This is something my wife noticed yesterday. Monty, 5 months old now, will try to "attack" me in the garden. He will bring a toy up and try to provoke me into playing with him. Usually a rope he wants to tug. If I ignore, he will start to bite at my clothes. Our recent plan for his over-excitement was to nip it as soon as it starts to manifest. What is happening now is he is anticipating that, and it becomes a game. I will try to grab his "spaniel handle" (scruff) and he will roll over and bite and it escalates. He will be jumping up excitedly grabbing at my clothes and arms. If I try to remove myself from the situation, he will follow and keep "attacking" so that is probably rewarding. And he will only do it with me. My wife will be with me, but he will not bother. I've never consciously played rough with him or rewarded this behaviour. How can I stop it if ignoring doesn't stop it, I am unable to remove myself and the "last resort" of a firm shout just makes him even wilder! Two other pieces of the jigsaw that might be of note: I am the main trainer and with him every day. He is teething very badly at the moment. Any advice appreciated. James
Benson used to do something similar, and at times 19 months old still does. When it was apparent he had got himself so aroused that play would be a bit too bitey or frantic, I would gently pop him back in his crate for about 10mins with a frozen kong or fishskin. Later would take him out and play a game of hide and seek...I would hide something like a toilet roll with a few pieces of kibble either in the garden or house to direct his energy if he wasn't due a walk. Appreciate you have a spaniel so I don't know if this approach would work
I'd keep walking away until I could put a barrier between myself and the dog - so walk into the house, garage or shed etc and leave the dog outside. I'd definitely not try to grab a dog's scruff - my dog would definitely interpret that as an invitation to play and it would make it much worse.
Thanks. I normally try to remove myself from the situation but it is literally like the Victorian circus lion tamer fending off a lion with a chair! And I think he enjoys it so I'm worried I was just reinforcing the behaviour?
Yes and when you are doing something out of Monty Pythons funny walks at the same time makes you even more intriguing!
Sorry I didn't mean to infer you normally walk like that, just meant with a pup nipping at your heels!
You just have to pick what you think is the LRT (least reinforcing thing) to do - sometimes all options are reinforcing including nothing so you go with the LRT. I'd say removing yourself is the best - even though he might get what he views as play while you walk somewhere else if he is still biting as you walk then you disappearing removes something he wants. So there doesn't seem to be a reason why that wouldn't work as a strategy.
OK, that's good as it's what I have been doing. Any ideas why it's just me? Am I seen as the fun person?
Probably, if you are the main trainer and provider of all things fun and interesting...(including walking styles...(
It is probably something to do with the way you respond to him - my OH gets constantly bothered by Charlie in the evenings because he makes eye contact with him and smiles slightly (really, OH likes Charlie paying attention to him even though he pretends it's irritating and sometimes gets fed up with it). This tiny thing is enough to be reinforcing to Charlie, whereas I look away and Charlie gets no reinforcement for bothering me, so he doesn't.
Ah yes, that makes sense - my wife tells me off for laughing when he is attacking. I guess that's not helping!!
You have the advantage of having a nice little Spaniel, when you have a thumping great Labrador 'play attacking' you. It's no fun at all I was the lucky recipient of all Molly's attention during this period. I am only 5 foot 2 inches and weigh 8 stone, didn,t enjoy her 'teenage' one little bit. I am the carer and trainer, she never offered my husband that behaviour. Now, in the evenings when we sit down to watch TV she ambles up to him and places her paw, oh so gently, in his or on his knee. Rotten little traitress.
I don't believe I've ever seen those three words used together in the same sentence!! He certainly is getting more powerful, but yeah he's only about 11kgs at the moment, and me at 6ft and 13 stone it's still a royal battle.
He certainly is getting more powerful, but yeah he's only about 11kgs at the moment, and me at 6ft and 13 stone it's still a royal battle. The trouble is they don't fight fair. You are frightened of hurting them and they have no such scruples.
