# Cocker spaniel pup is biting



## Oscar1

Hi

My 15 week old cocker spaniel Oscar is wonderful 70% of the time, but 30% of the time he is driving us mad by lunging and trying to bite, especially my young children. It isn't just general nipping you'd expect with a puppy, he actually goes for you. We shout 'no' and take him into the kitchen as punishment, but he just comes out and does it again.

Also we dont allow him up on the couch but he also constantly jumps up. Again he goes in the kitchen as punishment, but then emerges to do the same. 

We start training classes with him in 2 weeks, but can anyone give me any tips in the meantime as it is becomming a real problem. 

Thanks


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## Gemma83

I'm afarid that is "normal" puppy behaviour! 
But its good that you are going to a class and so you can teach how to not carry this behaiour into adult hood.

How are you saying no? Watch your tone you need to make your voice low for discipline and high pitch for rewarding. Trying saying "no bite" as it makes it clear what you are saying no too.

You could try doing a trainning rountine to calm him done and help him focus, using a bit of kibble and just get him to sit on command (give a bit of kibble) then down etc. I do this with mine, but I'm not sure if yours is a little young still for this, worth a try though. 

Good Luck!


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## Pink-poppy

I have a Springer pup that is nearly 8 mths old and he is still doing it!! Help when does it calm down?
He seems to like the taste of me, I have bruises all up my arms!! We say No and No bite but it dosn't seem to get us very far!! He is good most of the time but he lives up to the Springer name, he's full of energy!!
When ever he bites we put him in his crate and ignore him for a while and dont let him out till he has calmed down!! He only seems to bite when he gets very excited and has a funny 5 mins darting around the house!!
Let me know what they say at training!!


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## Gemma83

Pink-poppy said:


> I have a Springer pup that is nearly 8 mths old and he is still doing it!! Help when does it calm down?
> He seems to like the taste of me, I have bruises all up my arms!! We say No and No bite but it dosn't seem to get us very far!! He is good most of the time but he lives up to the Springer name, he's full of energy!!
> When ever he bites we put him in his crate and ignore him for a while and dont let him out till he has calmed down!! He only seems to bite when he gets very excited and has a funny 5 mins darting around the house!!
> Let me know what they say at training!!


Are you still feeding puppy food?


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## Guest

Here you go you might find this useful CanineConcepts Dog Training - Advice dog biting and dog bit inhibition


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## Nina

What are you feeding him? People so underestimate the implications of bad diet.

Check the protein level and look for any nasty e no's and colourants. 

Some breeder's will suggest that your puppy is fed on a high protein dry diet, which boosts growth. Personally, I have Luika on 3/4 dry and some wet food, which he loves.

However, biting in puppies is normal behaviour, and we are going through exactly the same with Luika. We are completely ignoring him when he starts, which usually results in him stopping. Remember, that puppies want attention. If they get a reaction - whoopeeeee


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## Pink-poppy

We changed his food about 1 month ago as we found out that what we were feeding him was like giving him a bag of skittles!!! Dont all shout at me as we didn't know any better but he was on Bakers!!!!! I know I know it's bad stuff and thanks to this site we have changed to Burns and it seems to be helping and he loves it!! But saying that he will eat anything lol!!
The biting has calmed down and we have realised that chasing him around the room to try and get him in his cage does not work!! We tell him no that he has been naughty, ignore him so he calms down then we can get him in his cage but we have to entice him sometimes with a treat, although the treat is a bit of his food from daily allowance but it works!!
I know there are many trainers that dont agree with treats but it works for us!!


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## Nina

BAKERS SHOULD BE TAKEN OFF THE DARN MARKET.

Sorry, but needed to get this off my chest


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## Pink-poppy

I agree now I know what it contains!! I think there should be a potition started to get rid of it!! The supermarkets and tv promote this rubbish all the time so people like me think it's a good thing!! I have actually said to people that i've seen buying it, how bad it is and they were shocked!!


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## daniellechua

Oscar1 said:


> Hi
> 
> My 15 week old cocker spaniel Oscar is wonderful 70% of the time, but 30% of the time he is driving us mad by lunging and trying to bite, especially my young children. It isn't just general nipping you'd expect with a puppy, he actually goes for you. We shout 'no' and take him into the kitchen as punishment, but he just comes out and does it again.
> 
> Thanks


Don't shout at Oscar as this will destroy the relation build between Oscar and all the family members, they will become fear of you.

Have you try giving him dog toys to bite? as Oscar is now experiencing teething period where bitting will reduce the pain during teething. So he will need something ( dog toys) to release the pain.

