Please tell me this gets easier (new puppy)

[Unmute]

New puppy. Not my first puppy (although my last dog was an adult rescue, so it's been a while) and not my first of this breed (staffie - she's number 4).

I am struggling to bond with her. She doesn't feel like my dog, she's just a small strange and quite annoying creature I have to look after.

The main issue is the constant biting. I can't play with her as she prefers attacking my hands and feet to any other game. I am covered in bite marks. I don't remember my last pup being this bad. It's not fun, it hurts, and I'm actually a bit scared of her.

She's just a baby (10 weeks). I know she isn't hurting me deliberately (or is she?), but I am exhausted and I don't know what to do.

This is normal, right? She'll grow out of it? She's not going to be aggressive forever?

Other, more minor issues as well...she won't poop outside (but will poop immediately on getting back inside), and she screams when I leave the room during the day, even for a minute.

I am so tired!

I think something to chew on is good. Her ickle teeth might be ouchy. I would buy olive sticks or similar, something that is hers. That way she might not go for your books .... and you!! Or one of those tough ropes she could gnaw on.

She's a baby. I fully expect her to grow out of this phase, I just need advice on keeping my sanity through the next couple of months.

@Unmute ah sorry, I read it as giving her chews (most really aren't suitable for young dogs, even if they say they are as they can splinter etc)! In which case, I would strongly recommend frozen flannels - they're really good for teething puppies 😊

On training, try and build on her sit to turn it into a 10 second, then 30 second and then 1 minute sit. Likewise, train down and do it with down. You could also try 'settle' (getting her used to resting on one position). I'd also recommend 'paw' and 'shake' (different paws), not just for training reasons but also to get her used to having her paws checking for things like grass seeds etc.

I'd also take her out and about for lots of short walks throughout the day (the 5 minute rule is, in some cases, just never going to work - so common sense is key) once she's vaccinated.

Remember, for the first eight weeks of her life she always had littermates and mum to entertain her. There was probably always someone ready to play with her. She's never had to entertain herself, and she's never only had one person to go to for attention. She needs to get used to (A) entertaining herself and (B) it just being you who she has. It's a big learning curve but, as you know, it gets better!

Hello,

I have quickly read all your posts on this as getting ready to go to an appointment but wanted to say (and sorry if I repeat someone) when she bites you, you need to yelp really loudly at her. Her mother would growl and correct her for that, you need to do the same.
Also when she's in nippy shark mode, distract with toys but ANY time you get nipped you need to yelp and loud - even a stern NO! She will learn and if she gets too hyper and won't listen, straight into the crate / safe space for down time.
You will get there. My dog who's now 7 was a little shark and now the most gentle dog.

Best of luck with her :)

I aways swop an item if I need to take something away from a puppy so give food and take away the item you do not want them to have. Or swop with a toy and take away the item they have. This will stops the hysterics or the dog running away with the item when you approach.

Athough this can lead to the puppies being very clever and working out that they get attention when stealing items they should not have. (but tbh you chasing them around the house to remove the item is also fueling the same thing)

So ideally do keep things out of reach that you do not want the puppy to get. ( I know I know easier said than done sometimes! but if/when they do get something make it a non event by putting treat on the floor and removing item as the eat the treat)

No real advice other than what other people have already given - minus the shouting and yelping.
I just wanted to empathise. Some puppies are worse than others for biting. My now 4 year old was awful as a puppy. I absolutely fucking hated her at times. Mainly at 7am when I'd be sitting on the kitchen work top out of reach, in tears because she'd already been biting me for an hour.
I wore boots at all times, thick clothes and long sleeves. She ripped no end of my clothes, jumping up and slicing them with her razor sharp teeth.
She will get better. But it might be a few months yet. Good luck.

If you are referring to what I said, I didn't mean grab the pup by the scruff and shout in it's face! They need to know they hurt you so a wee "yelp" works! It's how they communicate with eachother...

