What to do?

[Tina, Dylan & Lucy]

Hi

 

Dylan is our 9 month old first generation doodle. He's was great at toilet training and walks well on the lead (mostly). We have no problems with feeding, he stays close by when he's off the lead (unless tempted by other doggies but that's fine) and does really well with his training - sit, paw, stay, lie down, leave - all learnt within minutes. BUT...just when you may think we've got it great, his big problem still is nipping and biting.

 

I know this has been a discussion topic several times in the past but it's really becoming a problem for us. He has been through puppy training and a couple of one on one sessions more recently to try and tackle it but he's just not getting it. He's been so great with everything else that we're worried this might need tougher behavioural help.

 

He can be very loving and will seem calm and content but then will suddenly decide he wants our attention and will just clamp onto an arm. Or else in excitement, will grab an arm or leg (or behind!) and pinch really hard leaving numerous bruises. He's done it from a young pup and my arms would be so covered in scratches and nips that work colleagues were worried for me.

 

Twice now he's bitten in anger - once when we were trying to prize a dead frog from his mouth and second time this morning when my husband and step son were trying to retrieve a sock (a big favourite with him) he had stolen from the washing basket. He was cornered at the time which may be why but he bit into my husbands hand and drew blood.

 

We worry that it may get worse - we've tried everything to control it - the yelp, standing with our back to him, leaving the room, taking him out, all the tips we could find.

 

We're thinking of perhaps a muzzle? That seems extreme but we need it to stop.

 

Any help, ideas, thoughts greatly appreciated.

 

thanks

Tina

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

The incident this morning could have been avoided in a couple of ways. The first would be, make sure the puppy doesn't have access to the laundry basket.
But once he had the sock, two people chasing him into a corner and trying to take it away from him was probably not the best way to get him to let it go. I'll bet a liver treat or some other high value treat would have enticed him to trade the sock willingly and without aggression. He wasn't biting "in anger", he was playing defense in a game which your DH and stepson unwittingly initiated. Chasing a dog and pulling something away from him are both actions that may trigger undesirable responses.

[Tina, Dylan & Lucy]

Thanks Karen

We do usually keep him away socks or anything he can steal but hanging out washing on a sunny day is tricky with a cheeky doodle. He's so quick, its like a drive-by steal!

Unfortunately he has had socks before - he was caught opening a drawer !, he's opened the washine machine, he's managed to find ways of leaping onto the dining room table in one swoop! - all occasions have led to him eating, swallowing and later vomiting the sock. The first time led to an op. SO we need to be quick to retrieve them when he gets them. But yes, I do think we need to think more carefully about how we get them back and cheese is his BIG favourite so we'll try that in future. I'm really glad to hear you don't think it was done in anger though. thanks again

[Adina P]

I think the fact that you've started training is GREAT!
But what I'm wondering is HOW trained he is. In the middle of a nipping episode, or when he has a sock, frog, etc... can you call him to "COME" and have him respond appropriately? Can you tell him to sit-stay when he starts to nip and have him reliably do it? If not, then I think a big missing piece in this puzzle is FINISHING his training. Doods are smart and they learn what words mean in a jiffy...but that's the first 10% of training=teaching. The other 90% is taking those 'tricks' into real life and making his response reliable and trustworthy and working him lots on what he knows around tough distractions. I think if you work to get him to high reliability then he'll very likely lose this habit.

What do you do/what has the trainer taught you to do when he has something he shouldn't have? What about after he nips/bites?

[Tina, Dylan & Lucy]

Thanks Adina
I'm afraid that the answer to those first questions are 'very unlikely'. He has very selected hearing and his first instict always when he has stolen something is to run to the nearest big space - usually the garden, stand in his chase me pose (front legs down, bottom in the air) and wait for the chase.

In our training sessions, we were taught to make lots of loud sounds and big movements to try and convince him that what we were doing was more attractive than his loot and for him to come to us. He's sooooo stubborn though and will wait you out every time. So, yes, we do need to work more on the training. And yes, he is smart!

We were also taught to yelp and immediately leave the room if he nips and it does seem to confuse him enough to forget what he's doing. But he'll often just follow and grab you from behind!

