# Help....feeling very stressed



## Salfordnurse (May 4, 2011)

Hi guys I know this has probably been answered, but I really need some help. My little Poppy is constantly nipping and bitting, everyone and everything she can get her teeth into. If you put your hand anywhere near her she nips/bites it and then lightly chews on it but not so much a to hurt in the gums/teeth at the back of her jaw. She constantly nips grabs shoe laces etc. if you try to move them she nips you. We've tried the yelping, but nothing, we've tried giving her a toy/chew but she gives it a few seconds and spits it out and goes for what ever she had. Even tried excluding her, and putting her in another room, does calm her down a bit but she just starts up again once she's back in the room. I'm sure its just a phase, but I'm getting really upset about it thinking I've got a vicious animal. Been near to tears the last couple of days.
:cry2:

Any help from wiser owners would be appreciated


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## flounder (Apr 26, 2011)

How old is Poppy? Our puppy Lolly is 10 weeks old and has very nippy moments too. Especially towards our 8 year old son who finds it difficult to deal with (tending to jump around a bit which only entices Lolly more!) First we tried yelping like puppy but this just seemed to excite her more. We have found standing up still and completely ignoring her works better. If its really bad then we have also growled really loudly at her. This works well to make her freeze and then we can distract her. (my hubbie also tried shaking a plastic pot he had screws in which also worked well)
If Lolly is getting nippy we try the above and then try to calm her down. 
I am also trying to get her playing with other pups as often as I can so that she can hopefully learn some doggy etiquette off them. Luckily for me I have 2 friends who have puppies. This also works well to tire her out!
I wish I had the magic answer but keep being reasured by others that the nipping stops when they get their adult teeth.


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## MISSIEMUM (Apr 13, 2011)

Hi
We have a 13 week old puppy who is the same. so we gave a very loud ouch when she nips, cos this is what other pups would do if she was playing and it seems to work. sometimes she has a mad hour and becomes very nippy, so we put her in her cage for a few mins to let her know we wont play. hope this helps.


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## Newbie (Feb 15, 2011)

Yup! I started a thread about this as wasn't sure what to do. I started shouting "NO", giving her a chance, and if she did it again, I shut her away for a time-out (supernanny stylee!). This went on for about a week. Each day there were fewer time-outs and a week later she was MUCH better, and now I just have to say "no" and she understands. She does test me by being cheeky every now and then though!! And she's cute and sorry when she comes out of her time-out. She's really good now and the only time she nips it's always in a playful way and doesn't hurt (whereas she actually drew blood a few times at the start). She plays this game where she stalks me or lies on the floor and then lunges at me. A couple of weeks ago she'd bite me every time and it freaked me out - now it's just for fun and she never makes contact with me.

She's not purposefully vicious! She's a puppy and she's playing. If she was with her siblings they'd be playing together and nipping each other and soon learning how hard they can do it.


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## flounder (Apr 26, 2011)

I don't think I'll put Lolly in her crate for time out as everything I've read about crate training says you shouldn't use it for punishment and their crate should be a pleasent place to be. I have left the room and shut the door which has glass panels so she can see me when she has been really bad. She cries at the glass so I wait and ask her to sit and then go back in. That seems to work too.


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## Salfordnurse (May 4, 2011)

Thanks everyone for the replies, i think it is playfulness. Ive been trying the excluding into another room for a few minutes untill she calms down. Have found giving a bark, stops her in her tracks. Poppy has her mad moments, had one earlier. Her empty dinner bowl flipped upside down, she went absoloutly crazy, barking smaking it with her paw. Everytime in move she ran. Was so cute. I think im just overprotective of her like a worried daddy lol I really love her, god help me when I have children


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## Newbie (Feb 15, 2011)

Ha! I've been thinking the same!! How would I cope with chidren!!! I'm going away this weekend (don't worry - leaving her with the hubby who's just as crazy about her) and it'll be the first time I leave her for longer than about an hour and I know I'm going to miss her like crazy!

I agree with Flounder. Noodle's time out is in our hallway by the front door - not her bedroom. I want to keep that as her "nice place" - not her "punishment place"!

It will get better! . People told me that a couple of weeks ago - and it's already miles and miles better!


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## Jukee Doodles (Apr 5, 2011)

We've just been discussing puppy biting on another thread. Take a look at http://ilovemycockapoo.com/showthread.php?t=1469 

I will re-post the info here too as I'm not sure if that link will work. Not tried to link before.

We are breeders and with every puppy that leaves here we give a leaflet answering all the questions buyers have every asked us about young puppies it's an 'idiots guide' to puppy ownership. The whole thing is too long to post here but if you would like a copy just ask and I can e-mail it to you from [email protected]. I have copied part of it below about the psychology of dogs that might be relevant.

