# Puppy biting help! Working Cocker spaniel.



## Cora the cocker spaniel (Sep 27, 2015)

Hello,

We have a working Cocker Spaniel puppy named Cora. As you can see she is beautiful. She is 12 weeks old today and we have had her for around 4 weeks now. Ever since we brought her home we've had issues with her biting - I know that this is normal puppy behaviour and I've read lots of threads for help and advice but it seems to be getting worse. 

We've tried the 'yelp' which worked for a few days, now it has no effect. We have tried putting her in another room or in her crate for a 'time-out' and this is more effective. I'm just worried because she seems to be getting more aggressive? She has drawn blood a number of times on our hands, legs and arms. It's difficult to ignore her or turn my back on her because she sinks her teeth into my legs - destroying clothes and bruising or drawing blood. It's really painful and when you are tired it's upsetting too!

We have just started taking her out for walks and we go to puppy classes every Monday. This helps with her energy levels and stimulation. I'm hoping that she will grow out of it but I was hoping for any advice please!

Thank you.


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## rona (Aug 18, 2011)

Haha she looks like a devil puppy in that picture, I have a picture very similar of our Chesapeake when he was small. 

Sorry, no help at all am I? :Shamefullyembarrased


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## Cora the cocker spaniel (Sep 27, 2015)

Nope not really. I think she's beautiful. Thanks anyway.


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## ForestWomble (May 2, 2013)

Hi. I have a puppy and am going through the puppy biting issue.
I do a mix of saying *ah-ah* (as that works, whereas a yelp just made things worse), putting him in his pen when he just wouldn't stop or leaving the room. It does take time and for a while I thought things were not going to improve, but it finally is getting there, yes he still play bites but it isn't happening as much and I'm hardely having to leave the room or put him in his pen.


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## Cora the cocker spaniel (Sep 27, 2015)

Animallover26 said:


> Hi. I have a puppy and am going through the puppy biting issue.
> I do a mix of saying *ah-ah* (as that works, whereas a yelp just made things worse), putting him in his pen when he just wouldn't stop or leaving the room. It does take time and for a while I thought things were not going to improve, but it finally is getting there, yes he still play bites but it isn't happening as much and I'm hardely having to leave the room or put him in his pen.


Ok! That's good news, thank you. She's so sweet the majority of the time. The biting just gets me down after a while. I've just tried the 'ah ah' and I pretended to cry like she had really hurt me! That seemed to work! I came back to greet her when she had picked up a toy to play with and she wanted to lick me. Almost like an apology. I'll keep going! Thank you.


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## ForestWomble (May 2, 2013)

Cora the cocker spaniel said:


> Ok! That's good news, thank you. She's so sweet the majority of the time. The biting just gets me down after a while. I've just tried the 'ah ah' and I pretended to cry like she had really hurt me! That seemed to work! I came back to greet her when she had picked up a toy to play with and she wanted to lick me. Almost like an apology. I'll keep going! Thank you.


Glad it worked and I hope it continues to work too. The biting got me down too and I would at times have a puppy hanging on to my foot,sock,trouser leg,arm or hand and I would be crying in fear and frustration wondering what on earth I had been thinking, scared that this would never get sorted and I'd have a dangerous dog, however, I am very pleased to say that with consistency on my part it is finally improving and 90% of the time saying ah-ah stops him, the other 10% he still has to go in his pen or I leave the room but that is a big improvement from a week ago when it was more 80% of the time he had to be put in his pen. 
Saying all that though he is a joy the rest of the time (particularly when sleeping )


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## Guest (Sep 28, 2015)

Puppy "biting" is really due to tickly teeth and playing. Those needs will be there for all puppies, as they are normal. So I´d suggest for remedy get more things that are more fun to bite and play other games with our pup. Ours e.g. loved twigs and things they discovered themselves. Most pups love toys. Naturally once you stop reacting to the needle-shart teeth, you become a boring target. Now your arms and legs not only feel nice, but they play along and make fun noises. But once you stop reacting, you have mastered a level of self control so high that nothing will make you loose your temper.


