# puppy + arguments = broken family



## sammyoliver1991 (Jul 7, 2011)

hello, 

I'm 19 and have a 15 week old puppy, he is a springer spaniel crossed with a staffy and lab! he is an amazing dog with me my sister (23) and my mum and dad, as well as anyone he sees and any other animals. 

He has always been good but since I have finished college he has been naughty , I am at home with him all day and all evening and go out occasionally or go to work but apart from that I will be at home with the pup. When it is just me and him he is good as gold, he will sit on my lap, play with me, go on walks and has immaculate behavior  as soon as a member of family come back from work or someone else comes and sees the pup he bites me, not anyone else just me! it is really upsetting and starting to cause some really serious arguments and issues at home. I have tried every technique for him to stop and have been left with some nasty bruises and cuts! but then as soon as they leave the room he is perfect again. 

can anyone please explain why this is happening and how i can make it stop! please I cannot cope with this any more. :confused5: 

Thankyou so much x


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## Rottiefan (Jun 20, 2010)

What's he like with other family members when they are on their own with him?

Your pup may well just becoming over-excited by the presence of someone new in the room. He is with you a lot, so has chance to relax, but the change in the environment is causing him to become over-stimulated and begin mouthing and nipping. There are two things I recommend you begin doing.

1) Start teaching bite inhibition. Pups need to learn how to use their mouths correctly. Their mouths are like our hands, so they will use them to explore/pick up and grab. However, when we take a pup into a human household, they most likely have not had enough time to learn appropriate jaw pressure yet and thus we have to help them with this. Have a read of these two articles and training programmes: 
Puppy Biting | Dog Star Daily
Teaching Bite Inhibition | Dog Star Daily

And have a look at this video by Kikopup:
YouTube - ‪Stop puppies biting- clicker dog training‬‏

2) The next most important thing I recommend is to reward and reinforce calm behaviours when he sees other people come into the room. Practise someone walking into the room and immediately treating when your pup looks at the person(or click and treating if you are using clicker training like in Kikopup's video). Use his daily meal food. If he begins to mouth and bite, ignore and/or walk away but as soon as he stops, reward.

This is a common problem, but try not to fall into any pit falls, i.e. do not try and physically correct him or roll him on his back, or anything silly like that. He's at an age now that teaching bite inhibition is critical- it should really have been started as soon as you got him.


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## XxZoexX (Sep 8, 2010)

Hello and welcome..
At 15 weeks im imagining you have a long way to go before you achieve a perfect doggy companion, behaviorwise.
It sounds to me like he is biting out of over-excitement. 
What routine does he have? what training do you do with him and what food is he fed on? All can have an effect on behavior  
Im sure some more experianced people will be along soon 

ETA Like above :lol: (trust me to get distract midway through writing a post :lol


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## Sleeping_Lion (Mar 19, 2009)

Other than the excellent advice above, the one thing that struck me, when I read your post, is you're spending too much time with him. Dogs do need their own time, it's important they can learn to be on their own, and not rely on the presence of another human or dog.


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## sammyoliver1991 (Jul 7, 2011)

Thankyou for replying, hes really good with the others on their own to, will try those techniques its just causing a lot of trouble in the family coz its stressing me out! 

 thanks x


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## sammyoliver1991 (Jul 7, 2011)

XxZoexX said:


> Hello and welcome..
> At 15 weeks im imagining you have a long way to go before you achieve a perfect doggy companion, behaviorwise.
> It sounds to me like he is biting out of over-excitement.
> What routine does he have? what training do you do with him and what food is he fed on? All can have an effect on behavior
> ...


he wakes up at 6 when my dad gets up and goes for a long walk, he is then with members of the family untill 8, i wake up between 9-10 so is on his own for a hour or so, he then gets fed at about half 11 and taken for a walk at 12. at about 4 he has a small feed and family come home at 5, at half 7 he gets his last feed and goes on another long walk. its the routine we have had since he came home with us! we have recently changed his food?? didnt think of that ha. 
thanks for the reply


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## sammyoliver1991 (Jul 7, 2011)

Sleeping_Lion said:


> Other than the excellent advice above, the one thing that struck me, when I read your post, is you're spending too much time with him. Dogs do need their own time, it's important they can learn to be on their own, and not rely on the presence of another human or dog.


i am unfortunetly at home a lot! now i have college i am with him a lot, i do try and go out or work extra shifts but this is not always possible 

thanks for replying.


