# Help - Puppy Biting, Growling, barking



## Slinky192001 (Jan 31, 2010)

Hello

I hope someone can help. My 11 weeks old puppy seems a little fiesty 

It starts off with excitment and play and as i walk he will nip my trousers. I stop, move him away and give him his toy to play with. When i walk he will go for my trousers again. I move him away and he bites me, not nips, bites and somtimes doesnt let go breaking the skin. When i get my hand back he will growl bark and jump up trying again to bite. He will also do this if he is chewing something that he isnt supposed to be chewing and i give him his toy, he goes straight back to chewing my sofa so i pick him up and he bites me. 

I am not sure if this is normal for a puppy as this is the first pup i have had. I am also not sure what the best way to teach him not to do this? I cant walk him until the 26th August (2 weeks after 2nd injection)

I love him to bits but when he is like this it worries me as i dont want him to grow up with any aggression towards us. I am not sure what to do about this, we were trying 'the bite stops here' articals technique however this doesnt seem to be working.

Any advice that anyone could give would be great.
Thank You

Clare


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## RobD-BCactive (Jul 1, 2010)

Totally normal, and it's normal to be concerned, see the most read thread on the forum, the sticky "Help with a nipping pup".
It's disorganised, will take ages to get through, but you'll see what ppl have gone through.

BTW it's great you have started to research, it's the dogs who's new owners are complacent that have trouble down the line, missing out on vital stages like "Bite Inhibition".


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## Slinky192001 (Jan 31, 2010)

Thank You!!! Its nice to know that its not just Otis that does this, from reading the sticky its seems lots of puppies do this. I have picked up lots from spending the last hour reading this so hopefully we can work towards less blood being shed hehe :thumbup:


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## tripod (Feb 14, 2010)

Get your puppy to a puppy class run by an APDT training asap.

Get Dr Dunbar's Before and After You Get Your Puppy for free here: Free Downloads | Dog Star Daily

Heres more on mouthing antics: Nipping and mouthing and biting oh my! « pawsitive dogs

And there is also a thread in this forum on Puppy Biting with lots of advice and experience stories in there.

If he is doing this when you take things for him you better get working on a thank you cue, some resource guarding prevention and lots of non-confrontational ways to get him away from forbidden items.


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## RobD-BCactive (Jul 1, 2010)

Firstly tripod's advice shows the Sticky could do with being better organised. A "normal" problem doesn't mean you don't need to act.



Slinky192001 said:


> I am not sure if this is normal for a puppy as this is the first pup i have had. I am also not sure what the best way to teach him not to do this? I cant walk him until the 26th August (2 weeks after 2nd injection)


Not in doggie places, you could have your pup meet ppl in places few dogs go, or meet dogs you are sure are immunised.
There's also a thread on "Socialisation v Immunity" tradeoff.

We took some risk, once our pup had been at Puppy play part at vet, day after 2nd innoculation, if there was an expidemic in area, there's no way the vet would have allowed that.

Just try to avoid ppl going "Cute puppy!" and getting it going mental, jumping up on them. They learn quick and as an inexperienced dog owner, you don't need the old salts putting you down later for your dog jumping up (despite it being them who trained the behaviour) and making you feel bad, when you're actually doing a great job by finding things out.

I found starting obedience training helped a lot, because the food motivated puppy learnt that cooperation was best, and even inexperienced family members could then control him then (this was before a course when he wasn't allowed to walk).


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## Slinky192001 (Jan 31, 2010)

Hi,

We are joning a puppy training class on thursday. We have also been taking him out in our arms to get him used to sounds, people etc. He goes and see's next doors fully vaccinated dog a few times a week also. On monday next week there is a Fun day at the local RSPCA and we are thinking of taking him so that he can meet lots of dogs and people in a busy environment.

He has been much better today and the biting hard has been happening a lot less. Hopefully we are making progress.

Thanks for all your advice.

Clare


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