Snapping/growling in bed

cheekycharlie · Posted: Tue Nov 13, 2007 5:45 pm Post subject:

charlie was going through the same thing he was biting me lots and when i scolded him he sometimes got worse. my husband (who's taken a back seat for a while) stood up and and very firmly said stop then bed. charlie trotted off to bed with his tail between his legs. if there's two of you should both have the same rules and both implement the discipline. if your alone when it happens remember your the boss, i grab charlies scruff and hold it until i get up (it mostly happened to me when i was sitting on the floor with him) stand firm (body language) and tell him to stop. most of the time he will stop.
we are just getting threw this now and the change has been fantastic! he's listening more and obedience has improved loads. you will get threw it just stand your ground, your in charge! Wink

wildlifecr13 · Posted: Tue Nov 13, 2007 5:51 pm Post subject:

what i said in 1/5 the space. well put.

Ellinorianne · Posted: Tue Nov 13, 2007 6:04 pm Post subject:

It's just frustrating and part of it is she's not getting enough exercise since we've been told we can't walk her. I'm trying to let her play outside and down stairs (not upstairs) whens he's in the family room we are trying to get her to stay on her bed.

She knows too, you scold her and she goes and sits back and tries to look very innocent. When she bit me the other night and I got up and left after yelping a minute later she came and licked my hand.

I take all of these as communication and she just wants to play and be loved. I think the issue is, my husband is not paying enough attention when comes home, he says he does, but I can tell from her behavior she isn't and it's hard to accuse your spouse of lying.

He got mad because I let her slide all over our hard floor downstairs with one of her chew sticks. It was adorable, we had fun and she was happy. She wasn't hurting anything and I thought, hell, the poor thing just wants to play, so I played with her.

It's also quite funny when she jumps in a full circle in the air. Wow, the acrobatics.

And the most annoying thing is, my daughter and husband are leaving things around for her to chew on and then they get mad when she does. It's so silly, I tell her no, no all the nos, it gets old for me.

I was grabbing her by the scruff and pushing down and she barks at me and snaps at my hand and wiggles out, I think I'm afraid of hurting her and she knows that.

cheekycharlie · Posted: Tue Nov 13, 2007 6:31 pm Post subject:

exactly she knows so she's trying it on! you wont hurt her you love her too much! if charlie snaps at my hand i tap the end of his nose as a gentle reminder.
my husband was the same his excuse was he hated THIS PUPPY PHASE.
to be honest i ignored him at times (my husband not the dog)
Stephen came round when he noticed charlie was taking me for a ride.
he still gets frustrated now but it helps load now hes helping.
i tried an empty coke can filled with a few small coins, i firmly shook it once and said stop, this only worked for a while as it hard to have the can with you at all times unless you know when it usually happens. then as soon as brought the can into his sight he sat like a statue staring at it.
water spay is another but again only worked for a while thing happened sat like a statue but then bit.
I've tried load of different things while training charlie some work some don't.

wildlifecr13 · Posted: Tue Nov 13, 2007 6:57 pm Post subject:

can of coins is a good one.

your entire family has to get in on this - raising a puppy takes a family - if they are not working with her, it will show through her actions. your husband may honestly think he is doing enough, but perhaps her behavior shows he is not.

one game i would suggest is hide and seek. zoe loves it when i hide her toys around the house. she uses so much energy looking - the mental stimulation is great. and a trip to petco, etc is great - not a lot of time/walking distance, but every minute is very mentally stimulating, so it really helps wear her out.

anne · Posted: Tue Nov 13, 2007 7:39 pm Post subject:

GrayGhost · Posted: Tue Nov 13, 2007 7:43 pm Post subject:

Ellinorianne · Posted: Tue Nov 13, 2007 7:53 pm Post subject:

For me it's about having options and then customizing them to Sophie. I'm learning about her and since I'm new to dogs I'm learning what's normal and what's not.

