SO Frustrated!

[Rebecca Chynoweth]

Hi, I am new here. I have been reading all the discussions for months in preparation for our ALD's arrival 4 weeks ago. He is 14 weeks.

Cooper has generally been quite good, goes potty outside (when I take him, not letting me know on his own) accidents occur and know they are my fault. 

He sleeps in his crate like a champ - so no complaints there.

But his biting and attacking my 8 year old completely unprovoked, attacking the drapes, all cords, and furniture legs are making me seriously question what I did in getting a dog. 

He is more aggressive with my daughter than I think is normal for a puppy. We are going to training classes once a week and I am having the trainer come to the house to help me address this.

She can not even walk in the same room with him and he jumps up and bites at her, rips her clothes and will not let go of them. He barks when she pets him, lunges at her when she looks at him. She does not chase him or is not rough with him in ANY way, she is very careful around him. She feeds him most meals and we work on training together. When I am close by he is better with her.

Cooper does this with me also, but with way less intensity. Maybe I have just had a bad day but I am not enjoying him lately. I researched and read so much so maybe I am just disappointed that my fantasy of a great family dog is not a reality yet.

He goes in his pen for a break when things get too crazy, I also am trying the coins in a can. He has 100 toys, bully sticks, frozen towels to chew on. We walk 30 mins a day (less lately due to the very cold temps) play fetch and work on training several times a day.

Yes, I am joining the puppy group. Maybe I am venting more than anything, I know he is young but I feel like all I do is yell and pry open his jaws when my daughter is around. He is good during the day when it is just the 2 of us. I am sad because she has been waiting for a dog for years and she can not even pet or play with him. It's beyond frustrating for all of us.

Rebecca

[Leslie J]

Hang in there... it will get better. When Cocoa went through this stage I didn't let her run loose when the kids were around. She was on her leash either attached to me or tied to the sofa where I was sitting. I had a gate on the it kitchen door and she would be gated in there with me when I cooked. This way my kids could spend time with her when they wanted, but if she wasn't playing nicely they could move away from her. It sounds like Cooper needs to earn the right to run free with your daughter.

[Adrianne Matzkin]

I was wearing DHs denim shirt when gardening. Samantha decided that my needing to pull weeds didn't met her needs to wanting to play so when I stood up she jumped, grabbed the bottom of his shirt and proceeded to put a huge, shark teeth hole in it. I hid that shirt for a long time. 

I still remember the stinging of the gift of 3 shark doodle puppies love strikes! But just like childbirth, we all seem to know we went through it but that doesn't stop us from wanting more doodles. 

You got great advice and it does end.

If he is going after a specific area of your daughter, ie hand, ankle, I would put a few DROPS of white vinegar in that area and the next time Cooper Shark decides to go to that area, he will be surprised that it tastes nasty. No one did it TO him, he did it himself.

[Joanne ~ Spud*]

Funny Adrianne. My down-filled jacket Poofed away feathers until I finally threw it out.  I was constantly attacked from the back and the coat just was no match for his puppy teeth.

Funny,  how years pass and now it makes me smile.  Then... not so much

[Adina P]

It is a PITA stage.  My Rosco was Jekyll and Hyde.  Sweet, mellow, perfect...until the moment of the day when he'd turn into JAWS with only me (though I had no kids and was not married at the time).  He didn't do this to others and lasted a year until I got serious about training.

Nevertheless, I think in the meantime it might be ideal for him to be tethered to you whenever possible for a while.  Between tethered to you, tethered to immovable furniture or door handle (when you are in the same room as him so he is safe while tethered), crated and supervised closely it should minimize these occurrences greatly.  And with good training and some maturing it should go away...soonish.

[Lynn D.]

There is a lot of good info here. Most puppies are like this and that is why some folks do not want to deal with puppyhood.

A good puppy is a tired puppy. It will take several walks a day- morning, noon and night. Work on training-sit, stay, down. Work it over and over. Use Kongs with frozen plain yogert, some rice, bits of apple, clementines, small cookies, etc. Give him only a short time to work on chewing stuff, then switch to something else. Reward good behavior, ignore the bad.

And put him in the crate when you need the time out.

[Barbara B., Sasha & Oliver]

Oh do I remember this stage so well, I went thru it with both my doodles.  It seems your doodle is only focusing on your daughter more because he does not get correction like he gets from you.  I would start teaching your daughter to correct and he will have respect for her because right now he does not.  I agree with what everyone has said above... its a puppy stage what you chose to do with it at this point will mold your doing into a respectful dog.  I would exercise your puppy...a tired puppy is a good puppy !!!  My Sasha would bite my skirts and dresses when she was a puppy, she only liked my wearing pants to work -LOL.  When I got Oliver @ 10 wks. and Sasha was 10 months old, Ollie went thru his puppy stage but it was so much less than Sasha's I think because he had Sasha to focus on rather than me.  Sasha corrects him and he listens.  Just be consistent with the corrections, when Sasha would get bitey I would put a toy in her mounth and  go behind closed doors for about 1 minute...she started associating with biting makes Mommy go away and she grew out of it too.   I would exercise your puppy the length of time recommened for a 14 wk old puppy, you can't exercise him for hours because its not good for their bones because they are growing so fast.  I would do some reasearch and see how long to exercise him.  I find good 1 on 1 walks with training during the walks are so benificial and just be consistant.

[Suzanne & Jack]

Oh those days of puppy bites are long forgotten.  Jack was horrible his first 6 months.  DH wanted to take him back the first month he was home.  Jack would latch onto his leg and not let go.  Like so many others have said, it will pass.

[Rebecca Chynoweth]

Thanks so much for all of the replies and suggestions. I have tried many of these and I think the number one thing is exercise for Cooper. I have seen that it helps so much. I think that here in Ohio we are going to be getting some warmer temps this coming week which will mean longer walks.

I will post a picture soon - and probably a lot more questions in the weeks to come. Thanks again for all the help.

Rebecca

[Joanne ~ Spud*]

Rebecca,

You are in Strongsville!!   Come on down to Akron ( Portage Lakes Area ) and come play!  

I have a rowdy puppy 4 year old, that would help you wear out that pup.  It would give me a puppy fix and exercise your dog.

Welcome to DK

[Sue & Lily Grace]

It will change.  Lily Grace came home at 10 weeks and within 3 weeks I had a trainer at my house because I was sure that I was doing something to create an aggressive dog. Constant no's and putting a toy in her mouth along with some time outs works wonders.  But, time and a little maturity is what finally works.  Lily is now five months old and it is a distant memory.  Hang in there.

[Christine & Shelby]

Rebecca.... Welcome to DK! Oh... This stage is so painful (literally and figuratively)! I remember these days well and am currently wearing a pair of my Shelby "the puppy shark" pants.... Multiple tears/holes! I remember the sheer frustration and wondering... Can I really do this. As others have said... It does get better... There may be a few meltdowns in the next weeks, but with a dedication to training, the loss of puppy teeth (around the 4 month mark) and all the support and suggestions you will get here... Soon these days will be behind you. Lots of good suggestions here, but I really found that tethering was super effective for me and Shelby!
Hang in there.... It does get better and the absolute joy of the future will make these days a distant memory.... Until the day you see a new member posting from sheer frustration and you will be in our seats reassuring them and offering advice!
Take care... And don't hesitate to ask questions!!!!