# New puppy....having trouble with biting and housetraining



## Paws&Tails

So about 6 weeks ago my brother brought home a puppy from work. One of his coworkers found a litter of puppies where they work, and my brother decided to keep one. She's a pitbull and I'm pretty sure she's pure pitbull. She's an insanely sweet puppy and for the most part is well behaved and LOVES people and other animals. Three BIG issues though. (My brother is going to get a trainer in a couple of weeks, but until then we're trying to figure out something to at least help a little)


#1 She bites.*A LOT*. I'm not over exaggerating when I say she bites more than most puppies I've ever met. You can't even pet her without her trying to gnaw on your hand. It's especially bad when you try to play with her. Playing with people=BITING. And nothing works for more than a minute until she tries again. Screaming/yelping when she bites, ignoring her and turning your back etc. nada. The only thing that sort of works is bringing out a water bottle. The funny thing is she doesn't bite/gnaw on little kids or new people she's just met.

Which brings me to issue #2 Which is LUNGING at you and biting. This really only happens outside. Lately when anyone tries to take her on a walk, or outside to play and burn off energy it usually ends within _seconds_. Because she literally lunges/jumps up at you biting and growling and she has drawn blood, given bruises and put holes in clothes doing this. She does this with everyone, not just specific people. NOTHING works. You can't ignore her because she just keeps lunging and biting even if you try to walk away. So she ends up having to be dragged or carried inside. If you pick her up to go inside (which is what happens when she lunges/bites and won't stop) while she's doing this she starts growling and getting nasty trying to whip her head around to bite you and/or your clothing.
If she was outside playing nicely and wandering around for awhile and it's time to go back inside and she's not ready (she would stay outside for HOURS if she had her way), the lunging and biting and growling starts.
She also keeps trying to play with Spike. Spike wants nothing to do with her anymore (he's about 11 or 12 now and has the start of cataracts). She'll bite him, literally walk over him and won't take a hint that he doesn't want to play.
Surprisingly she does excellently with the cats.


Issue #3 is with housetraining. She is on a schedule and goes outside to potty first thing in the morning, after getting out of her crate from naps, after eating, before bed etc. However, you can take her outside and she'll go pee a couple of times, come back inside and promptly go pee on the floor. Yesterday I caught her peeing on the floor right after I had just taken her outside and went to pick her up quietly to go to the potty spot outside and she just started running through the house when she saw me coming to pick her up and when I did finally manage to pick her up to go outside she started growling and trying to bite.


These are really the only issues and I'm at a loss. I don't know what to do anymore and I'm frustrated to the point of tears with the biting and lunging. HELP!


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## lauren43

1: Potty training. It's very frustrating. I have an older dog that will go potty the second you are not looking at him so I feel your pain. Set her up for success. Take her out many many times a day, like every single hour. When it is potty time, she should probably be on a leash, or just make sure that you do not play with her during this time, you are outside for one task! So she pees outside, you give her a treat, have a celebration. Then perhaps have a tug toy to play with. Do not play with your hands or body or anything and only play after pottying has been completed! When she is in the house she is to either be in the same room with you at all times or in her crate when you can't watch her. If you go out and you know she has to go but decides its play time instead, bring her back inside, place her in crate and try again in 15 mins. She only gets rewarded with playing if she goes potty.

2: Lunging and biting. Most puppies do grow out of this stage. But you want to be proactive. Always have a toy available for her to play with. If she will not leave you alone (and if your yard is fenced) walk into the house, watch her while shes out there, when you think she has calmed down a bit, go out with a handful of bite sized treats or even her dog food (if she is easily food motivated) and toss a handful on the floor. She will hopefully be too busy looking for food to lunge. Then when she is just about done, call her name and when she looks at you toss more. Rinse and repeat. You could also do this every time you enter a room that she is in or every time she is getting too "crazy". The more times it is rehearsed you will find you have a dog looking on the floor whenever you walk near, which is incompatible with biting and lunging. I also find that having mini training sessions during these times will calm a dog down. If you are the ultimate reward (for her) make sure you have super yummy treats, I'm talking steak. If she is anything like my boy though, anything and everything is good enough as a treat. So anyway, if you are taking her out, go out prepared. Have a toy and a bag of yummy treats. If she gets crazy try encouraging her to play with the toy, if she will not take the toy try working on things like sit or down or paw. If she is too driven to take treats you walk inside and do what is described above.