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## Wiz201 (Jun 13, 2012)

my cockerpoo was similar, he was called the cockerdile for a while! He would chase your feet too so keeping shoes on was a must. Fortunately having another dog helped as he could try to nibble on her and she'd give him some lip that he understood but we had to try and distract with toys. He got overtired and hyper very easily and we sometimes put him to bed and he settled down.


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## Cora the cocker spaniel (Sep 27, 2015)

Animallover26 said:


> Glad it worked and I hope it continues to work too. The biting got me down too and I would at times have a puppy hanging on to my foot,sock,trouser leg,arm or hand and I would be crying in fear and frustration wondering what on earth I had been thinking, scared that this would never get sorted and I'd have a dangerous dog, however, I am very pleased to say that with consistency on my part it is finally improving and 90% of the time saying ah-ah stops him, the other 10% he still has to go in his pen or I leave the room but that is a big improvement from a week ago when it was more 80% of the time he had to be put in his pen.
> Saying all that though he is a joy the rest of the time (particularly when sleeping )


Yes! I'm exactly the same. It's really stressful and it feels personal. She's hurt me a number of times and I wondered what we had done. I hope she gets there. I've been leaving the room today and she's just been to puppy class so I'm not sure if she's over-tired or over-excited but she's just snarled and gone for me. She's in her crate now I hope she settles down.


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## Cora the cocker spaniel (Sep 27, 2015)

MrsZee said:


> Puppy "biting" is really due to tickly teeth and playing. Those needs will be there for all puppies, as they are normal. So I´d suggest for remedy get more things that are more fun to bite and play other games with our pup. Ours e.g. loved twigs and things they discovered themselves. Most pups love toys. Naturally once you stop reacting to the needle-shart teeth, you become a boring target. Now your arms and legs not only feel nice, but they play along and make fun noises. But once you stop reacting, you have mastered a level of self control so high that nothing will make you loose your temper.


Thank you. I'm just struggling not to react because it really hurts. Do you think just try to ignore her where possible? She just shreds my clothes though .


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## Cora the cocker spaniel (Sep 27, 2015)

Wiz201 said:


> my cockerpoo was similar, he was called the cockerdile for a while! He would chase your feet too so keeping shoes on was a must. Fortunately having another dog helped as he could try to nibble on her and she'd give him some lip that he understood but we had to try and distract with toys. He got overtired and hyper very easily and we sometimes put him to bed and he settled down.


That's what we've been trying to do - she does seem to get to a point where she needs to be reminded that she needs sleep! Hoping she will get there soon. Did your cockerpoo settled once they lost their teeth?


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## Wiz201 (Jun 13, 2012)

oh yeah he got better. He still did it in excitement but once they get their adult teeth it doesn't hurt lol


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## Guest (Sep 28, 2015)

I used to get these cups of ice balls that the market down the street had in their machines and let you have for free if you didn't get soda in them and I think that helped the pain of teeth growing and falling out so for that try ice maybe? 

In the meantime I practiced the ignore game. If you bite me I end the game immediately. I would stand, ignore, no touch no eye contact no play. I usually held out about 5-10 minutes and then tried again. Repeat if she bites and eventually she will catch on that she doesn't get any attention from you when she bites


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## Cedar (Jun 17, 2015)

We did the ah-ah, ignoring and lots of distraction with other toys. It worked eventually and Rowan is a very gentle soul now.


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## Emilydaisy (May 24, 2018)

I've got the same!!!!! Had little Bertie for two weeks. Suddenly started proper biting a few days in... Happy as Larry one minute then bam, demon biting machine. I understand from the number of posts you see, it's normal. But it's so upsetting and hurts!! My arms are covered in cuts..... I'm working on leaving the room, but sometimes difficult if he's hanging off a hand, arm, leg etc


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## TennoAkita (Jul 28, 2012)

Apologies everyone, I’ve just done a post exactly like this. I should’ve checked first. We’ve done the yelping, the latest idea from a training class we attend it to be a tree, don’t make a sound as it turns them on. 

It’s not working. Nothing seems to.

I keep thinking back to Kuma. He was a star he really was. No biting nipping or anything. Training was picked up extremely quickly. It’s unfair to compare but hard not to at the same time.


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## Emilydaisy (May 24, 2018)

Hi. I just realised it was a v old post I replied to. Hopefully someone may still have some words of wisdom or support x


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