I suppose i just want to let off steam and have a little moan....hope you dont mind? Izzy is driving me mad! Her biting is so bad, she hangs off my ankles as im walking. I try to ignore her but when her teeth are sunk in me its difficult! Her mad half hours last hours, i try to put her in her cage for time out but she goes crazy howling and then wees! Theres no middle ground, its either mad or asleep. I do some training for a bit which works well, but when we have finished shes off again! How do i stop this behaviour!?
Re: Driving me mad! We don't mind at all, that's what we're here for! Although I can't give much help on this one, sadly - mine never did the ankles thing, so I can only imagine how annoying/painful/dangerous it is! Has she got plenty of stuff to chew? You don't want to reward her for bad behaviour, so you have to be careful of just giving her a chew/kong/game of tug when she's biting you, but I know plenty of people on here have used the replacement method (their limbs for a toy) to good effect. Maybe they'll be able to offer how they did this without it encouraging the biting - I don't know, sorry! When Willow was going mental and wasn't interested in her toys, I often gave her an ice cube. We have bags of those massive ones for cocktails and they take the pups ages to eat and play with. You have to watch out for them going under your furniture, though, so maybe give them in the kitchen, or a room where it's can't slide under something - or even in her crate?
Re: Driving me mad! I found that stage to be full on. I was devoting a lot of time to managing behaviour, varying games, looking for things to occupy Chepi. She did the clothes snatching and getting over excited. I just reminded myself that it was puppy behaviour to avoid getting angry. Practically, I would do 5 mins of clicker training, carry her down the road for her "walk", let her run around in the garden, give her cardboard boxes or plastic bottles to chew or chase around. If biting I tried to anticipate when it might happen and have a diversionary tool ready. I sometimes growled at her but wasn't very effective at it; my daughter was better and it would stop unwelcome behaviour but I still needed to replace the biting with a more positive experience that she could be rewarded for. While biting and chewing is normal there probably is a limit! I think Pippa's got some good articles to read about it. Don't forget puppy kongs!
Re: Driving me mad! Fear not - it passes. Meanwhile, wear wellies! Here are Pippa's excellent articles on puppy biting - http://www.thelabradorsite.com/your-labrador-puppy-biting/
Re: Driving me mad! I found it a really demanding time too - but it really does only last a few weeks and it will get much easier after her jabs when you can let her have a run around somewhere new. When Molly was small I found large cardboard boxes, big enough for the pup to climb in, were a useful distraction from my limbs and helped to tire her out. Keep repeating 'it will pass'
Re: Driving me mad! I feel your pain, bella bit me on the thigh last night in excitement - ouch!!!doesnt help I've had a sicky bug the past few days so that and puppy = hard work!! Her teeth are certainly a lot sharper now!! I keep redirecting and giving her others things to chew and play tug of war to tire her out! I had to put her in the kitchen for 5 mins last night which calmed her down just a little. I also gave her an old paper back book to read/ shred ... My living room looked delightful hang in there!
Re: Driving me mad! i feel your pain my hands are shredded from Amber's claws. Last night she took chunks out of the kitchen door mat having had a go at the door frame earlier in the day. The other day I put her in the car crate and had a drive round with the radio on for a bit of a break. I also use ice cubes as a distraction on the kitchen floor. She is currently asleep looking all angelic which despite all the hard work makes it seem worth while. Keep going !
Re: Driving me mad! Darcey has all of a sudden stopped biting as much, it was literally overnight, so hopefully Izzy will as well, my 15 yr old son used to literally doused himself in bitter apple to stop her bitting him so he feels your pain it will get better Susannah & Darcey
Re: Driving me mad! We dont mind the "sharing" at all. We have all been there. Please dont dispaire to much, I had just about given up hope & then all of a sudden I realised I had no bite marks on me. Ice cubes a great distraction, Labs seem to love the freezing temprature of them. Got any rope toys? If so soak then freeze them as well. It will be over soon, we promise
Re: Driving me mad! Thanks for the replies, i think im tired today so ive had little patience. Sometimes it feels like shes not improving on anything. She still wees in the house if i dont take her out every 30 mins, she doesnt let me know. She still needs to go out twice during the night. And she still wails when i put her in her cage and leave the room! It feels never ending!