3: Nipping in general. Get items she can chew! Kongs are fantastic, stuff them with anything you can come up with (that includes, dog food, meat, meat balls, chicken broth (watch the sodium levels here) mixed with anything, canned dog food, peanut butter, leftovers, and if that is not challenging enough for her you can freeze them) and send her to her crate to chew. Bully sticks are another fantastic option (though watch her with them, and get ones that are big enough that she can't swallow). And I've heard good things about getting a towel or washcloth dipping it in chicken broth mixed with water then freezing it (if you do this watch her, make sure shes not eating the towel)... If at any point in time she is getting too nippy and will not take an appropriate toy, whip out one of the above items and let her have at it in her crate.

Actually for a dog like her I would throw away the food bowl. Find work to eat toys, most pet supplies stores sell them. I usually buy the ball type ones but all of them are good (just know that some are more fragile than others, so only buy what you think she can't destroy)..Kongs can be used as work to eat. You could simply put her kibble in there and let her have at it or you could get crafty. Put her food in there cover the big hole with something like peanut butter then freeze it. Or you could water down her kibble and then freeze it. Or you could mix her kibble with something viscus (and preferably good for her too) and freeze. That way even mealtimes are a workout for her mind and mouth...


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## Paws&Tails

lauren43 said:


> 1: Potty training. It's very frustrating. I have an older dog that will go potty the second you are not looking at him so I feel your pain. Set her up for success. Take her out many many times a day, like every single hour. When it is potty time, she should probably be on a leash, or just make sure that you do not play with her during this time, you are outside for one task! So she pees outside, you give her a treat, have a celebration. Then perhaps have a tug toy to play with. Do not play with your hands or body or anything and only play after pottying has been completed! When she is in the house she is to either be in the same room with you at all times or in her crate when you can't watch her. If you go out and you know she has to go but decides its play time instead, bring her back inside, place her in crate and try again in 15 mins. She only gets rewarded with playing if she goes potty.
> 
> 2: Lunging and biting. Most puppies do grow out of this stage. But you want to be proactive. Always have a toy available for her to play with. If she will not leave you alone (and if your yard is fenced) walk into the house, watch her while shes out there, when you think she has calmed down a bit, go out with a handful of bite sized treats or even her dog food (if she is easily food motivated) and toss a handful on the floor. She will hopefully be too busy looking for food to lunge. Then when she is just about done, call her name and when she looks at you toss more. Rinse and repeat. You could also do this every time you enter a room that she is in or every time she is getting too "crazy". The more times it is rehearsed you will find you have a dog looking on the floor whenever you walk near, which is incompatible with biting and lunging. I also find that having mini training sessions during these times will calm a dog down. If you are the ultimate reward (for her) make sure you have super yummy treats, I'm talking steak. If she is anything like my boy though, anything and everything is good enough as a treat. So anyway, if you are taking her out, go out prepared. Have a toy and a bag of yummy treats. If she gets crazy try encouraging her to play with the toy, if she will not take the toy try working on things like sit or down or paw. If she is too driven to take treats you walk inside and do what is described above.
> 
> 3: Nipping in general. Get items she can chew! Kongs are fantastic, stuff them with anything you can come up with (that includes, dog food, meat, meat balls, chicken broth (watch the sodium levels here) mixed with anything, canned dog food, peanut butter, leftovers, and if that is not challenging enough for her you can freeze them) and send her to her crate to chew. Bully sticks are another fantastic option (though watch her with them, and get ones that are big enough that she can't swallow). And I've heard good things about getting a towel or washcloth dipping it in chicken broth mixed with water then freezing it (if you do this watch her, make sure shes not eating the towel)... If at any point in time she is getting too nippy and will not take an appropriate toy, whip out one of the above items and let her have at it in her crate.
> 
> Actually for a dog like her I would throw away the food bowl. Find work to eat toys, most pet supplies stores sell them. I usually buy the ball type ones but all of them are good (just know that some are more fragile than others, so only buy what you think she can't destroy)..Kongs can be used as work to eat. You could simply put her kibble in there and let her have at it or you could get crafty. Put her food in there cover the big hole with something like peanut butter then freeze it. Or you could water down her kibble and then freeze it. Or you could mix her kibble with something viscus (and preferably good for her too) and freeze. That way even mealtimes are a workout for her mind and mouth...


