdown, and because it sounds like your dog won't be able to concentrate and learn if he's around other dogs and strangers.

Behaviourists deal with things like reactivity (broadly speaking, when a dog is scared of dogs / humans / any other trigger) that they will bark, lunge, snarl and potentially bite to make it go away, along with things like separation anxiety, noise phobias and so on. You need to see one about the biting incident - before there's another incident that's worse. You don't want to find yourself in a situation where the police are involved and talking about the Dangerous Dogs Act.

Literally anyone can call themselves a dog trainer or behaviourist, so it's important to look for someone with the right qualifications (not all qualifications are created equal either!)

• For trainers, look for someone that's APDT (ideally) or IMDT qualified

apdt.co.uk/find-a-trainer/ www.imdt.uk.com/find-a-qualified-imdt-trainer

• For a behaviourist, look for someone APBC or CCAB qualified

apbc.org.uk/help/regions www.asab.org/ccab-register

I also think you'd do well to learn more about dog body language, so you can recognise when your dog is feeling uncomfortable and act accordingly (this video is from a well regarded behaviourist in the Bristol area)

Ok so I have got one of these for him

BASKERVILLE Muzzle, Size 7 www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B005D4O1WG/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_fabc_kkARFb0QBVBMW?tag=mumsnetforu03-21

And we called a Dog behaviourist and are waiting to hear back from her.

At home he is a happy, cuddly bundle of fluff but when we go to take him out for a walk he gets upset - to the point of pretending to go to sleep so we don’t put his harness on!

Once he is out he is fine but he must be more stressed being out than we realised.

Pic attached so you can see he’s a lovely boy

Forgot the pic

Have a look at Facebook group- Dog Training Advice and Support.
It’s run by professionals and whilst it’s VERY strictly moderated and there’s a bit of pre-reading, they give excellent and very specific advice.

I wouldn't use a muzzle for a puppy.
Just don't let him get close to strangers until he's trained.
I have to give everyone a wide berth with my over affectionate lab as he will try to lick or sniff random strangers so am used to crossing the road to avoid people or turning and going back.
If close contact if unavoidable I stand sideways with dog behind me, holding his collar, until the person goes past.

Do people really muzzle puppies?

You know now that he's feeling uncomfortable with strangers getting close so be hyper aware of your surroundings and cross the road if anyone gets close. He's probably starting adolescence and they go through lots of fear stages at that time.

Keep treats in your pocket at all times. As soon as he sees anything that he's reacted to in the past, give him a treat. Don't wait for a reaction just as soon as he sees the 'threat' then he gets a treat. He should then start to associate 'scarey thing' with delicious treat.

He's going over threshold so on the beach, all those dogs that he sniffed or barked up were pushing his limits. The man getting so close was the tipping point.

Stay at home for at least a day, just do games in the garden. Let him reset. Keep walks short for a while. Cut back on the socialisation. While he's going through this fear stage he needs to avoid the things that are scarey to him, not be exposed to them. No walk is better than a bad walk.

I've just seen the picture of him, he's beautiful and he's just a young pup. I really don't think a muzzle is necessary just keep good control of him and his surroundings. Protect him from the things that he's fearing.

Anxiety on dogs part, and the short lead would have exacerbated it

“Do people really muzzle puppies?”

I muzzle train every dog - wearing a muzzle comfortably is a handy thing...

I wouldn’t muzzle a puppy for normal puppy behaviour, but this is a bit outside of that and if introduced right, the dog will be happy to wear it and the OP can relax a bit while she works with him.

She might well end up not having to use it longterm, but there’s no reason not to just now.

tabulahrasa good points 👍🏻

You mention he barks/ growls. Growling is a pre-warning and a short step away from biting. Sounds like you need some help with training.

Muzzle training is a good idea even if he grows out of this behaviour, it means you can have a relaxed walk without worrying. Sometimes if you are anxious because of the dogs potential behaviour the dog can sense that so he will think there is a reason to be anxious and become more reactive to possible dangers. When dogs are muzzle trained they don't mind the muzzle, just as they don't mind wearing a lead or harness.

I would have him on a retractable lead and he is so young
He is not being malicious or dangerous but of course no dog is allowed to go around biting
5 months is so young
Small breeds are often snappy and yappy.
Your dog of that age does not needs a muzzled I hate that idea Keep your distance instead
Cocker spaniels only listen to no one! Lovely breed. So loyal
Best to stick to it and muzzles are not for that wee man