Wild puppy

[Debbie & Gibbs]

Need some advice.  Gibbs just turned 3 months old on the December 9th.  Very sweet little doggie, but he has entered into a new phase where he is constantly jumping on you and biting at your robe, the belt from your robe, your coat, just anything that kinda flows.  I feel like all I am saying is "no" drop it, no Gibbs, turning my back on him is not working.  I must not be doing something right as he continues this behavior.  Last night he was so wired that I just had to have a time out and he went to the x-pen.  What do I need to do differently, to get across that jumping and biting on clothes is not acceptable behavior.  I will pick up a toy or throw a ball to try and divert his attention to something positive.  Suggestions welcome..

[Fitz & Henry]

I think this is very typical puppy behavior. We went thru that as well.. And we would say very strongly "no bite" - we would shake a can with pennies, and if he continued we would knock him on the nose with our fore finger knuckle and say again NO BITE!
What I have learned about my ALD is that if he gets crazy wild, biting jumping etc it can sometimes mean he has to poop.
I take him out when he gets like that & walk him up & down the yard and 9 out of 10 times he will poop.
Crazy I know ... But try it.
As puppies they all go through that crazy mode. It's a phase it will stop.

[Alex/Mindy/Georgia/Coral]

Georgia had the same problem at roughly the same age. Trying to divert the attention is an excellent idea, but not always a possible one. I think the biggest thing to remember is to follow through once you make the correction of "no" or "drop it". After you verbally correct, don't just walk away, stand with calm assertive energy and wait until he becomes calm and submissive. If he continues, as Georgia sometimes did, give a light touch on his shoulder or flank area to snap his brain out of the fixated nature he is in. And by touch I literally mean a light touch, you're not hitting to discipline, you're simply slightly off-balancing the body to redirect his thinking. The biggest thing to remember is to remain calm and not to become frustrated, Gibbs will read that unbalanced energy and it will become much more difficult, if even possible, to get your point across. Also, remember that he is still a puppy and has puppy energy, plenty of exercise and playing is necessary at that age. If your weather is anything like ours it's very, VERY cold outside, but that still doesn't allow us as pack leader to shirk the structured walk that is absolutely necessary.

 

I hope this helps. Please return with any questions. I would consider investing in Dr. Ian Dunbar's and/or Cesar Millan's puppy books. They were very beneficial to us, and watching the Dog Whisperer, believe it or not, also helped immensely(and still does). Puppyhood is a difficult, but rewarding, time. What you do at this stage in his life could forever effect what kind of dog he becomes, so don't take the responsibility lightly. Stay calm and assertive, and always remember: exercise discipline, affection.

[Barb @ Gemstone Labradoodles]

I find clicker training very helpful at this stage. I actually start clicker training at 7 wks. We shape the puppy behaviour until they understand the way to get attention is to sit in front of you by using a reward system.

[Gwyndolyn Morasko]

Kona's wild and crazy unstoppable clothes, arm, robe, and flannel pants bitting stage was so frustrating!  Like another person mentioned, I learned that the more frenitic it was, the more it was a sign that he had to poop.  Almost 100% of the time when I took him outside during one of these obsessive outburts, he pooped!!!  He is now 14 months old and every now and then he gets a little obsessed and wide eyed during his play and I remember that even though he hasn't had an accident in almost a year, it is still his weird way of telling me he might have to poop!

 

You'll also want to post this question on the Puppy Madness and the Training forums.  You'll get a lot more responses, and you'll be able to do a search for previous answers.  Congrats on your wild little guy.  The first 4 months were exhausting for me trying to break his teething habit on my arm and some of his obsessive zooming habits!  I was soooo happy when his last baby tooth was out at 5.5 months! 

[Tennille and Lellebel]

This is exactly how a 3 month old puppy behaves. He wants your attention. Putting him into a time out when it starts is a good way to let him know that he's going about things the wrong way. Also, sometimes, just like a toddler, crazy behavior is caused by them being tired, so putting them in their crate or away from everyone will give them a chance to take a break. Good luck!

[Debbie & Gibbs]

I honestly had not thought of pooping, I'll try that tonight and see if that is his real need.  I'm learning doodle!  We keep the bathrooms doors shut or toilet paper on the back of the toilet, no closet doors are left open way too many interesting items in the closet.  He's my little slipper, scarf and belt thief.  He's pulled shirts off the hanger and runs with them through the house and you can't catch him!  I told him affectionately the other night that he was devil dog.  Lots of work and lots of laughter.  When he is in sweetness mode, nothing is better than his cuddling.  . 

