# 10 week old cocker spaniel puppy initial training!



## sav37 (Aug 25, 2011)

Hi

We brought up a 10 week old black cocker spaniel puppy on Saturday to join our family (husband, me and cat!)

We are crate training and house training with wee's and poo's and so far okay however, he's really not getting the hang of sit which is the first command I am trying, the problem is he wants my hands or to jump up rather than anything else, any tips?

Also, how long does it take for a puppy to understand no or does this just come with perseverance? He is doing a lot of biting and I really want to nip this is the bud. I have not shouted at him as I know this is not how you should train a cocker, I am trying with a deep voice but he thinks its quite funny and gets excited.

The vet has changed his food as he had diarrhoea, this is only for the short term, this also meant he could not have his first injections so this will be next week now. This means no kibble as treats (breeder mix which we bought when we got him) The vets suggested cooking some chicken and giving him small pieces to use as treats when training.

He is a huge bundle of fun, copious amounts of energy and just running from one side of the house to other, on the sofa dive bomb pillows and then start again, if you are in the way then this is just more fun! We do have an open plan lay out downstairs but I have got the lindam playpen which is simply being used as room dividers or stair blockers when time out to calm down is required and to stop him going upstairs.

Any useful tips, I would like to master the basics before he can start any form of training outside of the home / garden.


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## Wiz201 (Jun 13, 2012)

Puppies will mouth and bite - training in a deep voice wouldn't do you any good really. We've just got a cocker x poodle and he's very mouthy, but I've been training him by luring him into position and saying sit, then giving him a treat. You can get the cooked chicken or ham in packets but I just bought him some little puppy sized treats. If he gets really giddy and mouthy, I put him in the crate to calm down as I know he's getting overtired. Otherwise its just the case of offering toys to play with instead of your hands which is easier said than done. 
Puppies don't come understanding the word no - I use ah ah! which temporarily stops him when he becomes too rough with the biting and then offer a toy. For the most part, I just distract him from chewing the wrong item and redirect onto another. 
Something I'm going to do with Teddy is start lead training him in the house/garden, getting him used to the feel of the collar and lead, and associating it with treats so he thinks its a good thing. 
Play some hide and finding games with him by hiding a favourite treat or toy and he has to use his brain to find it.


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## smokeybear (Oct 19, 2011)

sav37 said:


> Hi
> 
> , he's really not getting the hang of sit which is the first command I am trying, the problem is he wants my hands or to jump up rather than anything else, any tips?
> 
> ...


Here are some articles on this subject by qualified, reputable trainers and behaviourists

The Bite Stops Here by Dr Ian Dunbar

http://cleverdogcompany.com/tl_files/factsheets/Puppy biting.pdf

Puppy Play Biting Leads to Marks on Hands and Arms | Animal Behavior and Medicine Blog | Dr. Sophia Yin, DVM, MS

http://www.deesdogs.com/documents/teachingbiteinhibition.pdf

http://www.apbc.org.uk/system/files...t_1_Puppies_-_Mouthing_and_biting_low_res.pdf

http://www.apdt.co.uk/content/files/training-tips/Playbiting_000.pdf

DVD
Your Clever Dog: Puppy biting, chewing and over-excitability with children
Sarah Whitehead
All puppies bite! They come with a set of needlesharp teeth that a shark would be proud of. This behaviour is perfectly normal, but needs to be prevented in order for the dog to become a calm and social member of the family.
This DVD is specially designed to show you exactly what you need to do to reduce and then stop your puppy from biting and mouthing using only kind and fair methods, and the secrets that top dog trainers know.
This DVD also covers the essentials for making sure that your puppy chewing machine flexes his teeth on all the right things, and leaves your shoes, the kids toys and your furniture alone.

Sarah Whitehead also gives advice on puppies and children, and how to ensure they grow up happily together
.
Including:
 Why biting is an integral part of your puppys development
 How to control your puppys biting
 How to keep kids safe with your puppy
 How to play with your puppy to help control biting

The pack contains: A clicker, tab handle, training manual, instructional DVD, 55 mins approx running time including Bonus trick, Bonus Training Session, Intro to Clicker Training, Q & A with Sarah
Dogtrain.co.uk


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## Cay (Jun 22, 2009)

He looks like a working type Cocker so you may want to read up on them so you know roughly what to expect when he is older. When he nips you make a yelp noise which should make him pause as that is what his littermates would have done .