@Haveacuppaandwaitforthistoblowover some dog breeds do not take 'yelping' well. Retrievers and spaniels tend to be very poor at responding to yelps as, if anything, it excites them. Other breeds similarly find it excites them.

I have a litter at the moment, and the worst thing a human can do is yelp. Puppies do not read human yelps and littermate yelps in the same way. Puppies are far more physical than verbal in their corrections - as their mother is with them.

Lots of people used to give the yelping advice 10-15 years ago, but lots of people consider it to be slightly outdated now - particularly, as I said above, in certain breeds 😊

I should hope you didn't mean that. I wasn't directly referencing you. Lots of people offer that advice.
Dogs may communicate with each other by squealing and yelping. But we aren't dogs and puppies know that. So often all a person achieves by yelping is to wind the puppy up even more.

My adult dog didn't squeal once when my puppy was hanging off her ears. She simply ended the play session.

She isn't a baby, she's a puppy and it's your job to teach her what's acceptable behaviour and what isn't. She isn't going to grow out of mouthing (biting) so if you allow this behaviour to continue you are as good as giving her permission to do it and then she'll be trying to mouthe strangers, or worse their children, when you are passing them in the street.
If she was still with her parents or in the company of any mature adult dog, they would respond to this biting behaviour by telling her off via growling and/or snapping at her (but deliberately not making contact.) This would shock her and stop the behaviour. You must do the same. Next time she starts to bite you, slap your hand forcefully on the nearest surface (to make a loud noise) whilst simultaneously saying calmly but very firmly "NO." This should startle her but she should stop biting. Give her genuine praise for stopping. And repeat.

The chances are she's very bright so I would be teaching her basic commands: recall, sit, down, wait and fetch. 5 mins at a time 3 times a day. When she's gets something right, give her enthusiastic praise. You need to get that brain of hers occupied with something productive. I would also recommend you enrol her into obedience classes as soon as possible.

Blimey it is like a time warp - right back to the 70's.

She will grow out of biting as soon as her teeth have all come through.....

I've no idea, I was very young at the time.

None of my 3 puppies mouthed because they were taught from day one not to. They were also taught from an early age to retrieve which kept their mouths busy. Also, they had plenty of Kong toys to nibble on. The OP has made it very clear she's not happy being bitten but you do you.

@lionbrain I'm waiting for 'smack her over the nose with a rolled up newspaper' and 'bite her back'. Be the full set of shit, outdated advice then.

I have so much sympathy for you! I had almost identical circumstances (sadly lost our very old staffie, then got a new puppy and wondered what on earth I had done). I think possibly it’s a breed thing too? Everyone I know with labradors, spaniels etc seems to have had an easier time with the biting. It’s awful!

What worked for us was lots of naps, lots of toys always to hand to shove in his mouth, no loose clothing, lots of chews (appropriate to the age, carrots were good when he was a baby and those ones that you freeze). Giving him things to shred helped sometimes. Plenty of exercise, training classes, and basically just not engaging with him if he bit (hard to shake him off though!). Playpen helped, I know you aren’t supposed to use them as a punishment but he did get ‘time out’ and could still see us, just not launch himself at us with his teeth out..

Even as a two year old I still get the odd hard mouth or accidental nip (he goes for sleeves when he’s overexcited). I’m really hoping he finally stops at some point this year 🥴

Also teaching a solid drop, it works for arms and legs too (ask me how I know 🤣)

All the staffies I've known have been terrors for biting and chewing. I've no more advice to add but will hold your hand as someone also raising a pup on my own and finding it tough. It's overwhelming and intense and just ALL. THE. BLOODY. TIME!

And then they fall asleep beside you and they're the most beautiful thing you've ever known and all is forgiven... till they wake up again!

Come join us on the Summer 25 pup thread, we have squits, puke, not eating enough, eating too fast, grass seeds, zoomies and biting. Lots of biting solidarity!

sure it will appear soon

I've had been training dogs for over 40 years and have always used the bite them back method all my dogs are fine...... mob will be out in force

How is she with being handled? And were you trying to get her to toilet on hard ground, whereas under the hedge is soft?

