Molly BIT AGAIN

[Jill and Molly]

Well I thought we were turning the corner, and I think I am wrong. Molly has somewhat slowed down on the nipping, but it is still definitely present. Just last week she backed me in the corner(I was making lunches) and she just started barking and jumping at me with mouth open and wanting to bite. I will admit I was nervous. Now tonight my husband and son went in the basement to play ping pong and they took Molly with. They did also bring some of her toys with. Everything was going well. Then out of nowhere Molly, lunged at my son and jumped on him and BIT him in the butt. Then she kept coming at him with mouth open. My husband reached her and grabbed her and took her out of the situation. My son was crying. One because it hurt, and two because I honestly is hurt with his feelings toward her. He so desperately wanted a friend to follow him and be loyal. And she is NOT! We are in school and she is doing ok. SHe is very smart. But at home she CONSTANTLY jumps on my kitchen cabinets, and also jumps up toward my kitchen table. I tell her no so many times I feel like a broken record. When you are sitting at my kitchen table she jumps up in between your legs and I swear she is gonna bite you in a spot that isn't appropriate. She just bites!!!!! I NEED HELP!!! I really don't know what to do. She will be 14 weeks on Friday and if this doesn't stop with the biting us, she can't be a part of our family. And that breaks my heart. I am not a quitter! I can handle the jumping on cabinets because I pray that that will cease one day but this biting just not so sure of. My husband and i were both raised with dogs and this behavior is very UNLIKE the puppy behavior we experienced. PLEASE ADVICE NEEDED!!! And when she sees us she is so happy, but within minutes of us petting her she bites. We have a calm house, we are a loving family, this just doesn't mesh with our personalities!

[Christine & Camus]

Very good advice.  A very good friend of mine has a dog who is now quite well behaved, however as a pup he would bite (those baby teeth are really sharp!), jump, and did not respond to no, so they got a trainer. The more freedom he had the worse he acted.  It was tough going for a while, but he is a wonderful dog now.  Some puppies just need more work then others. Training and consistent follow-up, firmness but not yelling, is what worked for her pup, and he is a wonderful dog, just a bit more stubborn (?) than the average dog.

[Barbara B., Sasha & Oliver]

Jill, this is what most puppies do.  Both my doodles went thru this stage, Sasha more than Oliver.  Molly is trying to get your attention and is saying play with me.  When Sasha would get bity I would immediately get up and go into my bedroom and shut the door and stay there for a minute or two.  Sasha then realized that when she bit I would go away.  Are you giving Molly enough play, exercise time?  When both my doodles would get bity during play time I would put a toy into their mouth and say no bite.  Doodles are very smart and will get what it means in no time but you have to be consistant.  If you show any fear of her she will rule the roost.  You need to be very firm, calm, assertive in training.  There are many different techniques out there you just need to find the one that works for you and your family.  Also be prepared for when the teething starts the biting gets worse, you just need to make sure there are lots of chew toys for them to chew on.  Maybe you and your family can take a few obiedence courses together wthi Molly.  Molly needs boundries and a pack leader to teach her the ropes.  At what age did you take her from her litter?   I left Oliver with his Mom and litter mates until he was 11 weeks old where he learns his bite inhibition from them.  You need to work on bad behaviors constantly.  My doodles are 2 1/2 and 19 months and are still being trained... its a never ending process.  Oliver jumps and Sasha is a counter surfer !!! - LOL 

PS.  are you working on the basic commands with Molly, sit, stay, down etc. etc?

[Jane, Guinness and Murphy]

I think all this advice is perfect.  I would stress how important it is that her freedom is restricted until this behavior is under control.  I would have her dragging a leash so you can correct her as soon as you see the inappropriate behavior, and when you can't watch her, I'd have her in the crate.  She has no idea what the expectations are at this point...she's a baby, so you'll have to teach her.  With a little time and training she can be your son's "buddy"...but it will take some work and a little time.

[Jennifer,Chloe & Myla]

I think you received a lot of great advice. I really think if she has the freedom 'revoked" she will learn right from wrong.

I really hope you can get through this with her not all puppies are great puppies-they need to be taught. Encourage your son so they can bond. good luck to you.

[Lucy & AnnaBelle's Mom]

Lots of good advice here.  One thing I would like to add is that if you go to the Puppy Madness Group you are going to see this story over and over and over again.  Molly is a puppy.  That being said, she doesn't have a license for unlimited bad behavior.  I would be curious to know who all is going to training.  I personally think the whole family needs to go.  That way you are consistant.  Molly needs to learn that she is at the bottom of the pack.  Additionally, you are going to get out of training what you put into it.  Just going isn't going to do it.  You have to practice lots and lots between classes.  Molly's whole life needs to be one big training exercise.   We are working with a new trainer right now, and she wears a T-shirt that says "God doesn't train dogs and I don't perform miracles", i.e., she can give us the tools, but we have to do the work.  If you don't feel that your trainer is helping the situation, you might want to look into a private trainer to come to your home and show you how to train in your environment.  Just a thought!

