# HI!! Im new with a new springer spaniel puppy



## shez11 (Feb 21, 2011)

Hi,

Last week we brought home our now 8 week old sprocker spaniel puppy.. She is lovely but very hard work.

her crate training is going well.. she sleeps well at night with a lamp radio and my t shirt for company.
We wake up at 3am to let her out of her crate to relieve her self

She hasn't mastered the weeing outside yet as she tends to just do it anywhere and everywhere even after us waiting outside in the garden with her for ages she seems to hold it and do it as soon as she comes in???? which is a pain

Also the only other problem we really have is her biting.... she bites everything and everyone
she is a really feet chaser and its getting really hard work especially with my 2 children... we are currenly trying to follow advice from trainers to when she bites and it hurts is too yelp and move away and ignore her... but trying to move away is hard as she then thinks it is a game a just follows you attacking your feet, slippers trouser bottoms etc... she is relentless.

I know she is still very young but was wondering if anyone had any advice or simillar experences


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## SEVEN_PETS (Aug 11, 2009)

Hello. welcome to the forum.

She sounds like a very normal puppy. She is only 8 weeks old so don't expect miracles.  Toilet training can take months. Make sure that you take her out every 30 minutes, after feeding, after waking up, and before she goes to sleep. Stand outside until she relieves herself, so she shouldn't need to come in and then wee. That may mean standing outside for 30 minutes or more, but it's very important. 

Teaching them not to bite is difficult but you will get there. Yelping sometimes makes it seem like a game, especially for hunting dogs, like springers. Ignoring is a very good technique. Sit down and fold your arms if need be, and keep your feet away from her. She'll soon realise that biting means no attention and no fun. 

Good luck. Bringing up a puppy is hard work, but you will get there.


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## Amber Dawn (Dec 5, 2009)

Hello!

The only thing I can add to the previous post is that all dogs learn at their own pace. Some will pick things up quickly, while others (like my Dug) have a bit more trouble.

I used to get frustrated that Dug would never be housetrained but it suddenly seemed to click and he got it.

Puppies are hard work but also great fun - enjoy :thumbup:


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## Werehorse (Jul 14, 2010)

Toilet training... extreme vigilence and extreme patience is required! It IS hard work, don't feel bad is you get grumpy and upset by it... IT WILL GET BETTER, just keep trying. 

The biting, yelping just seemed to wind my Sprocker pup up more. I found ignoring and standing still to be most effective. And putting him in his crate to calm him down when he didn't know what he was doing any more! I don't know if it's all puppies, just spaniels or just Oscar but he would wind himself up to the point of no return but as soon as he was removed from the situation he would konk out asleep. They can be just like over-tired toddlers.

Keep up the good work, I now have a very nicely behaved teenage dog. He still has his moments though!


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## Sled dog hotel (Aug 11, 2010)

shez11 said:


> Hi,
> 
> Last week we brought home our now 8 week old springer spaniel puppy.. She is lovely but very hard work.
> 
> ...


With the toilet training, you need to take her out more often, instead of less frequently and for longer time out. Take her out every 30 minutes, give her a few minutes if nothing then bring her in, and try again later. You need to get a pee outside to start the training, until you get this you cant start to put the training into progress. When she squats, give it a name and repeat the name while she is going (This you can later use as a toilet cue and even get them too pee on demand later) she will in time associate the "name" with the deed.
When finished loads of praise and treats. Look out for circling,sniffing and scratching at the floor. usually signs looking for somewhere to go,so get her out quick. (you might not see this at first as they dont always associate that they need to go). Take her out after drining,eating,playing and sleeping. These are likelt times they will need to go. If she has accidents, clean it with a special pet accident cleaner, and smell left can encourage going in the same place. You might not smell it but she can. Do not tell her off, it can make them nervous about going in front of you so likely to sneak off to do it.

With the snipping and biting, yelping doesnt always work, its dependant on how well they have learned bite inhibition from mum and littermates. One bites the other in the litter, the bitten one yelps, the offending pup should let go. If he doesnt mum then steps in and reprimands him for going too far .
that way he learns a yelp means he has gone OTT and he should learn to release and stop. If he hasnt been taught this then as you have found it doesnt always work. Most pups mouth and nip. It seems most of his is directed at low level feet and trouser bottoms.

