bitting doodle

[Stephanie chilson]

I have a 20 week old male goldendoodle puppy . He doesn't listen when we say know and he play bits us and the kids all the time to the point of being rough . We don't have the money right now to get him a trainer what do we do

[Stephanie chilson]

I meant no

[Marnie, Stanlee's Mom]

There are MANY discussions about this subject - I suggest you join the Puppy Madness Group and do a search up in the top right-hand corner by typing in the word "biting".

 

Good Luck.

[BettyAnn, Holmes & Lucy]

Yes! Join Puppy Madness! Great group and good advice/supp

[Kyoko]

I agree! 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZKjk84OkzcI  I liked this guys approach to the puppy mouthing. He seems to understand the reasoning, and positively address the issue.

[Laurie, Fudge, and Vern]

Stephanie, Your puppy is doing what all puppies do. They bite and nip. Lots of time when they get the most wound up, they are tired and a time out in his crate would help. It is also important to teach your children how to act around the puppy. Running and jumping and screaming, etc. will only add to your puppy's level of excitement. He thinks they are playmates. Right now, you should join the Puppy Madness Group and the Training Group. A puppy class is not too much money and would really help your puppy in the long run, but if that is not an option, the Training Group can help and suggest books you could get from the library and videos you could watch. This is a stage and it will pass, but you need to be consistent, calm, and firm in letting your puppy know what you expect. Distracting with a good chew toy is another good idea and bully sticks will help with his strong desire to chew, but should be supervised.

[Wendy and Myla]

I agree with all of the above.  It is a stage and it will pass even though it seems like forever and I think it was the most frustrating part of having a puppy.  As stated you do have to be firm and consistant that this is not behaviour that will be tolerated.  We found that every time Myla touched us with her teeth we would firmly say "no bite" and walk away from her or totally stop what we were doing with her and ignore her for a few minutes.  She was around 4 1/2 months old when she finally got it (most of the time) and at six months it was a stage that was thankfully over!!!! 

Good Luck!!!

[BettyAnn, Holmes & Lucy]

Hi Stephanie. Our dogs are about the same age-- we still have problems with the biting, but its gotten a lot better. I used to growl really meanly at him whenever he mouthed my kids, I'd also physically move him away from them then stood in between them, moving towards him so he'd back off. Now, fortunately, I don't have to growl anymore ;) I wasn't very good at it. Once in a while he still bites, usually if he didn't get enough exercise or play- but he knows if I'm watching and stops. Being consistant really helps and also tiring them out. Good Luck!

[Adina P]

Dogs don't automatically listen when you say 'NO' -- to them it is like any other word "YES" or "BOO" or "Supercalifragilisticexpialadocious" -- really until you train the dog to obey commands it's just a bunch of sounds he hears.  Sometimes local 4H clubs or county shelters, etc have obedience classes for a very low cost -- ask around your vet.  Hiring a private trainer always costs more than paying for a 6-8 weeks of classes because trainers charge by the hour (usually no less than $50/hr) and classes are a lump sum ($150-$200).  Our local 4H or cooperative extension dog training class is about $10, though.  That's why I suggest asking around and seeing what your local 4H or cooperative extension has to offer. 

Then there are always library books and YouTube videos and other resources. Look at different books and YouTube courses and pick something that makes sense to you and teaches you how to train your dog to do the basics: Sit, Down, Stay, Come, Heel.  If you find something you are considering, then join the Training Group.  In fact here is a great discussion we were recently having in the training group to get you thinking about what it will take to train your dog:  http://www.moderndogmagazine.com/articles/are-you-making-these-10-t... -- <--- that is a great article and the discussion we were having about it is here:  http://www.doodlekisses.com/group/trainingmindsets/forum/topics/top...

Regarding the biting there are different ways to address this:

-- IS he getting enough exercise?  If you don't have time or ability to train, use the mantra "a tired dog is a good dog!"

-- Be firm about the biting and learn to anticipate it so you can redirect him to a chew toy or take him out for some fetch OR put him in his crate for some quiet time.
-- Don't let yourself get into a 'battle' with him.  Kind of like with a toddler or preschool aged child...they really know how to push buttons and can easily suck you into a power struggle or mini 'fight'.  Just remember you are the human grown up and be firm about the 'NO' and then follow through with a 'time out' in the crate.  Now for a pup the time out is really about showing the pup that biting results in confinement and is not acceptable. It's not really for him to 'think about' his wrongs or feel sorry for his actions or anything like that.

[Cathy, Fozzie & Shaggy]

I understand money limits, but you may end up paying much more in the future retraining your puppy to get rid of behavior problems. 

For now though, the advice mentioned so far is "spot on"!  Here's what was suggested to me and seemed to work...I would give a sharp yelp "OOWW" when ever my boys would touch me with their teeth and I would stop petting, playing, talking and looking at them for a few minutes. The whole family did the same to be consistent.  I'm told this is what litter mates would do if one became to rough.  I see this work now even with Fozzie and Shaggy when the pull on each other a bit to roughly.  They break appart immediately when any yelp is made then they shake, pause and resume playing at a lower energy level.

I also highly recommend looking at a public library or on line for this book.    

 

PUPPY PROBLEMS? NO PROBLEM! A Survival Guide for Finding & Training Your New Dog.  Includes DVD

The author of Maxwell Award winner Canine Body Language and Get Connected with Your Dog brings you a book that will make your dog owning experience with your new puppy or rescue dog everything you dreamed it would be!

This book goes beyond any of the other puppy books out there and brings you Brenda's 20 years of experience working with problem dogs as a professional pet behavior consultant. This gives Brenda a unique view of what owners should have done to prevent problems from occurring in the first place. She says, "Many of the sad situations that occur do not have to be. Education on the person's part combined with humane and effective technique can make dog ownership the joy you imagined it would be!" Training your dog should be a shared and fun experience that enhances the relationship you have with your dog. This book will lead you through each "problem" and in an easy to understand step-by-step program will show you how to make big differences in your dog's behavior.

This book comes with a DVD that shows you exactly how to carry out the protocols in this book. Take a look at the Table of Contents. It is filled with all of those common, but irritating issues that come up in daily life with a new puppy or dog and solutions for each one. The DVD is super and even children can watch the training steps and then be able to follow the steps to gain success with your family pet. (Of course, children will need parental supervision, as well.)

 

You can find it at the following address - http://brendaaloff.com/books.html

 

Good luck to you!!  Please don't give up, your doodle is so worth the extra time, money, and effort right now to gain the years of unconditional love to come!!!

[Joanne ~ Spud*]

A dog should be trained.  Training makes you and your dog much better companions. You and your family should save for training.

Typically, joining a training group, such as this one listed in your area costs around $15.00 per session or less

Endless Mountains Dog Obedience Club

Can you skip a trip to McDonalds with your kids one day a week?  Make them a peanut butter sandwich instead?

It is not fair to get a dog and not go to training. It is part of dog ownership.  If you do not understand that puppies bite~ all puppies bite, then how are you going to deal with the teenage years with your dog?

PLEASE. Go to training. I promise you, you will enjoy this so much and you will never regret spending this small amount of money for years of joy with your dog.

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

Amen, Joanne.

[Jane, Guinness and Murphy]

I totally agree with this!  It's kind of a "pay me now...pay me later" situation.  Unless you are an experienced dog owner I really think you're going to need some help.