Please or to access all these features

Add post

Watch this thread

Save thread

Start a new thread

Flip thread

Hide thread

My feed

Active Unanswered threads

Getting started FAQ's

Unanswered threads Acronyms Talk guidelines

Hide shortcut buttons

Talk

The doghouse

If you're worried about your pet's health, please speak to a vet or qualified professional.

Flip

1 2

Original poster

Puppy biting

26 replies

Thorilicious · 30/08/2021 20:47

We have an 11 week old puppy. He's gotten better at nipping constantly.
A few times, he is chewing on things we'd rather he not, such as the sofa. Tonight, when I tried to redirect him to go outside and play, he bit my leg. As I was getting hold of him to pick him up, he was turning his head, still trying to bite. Is it just him being a puppy? He's a border Collie.

OP posts:

wishingitwasfriday · 30/08/2021 21:59

Our 11 week old puppy is the same. We are trying to distract her as much as possible which seems to stop her but advice from those who've been there would be gratefully received!

GuyFawkesDay · 30/08/2021 22:02

Yep, land shark weeks!

Make like a tree when they go for you. Get a bitter apple spray for items you want left alone.

Redirect to toys and praise when they use those. Buy loads of age appropriate chews for them to chomp on. Frozen carrots, filled cold Kongs, mine loves frozen watermelon chunks too

capercaillie · 30/08/2021 22:18

17 week lab pup - what’s working is turning our back, leaving the room or putting her out of the room. Some people say making a loud noise or yelping works - it does sometimes but not always

BuffyBeat · 30/08/2021 22:18

Hi, All puppies bite or “mouth” at this age, if he hurts you, make a loud ouch and he should stop, then offer a toy for him to play with.
They do need quite a bit of entertaining at this age, well my Cavapoo still does now and then.
Make sure you have quite a few soft toys for him to shake and also play tug with him and throw them and ask him to fetch. My dog knows 4 different soft toys by name and will fetch me the correct one, your boy, bring super intelligent should beable to do this easily in a few months.
Also he neess Nylabones and hard things for him to teethe on and Kongs with food in.
My dog is 19 months now and at this moment has 4 soft toys scattered, a rope toy and about 3 or 4 hard bones.
I tidy them near her bed but she’s only happy when they’re scattered about.
I play with her a lot in the house snd throw balls in the garden.
They’re like children and soon get bored but play with them and they soon tire out and snooze.
You’ve also chosen a highly intelligent dog in a Border Collie so he will need walking quite often and lots of mental stimulation.
Lovely dogs though!!!

BuffyBeat · 30/08/2021 22:25

P.s. the biting when you pick him up….. a lot of dogs actually don’t like being picked up off the ground, that may be why he’s turning and trying to bite you.
Better to get hold of his collar and walk him out.
If you’re trying to distract him from biting your sofa you’d be better offering him a toy and playing with him, than putting him outside, that’s if you have the time, at that point.
They’re very clever dogs though, so as long as plenty of toys and stimulating play, he will soon learn to be a good boy.

Original poster

Thorilicious · 30/08/2021 22:25

Thank you all. After I put the DC's to bed, I did a bit of training. If he bit me, I went out of the room for 30 seconds. Repeated, and then I rewarded with treats when he didn't bite. I'm hoping this a good approach!
Bring on those adult teeth!

OP posts:

Original poster

Thorilicious · 30/08/2021 22:27

@BuffyBeat I'm playing with him lots, and giving him treats in dog puzzles. He can't go out just yet, as he's in the middle of his vaccinations, so hopefully once he can go for walks, that'll help him calm down too.

OP posts:

BuffyBeat · 30/08/2021 22:35

Oh right! Definitely will help when he can get out and about.
Just to reassure, they do all mouth at this age, just like they would with their siblings in a pack but they have to learn when it hurts you.
If he hurts say ouch and stop the play and walk out the room, just like you are doing.
You have to do a high pitched cry, like a puppy would who he’s hurt. He’ll soon learn.
Good luck with him, I have to say, puppies are very hard work but so worth it in the end.

Original poster

Thorilicious · 30/08/2021 22:59

Thank you @buffybeats he is adorable, even being a landshark!

OP posts:

icedcoffees · 31/08/2021 05:03

Even if you can't walk him, you can still take him out of the house. Take him in the car for drives. Get a sling/bag and carry him to get him used to the outside world.

hellcatspangle · 31/08/2021 05:30

Even if you can't walk him, you can still take him out of the house. Take him in the car for drives. Get a sling/bag and carry him to get him used to the outside world.

Definitely do this, it's really good for their development and tires them out - even if it's only carrying him to the end of your street to look at cars/people/bicycles/animals in fields!