To discourage this make sure that you never play any games down at his level on the floor. Any play interaction with him do at standing level, things like throwing toys and bringing them back, encourage him to drop them to play again, you can do this by showing a treat, as he realeases the toy or ball, say drop and repeat it then praise and give him the treat. Also get him to sit using a treat. when he has sat,praise and give him the treat. When this is reliable extend it into teaching him to wait, by instead of immediaately giving the treat on sitting, say wait then give praise and treat. Extend the time he waits in stages by extending the time between the wait,repeating wait then giving the praise and treat. You can make him sit and wait when its reliable, before you throw the ball, encourage him to return it, drop it, then sit and wait again before throwing it. In this way you should be able to teach him to release and drop things and impulse control.

You can then use it to stop him going for your feet, or trouser bottoms. Do the same thing then, showing a treat or toy for the drop, then sitting and waiting for either the toy or the treat. If he is really persistent any time with the biting and hanging on clothes, then put him in his crate if he has one to calm down for 5 or 10 minutes, or it he hasnt another room. Any calm behaviour you do want praise and treat. Any bad behaviour, that is relentless gets no attention and treats and gets him ignored to calm down.

Hope this ight give you some ideas to help.


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## Phoenix&Charlie'sMum (Oct 12, 2009)

Sled dog hotel said:


> With the toilet training, you need to take her out more often, instead of less frequently and for longer time out. Take her out every 30 minutes, give her a few minutes if nothing then bring her in, and try again later. You need to get a pee outside to start the training, until you get this you cant start to put the training into progress. When she squats, give it a name and repeat the name while she is going (This you can later use as a toilet cue and even get them too pee on demand later) she will in time associate the "name" with the deed.
> When finished loads of praise and treats. Look out for circling,sniffing and scratching at the floor. usually signs looking for somewhere to go,so get her out quick. (you might not see this at first as they dont always associate that they need to go). Take her out after drining,eating,playing and sleeping. These are likelt times they will need to go. If she has accidents, clean it with a special pet accident cleaner, and smell left can encourage going in the same place. You might not smell it but she can. Do not tell her off, it can make them nervous about going in front of you so likely to sneak off to do it.


Great advise, the only thing i would add is to clean the area with bio-washing powder (this gets rid of the enzymes in the wee), then lightly spray watered down lemon juice over the area, that will stop the pup going in the same place.

You really need to be on your toes when it comes to toilet training a pup, any type of sniffing the floor, circling etc quickly get them outside. Wait for about 5 minutes, if the pup doesnt go then bring her back in, once she sniffs the floor again, bring her out.

I remember being soo tired and fed up of keep egtting up to take mine out. but you know what? 2 years on... I miss the puppy stage!!! 

Sorry I cant help out with the nipping your feet.


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## shez11 (Feb 21, 2011)

:thumbup: Thank you for all the speedy responses...

Seems that I am on the right track just needs paitence and persistance.

I will take on board all your hints and tips.

Like most of you said she is still very young and has only been will us for a week.

I think she has settled in really well... loves her crate..she sees it more like her den.. and reading on here some puppies take longer to get used to there crate so that is a plus.
she also is really good with visitors.

Will keep up the work and after all her injections will look into puppy classes.

Glad i found this website so thanks again xxx


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## cinnamontoast (Oct 24, 2010)

Another springer-yay! Just be patient. I think I would kill my two if it weren't for the OH being calm with them (lead walking is a pure nightmare!) 

As someone said, take her outside loads, praise and treat when she wees outside. I confess to scruffing my two when they weed inside and taking them outside mid-wee if necessary (messy but effective) and they learnt very quickly. We had a couple of accidents but I would say that 3 months is not unreasonable to expect her to be properly house-trained. You may have accidents but don't blame her, just correct her and praise when she gets it right.

If you know how, pictures are a must!


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## Rolosmum (Oct 29, 2010)

Cant add much to the advise really, but wanted to say hi, and yey to the springers! This phase will pass and before you know it they will be grown and new teeth and the nipping will have stopped and become a distant memory.

We had our 7 month old from 9 1/2 weeks and it really does feel ages ago!