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## Rottiefan (Jun 20, 2010)

sammyoliver1991 said:


> Thankyou for replying, hes really good with the others on their own to, will try those techniques its just causing a lot of trouble in the family coz its stressing me out!
> 
> thanks x


Yep, puppies can do that. But this is what it is like to own and raise a dog. There's no automatic pre-programmed 'nice' behaviour setting- you need to train and socialise him to all the things he is going to meet in the world. Teaching nice focus, comfortable with being handled, good impulse control and making him meet loads of dogs and strangers (men, women and children) is all a must.

Good luck and don't hesitate to ask any more questions!


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## Sleeping_Lion (Mar 19, 2009)

sammyoliver1991 said:


> i am unfortunetly at home a lot! now i have college i am with him a lot, i do try and go out or work extra shifts but this is not always possible
> 
> thanks for replying.


I work from home a lot as well, but my dogs both stay downstairs on their bed, or the comfy chair, while I work upstairs. I think I'd bite anyone if I had to spend *all* day with them as well! :lol: :lol: :lol:

Seriously though, there is some good advice, that was just the one thing that struck me, because right from a young age mine have always been trained that when they are left, whether that's at home, or in training sessions ie in the back of the car, then they switch off and have a nap. Of course you can only train that if you give them time to themselves from a young age.


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## sammyoliver1991 (Jul 7, 2011)

Rottiefan said:


> Yep, puppies can do that. But this is what it is like to own and raise a dog. There's no automatic pre-programmed 'nice' behaviour setting- you need to train and socialise him to all the things he is going to meet in the world. Teaching nice focus, comfortable with being handled, good impulse control and making him meet loads of dogs and strangers (men, women and children) is all a must.
> 
> Good luck and don't hesitate to ask any more questions!


My dad is a site manager in a school, so he is interacted with classes and people every day (the kids love it at school) I often cannot go coz it scares the kids when he bites me!! its annoying coz he is such a good dog and this biting is annoying me, where we live in a bungalow the only way to escape is in my room and I dont want the dog feeling like he has won if i go in my room all day? i have tried every technique and method and nothing seems to work. the bits are getting worse and are getting very large and deep! really getting to me and even considering selling him (which i really dont want to do) but its tearing the family apart coz they blame me for his biting!!  x


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## grandad (Apr 14, 2011)

There is some good advice on here. If he bites you SCREAM and either remove him from the room or walk out of the room and let him cool down. Give it a few minutes and try again. If he does it again repeat. He'll learn that bad behaviour = no assocation with you.


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## Rottiefan (Jun 20, 2010)

sammyoliver1991 said:


> My dad is a site manager in a school, so he is interacted with classes and people every day (the kids love it at school) I often cannot go coz it scares the kids when he bites me!! its annoying coz he is such a good dog and this biting is annoying me, where we live in a bungalow the only way to escape is in my room and I dont want the dog feeling like he has won if i go in my room all day? i have tried every technique and method and nothing seems to work. the bits are getting worse and are getting very large and deep! really getting to me and even considering selling him (which i really dont want to do) but its tearing the family apart coz they blame me for his biting!!  x


Did you not look into bringing up a puppy when you first got him? Sorry if this comes across as harsh, but I feel like you have bought this pup without any clear insight into how to manage him and without any realistic understanding of what it takes to own a dog. He is not being 'naughty', he's being normal.

When you say you have tried every method, how do you mean? Things don't get fixed overnight. If this was a child who lacked appropriate upbringing, we wouldn't expect him/her to be fixed and learn new, more appropriate behaviours in a day or two- it takes time and consistency. There is no difference with a dog.