1: Actually, she has been going out pretty much every hour. But yet she still seems to put little puddles on the floor. She can hold it through the night for 8 hours, so it doesn't make sense to me that she can't even hold it for an hour during the day. It's hit and miss as to whether she'll let us know. Half the time she'll go sit by the back door, half the time she just pees/poops. She is FAST. You can be watching her, glance away for a split second and BAM! she's gone. We're going to be putting up baby gates soon to help with this and give the cats a place without the dogs. I think part of the problem is she tries to play when she's taken out to potty. Definitely will try bringing her inside and trying again in 15 minutes when she starts trying to play around.

2: Our yard is not fenced. Previously she was on the leash for potty and then taken off to play, but she's started running out of our yard now, so she stays leashed for playing. I'd probably have to pick her up or drag her to the deck (which has a gate). Toys may or may not work. I tried toys as a distraction and it's like I didn't even have a toy with me. It's like NOTHING will stop her. However, treats may just work. She is highly food driven and will eat anything. She eats kibble, but Spike eats a mixture of raw and homemade and she _really_ wants his food and she loves the treats I make. So I'm thinking/hoping that approach will work.
The issue here is I have trouble getting her to burn off her energy. She needs to run, but to get HER to run YOU have to run, and when YOU run she starts lunging and biting. She does it when she doesn't get her way, too. Example: I was trying to walk her (which is still not easy) and she saw a neighbors dog out in the yard. She wanted to sit and watch him. I tried to get her to keep walking past their house. Disaster! She started lunging and biting me. I ended up picking her up and holding her out in front of me while she flailed the whole way home. It's difficult when she gets like this to get her to stop and she almost never calms down for a long time. She'll still be visibly excited and start doing sprints around the house, jump up at you etc. 

3: She has plenty of chew toys and she has bully sticks, too. She could be playing with a toy, see a person and decide to chew on them instead. Example: She's chasing her chew toy (or a gatorade bottle, she loves playing soccer with those!) and it comes near your foot/hand/ankle. Guess what she's now trying to bite? That's right. You. 
My mom actually tried the frozen washcloth thing and it didn't really work because she chewed it to shreds within seconds. She does like ice cubes though.


I think the sum of this is maybe she has too much energy but she gets too excited when she's playing? 

I think it's a great idea to make her work to eat! Definitely will try that!


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## lauren43

Paws&Tails said:


> 1: Actually, she has been going out pretty much every hour. But yet she still seems to put little puddles on the floor. She can hold it through the night for 8 hours, so it doesn't make sense to me that she can't even hold it for an hour during the day. It's hit and miss as to whether she'll let us know. Half the time she'll go sit by the back door, half the time she just pees/poops. She is FAST. You can be watching her, glance away for a split second and BAM! she's gone. We're going to be putting up baby gates soon to help with this and give the cats a place without the dogs. I think part of the problem is she tries to play when she's taken out to potty. Definitely will try bringing her inside and trying again in 15 minutes when she starts trying to play around.


You haven't had her long. She will get it. As for holding it at night, what do dogs do at night? Sleep. During the day, they are running and playing and eating and drinking. Just do what you can inside, watch her like a hawk. Rewarding pottying in the right place is going to be your best bet and making sure she doesn't think potty time is play time.



Paws&Tails said:


> 12: Our yard is not fenced. Previously she was on the leash for potty and then taken off to play, but she's started running out of our yard now, so she stays leashed for playing. I'd probably have to pick her up or drag her to the deck (which has a gate). Toys may or may not work. I tried toys as a distraction and it's like I didn't even have a toy with me. It's like NOTHING will stop her. However, treats may just work. She is highly food driven and will eat anything. She eats kibble, but Spike eats a mixture of raw and homemade and she _really_ wants his food and she loves the treats I make. So I'm thinking/hoping that approach will work.
> The issue here is I have trouble getting her to burn off her energy. She needs to run, but to get HER to run YOU have to run, and when YOU run she starts lunging and biting. She does it when she doesn't get her way, too. Example: I was trying to walk her (which is still not easy) and she saw a neighbors dog out in the yard. She wanted to sit and watch him. I tried to get her to keep walking past their house. Disaster! She started lunging and biting me. I ended up picking her up and holding her out in front of me while she flailed the whole way home. It's difficult when she gets like this to get her to stop and she almost never calms down for a long time. She'll still be visibly excited and start doing sprints around the house, jump up at you etc.


From what you wrote here you are absolutely rewarding the lunging biting behavior. If to get her energy out you are running around and she is biting and lunging. You are communicating to her that play time equals biting and lunging at my owners---this is fun! Any interactions with her in this state will most likely encourage and reward th behavior. IMO I would stop running with her, you are not her personal chew toy, she has tons of other appropriate options. You need to find a more appropriate and safe energy outlet. Look for puppy socialization groups in your area, other dogs her age will be able to tire her out. Also look up flirt poles and spring poles..then try to get her tugging! Perhaps she would enjoy a soccer ball?