If I have some idea of what's a baseline, that this phase is normal, then I know I wont panic or overreact and if I have tools in my head as I work with her then I have more options and I can see what works best with her.

I don't see any of this written in stone, just friendly advice. Part of it is, why reinvent the wheel when others have got theirs rolling. So guidance is more like it and it also helps me a bit more confident with her, which is part of the issue.

GailB · Posted: Tue Nov 13, 2007 9:36 pm Post subject:

What about when a 3 year old nips all the time?

wildlifecr13 · Posted: Tue Nov 13, 2007 9:50 pm Post subject:

i love this site... for every answer, there are 4 more questions.

a 3 year old that nips... explain... is this at you, at other dogs, at kids... when, what are the circumstances, do they vary???

anne · Posted: Tue Nov 13, 2007 11:55 pm Post subject:

Yeah and what does "nip" mean?

Beth · Posted: Wed Nov 14, 2007 7:23 am Post subject:

GailB · Posted: Wed Nov 14, 2007 9:24 am Post subject:

Here's the situation my new rescued boy was 3 last week,he has been with us now for 3 weeks.

I have been letting him on my bed,to bond with him,to let him know this is home now.

When my husband comes to bed he is kenneled for the night(not sure of his night habits yet).

He freaks when he sees me coming in from outside,jumping on window and barking.

When I come through the door I turn my back on him,till he calms then I make him sit and I pay attention to him.

After I pat him he tries to nip me ,not breaking skin,no growling (excitement I think).

When I get my coat to take him out, this is when all hell breaks out with the nipping.He even nips at my coat.

I tell him to sit in a firm voice but sometimes it takes 10 attempts.

Then when we get outside oh man he jumps on me and nips more.He nips on my hands,pocket of coat,pretty much wherever there is an open spot on me.

Yesterday I started not letting him on the furniture, till he stops this silly behaviour.

I took his teddy bear on him yesterday also.

I am the only one he does this too.

He listens to the husband good.

Sorry so long winded but I need this to stop NOW.

Thanks so much,

Gail

Beth · Posted: Wed Nov 14, 2007 9:46 am Post subject:

Ok,
so just to clarify
Telling him no and to sit isn't working too effectively?
What if you tell him NO, swat his nose gently, and put the leash away. NO REWARD
I don't think I'd take his bear, he won't make that connection. And I doubt he's making the connection to the furniture as his behavior has nothing to do with the furniture.
I would focus on the behavior and the rewards associated with it.

wildlifecr13 · Posted: Wed Nov 14, 2007 11:54 am Post subject:

So its an excitement thing.
Zoe carries on like an idiot when I get home... its is a hundred times worse now that she is alone all day Sad

I ignore her until she calms down, and she usually does so within 60-90 seconds. She cries, runs in circles, all sorts of generally unacceptable behavior. Its nice to know she is excited to see me, but she has to learn HOW to show that excitement.
I will go through the mail, clean up the kitchen, whatever, while she is being crazy. Once she stops and sits down, I will pay attention to her. I dont even look at her until she sits down, and like I said, she is already catching on to this. Depending on how she does with figuring things out, I may have to take a more active approach to calming her, but for now, Im trying the passive - she is smart, she figures this stuff out.
If your nipping is an excitement thing, you have to ease into the excitement and control it. When ZOe hears the noise of the choker collar she just about loses her mind - she knows we are headed for a walk. She has learned that the only way she gets to go is if she sits on the rug and lets me put it on her. She is now very good about stretching her head out and letting me put it on. I started by grabbing the collar and when she came running, telling her to sit in front of me... she ignored it at times, but caught on that nothing more would happen until she did what I wanted her to. I make her do what I want or we dont go - I have no problem putting the collar back on the hook and doing something else for 20 minutes, then trying again. For her, this worked. She is still excited, and generally runs a circle around the house first, but then she sits down in front of me and waits for the collar.