Chin up keep at it and most of all remember it wont last long and it is worth it in the end, and to put some pics for us to see!!:thumbup:


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## Pets2luv.webs.com (Nov 26, 2010)

Well lots of excellent advice given here cant really add to it except welcome to the forum and I love Spaniels!!!!:thumbup::thumbup::thumbup:


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## shez11 (Feb 21, 2011)

Thank you again...

I have added a photo so hope it works

plenty more to come


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## SEVEN_PETS (Aug 11, 2009)

shez11 said:


> Thank you again...
> 
> I have added a photo so hope it works
> 
> plenty more to come


I didn't know springers came in all liver colour.


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## Balto-x (Nov 7, 2010)

Hi I never knew about this! I will be trying it tonight thank you xxx 


Phoenix&Charlie'sMum said:


> Great advise, the only thing i would add is to clean the area with bio-washing powder (this gets rid of the enzymes in the wee), then lightly spray watered down lemon juice over the area, that will stop the pup going in the same place.
> 
> You really need to be on your toes when it comes to toilet training a pup, any type of sniffing the floor, circling etc quickly get them outside. Wait for about 5 minutes, if the pup doesnt go then bring her back in, once she sniffs the floor again, bring her out.
> 
> ...


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## cinnamontoast (Oct 24, 2010)

SEVEN_PETS said:


> I didn't know springers came in all liver colour.


She's got white on her chest. One of the litter we got Bear and Zak from had a totally black head-supposed to be a stripe, but I've seen a fair few with no stripe or a very thin one, like Zak.


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## SandraP (Jun 3, 2010)

Yay another springer:thumbup: She is absolutely gorgeous love the markings never seen 1 before with as much liver. i thought Jake was quite unusual with his tri-colour markings


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## cinnamontoast (Oct 24, 2010)

Our two black and whites have brown ears, although both parents were liver and white.


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## ChatterPuss (Sep 4, 2010)

Hi, she looks identical to how my 4 month old looked at her age.....he's the same colouring! What have you called her?

Mine used to nip and chase my ankles, and I was advised to put a toy in his mouth to show that this was what to use his mouth for rather than my trouser legs and it seems to work, I also used to ignore his bad behaviour I.e jumping etc and it seems to be working. we only fuss him when he is sitting and the nipping and jumping has almost stopped and he hardly does it now :thumbup:


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## Kiwi (Nov 18, 2010)

Hello and welcome! I'm a cat owner but love springers too  See you maybe in general chat sometime x


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## Nozydog (May 30, 2016)

Our Denzel is 14 weeks and nips all the time, unless he has just woken up when he is very gentle and cuddly! I believe it is normal behaviour for pups with baby teeth and the best way we have found around this is to encourage them to chew on toys or chews, so every time they try and nip basically place a toy or chew in their mouth and keep hands away and ignore them. It is very hard work but the good times definitely outweigh the bad and from reading others posts here it will all soon be over once they grow up a bit and have their adult teeth! Keep at it and persevere and it will all be worth it!


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## smokeybear (Oct 19, 2011)

Nozydog said:


> Our Denzel is 14 weeks and nips all the time, unless he has just woken up when he is very gentle and cuddly! I believe it is normal behaviour for pups with baby teeth and the best way we have found around this is to encourage them to chew on toys or chews, so every time they try and nip basically place a toy or chew in their mouth and keep hands away and ignore them. It is very hard work but the good times definitely outweigh the bad and from reading others posts here it will all soon be over once they grow up a bit and have their adult teeth! Keep at it and persevere and it will all be worth it!


As this dog is now 5 years old I believe this advice may be redundant.............................


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## Lilylass (Sep 13, 2012)

smokeybear said:


> As this dog is now 5 years old I believe this advice may be redundant.............................


Lol was just reading through & realised it was an ancient thread!


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## Nozydog (May 30, 2016)

I know I know... But surely the idea is that others with a similar problem may find this thread when doing a search (Just like I did!!) and it may help them!


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## Lilylass (Sep 13, 2012)

Nozydog said:


> I know I know... But surely the idea is that others with a similar problem may find this thread when doing a search (Just like I did!!) and it may help them!


Sort of & if the threads reasonably new - but if it's several years old then advice / opinions may well have changed 

Imho better to start a new one & then you'll get the most up to date advice


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