If you have been using physical methods (such as slapping/hitting/holding him down) or shouting at him, you may be making this behaviour worse. It is worrying that he is causing so much damage, so it is paramount that you begin teaching bite inhibition.

You are at home most of the day, so you have ample opportunity to get into training and take a hold on this behaviour. Take a good look through Kikopup's channel on You Tube to see how to tackle and teach behaviours- have fun with your dog and gain more control 

Even teaching a very solid 'SIT' will work- if he's sitting, he's not jumping and biting.

If you palm the dog off at this age, these problems are going to get worse. If no-one works on these behaviours now, he may end up causing a lot more damage when he's a bit older. It's time to take some serious responsibility with this dog. :thumbup:


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## NicoleW (Aug 28, 2010)

It might be worth also to take him to a puppy training class?

When you know people are coming, have a kong with peanut butter ready and hand it to him as soon as they get through the door, it might be good enough to resist nipping on you!


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## cinnamontoast (Oct 24, 2010)

Exchange the hand for a toy, he will be teething soon. At what age was he taken from mum? She and his littermate would normally teach him bite inhibition, looks like you'll have to do it (do what grandad said). Sounds to me like he thinks you're a littermate as you're with him so much. 

Read up on walks: it's accepted practice to do 5 minutes per month of age or you risk screwing up his joints.


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## Sled dog hotel (Aug 11, 2010)

sammyoliver1991 said:


> hello,
> 
> I'm 19 and have a 15 week old puppy, he is a springer spaniel crossed with a staffy and lab! he is an amazing dog with me my sister (23) and my mum and dad, as well as anyone he sees and any other animals.
> 
> ...


You said you take him out of walks, but do you have a regular set routine, and is he walked at regular times and amounts every day, if you dont his exercise levels and frequency of going out may be something to look at. That
should possibly get rid of excess pent up energy making him more settled in between.

You said you play with him and sits on you lap but dont mention any sort of training. Do you do any training with him? At this age they are usually receptive to training and eager to please so its an excellent time to start.
Even 2 or 3 sessions a day, for 10/15 minutes mixed with a bit of play inbetween his walks at regular intervals, will keep him mentally stimulated and again get rid of excess energy making him more likely to be settled in between. Pups tend to have periods of hyper energy and then sleep in between or they should. They can get over stimulated and cant/wont wind down on their own. I notice you say he is with you all the time you are there?
Its not good for them they can become over dependant and then when you do have to leave them, can get anxious. distructive or vocal.

I would make him a wind down area, either crate train him (If you consider it though and have never used one get advice first. Done wrongly he wont take to it) or make him a bed and wind down area in the kitchen. Put his bed in there, some toys, Kongs are good, solid hard rubber with a hollow centre, you stuff with wet or dry or a mixture from his food allowance, you can make it more interesting by coating the inside first witha smear of peanut butter or cheese spread and add, bits of chicken or ham or other goodies. Treat Balls/toys are good too, you put kibble in them from his allowance and set them to distribute pieces here and there as they play. Chews are good too,
chewing de-stresses and winds down pups. Between the Training/play sessions and the walking/exercise, give him periods on his own to wind down.
Start with a few minutes if you need to and build the time up longer and longer.

Taking him to training classes would be good, it will learn him to socialise with other dogs, and you will be taught how to train him, you can then practice through the week at your home training sessions. Welcome to APDT - Association of Pet Dog Trainers UK should find a decent one in your area. Or ask if the vets can reccomend any good trainers/classes.

What sort of games do you play with him, Rough housing, fighting games down on the floor at his level, is likely to encourage the biting nipping behaviour. Swop it instead for walking, training sessions mixed with more structured type play, you invite the play, and if he starts to get hyper cease it and ignore him until he has calmed down, then resume play. Make him work for his attention and treats. You put him through his traininnd he does as you ask he gets rewarded for doing it with attention and praise.
Any behaviour you dont want, fold your arms turn you back and walk away and ignore him until he is calm and stayed that way for a few minutes then attention and praise. If he doesnt sop put him in his wind down area and leave him to calm down, let him out ignore him to make sure he has calmed and stayed that way then attention and praise.

