# One year old Whippet biting.



## Jess_Howman (Jan 31, 2018)

Hi, I'm looking for some advice. We own a 1 year old whippet who is extremely boisterous. He is very friendly and can be very laid back. It seems that in the evenings his personality completely switches and he begins to bark in our faces constantly, and if we go to touch him he puts his teeth on us and growl, it isn't really a bite its almost like a threat. He is wagging his tail during this so I'm unsure if it is just play but I am worried that it could escalate into something more serious. He gets walked twice a day so I don't think it is built up energy. Has anyone else experienced this? TIA


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## JoanneF (Feb 1, 2016)

Have you had him since a puppy? If so is this a new behaviour? If not do you know what sort of play was accepted in his last home? Have you experienced his adolescence; how was he during that? I should say I don't have answers but information about the above might help people understand the behaviour a little more.


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## Sarah1983 (Nov 2, 2011)

Do you do anything with him in the evening? I've found evenings seems to be when mine have been the most attention seeking regardless of what we've done during the day. Which often resulted in being barked at and other inappropriate behaviours. I always tried to pre-empt it and start a training session or other appropriate interaction with them.

Oddly enough, I'm finding my toddler is the same, evening is when he's most likely to push our buttons if I don't do something productive with him.


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## Sled dog hotel (Aug 11, 2010)

Jess_Howman said:


> Hi, I'm looking for some advice. We own a 1 year old whippet who is extremely boisterous. He is very friendly and can be very laid back. It seems that in the evenings his personality completely switches and he begins to bark in our faces constantly, and if we go to touch him he puts his teeth on us and growl, it isn't really a bite its almost like a threat. He is wagging his tail during this so I'm unsure if it is just play but I am worried that it could escalate into something more serious. He gets walked twice a day so I don't think it is built up energy. Has anyone else experienced this? TIA


Puppies can get hyper exciteable and it does often for some reasons happen in the evenings. Hyper exciteability and over stimulation can cause them to become attention seeking and start doing unwanted behaviours like mouthing and biting. He is an adolescent too which probably wont be helping. The barking in your face could be for attention, depending on how you react to it that could be making him worse and more exciteable and stimulated. Do you give him any wind down activities in the evening, chewing is often a good de stresser and wind down activity. Have you tried giving him something like a long lasting chew, or filled kong when you know its getting to the time he usually starts the zoomies as its often reffered too.

Puppies and young dogs will bark, chase, mouth and wrestle with their litter mates to instigate play and in play, from what you have said it does sound like he is possibly getting over excited and the more you react and give him attention it could be over stimulating him even more.


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## Jess_Howman (Jan 31, 2018)

I have tried a Kong, but don't think I'm filling it with the right stuff as it lasts Wilson around 5 mins and he becomes bored. Do you have any suggestions on what to put in the Kong? I am now trying to completely ignore the behaviour which is apparently best to do in these situations, I have only been ignoring it for a few days where as before I did react. Hopefully ignoring will help slightly.


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## Jess_Howman (Jan 31, 2018)

Sled dog hotel said:


> Puppies can get hyper exciteable and it does often for some reasons happen in the evenings. Hyper exciteability and over stimulation can cause them to become attention seeking and start doing unwanted behaviours like mouthing and biting. He is an adolescent too which probably wont be helping. The barking in your face could be for attention, depending on how you react to it that could be making him worse and more exciteable and stimulated. Do you give him any wind down activities in the evening, chewing is often a good de stresser and wind down activity. Have you tried giving him something like a long lasting chew, or filled kong when you know its getting to the time he usually starts the zoomies as its often reffered too.
> 
> Puppies and young dogs will bark, chase, mouth and wrestle with their litter mates to instigate play and in play, from what you have said it does sound like he is possibly getting over excited and the more you react and give him attention it could be over stimulating him even more.


I have tried a Kong, but don't think I'm filling it with the right stuff as it lasts Wilson around 5 mins and he becomes bored. Do you have any suggestions on what to put in the Kong? I am now trying to completely ignore the behaviour which is apparently best to do in these situations, I have only been ignoring it for a few days where as before I did react. Hopefully ignoring will help slightly.


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## Jess_Howman (Jan 31, 2018)

JoanneF said:


> Have you had him since a puppy? If so is this a new behaviour? If not do you know what sort of play was accepted in his last home? Have you experienced his adolescence; how was he during that? I should say I don't have answers but information about the above might help people understand the behaviour a little more.