Re: Driving me mad! Oh Wendy, it seems like a life time ago now, but I know exactly how you feel! When Maisie was 9/10 weeks old I really didn't know what had hit me! No sleep, bruised, scratched, bitten, etc, etc! It does get better, by about 12 weeks Maisie suddenly settled down and I was able to control her crazy moments by keeping play at a low level of excitement and always having something to "shove" in her mouth to chew on rather than me! It will get better! Rice bones were my saviour and if you freeze them, even better!
Re: Driving me mad! I'm with you ha, Bella has a thing about sometimes pooing in the kitchen ( she does leave the living room to do so though which is good?!) so I need to try and encourage her to do more outside. She also keeps having a wee on the living room carpet, even if she's been 30-40 mins prior, but I'm guessing that's my fault for not taking her out enough : I'm wondering if you can clicker train toilet??? or will that encourage her to keep 'weeing' for a treat :-\
Re: Driving me mad! Ah Wendy,I hope the current Puppy Posse have made you feel better?you aren't alone but it feels like it when you are going through it xx
Re: Driving me mad! Pippa has good articles on toilet training. Yes, take Bella out more often, every 10-15 mins to re-establish that outside is for weeing, with lots of praise. Have you got some of that spray to do the carpet with? Simple solution stain +odour remover.
Re: Driving me mad! Hi Wendy, I'm really glad I have read this I was beginning to think we were the only ones. Our puppy is 9 weeks old and he is horrible with biting. I'm going to try some of the techniques everyone has mentioned and we have ordered some puppy kongs that I am going to fill and freeze. We have to watch him like a hawk at the moment as he still wees on the floor if we are not careful. I do use the solutions recommended to clean it up but we have carpets rather than laminate so we try to keep him in the kitchen if we can before he destroys everything. My only solution today is to carpet clean the whole front room using the dog solution in the mixture. Fun Saturday. We are hoping that by crating more in the day when at work for a few hours it may help him with bladder control. We shall see. If we take him outside I try and tire him out by letting him chase me around, works great in the day however this can be a little tiring when its dark and cold outside at night. All I can think is hang in there he will grow out of it, though its very tiring and testing at the moment. Pippa x
Re: Driving me mad! [quote author=Lee Bell link=topic=9329.msg134297#msg134297 date=1420280827] If we take him outside I try and tire him out by letting him chase me around ... [/quote] I'm not too sure about this game? My mantra is 'don't do with a pup what you don't want a 28Kg dog to do'. I played a few things with Tatze which I now regret (especially games with the broom - I can't get the broom out at all now without it being destroyed! : )
Re: Driving me mad! I dont feel quite so desperate this morning, in fact quite pleased with her. I took her out on her own, rather than with our other dog, and let off the lead and did some training. (We are on a farm so no nearby roads, just garden and farm tracks). Her recall with the whistle is excellent, and she chases a ball and brings it back. This seemed to tire her out and shes now snoozing! So many ups and downs with puppies! But it is nice to come on here and chat to like minded people
Re: Driving me mad! Thanks jane, yes I'm using the simple solution, went for another bottle yesterday!! I am taking her out every 40 -50 mins as she won't go before even if I stand out there for ages . I'm setting my phone alarm and no accidents so far ( since yesterday pm)!but sometimes she will just come straight back in and do it even tho we've been outside for ages!!! I keep giving her big fusses and praise outside ( say nothing inside , whilst she just chases the kitchen roll I'm using to clean it up ha) I'm wondering if the reason she doesn't poo in living room is first time she started doing it I had time to scoop her up say no and move her straight into the kitchen. No time with wees!!! It's hard in my current house as it's an upstairs downstairs so keep having to carry her up and down! Which is fine if she goes toilet!
Re: Driving me mad! But some of this is quite good for recall? [quote author=Boogie link=topic=9329.msg134299#msg134299 date=1420281137] [quote author=Lee Bell link=topic=9329.msg134297#msg134297 date=1420280827] If we take him outside I try and tire him out by letting him chase me around ... [/quote] I'm not too sure about this game? My mantra is 'don't do with a pup what you don't want a 28Kg dog to do'. I played a few things with Tatze which I now regret (especially games with the broom - I can't get the broom out at all now without it being destroyed! : ) [/quote]
Re: Driving me mad! [quote author=CDM link=topic=9329.msg134308#msg134308 date=1420285277] But some of this is quite good for recall? [/quote] Yes - you are right, in 'hide and seek' type of play
