Posted: Thu Jan 05, 2012 2:32 pm Post subject: Really struggling with new pup
My husband and I brought home a little black lab pup. 8 weeks old. He was used to his crate within a few days, doing basic commands and we thought we had the perfect pup. However, a week later a beast has been unleashed and he is a nightmare. We knew to expect this but we are so exhausted. He is fantastic during the night, doesn't cry and we get up once to let him out.
My main area of concern is his biting. We have tried everything. He bites me until I bleed and bruise and I am normally a calm person but he is testing my patience so much. I know he is little and needs to chew but everything we try isn't working.
I am home all day really so he gets plenty of time to play. But the past 2 days playing has meant being mauled! He has been basically toilet trained and started peeing all over the place again, ignoring commands.
We have wanted a dog for years and now he is here neither of us are enjoying him at all. This is quite a distressing thing to admit for me. I find myself dreading coming home as there is no joy in being around him, and wondering constantly if we've made a mistake and to return him. I am mad at myself for saying that but he has been hurting me quite badly.
Don't worry, you are not alone. I was like this with our cooper. I was black and blue with bruises. It will get better though.
As such a young pup, you need to make sure he has plenty of rest. So for you to give him maybe 20 mins or half hour of play, attention, he will and probably needs a bit of a nap. Part of his biting could be just over tired.
We found that yelping to mimick his litter mates when he got to rough only excited him more, so gave up with that.
Have you tried distracting him with a toy?
Time out is one we use, which really helps. If he gets too rough, we say, "ah ah, you've spoilt it" and get up, walk away and go out of the room for 10 seconds. Go back in, and if he is calm then praise gently and give him a toy or something. If he lunges again, straight back out you go. Until he learns that him playing like that, just means the attention is taken away from him.
Make sure you are taking him out regularly for wees and poos. In the excitement he may forget his housetraining. So after maybe 10 mins of play, out he goes, after he's eaten, drunk, woken up, out he goes.
His biting and boisterousness is just puppy play, combined with probably being over tired, needing to go to the toilet.
Cooper is 11months now, and he gets "wild" when he wants something and usually it's a wee or poo, or he is just tired, so he goes into his crate for nap and time out.
Another thing we used, when he got bigger and we couldn't easily get away from him without him chasing and lunging, was to put some coins in a used tin can and shaking that to shock him into stopping what he's doing.
Remember, when he is calm, and playing nicely, or settled with a toy on his own, praise him. Reinforce the good behaviour, and ignore the habits you don't want. Any sort of attention from you even when it's frustrated shouting, is attention which he will then try again to get from you.
If I am perfectly honest there was a point during Maggie's puppyhood when I felt exactly the same - I wouldn't have given her up but I really didn't like her very much at all I was constantly covered in scratches, bites and bruises and both my children had been mouthed - I questioned my own sanity in getting her in the first place. My desperation is what brought me to LF and I never looked back.
Maggie is five now, nearly six and the idea of not liking her is laughable - she is the light of our families lives along with her doggy brother
Please persevere and follow the advice given here and in time I am sure that Ramsey will become the dog you hoped he would be. Good luck.
I just wanted to say that all the advice you have been given so far is really good. I think everyone sometimes thinks 'omgawd what HAVE I done' when you end up with in effect a tiny baby that is mobile, can pee and poo and has shark teef.
It DOES get easier I promise. Having a crate is fab when they are little, have you got it with a blanket over it so you can make it dark? I have a lurcher pup here who is 6 months and is currently doing the pesky little brother from hell routine. He doesnt bite now but runs off with the remote, takes my phone, does the wall of death around the lounge, jumps on my other dogs etc and has literally just walked into the lounge with a fork in his mouth which he has just managed to get off the work surface. So we do the 'put the pup in the crate for a nap and some time out for everyone'. We put the cover over it, he generally has a nap and wakes up in a much better mood.