What you are basically doing in all this, Is putting a structure in place of regular exercise, training and rest and wind down periods. Rewarding with treats praise and attention behaviour you ask for want/ and ignoring and he gets nothing for behaviour you dont want. With the obdience training too you should find you also get control of him.


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## newfiesmum (Apr 21, 2010)

cinammontoast said:


> Exchange the hand for a toy, he will be teething soon. At what age was he taken from mum? She and his littermate would normally teach him bite inhibition, looks like you'll have to do it (do what grandad said). Sounds to me like he thinks you're a littermate as you're with him so much.
> 
> Read up on walks: it's accepted practice to do 5 minutes per month of age or you risk screwing up his joints.


I agree. Have a chewy or nylabone ready and as soon as you see him about to bite you, shove that in his mouth instead. I think it is just some form of excitement at the sudden presence of other people, but I am no expert. Whenever anyone comes to my house, one of my dogs will pick up something to show them. It could be a shoe, the remote control, anything that is handy. I am not saying it is the same, but it could be a variation of this.

As said, 5 minutes per month per walk. He is four months, he should not be going out for more than 20 minutes at a time, once or twice a day.

The other thing that strikes me is that you should never walk the dog straight after a meal. It is unlikely that a dog that size would get gastric torsion but it can certainly happen, and if not all sorts of other digestive problems.

And he won't think he has won - dogs do not think like that. You need to get away from him for short periods - go down the pub or go window shopping or something.

When you do find a job he is going to be suddenly left alone and most likely suffer from separation anxiety.


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## tiggerthumper (Apr 22, 2011)

Hey, I have the same problem as you...I have a puppy and his behaviour at times causes friction and arguments.
It won't be like this forever, choose a technique for dealing with each individual problem and stick with it, be consistent. The important thing is that everyone else in the household follows the same techniques.
The problem I have is that everyone has their own ways of how they think these things should be dealt with, consistency goes out the window! It's hard and I suspect that perhaps you are dealing with a similar thing.
I would sit down with everybody, explain how it is you want to train/teach your pup and ask everyone to follow the plan, explain how you expect the training to work, give time frames etc and your family will see you have a plan, are taking it seriously and support you with consistency so the pup doesn't get confused,
good luck xox


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## leashedForLife (Nov 1, 2009)

2 FREE books - 
Free Downloads | Dog Star Daily

they cover teaching a soft-mouth AKA bite-inhibition, socialization, & housetraining.

how old was the pup, leaving dam & litter? :001_huh: most pups who leave at 8-WO do not bite to cause bleeding. 
bites that bleed are not mouthing - see the books for help.


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## swarthy (Apr 24, 2010)

sammyoliver1991 said:


> he wakes up at 6 when my dad gets up and goes for a long walk, he is then with members of the family untill 8, i wake up between 9-10 so is on his own for a hour or so, he then gets fed at about half 11 and taken for a walk at 12. at about 4 he has a small feed and family come home at 5, at half 7 he gets his last feed and goes on another long walk. its the routine we have had since he came home with us! we have recently changed his food?? didnt think of that ha.
> thanks for the reply


Three long walks for a puppy of this age is seriously bad and potentially could condemn him to a life of hip dysplasia and other serious joint problems.

There is a 'loose' 5 minute rule for on-lead walking - of around 5 minutes per month of age up until around a year old - i.e. 20 minutes at this age.

This doesn't mean he can't be out longer - walks at this stage should be socialisation opportunities to expore him to people, other dogs, children, traffic etc

I would also look at balancing his meals out a bit more - earlier in the morning - lunchtime and then evening.