We got him at 8 weeks old, he has been behaving like this for around 6 months now. I thought we had gone through the adolescence stage but now I feel like we have gone back to the start. I do think we are in the adolescence stage now as he is doing everything in his power to push my buttons and it is working!! He will steal things out of my bag or off the side and run away with it and chew it up, if you go near him to take it off him he will bite us and get in the 'Downward dog' position wagging his tail as if its all a game! Very frustrating!


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## Jess_Howman (Jan 31, 2018)

Sarah1983 said:


> Do you do anything with him in the evening? I've found evenings seems to be when mine have been the most attention seeking regardless of what we've done during the day. Which often resulted in being barked at and other inappropriate behaviours. I always tried to pre-empt it and start a training session or other appropriate interaction with them.
> 
> Oddly enough, I'm finding my toddler is the same, evening is when he's most likely to push our buttons if I don't do something productive with him.


He will normally be walked in the evening at around 6pm and then he will have his tea when we get home. After he has had his tea he will just go crazy for around three hours straight! He doesn't stop barking and running round until around 10:30 PM.


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## Sled dog hotel (Aug 11, 2010)

Jess_Howman said:


> I have tried a Kong, but don't think I'm filling it with the right stuff as it lasts Wilson around 5 mins and he becomes bored. Do you have any suggestions on what to put in the Kong? I am now trying to completely ignore the behaviour which is apparently best to do in these situations, I have only been ignoring it for a few days where as before I did react. Hopefully ignoring will help slightly.


There are some ingredients and even recipes for kongs on the link below. You can also get kong wobblers or busy buddy twist and treats in various sizes that you can fill with kibble or small treats, they have to paw and nose the toy about and a bit of kibble or treat drops out here and there as a reward and to keep interest, Long lasting chew treats can keep them busy too.

http://www.kongstuffing.com/

https://www.kongcompany.com/en-uk/products/for-dogs/interactive-toys/wobbler/wobbler/


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## MissSpitzMum (Dec 4, 2017)

You can also give him his tea in something interactive, which I've found to be invaluable during the teenage phase.

If you feed him wet you can fill kongs / easy clean puzzle toys (nina ottosson does good ones) with it.
If he's fed dry I've not used anything better than a Kong Wobbler for my boy, and I've tried alot! A Buster Activity Mat is also great.
If you feed him raw you could try giving him a bone in the evenings that he can munch on for a while, then feed him the other parts in washable puzzle toys / kongs.


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## Twiggy (Jun 24, 2010)

Jess_Howman said:


> He will normally be walked in the evening at around 6pm and then he will have his tea when we get home. After he has had his tea he will just go crazy for around three hours straight! He doesn't stop barking and running round until around 10:30 PM.


Does a dog walker exercise him at 6.00pm and are you at work all day?


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## Jess_Howman (Jan 31, 2018)

Twiggy said:


> Does a dog walker exercise him at 6.00pm and are you at work all day?


No, either me or my partner are always home by that time and are able to walk him.


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## Twiggy (Jun 24, 2010)

Jess_Howman said:


> No, either me or my partner are always home by that time and are able to walk him.


Sorry I've just re-read your post and realise you mean that you feed him after his walk.

Does he get free running exercise on his walks or is he kept on a lead? Sorry for all the questions but trying to get a clearer picture.


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## Siskin (Nov 13, 2012)

Is he walked at any other time during the day or is it just the evening walk


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## Jess_Howman (Jan 31, 2018)

Twiggy said:


> Sorry I've just re-read your post and realise you mean that you feed him after his walk.
> 
> Does he get free running exercise on his walks or is he kept on a lead? Sorry for all the questions but trying to get a clearer picture.


In the mornings he has an on lead walk for around 20 mins before we go to work, and then evenings its around 50-60 mins off lead and then he is fed when we get home.


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## Siskin (Nov 13, 2012)

Sorry another question. Do you feed him immediately when you come in after the evening walk when he's had an energetic run round?
This probably doesn't affect his behaviour in the evening,mbut I'm a bit concerned that feeding so soon after vigorous exercise could lead him to develop bloat as he is a deep chested breed which are more prone. It would be better to leave it at least half an hour if not an hour before feeding him.


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## Twiggy (Jun 24, 2010)

Jess_Howman said:


> In the mornings he has an on lead walk for around 20 mins before we go to work, and then evenings its around 50-60 mins off lead and then he is fed when we get home.


How many hours a day is he left whilst you're at work?

Siskin has beaten me to it but it most certainly isn't a good idea to feed him immediately after a walk, particularly if he's been running about. I always leave at least 1.1/2 hours either before or after exercise before my dogs are fed.