For hand biting if ahhhh makes them too excited, either give them another toy to hold which works well with labs as they do like to hold things or as we did in desperation, buy some anti chew spray from PAH and spray our hands with it when they were being particularly bitey. So one of my Guide Dog pups was always a bit of a shark when we came in from being outside, she would jump and bite at our hands. So just before coming in, I would spray one hand with the spray, she would attempt to bite and taste the disgusting spray which is harmless. She then decided quite quickly that biting was rather unpleasant. You had to remember to wash the spray off though rather quickly.....
The other thing you can do but it does need consistency, is the 'be a tree' method. The pup starts mouthing/jumping, stand up, cross your arms (hiding your hands) and turn away. No eye contact, no movement once you are standing up and no sound. If the pup is on your lap then put them down and be a tree. Absolute consistency is needed as if you sometimes they are allowed to get away with it, it doesnt work.
It will get better and you will enjoy your puppy, keep asking questions, there are loads of people on here that can help you xx
I remember thinking that my Bernie was a monster as when he was a pup he went through a phase of biting and general wild behaviour. He was horrible at times. This passed and now he is 3 years old and the most gentle loving dog you could wish for.
One thing we did do is give him a little more to eat and this helped as i don't think we were giving him enough food and he was biting us to ask for more food. I'm not saying your not feeding yours enough but it's one idea it worked for us.
Bare with it i'm sure it will get better the first year of having a new pup is hard work but it's worth it when you get the most loyal friend you could ever wish for.
Thanks everyone. As I say I knew to expect biting, we've had lab pups in our family before but this is the first time I am actually raising one myself (well, my husband too!)
We have tried standing up and standing still. Leaving the room. Holding his mouth shut. Tapping under his chin. Holding his lower jaw. Freezing his toys. Yelping. And the vet even told us to hold him down on his side until he 'submits'. Everything seems to make him more excitable. What terrifies me is he has literally launched at my face a few times with all his strength. How long does it normally take a particular technique to 'sink in'. I do wonder if I am getting frustrated and giving up too early.
Have any of you regretted getting your pups? I can't imagine actually taking him back but he is no fun to be around and I feel very guilty I am not enjoying him, especially since we wanted him for so long.
Do things improve when you can get out and about and tire him out on walks?
Also at what point should he be sleeping though the night? He is doing very well and holds for four and a half hours without any accidents or whining in his crate. We are not sure when to increase the amount of time before letting him out. He doesnt whine to get out, we set an alarm.
He is being fed 300g total royal canin puppy food a day as per breeders recommendation. Is this okay? He is big for his age!
I just hope he's still happy despite all this discipline!!!
One tip I tend to stick with is ignore the bad and praise like mad the good. You reacting to the biting and leaping is just giving him the attention he wants. So like someone said be a tree or leave the room. Is it worse at any certain times of day? If so preempt and pop him in his crate or in safe place with a kong or similar like a bonio to chomp on and let him have some down calm time.
____________ Sam, Coal & Finn
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I do know what you mean Bernie was vey much like this. I know it's really hard but when he's had his jabs and you can walk him he will calm down and after walks that's the best time to train them. Up until then try not to be too rough with him especially tapping around the mouth as they think this is a game.
I know it's really fustrating but just double check he is having enough food as this can make pups very irritable and wild.
@ your vet - that's rubbish!!! The only time we ever held Finlay down was because he had worked himself up so much we physically needed to restrain him to calm him down, not to make him 'submit'! So don't listen to that!!
We had this with Finlay - everything just wound him up and made it worse. And yes - I did regret getting him, well, in a way. But that feeling will pass eventually - I wouldnt be without him now.
What did eventually work for us was a tip that a trainer friend gave me. Basically when he bites, grab a handful of his scruff around he chest, give a small shake and firm 'NO!' In doggy language it means "I really mean this!". If he continues then walk away - game over. The first time I did this to Finlay he practically wet himself and came back to me all apologetic - I think he bit me one more time after that and then he got the message. Give it a go
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I was constantly covered in scratches, bites and bruises and both my children had been mouthed - I questioned my own sanity in getting her in the first place. My desperation is what brought me to LF and I never looked back.
in his mouth which he has just managed to get off the work surface. So we do the 'put the pup in the crate for a nap and some time out for everyone'. We put the cover over it, he generally has a nap and wakes up in a much better mood.