It's hardly surprising the puppy is getting hyper when others are around - most dogs get excited when family members come home - but in addition to the serious potential health risks you are putting this puppy under with all this walking - you are also developing stamina at an alarming rate - i.e. - he will have an increasing amount of energy to expend - and this can and will be expended in the just the way you are talking about.

As has already been mentioned, you should also avoid spending all your time with him - it's imperative pups get used to being left alone for short periods that are built up. At present, you are setting yourself up for a dog who could suffer severe separation anxiety once you are back at college and the family are working - presumably he could potentially be left alone for relatively long periods.

===========================

You need to get him used to being on his own - both when you are in and out of the house - you need to spend some of the time you are home with him training - short 5 minute bursts of training at this age will mentally stimulate and wear him out far more effectively than 'long walks'.

========================

Sorry to be harsh - but this pup is causing issues now - if you don't revise how he is cared for and how he is exercised, you are going to end up with a 25 to 30kg dog displaying the same or worse behaviour - what sort of arguments will that cause?

This is a typical reason why so many pups end up in rescue once they hit adolescence.

If you continue with your current exercise regime for him, his hugely increased risk of exposure to joint problems will be a double edged sword - as, if he does develop problems, you will have great difficulty keeping him rested and entertained because of the level of stamina he will have developed.

If you haven't already done so, find a good training club - seriously rethink your exercise strategy and start ensuring that he spends time alone - in a crate or secure area if needed to ensure he doesn't take his biting hobby out on your furniture, or worse still, live electrics which could kill him.


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## grandad (Apr 14, 2011)

leashedForLife said:


> 2 FREE books -
> Free Downloads | Dog Star Daily
> 
> they cover teaching a soft-mouth AKA bite-inhibition, socialization, & housetraining.
> ...


Come on mods. THIS IS PROMOTIONAL ACTIVITY.


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## Malmum (Aug 1, 2010)

I'd also try ignoring him occasionally too if he comes up to you for attention. He should start to learn to earn your affection, in other words tell him to sit before you stroke him/let him out/feed him everything really. Don't let him be pushy with you even if you don't think he's being bad and if you're on the sofa and he jumps on too put him down and make him stay there for a couple of mins then invite him up - your terms not his.

I love Flynn so much he used to take complete liberties with me, no one else just me. Everyone would say "he's not like this when you're not around" and that was pretty hard to hear. So I started ignoring him and not letting him get away with anything, it was sooo difficult for me as I doted on him. Now he sits before going out of the door for a walk, his dinner, going in the garden, getting in/out of the car - in fact everything and if he nudges my arm up when i'm on the computer I don't say a word and just ignore him, it's hard because there's nothing in this world I love more than to cuddle him but I do that loads anyway but when he's being sensible and calm. I don't make a fuss of him when I come in either, any of the dogs in fact as I don't want them going crazy with excitement whenever someone comes into my house.

It sounds like your dog is taking advantage of you too, especially if he's not doing this to anyone else, so when people come in distance yourself from him so as he can't bite you and make sure they totally ignore him too to stop him getting excited, he'll soon find it boring when people arrive - I mean you must be quite near to him for him to be able to do it. Def teach him bite inhibition also but as he seems to only bite you I think you need to show him he only gets things when he "works" for you.
I've done it with Flynn, he's a treasure with me now and my life indoors is no longer constantly considering what Flynn's doing, I can watch the telly, talk to people and be on the computer without any interruptions and I still have those wonderful Flynny cuddles.


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## sammyoliver1991 (Jul 7, 2011)

hello, Thank you all so much for your answers, I am going to try and answer the questions on here rather than quote them all individually. 

@Rottifan - it doesn't seem harsh, when I wrote this the family were home and things were stressfull, at the moment he is sat near me and not even bothering with the fact that I am here. I have tried to ignore him, but where its my arms he will bite he will then jump and bite my legs, even when im ignoring him. if i walk away he thinks its a game, so i tell him no and stand the other side of the gate and ignore him that way! is this something i should be doing? I have had a dog before so know how tough it can be 

@NicoleW - he is going to a day care centre every saturday to interact him with dogs and when we go on holiday he will be there for that time. i was hoping he might learn from the dogs that he cannot bite but if he carries on when were back we will be taking him to puppy lessons. 