At this point in time I would not take her for normal walks. Stick to the house and backyard for leash training. She is not yet ready for the distractions of the real world and taking her out without knowing how to desentize her to things like other dogs, could actually make the behavior (ie fits of frustration) worse over time...the more rehearsed a behavior the harder it is to change. You want her to build positive associations with the outside world not negative ones. Now this doesn't mean keep her indoors. Taking her out in controlled situations where you know she will suceeed and make positive associations are the ones she experiences.

Now is a great time to find a positive reinforcement trainer. 





Paws&Tails said:


> 13: She has plenty of chew toys and she has bully sticks, too. She could be playing with a toy, see a person and decide to chew on them instead. Example: She's chasing her chew toy (or a gatorade bottle, she loves playing soccer with those!) and it comes near your foot/hand/ankle. Guess what she's now trying to bite? That's right. You.
> My mom actually tried the frozen washcloth thing and it didn't really work because she chewed it to shreds within seconds. She does like ice cubes though.


That is pretty normal puppy behavior. Encouraging her to chew on other things will always be your goal. Keep redirecting her. Try not to have your extremities near her while she's playing, if she goes after them, remove them or your entire self. Do not make a big deal about it.


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## 1605

You have gotten a lot of great advice. One thing I can add, however, is that to help you with potty training/identify areas of concern, I suggest you keep a log: dates, times, notes, etc.

For example, a log helped us identify that our #1 GSP (who is now 6) seemed to have accidents at certain times of the day. So we made sure that we were taking him out a little more often at those times to help his training progress.

Bonne chance


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## lauren43

That is awesome advice! I haven't had a puppy in a long time, so I'm a bit rusty!


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## Paws&Tails

lauren43 said:


> You haven't had her long. She will get it. As for holding it at night, what do dogs do at night? Sleep. During the day, they are running and playing and eating and drinking. Just do what you can inside, watch her like a hawk. Rewarding pottying in the right place is going to be your best bet and making sure she doesn't think potty time is play time.


That makes sense. We've never had a puppy before so this is all new. She's done very well so far today. 





lauren43 said:


> From what you wrote here you are absolutely rewarding the lunging biting behavior. If to get her energy out you are running around and she is biting and lunging. You are communicating to her that play time equals biting and lunging at my owners---this is fun! Any interactions with her in this state will most likely encourage and reward th behavior. IMO I would stop running with her, you are not her personal chew toy, she has tons of other appropriate options. You need to find a more appropriate and safe energy outlet. Look for puppy socialization groups in your area, other dogs her age will be able to tire her out. Also look up flirt poles and spring poles..then try to get her tugging! Perhaps she would enjoy a soccer ball?


At first she liked running beside me and she was fine. But then she started doing the lunging, so we don't run with her anymore, and we have ceased with the walks because I figured she's probably just too young right now. When she started lunging today we tossed some ice cubes on the floor and that worked! She loves chasing them on the floor! Also, good idea on the soccer ball! That will probably work outside to get her running around and as a distraction when she starts up again. My brothers boss goes to church with us and they have one of the puppies and we've talked about doing a playdate, so I think we need to set that up!





lauren43 said:


> Now is a great time to find a positive reinforcement trainer.


We've got one lined up!  I found her a while ago to use with Spike and our neighbor has used her when they got a puppy about a year or so ago. 







lauren43 said:


> That is pretty normal puppy behavior. Encouraging her to chew on other things will always be your goal. Keep redirecting her. Try not to have your extremities near her while she's playing, if she goes after them, remove them or your entire self. Do not make a big deal about it.


Gotcha!



SubMariner said:


> You have gotten a lot of great advice. One thing I can add, however, is that to help you with potty training/identify areas of concern, I suggest you keep a log: dates, times, notes, etc.
> 
> For example, a log helped us identify that our #1 GSP (who is now 6) seemed to have accidents at certain times of the day. So we made sure that we were taking him out a little more often at those times to help his training progress.
> 
> Bonne chance


That's a great idea!!


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## Paws&Tails

I figured ya'll wouldn't mind a few puppy pictures.  Her name's Missy, BTW, and we're guessing she's around 12-13 weeks now. These pics were when she was like 7-8 pounds and she's almost 15 pounds now!