Original poster

Thorilicious · 31/08/2021 08:12

This is where I'm getting so confused. I thought I could take him out, but the vet who did his first injection said he's not allowed out the house at all during the process. She wasn't even happy about him going into the garden, but I refuse to let him go backwards in regards to toilet training, so he is going into the garden.
Is the vet being over cautious?

OP posts:

icedcoffees · 31/08/2021 08:39

Your vet is being HUGELY over cautious and I would go so far as to say she is putting socialisation at risk.

Please please take your puppy out and about. He doesn't need to go on the floor. Drive him in the car, park up somewhere and just sit in the boot with him and watch the world go by. Walk down the road and back with him in a sling. Drive and sit on a bench somewhere. Let him become accustomed to bikes, children, cars, lorries, people in hi-vis, road works, buses, other dogs etc.

I walk some dogs who never got any decent socialisation as puppies and the world is a terrifying place for them.

You don't want to overwhelm them so there's no need to go out for hours every day but a few 20 minute journeys will be so beneficial for when you can finally put him on the ground.

I would also practise having him wearing a lead, collar and harness in the house/car/garden

Original poster

Thorilicious · 31/08/2021 08:40

Thank you @icedcoffees I'm an anxious person, but even I was questioning it! I'll take him out later for a cuddly walk.

OP posts:

icedcoffees · 31/08/2021 08:44

He'll be fine and you'll get SO much attention

Original poster

Thorilicious · 31/08/2021 09:10

I know I'm biased, but he is gorgeous!

OP posts:

Darthwader · 31/08/2021 11:57

When our pup was about 15 weeks old I thought he would never stop with the nipping, particularly with the DC. He is a year now and I would be shocked if he nipped anybody now as he hasn't nipped at all since he was about 5/6 months. They do grow out of it. Hang in there.

Spudlet · 31/08/2021 12:01

Totally normal, the little sods. Lucky they’re cute, eh?

This is a pretty good article that I read a lot a few weeks ago… Spudpup is now 16 weeks old and the biting has subsided a lot! So hang on in there! www.thelabradorsite.com/labrador-puppies-biting/

Skyla2005 · 31/08/2021 12:12

He is so lovely. Our collie was very nippy when she was a puppy we couldn't walk anywhere In The house without her nipping our feet and ankles. We all had holes in our socks some days she used to really worry me. We would be watching tv on the sofa and she would just jump up out of the blue and bite then run off. Once he can go out for walks he will be much calmer and tired which really helps. Good luck they are the best dogs

bingohandjob · 31/08/2021 15:16

We took ours out in the car before fully vaccinated and offered drive by pettings for friends and family - he loved it and it tired him out.

We were advised that rather than pick up pup or use your hands to move him as they tend not to like it if he's nippy very gently herd him in the direction of where you want him with your legs - this has been remarkably effective! He's never attempted to bite our legs and we just slowly, gently herd him along, shuffling him where we need him to be and we use it to block him barging at doors etc.

Original poster

Thorilicious · 31/08/2021 15:34

@bingohandjob I'll give that a go, thank you.

OP posts:

Original poster

Thorilicious · 31/08/2021 19:15

He's just been put the front in my arms. He's seen cars, another dog (obviously not met it though, had strokes from the owner)
I asked my son to go past us on his skateboard and also on his scooter too.

OP posts:

icedcoffees · 31/08/2021 19:16

@Thorilicious

He's just been put the front in my arms. He's seen cars, another dog (obviously not met it though, had strokes from the owner) I asked my son to go past us on his skateboard and also on his scooter too.

That's an excellent start - well done! :)

user1471453601 · 31/08/2021 19:32

We have a Jack Russell. She's 13 months old now. And she was a biter. Until she had her first season. I really cannot believe the difference in her since then. She's clearly very bright, but sometimes just didn't want to hear us.

I'm not saying she's perfect now, but she is so much calmer.

Our vet was reluctant to spay her until she had her first season (she's tiny, even for a Jack). So she'll be going in to vets in a couple of weeks time. I'm dreading it, and looking forward to it in equal measures.

Goodluck, I was at my wits end with Daisy. Im an experienced dog owner, though shes my first pupoy.

LemonCake79 · 01/09/2021 09:42

I agree the vet is being over cautious. You need to balance the risk of him being unvaccinated against the risk of having a dog that hasn't been properly socialised.

I took my pup everywhere in a sling and out in the car everyday. So pleased i did because at 6 months he is a lovely dog who isn't nervous and travels so well.

The carpet shark phase peaked at about 4 months for us. It was starting to worry me but all of a sudden he started to learn we didn't like it and would stop playing etc. He's completely stopped now. Hang in there, it's not the nicest part of owning a pup.

Flip

1 2