@cinnamontoast - he is teething at the moment, he has lots of toys that help him with teething, i try and give him a toy and he goes for my arms, i will keep doing this in hope he will learn. 

@ sled dog hotel - i am going to change his walking so that it is not as much, he is just such an active dog and loves walking around. he loves running round the school fields as well. but yes all of the walking is at certain times and has been since we first got him. i have done a lot of training with him, he will sit, stay, come when called, currently working on "off" which he sometimes remembers but this needs more practice. he has a room where he can chill, it has all his toys (kong, chew toys etc). 

@newfiesmum - thank you, we are going to change the amount of time we walk him and when he is fed, and hope that this can help in some way. 

@tiggerthumper - i am so glad i am not the only one!!!! we are going to all sit tonight and discuss training and routine!

@leashedforlife - hello, he came home at 6 weeks as his mum was very ill and due to risk of infection couldnt let the litters have any more milk. the vets have said this shouldnt be the problem though and think he will just grow out of it.


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## NicoleW (Aug 28, 2010)

6 weeks is young  
Is it an infection that could be passed to the pups? Did you know the breeder?

No offence but it sounds to me like the breeder wanted rid asap, surely some pups may still be nursing off her at 6 weeks old?

Doggy day care isn't the same as obedience classes, I highly reccomend taking him there. It'll mentally stimulate him and build a good bond and trust between you and pup. You can tire him out by doing training around the house, it'll help him focus on you as well.

I agree with above poster (sorry forgot who you are) a simple SIT and stay command will work wonders, proof it and when people come around he won't be jumping up o r running around like a loon lol


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## sammyoliver1991 (Jul 7, 2011)

NicoleW said:


> 6 weeks is young
> Is it an infection that could be passed to the pups? Did you know the breeder?
> 
> No offence but it sounds to me like the breeder wanted rid asap, surely some pups may still be nursing off her at 6 weeks old?
> ...


it was young but vets gave permission to let us have him so that he doesnt catch any infection. knew the breeders as they live near us, they were not breeding dogs just their own pet and next doors bet got it on lol. trying the sit command and see how that works. its only a week or so till i go on holiday so will take him puppy lessons after!! thanks for replying.


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## swarthy (Apr 24, 2010)

sammyoliver1991 said:


> @ sled dog hotel - i am going to change his walking so that it is not as much, he is just such an active dog and loves walking around. he loves running round the school fields as well. but yes all of the walking is at certain times and has been since we first got him. i have done a lot of training with him, he will sit, stay, come when called, currently working on "off" which he sometimes remembers but this needs more practice. he has a room where he can chill, it has all his toys (kong, chew toys etc).


As per my previous post - you need to reduce it significantly - around 20 minutes on lead is more than enough for a puppy of this age - you should be using the rest of the time for socialisation


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## NicoleW (Aug 28, 2010)

sammyoliver1991 said:


> it was young but vets gave permission to let us have him so that he doesnt catch any infection. knew the breeders as they live near us, they were not breeding dogs just their own pet and next doors bet got it on lol. trying the sit command and see how that works. its only a week or so till i go on holiday so will take him puppy lessons after!! thanks for replying.


No problem  Remember to try and stay away from trainers who talk about "dominance" alot, as those training theories are quite outdated.

I was quite lucky when I got Duke as he's always been a very VERY placid/laid back/fake puppy, so 20 minutes did us perfectly until he was around 10 - 11 months old. Saying that though, MOST of our day was based on training in the house and in the garden so he may have just been really tired from that.