It almost seems that he just gets bored with whatever he's doing and thinks you need to play or show him some attention and he shows this by grabbing with his teeth. We do have play time, he has 3 walks most days (2 at the very least) and has time off the lead. We often resort to buying a bone or rawhide for him to chew in the evening just to keep him occupied. He has lots of chew toys but gets bored with them too.

We will keep going with the training though as what you say makes lots of sense. I guess its no good having him sit and offer his paw if he can't then behave when we need him to. thanks!

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

I'm sure you've heard this before, but just in case- no playing "tug-of-war" or any other game where anybody takes anything from Dylan's mouth. No "wrestling" a stuffed animal away from him in play. Even when playing fetch: he must drop the ball before it gets thrown, nobody is to take it from him. No playing where his mouth touches anyone's hands or clothing; if he uses his mouth on any part of any person, the game ends immediately. No games where Dylan jumps up to get something; no dangling a toy out of reach for him to try to get. Everyone who has contact with Dylan has to be on the same page with this.

[Adina P]

"I guess its no good having him sit and offer his paw if he can't then behave when we need him to."

Exactly! Too often training gets translated as 'teaching my dog what words mean' or 'look my dog can do this trick' . But for me, obedience training, is about working toward really good obedience that I can use in my every day life. "Rosco, come" -- when I'm in the nursery I might call him to hang out with us there so I can keep him from bugging me to go outside while I'm feeding my baby. "Rosco, STAY" so I can have him hold still in one spot of the house while I sweep or vacuum another spot...or any number of situations where I need my dog to Come, Sit, Down, Stay, Heel--these aren't just fancy tricks but some of the most useful commands ever.

[Debbie and Thomas]

Tina...first of all we have a 19mth old goldendoodle who WAS the "mouthiest dog I have ever seen or known" He bit us as a young puppy relentlessly...we called him the "vampire". He was then a mouthy middle aged puppy too but his razor sharp baby teeth were at least gone by then and his mouth became softer like the retreiver in him. This all stopped by the time he was about 10 mths old and he has turned in the most loving gentle dog I have ever seen. Thank God...but I know exactly what you are going thru. He bit at us twice when we were trying to take something away from him. We did not handle it well at all. It was of course his instince to snap at us. One time he was into some bones that a racoon has left out the front of the house. He was NOT giving these up without a fight. The other time was over a sweaty wrist band from my sons gym bag. He tried to take it away from him and Thomas snapped. After the racoon thing...we made it very clear to him that we would NOT allow any kind of snapping or biting. We ignored him for about two days...no petting...no treats...no speaking to him. (well my husband didn't...I still had to feed and take care of the little darling who was BTW too cute for his own good) We were so upset that it just came natural to do this. A trainer would probably not condone this and tell us it was a waste of time...but it really did the trick...even his evening attacks (just play biting mind you) seemed to subside. I really think that we were letting this dog walk all over us up to this point and it took the worry of his "episode" to make us angry enouigh to say ENOUGH!! Oh yes...he was tethered even after that when he decided to bite me in the bottom but he seemed to know we meant business and frankly probably just grew out of this stage. It was a tough one to beat...but I can tell you he would never snap now. I feel your pain...literally...we had bandaids and scratches all over us...not any more though. Good luck and be firm. Oh yeah...a friends Goldendoodle was exactly the same but is a few years older. They told us to say "NO TEETH" everytime he gets mouthy and that started to have an affect also.

[Tina, Dylan & Lucy]

Thanks so much Debbie

Its so great to hear that others have been through the same thing and with really good outcomes. I think part of what makes this so hard is that I can see what a great dog he is going to be once we get all of this ironed out.

I'll definitely try some of your ideas but can see how we might be falling into the same trap of letting him be boss of us just because he soooo cute so much of the time! He was laying on the floor his morning, legs in the air, while I tickled his tummy and he fell asleep like that! Yet as I'm typing this now, he is chewing my laces and nipping my feet - NO TEETH!!! Fingers crossed!

thanks again x

[Debbie and Thomas]

Good luck...you are onthe home stretch now...and BTW he is as cute as a button...this will all iron itself out soon.