Reason I'm asking is that she sounds very like our pup who turned out to have hidden pain. Hopefully not the case for yours, but wanted to mention it just in case

Hi again to the other posters, I was just saying what worked with me 😊I will get a different dog at one point and it may well not be the same teaching methods to work! To be honest for my first dog, she's been amazing and I'm not sure if it's luck!

That's a long way off though. I hope the OP keeps her sanity with the pup.

She's absolutely fine being handled - she's happy being picked up and loves a cuddle or belly rub. Under the hedge is no softer than the lawn, possibly harder since it's basically bare earth.

I did notice that she's stopping to sort of kick herself in the belly when she's rushing about trying to avoid pooping outside. I don't think it's pain though, because she's very happy to poop inside as soon as I turn my back. I think she just doesn't like being watched and is trying to distract herself when she's actually desperate to poop.

Vet this morning for the next lot of vaccinations, so I will mention it to them.

Some strange suggestions from some people. I'm not going to shout, bite her etc. I am going to continue distracting, removing myself, and then putting her in the kitchen for a nap before she gets too crazy. It'll be ok!

You’re getting a lot of conflicting (and sometimes bizarre!) advice here. Imagine biting your puppy, that’s so weird!

I’ll share what we’re doing as we’ve had success with redirecting biting so far! Definitely teach a firm, low pitched “no” or “stop” with a stop hand gesture. Just make sure you use the same word each time and never forget to praise and fuss him when he stops.

Our pup has some teething toys that are spiky which seem to provide good feedback for him and he’s loving his first pizzle stick. He’s been working on it for 3 days and I’ll take it off him when it gets too short so he can’t choke on it and replace it.

I’m not sure what is wrong with Kongs?? Our pup enjoys a frozen kong filled with meat/ fish paste and the coldness helps his teething.

If he starts biting, I just give him one of these and he’s soon fast asleep.

At the moment he’s able to manage an hour awake, then a couple of hours asleep.

It’ll also help when he’s had his injections and can start going for walks!

Sympathies @Unmute! Ours is a part bulldog breed who is now 9 months old and the biting was a constant until teething had finished. I cried because I thought we’d done something wrong and created an aggressive dog :( she is now the cuddliest dog ever, happy to sit on a lap for hours.
Things that worked for us - swaps/distraction, basically shoving something she was allowed to chew in her mouth when she got bitey (soft teddy, her blanket, even cardboard!)
A firm No and crossed arms when she tried to bite hands
Getting her out to training and socialisation as soon as she could post jabs, as well as putting in a walking schedule
Making sure she was sleeping enough, we both spent a lot of time in the early days nap trapped under her while on work calls!
It will pass I promise! Also there is a great puppy thread on here full of very supportive and lovely people who will listen and not judge

@Idratherbepaddleboarding Unfortunately biting your puppy back is still being offered as advice by some outdated trainers. I came across a woman a couple of weeks ago who said she was biting her puppy's muzzle every time it bit her. I agree. It is totally weird and bizarre.
In no way were lionbrain and I suggesting OP should do this. We were discussing outdated methods people shouldn't still be spouting as appropriate ways to train a dog.

@UnmuteThat’s good, it sounds unlikely to be pain then

One thing we found helpful with the biting was to get loads of small soft toys and then teach a ‘hold’ command, so that she would hold one of them in her mouth when told to. Ours is a working breed though, not sure it would’ve worked with our previous bully breed, but maybe worth trying just in case

@SpanielsGalore oh I know, I’m sure I saw one poster saying she did it though, I can’t check as I’m having no end of problems with MN loading properly at the moment! I can’t imagine biting the muzzle is a bitey puppy, if nothing else putting your face in the proximity of a mouth full of puppy teeth seems like a recipe for disaster!