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## leashedForLife (Nov 1, 2009)

sammyoliver1991 said:


> ...he came home at 6 weeks as his mum was very ill and due to risk of infection
> *couldnt let the litters have any more milk.*
> 
> the vets have said *this shouldnt be [a] problem though* and think *he will just grow out of it.*


A - putting a 'sleeve' on mum & switching the litter onto softened pup-kibble and/or milk-replacer in a BOWL 
would have kept the litter *together* & under the *care of their dam - * which is crucial for modeling good 
dog-to-dog social skills, & for installing bite-inhibition.

B - if the vet said that, i'd strongly recommend finding another vet! :yikes: 
they don't "outgrow" leaving dam & litter at 6-WO, *without carefully planned support & intervention*. 
it can leave lifelong behavioral deficits; vets learn about medical issues - anatomy, physiology, pharm. 
they *don't* learn about behavior - & that 7-day period when he was up on his legs, no longer on his belly, was 
*all he got of active-play with his siblings - * nowhere near-enuf to teach a soft mouth.

i strongly suggest finding other puppies for him to play with - in Ur garden, or in theirs - ASAP. 
he needs practice & loads of it, at free play with other young pups who HAVE good bite-inhibition. 
any pups who left their dam & sibs at 8-WO will do; the key thing is to have this happen _*now*_, not at some 
vague dreamed-of leisure time in the future.

he has already lost a lot of developmental learning; *over 2-months* from 6-WO to 15-WO, 
& he's a Staff-cross so will have very muscular jaws, neck & chest as an adult. i strongly disagree 
with the vet, & hope U find him multiple puppy-playmates just as soon as possible. he is ONE WEEK 
from losing his puppy-license ~16-WO, & beginning _*puberty*_ - this is very late, indeed. :yikes: 

i would also suggest desex no later than 6-MO, to avoid the added testosterone from 6-MO to the peak 
at 9-MO to 10-MO, when he will have more circulating testosterone than at any time in his life, ever again.

he has missed important dog-social early development, which really cannot be 'fixed'; his post-puberty relations 
with other dogs will be iffy at best, & avoiding his testosterone spike after 7-MO is one way to help stack the odds 
of a more-normal adult life in his favor. Once learned, such *male-pattern behaviors* as posturing displays [up on toes, 
body-wt forward, tail up & stiff, fixed gaze/mouth closed] & male-to-male reactivity [challenge, bully, bark or snark] 
*don't go away*. Preventing his learning of them will help him be a less-disruptive dog, as an adult.

i can't believe the vet said that, even so; those 3 weeks from 5-WO to 8-WO are behaviorally, the most crucial. :nonod: 
_*mom is not just a walking, breathing milk-bar - & the SIBLINGS' interactions are very important 
to each pup's normal development into adulthood.*_ 
please see the 'singleton' sticky for more-information on why pups without sibling-feedback are in trouble, 
from the day they are whelped - & often lifelong, unless they get a step-litter or good, effective intervention.


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## sammyoliver1991 (Jul 7, 2011)

leashedForLife said:


> A - putting a 'sleeve' on mum & switching the litter onto softened pup-kibble and/or milk-replacer in a BOWL
> would have kept the litter *together* & under the *care of their dam - * which is crucial for modeling good
> dog-to-dog social skills, & for installing bite-inhibition.
> 
> ...


what I meant is he will grow out of biting me the vet recons. it wasn't the vet i am currently at that said about coming home early, it was the previous vet he was with that have said this. he also interacts with both dogs and humans everyday, and loves it!!! you make this sound like it is my fault  he is a loving calm dog when i am with him (and when others are with him), when people are in the room he just bits me! 
thankyou for your reply anyway


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## newfiesmum (Apr 21, 2010)

sammyoliver1991 said:


> what I meant is he will grow out of biting me the vet recons. it wasn't the vet i am currently at that said about coming home early, it was the previous vet he was with that have said this. he also interacts with both dogs and humans everyday, and loves it!!! you make this sound like it is my fault  he is a loving calm dog when i am with him (and when others are with him), when people are in the room he just bits me!
> thankyou for your reply anyway


No it isn't your fault. I think LFL was just pointing out the reasons that puppies should not leave their littermates too early, so that you are aware of the problems you are going to have to deal with.