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## Fluffster (Aug 26, 2013)

Aww he's gorgeous, very like my Daisy (she's 6 months now)!

Cockers are often known as Cockerdiles as they can be quite play bitey! Daisy is calming down with it now, she mouths a little but very softly now which is fine. We did as others have sugegsted with her, when she got too bitey, we'd do a sharp yelp. If that didn't stop her, we'd put her on floor and ignore her, and if she still persisted, she'd go in the utility room for a time out. At 10 weeks old, you'll have a little while longer of play biting to cope with, just stay consistent. 

He will also be teething and his gums might hurt so make sur ehe has plenty of stuff to chew on. We used to give Daisy a meaty ice cube if we thought her gums were particularly sore, and she had loads of chew toys to use. 

For teaching sit, we held a treat in one hand and brought it over Daisy's head while saying the command, then when she sat we gave her the marker word, "good" and treated her. She picked it up pretty fast but it just takes patience and repetition!


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## sav37 (Aug 25, 2011)

Thanks for the replies, yes he is a working cocker and I did quite a lot of research on the breed before we got him from a reputable breeder in my area. The breeder knows that we are unlikely to work him but breeds and trains to a temperament that they will make excellent working dogs or great family pets. I have also contacted a local gun dog trainer for once he has had is injections who does one to one or group training for the family pet or active worker, depending on your preference.

My problem is unfortunately he did not have his first injection before he left the breeder and was due to have it yesterday, however as explained previously will not now be having this until next week which means I cannot even begin any professional training for another 4 weeks and he will then be 14 weeks old.

I have looked at some of the advice provided and already had a book on cocker spaniels and today I did manage to get him to sit, albeit he's forgotten now, but hey tomorrow is another session 

I'm going to give it until Friday and if I don't feel I am becoming pack leader with him then I may see if I can get some one in to help advise me on home training. 

On the plus he is really good on his lead, in his crate and loves his food, even though his diet has changed and he had a poorly tum, which is getting better.


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## springerpete (Jun 24, 2010)

Beautiful puppy, you've had some good advice from other members, My only advice would be not too expect too much at first, he's a youngster, just concentrate on one thing at a time and don't consider trying to teach him ''Tricks'' untill you have the basics sorted out. 
In the meantime let his confidence in you and his new home grow, and enjoy his puppy days, they're shortlived so make the most of the sillyness that goes with it. 
Good luck with him, I'm sure he'll come along nicely. ( Is he from working stock. and we do need more pictures, especially us spaniel freaks.)


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## Pawscrossed (Jul 2, 2013)

No advice apart from I took my time with Wilf and to say what a lovely pup you have


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## Fluffster (Aug 26, 2013)

sav37 said:


> Thanks for the replies, yes he is a working cocker and I did quite a lot of research on the breed before we got him from a reputable breeder in my area. The breeder knows that we are unlikely to work him but breeds and trains to a temperament that they will make excellent working dogs or great family pets. I have also contacted a local gun dog trainer for once he has had is injections who does one to one or group training for the family pet or active worker, depending on your preference.
> 
> My problem is unfortunately he did not have his first injection before he left the breeder and was due to have it yesterday, however as explained previously will not now be having this until next week which means I cannot even begin any professional training for another 4 weeks and he will then be 14 weeks old.
> 
> ...


I wouldn't worry about pack leader stuff, aside from the fact I don't believe in any of that stuff, he's just being a typical puppy at the moment. He's still very, very young and everything will be a game to him, so just have fun with him and enjoy him 

Play with him, do some light training but nothing too heavy, and most importantly, socialise him to sights, sounds and smells of the outdooors - either in safe locations and with friends, or by carrying him around with you.