[Ricki and Tara (doodle)]

I agree that Gibbs is a normal, healthy puppy and a cute one too! Tara was a wild girl  at that age and had us on an emotional roll coaster much of the time!  I used time outs with her frequently to let her unwind and taught her the word "settle".  I also used Bitter Apple on items that she liked to chew. I ultimately ended up spraying it on my own hands a time or two and letting her bite it because she hated the taste of Bitter Apple. That was how I finally got her to stop nipping my hands. Also at that age I kept a leash on her in the house at all times so I could grab it and get control of her quickly to stop unwanted behavior.  I would recommend not letting him into bedrooms/baths etc unattended at this age. Some of the things he is getting into can be very dangerous. We gated off most of the house and introduced Tara to one new room at a time. When she learned appropriate behaviors for that room we moved her on to the next.  She was not allowed to roam the house freely until she understood what we expected of her in every room. Consequently she never stole a shoe or sock and we never had to play the "chase" game with her.  Our big challenge was the cat but that's another story! LOL

Also, is he getting enough exercise?  You may have heard before " A tired puppy is a good puppy" LOL  Are you teaching him basic obedience?  Training can be mentally tiring for puppies and is another way to burn off some energy in a constructive way.

Remember that the behaviors you are describing are normal puppy/dog behaviors. They bite, chew etc. It's what dogs do. So you are actually training him out of a "normal" behavior and teaching him to live in a different way. This can take some time so don't be discouraged. Patience and consistency will get you were you want to be with him. Also as his brain matures he will be better able to understand what you are teaching him.

[Debbie & Gibbs]

Thanks, we think he is pretty special and he has been a really good puppy, he's a puppy.  Last night was devil dog!

[Ricki and Tara (doodle)]

LOL, I used to call Tara my coyote puppy and joke that the breeder had made a switch on me. :)  Just as a heads up, after the chewing biting stage you may encounter the rebellious teenage stage where they forget all training or rather just refuse to do anything you ask. So be prepared for that one next!  I can say though that  at about 1.5 years she calmed way down and started behaving more like a dog and less like a coyote. Life got much easier after that. :)

I have read that the first year of a dog's life is the most important in regard to training and helping him become a good member of society. And if done correctly that first year can take a lot of time and hard work on the person's part but it is so rewarding in later years. So hang in there. You'll be glad you did!

[Kathie Mau]

WOW....our babies are the same age!  Meco turned 12 weeks on Dec. 9th....and she does EXACTLY the same, especially to my husband.  We just finished our 5th week in training, and our trainer today advised this:  Non-rewarded behavior will go away.  Rewarding can be treats, toys, even bad attention like saying "no"......she continues to advise, stand like a tree, look down at the ground with NO eye contact, and fold your arms across your chest (I'd also try to keep the belt FAR away from her reach).  Believe me, my girl ONLY does this with my husband now, and he continues to say "no" and tries to get her to stop....which of course, she doesn't.  Hope the "make like a tree" will work.......you outwait her.....it really does work!  After she moves on to something else, then you find something positive to praise and reward, like responding to sit, being in her spot, etc.....just NEVER the "bad" behavior.

[Debbie & Gibbs]

I'm going to try standing like a tree and see what he does.  I have turned my back to him to ignore him and he just jumps up and bites your robe, coat, pants whatever.  It's like you won't turn your back on me and get away with it.  Little toot!!  I had a female Westie that would get so cranked up as a puppy that I would have to pick her up hold her in my arms and put her on her back and hold her chin hair until she calmed down.  She would eventually relax and make eye contact and calm herself down when she knew I wasn't turning her loose.  She is 8 now and will still have her "Penny" moments and get put on her back.  She just gives it up and it's like okay I get it, you're the boss I'll quit being a little B.  Love my dogs!!

[Gerri]

I'm sure there are plenty of people out there that will disagree with this method, but McDuff went thru that same behavior. I tried everything, but what finally worked was spraying him in the face with a water spritzer. Try to do it so that he doesn't realize it was you that sprayed him. It only took a couple of times and he stopped latching on to our clothing as we walked by.