I personally think that he gets excited about people coming home. Perhaps when you hear them coming to can get out of his way and give him something else to chew!

I did once have a puppy at only four weeks, and I really don't recall any nipping problems, but it was a long time ago and I may have forgotten.


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## leashedForLife (Nov 1, 2009)

sammyoliver1991 said:


> what I meant is he will grow out of biting me the vet [reckons = thinks?].


so the vet thinks the pup will simply 'outgrow it' - & i am saying no pup just 'outgrows it', their dam & littermates 
*teach a soft-mouth thru active play & feedback from 5-WO to 8-WO, normally.*
the pups don't just grow like plants in a garden - they learn & develop, and their mother & sibs are important in that process.

he needs to be taught a soft-mouth, & the free books that i provided a link for, 
are among the best sources for tips to do just that - from Ian Dunbar, DVM. 


sammyoliver1991 said:


> it wasn't the vet i am currently at that said about coming home early, it was the previous vet [who] said this.


good! that's excellent, i hope the current vet is better informed on puppy development. :thumbup: 
it's hard to see how s/he could be less-informed, anyway. ;-)


sammyoliver1991 said:


> he also interacts with both dogs and humans everyday, and loves it!!! you make this sound like it is my fault


far from it - i blame the BREEDER of this unplanned litter, and the VET who gave bad advice - not U. 
U are the well-intentioned person who will be paying the price, along with the dog & Ur family, for their contributions.

i'm glad he sees many dogs, but try to get him exposed to play with other pups - his size, smaller & bigger, 
but all around his age - 14 to 16-WO, definitely no younger than 12-WO at minimum. 


sammyoliver1991 said:


> he is a loving calm dog when i am with him (& when others are with him),
> when people are in the room he just bites me!


again, even over-excitement should not cause him to bite so hard it breaks skin, or even leaves a bruise - 
that is what concerns me, if it were simply mouthing or nips, i would not be so worried by it. the *force* is what 
has me worried for his future behavior, & he will be leaving his mouthing-stage soon... it's important he learn 
a soft-mouth just as soon as possible, this stage is ending.

please see the books, _Before U Get Ur Puppy_ & _After U Get Ur Puppy_ - 
Free Downloads | Dog Star Daily

there's no way we can give as complete advice in posts, as can be had from 2 books - & they're good, safe sources, 
written by a vet who has specialized in humane-training for over 25-years.


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## kaisa624 (Mar 5, 2010)

I'm not really sure what to suggest, as everyone above have given you wonderful advice.

With the nipping thing, you can always try bitter apple spray (never used it personally but my dog trainer recommends it), however generally a very short high pitched yelp can work too. 

Just try to make sure that everyone sticks to the same rules and boundaries, so that your pupster gets everything the same, rather than mixed up signals


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## leashedForLife (Nov 1, 2009)

kaisa624 said:


> With the nipping thing, you can always try bitter apple spray (never used it personally
> but my dog trainer recommends it), however generally a very short high pitched yelp can work too.


i am assuming here that U mean to spray it on the *person - * skin or clothing?

that's actually an off-label use, as any taste-deterrent is for prolonged *chewing*, not nips or bites. :lol: 
that's when the tongue comes into contact with it long-enuf for the nasty taste to become a deterrent - 
if only the TEETH are grabbing & just for a few seconds, there is no time for 'tasting'.

if a dog is chewing on U like a bone, there's something more going on than puppy-mouthing. 

_*just in case - *_
there are also eejits who advise HOLDING the pup's MOUTH open & spraying the Bitter-Apple _*directly in the pup's mouth.*_ 
:yikes: this is _*not*_ an approved use, as per the maker - & in my personal opinion is frankly abusive.

i would avoid further contact with anyone who gave such extremely inapropos advice. :thumbdown: the fallout from such 
crude, highly-aversive handling could be lifelong & very-serious.


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