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## johnmaclen21

As we know that Puppies need to be house trained in order to understand that it’s not okay to eliminate in your house. House training is also beneficial in their grooming. House training is a simple process, but one that must be carried out positively and consistently.In this way you should take your puppy outside on a frequent and regular schedule and reward him for eliminating where you want him to go. Older puppies who have had accidents might not have been house trained completely.


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## Paws&Tails

As far as potty training goes she's not really had any accidents at all for about a week. She had one this past Saturday because we had some family over and she got really excited and wound up. We started writing down when it was that she was going and it was around the same time each time. We've also got her on a good schedule now, so that helps!

She's pretty much stopped with the lunging and biting. We've got a 20 foot leash that we've been using so she can run around easier. I want to get a 50 foot leash because she can _run_. I mean, I can run pretty darn fast and she can outrun me easily. She's also started initiating wanting to go on walks. So far she'll really only stick to our block and we walk around it several times. She only walks nicely if she's been running around the yard or done sprinting intervals with me first.

My brother rescued another puppy a week ago and this time we aren't able to keep him. Too much chaos etc. in our life right now for another puppy at the same time due to circumstances. If it was a year from now we could, but not right now. Working on finding him a home and getting him used to a crate etc. and weaning him. He's an Australian Shepherd. Missy is _loving_ being able to play with him. We've had to separate them a several times because he's only 5 weeks old and she gets a little too rough with him and won't leave him alone. She's going to be devastated when he's gone. However, we've got a couple of neighbors with dogs that she can play with and she really likes them. Then again, I don't think she'll ever meet a dog she doesn't like. 

She's getting big so fast! She's 18 pounds now and almost bigger than Spike!


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## rogerharris

Take your dog to a Dog-training- academy. The trainer over there will give sufficient training about everything including biting and doing potty.


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## Paws&Tails

I don't want to make this long since we're still working with our trainer, but so far she *is* housebroken (technically) now. She often won't actually poop in the yard because she wants to play around and ends up pooping on the deck. 
She and Spike *do not* get along and are now mostly kept apart. Missy is on a different routine and when she's out of her crate at lunch Spike is in my room with me while I work on school.
We have other problems we are still working on. Jumping at/biting/nipping/gnawing on your arm, barking at for attention which turns into jumping at/biting/nipping/gnawing on your arm. She gets these crazy eyes when she does these things. Anybody know what I'm talking about? You literally can't play with her because all it is is Jumping at/biting/nipping/gnawing on your arm and outside it's *you* chase *me* and if you don't she'll Jump at/bite/nip/gnaw on your arm I will not play chase with her. She needs to learn to come when called and chasing her doesn't help. Walks are okay. She definitely pulls and wants to sniff everything. If she doesn't want to go home yet she'll jump at you and tug on your coat.
When you go to pet her anywhere near her head or neck or try to get her harness/seatbelt you get gnawed on.
I'm practically at my wits end with the biting/gnawing on you/jumping etc. I have bruises on my arms from it and seemingly nothing works. It's not aggressive. You can tell she wants to play. But I'm sick of it. I've *literally* never met a dog that bites etc. as much as she does and it is *not* just about teething and setting her molars.

But yeah, that's where we are right now. *shrugs*

And finally! The other puppy (named Bentley by us at first, now Duke) is now re-homed with a friend that got married last August and doing great! Now that he's bigger we realized he's actually *mostly* German Shepherd (Australian and German Shepherds look really similar when they're that little) with maybe some Husky and something else in him.



Edited to Add:
This is the little bugger as of 2 weeks ago. She's practically full grown now and is 50 pounds.


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## StdPooDad

I guess I missed the memo. If a place calls themselves an "academy", the trainer is the "be all, end all".



rogerharris said:


> Take your dog to a Dog-training- academy. The trainer over there will give sufficient training about everything including biting and doing potty.