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## sav37 (Aug 25, 2011)

springerpete said:


> Beautiful puppy, you've had some good advice from other members, My only advice would be not too expect too much at first, he's a youngster, just concentrate on one thing at a time and don't consider trying to teach him ''Tricks'' untill you have the basics sorted out.
> In the meantime let his confidence in you and his new home grow, and enjoy his puppy days, they're shortlived so make the most of the sillyness that goes with it.
> Good luck with him, I'm sure he'll come along nicely. ( Is he from working stock. and we do need more pictures, especially us spaniel freaks.)


Yes he is from working stock, the sire is a FTCH as are his grandparents, great grandparents and great great grandparents on the sire side. The dam isn't but was absolutely beautiful and is a working dog, and his great grandparents and great great grandparents on the dam side are FTCH, so he's got pretty good genes. I will definitely post more pictures once I can get him to sit still enough. And I agree I am so worried that he is not trained in the slightest that I may forget his puppy years, it would just be nice if he could calm down for 5 minutes to have a cuddle


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## Fluffster (Aug 26, 2013)

sav37 said:


> And I agree I am so worried that he is not trained in the slightest that I may forget his puppy years, it would just be nice if he could calm down for 5 minutes to have a cuddle


Believe me, it does get better! Daisy is six months now, and in the evenings we can have some cuddles  She's still a hyper little thing though!


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## springerpete (Jun 24, 2010)

He's a pup, it's what they're like I'm afraid. Enjoy it.


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## sav37 (Aug 25, 2011)

We had over 5 hours of cuddles last night in the end as we both fell asleep on sofa, wee and crate at 4.40 this morning!!


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## moonviolet (Aug 11, 2011)

If you only read one puppy book i'd recommend this one. "Life Skills for Puppies: Laying the foundation for a loving, lasting relationship" by Helen Zulch.


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## springfieldbean (Sep 13, 2010)

He's a beaut! More pics please!! 

I have a working cocker spaniel too, also with a family full of FTChs, and I have to say I didn't much enjoy the puppy days! But by the time he was 6 months old he had calmed down quite a bit, and now, at 2.5 years, he's a lovely young gentleman (when we're not out somewhere exciting!). He is still the liveliest dog I know though - always ready for anything even when he should be physically exhausted, but his energy is more easily controlled and he's got much more focus than when he was a young pup.

He was mouthy when he was very little too - always biting sleeves and any loose clothing, and occasionally breaking skin. The best way for us was to simply turn away and say nothing - it's the interaction he loves, so removing that was the quickest way of teaching him not to do something! Squealing no, as lots of people recommended, just made him more excited! After a couple of months he just grew out of the mouthiness completely, and he's not a chewer at all. I don't think you need to worry much about the bitiness really, it's just a normal puppy stage.

One thing I'd suggest even before you can take your little guy outside, is to start lead training him. Pulling on the lead is a big problem for a lot of working cockers because they have so much drive to be out in front, flushing, so if you can teach him not to pull before you even get him outside that could save a lot of stress later on! Just let him know he's not going to get anywhere by pulling, only when the lead's slack. I didn't get this right with Sherlock and it's taken a lot of time to get him to walk ok on the lead, and he still pulls if it's a new or exciting walk.

I think cockers might be prone to having sensitive stomachs. Sherlock often has loose stools, and I know other working cockers who are the same, particularly it seems in the early years. I think maybe their high levels of excitement might affect this, as Sherlock seems worst when he's somewhere new or exciting. We can't feed him kibble at all, but there are some wet foods that he does well on, it just took a while to find them!

How's your cat taking to the puppy? We have a cat too - she wasn't impressed when Sherlock first came home, but she loves him now


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## sav37 (Aug 25, 2011)

Socks is not that sure at the moment but considering he is not used to dogs he is doing really well, no swiping and no hiding away upstairs (any more than usual)! He doesn't yet sit in the same area as Charlie but you can hardly blame him with Charlie thundering around! He does seem to love to watch him from half way up the stairs, which was always his favourite place to sit anyway, and the main thing he is coming back as normal when he's been out exploring  

I've uploaded a few photo's for you


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## springerpete (Jun 24, 2010)

He,s a handsome chap and no mistake.


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