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## Jess_Howman (Jan 31, 2018)

Siskin said:


> Sorry another question. Do you feed him immediately when you come in after the evening walk when he's had an energetic run round?
> This probably doesn't affect his behaviour in the evening,mbut I'm a bit concerned that feeding so soon after vigorous exercise could lead him to develop bloat as he is a deep chested breed which are more prone. It would be better to leave it at least half an hour if not an hour before feeding him.


We normally get home and begin cooking our tea before we feed Wilson, so no its not straight after.


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## Twiggy (Jun 24, 2010)

OK that's good - try and leave at least an hour.

How many hours is he left whilst you are at work?


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## Jess_Howman (Jan 31, 2018)

Twiggy said:


> How many hours a day is he left whilst you're at work?
> 
> Siskin has beaten me to it but it most certainly isn't a good idea to feed him immediately after a walk, particularly if he's been running about. I always leave at least 1.1/2 hours either before or after exercise before my dogs are fed.


Maximum we leave him at once is 4 hours, which is only once a week. Other times its around 2 hours. We don't feed him straight away, he is fed around 30-40 mins after we arrive home, after we have tended to ourselves.


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## Jess_Howman (Jan 31, 2018)

Twiggy said:


> OK that's good - try and leave at least an hour.
> 
> How many hours is he left whilst you are at work?


Maximum is 4 hours but that's only once a week, other than that its 2 hours.


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## Twiggy (Jun 24, 2010)

OK that's also good and if that's the case then it sounds as if it's youngster high spirits which always seems to be in the evening when we humans want to lounge about in front of the TV.

Do you do any training with him? 20-30 minutes training mid-evening (at least until it's light in the evenings and he can run around in the garden) should make a huge difference. It doesn't really matter what you teach as long as he's using his brain. That tires them out far more than physical exercise. Have a look on YouTube (particularly Kikopup) for ideas on trick training, platform training, etc.


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## Teddy-dog (Nov 2, 2017)

Sounds like a typical high energy whippet! I love whippets, but they can be cheeky in adolescence! 

Most people have given good advice, it does sounds like he's trying to play. Ignoring him when he's barking is good, you need to give him no reaction so there's no reward. If he still does it you could try leaving the room for a second and then come back, so that when he barks the 'fun' goes. As already said, try get him to use interactive and brain games for his food and that wil tire him out mentally - and they actually love it! We give Teddy a kong and a treat ball sometimes, and he ALWAYS goes for the treat ball first, the kong is the easier food but he likes the ball! You can freeze kongs too to make them last longer. 

In regards to him stealing things and play bowing - sounds like he's stealing so you'll have a game of chase - my parents whippet loves a game of chase. Instead of chasing him and taking the object off him, try and calmly 'swap' the object for something else he'll enjoy, a toy or a high value treat. This will stop him guarding things he takes as he won't see you trying to steal back his fun object, you'll produce something else he likes. If using a treat, throw the treat away from him so he moves away to get the treat then you pick up the object he's taken. Also work on a good leave command which will help  

The teenage stage does end and most whippets become laid back with the odd zoomie thrown in. My parents whippets love a good play but now they're older they are pretty laid back


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## Jess_Howman (Jan 31, 2018)

Teddy-dog said:


> Sounds like a typical high energy whippet! I love whippets, but they can be cheeky in adolescence!
> 
> Most people have given good advice, it does sounds like he's trying to play. Ignoring him when he's barking is good, you need to give him no reaction so there's no reward. If he still does it you could try leaving the room for a second and then come back, so that when he barks the 'fun' goes. As already said, try get him to use interactive and brain games for his food and that wil tire him out mentally - and they actually love it! We give Teddy a kong and a treat ball sometimes, and he ALWAYS goes for the treat ball first, the kong is the easier food but he likes the ball! You can freeze kongs too to make them last longer.
> 
> ...


Thankyou so much, this has given me some hope! I was beginning to think I was going to have an aggressive dog!


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## Runa_Brandes (Jun 14, 2021)

Jess_Howman said:


> Thankyou so much, this has given me some hope! I was beginning to think I was going to have an aggressive dog!


Hi Jess,

I'd love to know how you're Whippy is getting on nowadays?

I'm in a very similar situation with my 10 month old male and feel like there's no end to it. Tried everything all the way to getting a behaviourist involved but still don't seem to be getting anywhere with his frustration/biting.

Thank you and hope you're still registered on here


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## SusieRainbow (Jan 21, 2013)

Runa_Brandes said:


> Hi Jess,
> 
> I'd love to know how you're Whippy is getting on nowadays?
> 
> ...


Hi Runa, I'm afraid Jess is no longer active on the Forum. It's probably best for you to start your own thread.


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