You might want to read this DOG TOYS article.Link Not Found - PinURL.com)


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## lemmsy

Oscar1 said:


> Hi
> 
> My 15 week old cocker spaniel Oscar is wonderful 70% of the time, but 30% of the time he is driving us mad by lunging and trying to bite, especially my young children. It isn't just general nipping you'd expect with a puppy, he actually goes for you. We shout 'no' and take him into the kitchen as punishment, but he just comes out and does it again.
> 
> Also we dont allow him up on the couch but he also constantly jumps up. Again he goes in the kitchen as punishment, but then emerges to do the same.
> 
> We start training classes with him in 2 weeks, but can anyone give me any tips in the meantime as it is becomming a real problem.
> 
> Thanks


Yer I'm afraid that this is normal. He is learning bite inhubition and could be starting to teeth also??
When he nips- you have to yelp and act hurt then ( he needs to have a house lead on for this) put him in time out for 10 seconds. To do this you put him the other side of a door alone and shut the door with the lead in between. Wait for 10 seconds and providing he is quite- you then let him back in again. This will be particularly effective as puppies in particular crave attention. It will take time and you have to be consistant with your pup- he/shewill get it eventually. 
Best of luck.


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## Badgerboy

Hi - I am having the same problems with my Springer Pup - he is now 6 months. We kept saying once he has stopped teething he will ok. Now he has been neutered and he seems worse than ever, although that was only a couple of weeks ago. Did you find a solution or did your puppy grow out of it eventually? He does the same thing orbiting round the house. He gets lots of walks so I don't think its that but when we try to stop him doing something he wants he is very stubborn and then jumps up and bites. Help!



Pink-poppy said:


> I have a Springer pup that is nearly 8 mths old and he is still doing it!! Help when does it calm down?
> He seems to like the taste of me, I have bruises all up my arms!! We say No and No bite but it dosn't seem to get us very far!! He is good most of the time but he lives up to the Springer name, he's full of energy!!
> When ever he bites we put him in his crate and ignore him for a while and dont let him out till he has calmed down!! He only seems to bite when he gets very excited and has a funny 5 mins darting around the house!!
> Let me know what they say at training!!


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## swarthy

As others have said - biting is all part of normal puppy behaviour - some grow out of it earlier than others, and then some will also be 'mouthy' just not with teeth.

Diet can impact on behaviour - but a change won't necessarily stop it - I raised my two eldest on meat / raw diet and bones - everyone was raving about Burns puppy - so I decided to try it - omg - it turned my girl into a psychotic raving lunatic 

Chasing, playing, time-out don't necessarily work - be VERY careful about the timing of any treats - that he has always stopped the biting before you give him anything - otherwise he will see it as you rewarding the biting.

My OH has got this irritating tendency to give the dogs a chew if they bark - it doesn't matter how many times I tell him not to do it - he does, and then whinges when they bark - not realising that HE has actually trained them to bark by what his actions when they are puppies :cursing: :cursing: :mad2: :mad2:


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## leashedForLife

Oscar1 said:


> My 15-WO Cocker Spaniel... is driving us mad by lunging and trying to bite, especially my young children.


EDITED to add today's newbie post: 


Badgerboy said:


> I am having the same problems with my Springer... now 6-MO.
> We kept saying once he's stopped teething, he'll [be] OK. ...he's been neutered &... seems worse than ever,
> although [his desex] was only a [few] weeks ago.
> Did you find a solution or did your puppy grow out of it eventually? *He does the same thing orbiting round the house.*
> He gets lots of walks so I don't think its that -- but when we try to stop him doing something [that] he wants,
> *he is very stubborn & then jumps up & bites.* Help!


 - SEPARATE the children from the pup, or the pup from the kids, whenever the kids run, squeal, wrestle, etc. 
wild or active play elicits chasing & biting; so does wrestling, grabbing, pokes, pulls, pinches, *HOLDING 
a pup's MUZZLE* - don't do that, it only frustrates the pup/dog & makes her/him dodge hands or snap 
when they see hands coming!, the vet or vet-tech will not thank-U for teaching the dog to fear & hate hands.

- read the *whole sticky - * including provided links: 
Help with a nipping pup - Pet Forums Community

- download the FREE books at DogStarDaily website

EDIT: _'stubborn'_ could just as easily be redirected frustration, over-arousal, excitement, a learned behavior 
that was inadvertently taught to him, or any of a number of other behavior-chains. Blaming the pup by labeling 
him 'stubborn' does not explain the behavior, & definitely damages interpersonal & interspecies relations. 

*i'd re-think that*, & find a new way to look at it: confused, poor past training, frustrated, hyped... 
how U label behavior ['dominant', stubborn, stoopid, BAD, etc] affects Ur perception & that of other people - 
especially kids.


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## Rottiefan

This post was from 2008!:smilewinkgrin:


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## leashedForLife

Rottiefan said:


> This post was from 2008!:smilewinkgrin:


see _post #12 - newbie with a 6-MO Springer, posted 4:30-pm today. _


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## Rottiefan

leashedForLife said:


> see _post #12 - newbie with a 6-MO Springer, posted 4:30-pm today. _


I did see it, but since you quoted the original OP's post, I thought you had missed something. Obviously not though


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## leashedForLife

Rottiefan said:


> ...since you quoted the original OP's post, I thought you'd missed something.


i edited to highlight the similar behaviors in today's post.  Sorry for the confusion!


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