Julia

****


Puppy's Place in the Family
The reason dogs are such good pets and fit so well into human society is that they are social animals by nature. Their greatest psychological need is to be part of a group. Whether it's a family of just you and puppy, or a boisterous household full of children and pets, in order to be happy your new puppy must feel secure about her place in the group.
If you watch puppies at play, you will see a lot of growling and tussling. There is more to this play fighting than meets the eye. Those little guys are already deciding who is going to be "top dog". Whether you realize it or not, something very much like this play fighting is happening at home between your puppy and the rest of the family.
To be confident and secure what puppies need most is a master they can depend on. For your dog to have a happy life and be a pleasure to own, at least one person in the family must become such a master. Dogs have no mental concept of "friends and equals". Somebody has to be boss. Assertive puppies will grow up trying to be boss, which won't make either one of you happy. A submissive puppy may spend its entire life fretting and worrying, never sure what is expected. Everything usually works out just fine automatically--puppies find their place in the family without much trouble and everyone is happy with the arrangement. If, on the other hand, you have a strongly assertive or unusually submissive pet there are some things you should keep in mind:
Working with an assertive puppy
Assertive puppies tend to immediately investigate new people and objects. They are quick to begin play fighting activities with people. When they want to be petted or fed, they are insistent and demanding. These puppies fall easily into the role of family protector because they think the people belong to them. This is well and good, but because dogs cannot really understand human society, there is soon trouble. They may try to defend you from everyone, and biting the UPS man because he invades your yard is not ok. Biting the children is not ok. The most serious problems happen when grandchildren are involved. Perceived either as an outside threat or a competitor, it is not unusual for grandchildren to be badly injured by big assertive dogs.
The training techniques used to establish your teacher-learner relationship are especially important. Remember that your dog will be much happier in the long run if he earns praise and pleasure by obeying you, not by demanding it.
It is especially important for you to be master. Do not allow your dog to nip or bite at you in a friendly way. If a puppy play bites stop the ‘game’ Immediately by holding the puppies mouth shut with a little pressure until he/she pulls away. Combine it with a gruff ‘No’ if you like. You may have to repeat this two or three times if an assertive puppy comes back at you, do it with a little firmer pressure each time. You must make the puppy choose to step away from the encounter and you become the ‘older grumpier dog’. Do not hold a grudge, when you win the moment then let it go. The next moment can be back to normal. Do not stimulate your puppy by waving your arms and acting excited or by playing tug of war. Do not become what your puppy perceives to be an equal and competitive playmate. 
__________________


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## Newbie (Feb 15, 2011)

How are you doing today? x


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## Salfordnurse (May 4, 2011)

were good, Poppy had a time-out in her basket in the kitchen, opened the door quietly after five minutes, she didnt move just look at us forlornly from her basket, went and sat in the living room few minutes late she followed me in sheepishly walked past everyone else, came over gently pawed my leg, I bent down and started licking my hand, no biting. as she got a bit more enthusiastic she started nipping. but looks like we are getting somewhere very very slowly. She was still full of energy at 10 last night, so I ended up in the garden with the security lights on playing ball games with her. my neighbours must think i'm crazy!!!


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## Dylansmum (Oct 29, 2010)

All cockapoo owners are crazy - it's in the job description


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## triops (Feb 26, 2011)

Mylo can be very nippy, we just put him in his crate IMMEDIATELY after he nips just so he associates the nipping with the time out. He is still only 18 weeks old, a baby really!!


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## Mez-UK (May 4, 2011)

When she bites anything or mouths hands use the dogs name then "ah ah NO!" in a sharp quick way or the same and clap hands. this will distract her from what she is doing. Harley came home on Saturday he is 8 weeks old and he will "mouth" hands or plants shoes etc but I have used this from the moment he came home and he now stops straight away! infact he is so funny that sometimes he forgets I go "AH AH! and he goes into a yawn its hilarious! hope this helps! but its all about distraction and tapping on the nose is the WORST thing if anyone is doing this it doesn't work and can make puppy hand shy or submissive around people!


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## embee (Dec 27, 2010)

Mez-UK said:


> I go "AH AH! and he goes into a yawn its hilarious!


When a go AH at Flo she always scratches herself as if to say 'what me, but I'm just sitting here minding my own business scratching my ear'. I've read that they are calming signals by yawning, scratching etc they are trying to diffuse the situation as they don't want you to get any madder with them.


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## MichelleE (Apr 2, 2011)

After a 'too good to be true' start with Poppy, she has just found her bark and has started stalking me and biting my ankles/clothes when she gets over excited. I have been giving her a time out, so will see how this goes. She is also really mouthy with all of us. I make sure the kids have a toys in their hands when the play with her, but will start doing the mouth holding as suggested by Jukee Doodles to see if that helps. I know she will grow out of it, but the stalking/biting bit with me (only me) is making me nervous. Think we are having a battle of wills over who is boss!


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## embee (Dec 27, 2010)

MichelleE said:


> I know she will grow out of it, but the stalking/biting bit with me (only me) is making me nervous. Think we are having a battle of wills over who is boss!


I got this with Flo and got quite worried as she is my first dog and I begun to think I had a dominant puppy who was trying to challenge me as pack leader!! That's not what's happening so don't worry. You are now 'mum' and she is trying to figure out what she should and shouldn't do and how to behave and communicate. What you are doing is just fine. Also take a look at this link to understand a bit more about biting and bite inhibition http://www.crickethollowfarm.com/biteinhib.htm


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