[Colleen, Jake & Baxter]

I think you are receiving great advice from everyone.  One of the other keys is KNOWLEDGE.  Decide to learn all you can about doodle puppy behavior and implement it.  Have you joined the puppy madness group?  I do not know how old your son is but is also important that everyone in the family is consistent in how they respond to your puppy's behavior.  Routine and structure are so important too.  Your puppy needs to learn what is expected from you.  No doubt about it puppy's are work and knowledge and training are key.

Exercise was mentioned above and it is so important   It is also non-negotiable and imperative that you take your puppy out for walks and lots of playtime in the yard.  Try to include your son is these responsibilities.  A tired doodle is a good doodle......most of the time:^)

Keep reaching out as there is tons of knowledge on this board that will help get you through this stage.  I wish you the best!

[Arron (Shadow)]

Again, a lot of great advice here.  Thought I'd reassure you that it does get better.  When Shadow was a puppy she had the jumping and the biting thing big time.  My two boys wanted a buddy as well but they refused to play with Shadow as she simply bit them too much and it hurt them.  They would hide from her.  I came on here and asked pretty much the same questions you are now and followed a lot of the advice you have been given. 

What worked for us was crating more, followed by periods of one on one play where she got our whole focus.  If she tried biting while we were playing we firmly told her no and we crammed one of her toys in her mouth.  If she kept at it we would stand up and not interact with her.  If she bit while we were ignoring her - which she invariably did - we would say "too bad" and put her back in her crate for a timeout.  The biggest thing was everyone being consistent, consistency is key.  It was probably hardest for me as her biting didn't bother me as much as it did my wife and kids but once we all treated her actions the same way she started to figure it out.

Another thing that worked quite well for us was trick training.  We would get food and teach her to sit, lay down, roll over, catch, stay, etc and that seemed to work out some of the mental stimulation for her.  I started the training but we made sure that everyone participated - eventually my four year old would be able to issue the commands and she listened to him because he was the keeper of the treat.  And she REALLY wanted the treat, it helps to find a treat that your dog loves.

NOW my issue is that the boys will fight over who gets to play with the dog!  They both love her and she loves them and they play and run together and (mostly) have a blast.  That is what we got a dog for but it certainly looked dicey off the start!  We were on the verge of giving up, but not being quitters (like you) we did get through it and Shadow is a wonderful member of our family.

Thanks again DKers!

[Laurie, Fudge, and Vern]

This is wonderful advice :)

[Elizabeth & Cosmo]

Jill, I understand how frustrated and disappointed you must be in Molly's behavior. I have to say, though, that I think you and your family have some very high expectations for such a young puppy. Remember, she is still just 14 weeks old; she's a baby who doesn't know her boundaries yet. She can't be expected to have all the wonderful qualities of a loyal, loving adult dog--yet.

It's great that you have her in training classes. I strongly recommend that you discuss these concerns with your trainer, and possibly arrange for some individualized work with the trainer or at least some special recommendations that you can implement to target these behaviors.

When puppies play with each other, they keep their mouths open, and they nip and bite each other. Usually, there is no problem with that, because they're all covered with fur! If you think about the ping pong game, she saw your DH and DS jumping or hopping around, a ball bouncing back and forth--it looked like fun and she was excited and wanted to get in on it. So she did so in the only way she knows--by jumping in with her mouth open and biting.

I agree with the others here who recommend limiting her freedom until she learns better manners. When she behaves as she did with you in the kitchen, that would be a time to immediately put her in time out--in her crate or behind a baby gate separating her from you. For right now, it is probably best not to have her around when your son will be doing something that involves a lot of motion, like playing ping pong, or using a Wii--it just excites her too much and she doesn't know how to participate properly. And keeping her on a leash or tether will give you the opportunity to immediately correct undesirable behaviors--you can correct her immediately, so she will understand precisely what she did that elicited the correction.

More than anything else, I encourage you to give Molly and your family some time. She is still so very young, and she still has the potential to grow into the wonderful dog you're hoping for!

[Leslie and Halas]

Halas nipped a lot, too, when he was a puppy.  I think you are getting good advice here, so I don't have much to add. One thing I noticed with Halas is that he seemed to be worse with the nipping when he was tired.  Sometimes he just needed to go into his crate and rest for awhile.  He didn't recognize on his own that he was sleepy - he just got cranky and nippy.  And when you're trying some of the advice you've been given, consistency is key, so try to stick with it.  You will get through this.

[F, Calla & Luca]

Absolutely true. Just as kids do, puppies get irritable when tired.

[BG and Gavin]

If you follow all the good advice here you will be fine.  Honestly!  My Gavin who I tell everyone (that will stand still long enough to listen) is the perfect dog, was very mouthy as a puppy.  He targeted by DH in particular.  I had a couple of white cotton tube socks which I knotted and dampened and put in the freezer.  Before any petting or other handling took place I gave him a sock to hold onto to keep his mouth occupied.  It is also soothing for the teething stage.  Also when he was not in the crate, he was made to follow me where ever I went.  This promotes bonding and gives him mental stimulation.  Use the line suggested by another poster and tie it around your waste and just move around the house.  When you sit down and he starts to be naughty, move.  Repeat.  Be consistent and committed and it will improve.  Honestly it will.