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## 1605

Paws&Tails said:


> I don't want to make this long since we're still working with our trainer, but so far she *is* housebroken (technically) now. She often won't actually poop in the yard because she wants to play around and ends up pooping on the deck.
> She and Spike *do not* get along and are now mostly kept apart. Missy is on a different routine and when she's out of her crate at lunch Spike is in my room with me while I work on school.
> We have other problems we are still working on. Jumping at/biting/nipping/gnawing on your arm, barking at for attention which turns into jumping at/biting/nipping/gnawing on your arm. She gets these crazy eyes when she does these things. Anybody know what I'm talking about? You literally can't play with her because all it is is Jumping at/biting/nipping/gnawing on your arm and outside it's *you* chase *me* and if you don't she'll Jump at/bite/nip/gnaw on your arm I will not play chase with her. She needs to learn to come when called and chasing her doesn't help. Walks are okay. She definitely pulls and wants to sniff everything. If she doesn't want to go home yet she'll jump at you and tug on your coat.
> When you go to pet her anywhere near her head or neck or try to get her harness/seatbelt you get gnawed on.
> I'm practically at my wits end with the biting/gnawing on you/jumping etc. I have bruises on my arms from it and seemingly nothing works. It's not aggressive. You can tell she wants to play. But I'm sick of it. I've *literally* never met a dog that bites etc. as much as she does and it is *not* just about teething and setting her molars.
> 
> But yeah, that's where we are right now. *shrugs*
> 
> And finally! The other puppy (named Bentley by us at first, now Duke) is now re-homed with a friend that got married last August and doing great! Now that he's bigger we realized he's actually *mostly* German Shepherd (Australian and German Shepherds look really similar when they're that little) with maybe some Husky and something else in him.


Like a Mother who has two kids that are totally different personalities, you will have to acknowledge that your "problem child" is different from your "perfect child". You have noted progress in modifying her behaviour -- just keep remembering that everyone (dogs included) learn at different rates. And yes, I have been through the "have to chew on you" routine more with our younger GSP than with the older one. 

If she gets into "wild child mode" that would be a signal to me that someone needs a little quiet time in their kennel. Put her in there for 10 minutes or so with one of her favourite chew toys so she learns to associate chewing with doing it on something that is made for chewing (as opposed to you or your furniture).

Please remember that many of these things are individual training tasks that need to be mastered one at a time. Coming when called is a totally different behaviour from not chewing on you. Taken as a single overview, it can be a bit daunting. However, once you break each task down into it's own set of behaviours (and modifications) it's not quite as overwhelming. I'm sure you've heard that saying "how do you eat a whole elephant? One bite at a time". Same thing applies here...

Don't be discouraged. You are on the right path. Just keep working at it. One step at a time.

Pax,


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## Paws&Tails

You know, the funny thing is absolutely *none* of this biting/nipping, jumping at you, barking for attention etc. was an issue over Thanksgiving at my aunt & uncles house. She even left their dogs alone if they didn't want to play. And my nanas dog, a chihuahua, is like Spike and doesn't want to play. All it took was one nip from him and she left him alone the rest of the time. Something she didn't do with the other puppy and doesn't do with Spike. Seriously. She was practically a model dog there. However, they have two younger dogs that are her size and a fenced in yard. She spent a huge portion of the day with them outside whenever she wanted.



SubMariner said:


> Like a Mother who has two kids that are totally different personalities, you will have to acknowledge that your "problem child" is different from your "perfect child". You have noted progress in modifying her behaviour -- just keep remembering that everyone (dogs included) learn at different rates. And yes, I have been through the "have to chew on you" routine more with our younger GSP than with the older one.
> 
> If she gets into "wild child mode" that would be a signal to me that someone needs a little quiet time in their kennel. Put her in there for 10 minutes or so with one of her favourite chew toys so she learns to associate chewing with doing it on something that is made for chewing (as opposed to you or your furniture).
> 
> Please remember that many of these things are individual training tasks that need to be mastered one at a time. Coming when called is a totally different behaviour from not chewing on you. Taken as a single overview, it can be a bit daunting. However, once you break each task down into it's own set of behaviours (and modifications) it's not quite as overwhelming. I'm sure you've heard that saying "how do you eat a whole elephant? One bite at a time". Same thing applies here...
> 
> Don't be discouraged. You are on the right path. Just keep working at it. One step at a time.
> 
> Pax,


She's in her crate from 8am-11:30am sometime 12. Then she's out for about 2 hours at lunch while Spike is in my room. She gets a training session, a walk and usually some time out on the zipline or inside chasing ice cubes. Then she's back in her crate about 2-2:30pm until about 5. She's out of her crate from 5 until bedtime. With all that crate time would you still put her in the crate when she gets all "wild child?" Overall she gets 3-4 ten to fifteen minute training sessions and 2-3 walks a day and she's out on the zipline in the yard a total of 1-2 hours a day in good weather.

She knows several commands, mainly sit, wait, and off. She usually does these fairly well as long as you have treats and until distractions are introduced. We just started teaching her leave-it and down. 

I'm just overwhelmed with the constant biting and gnawing and tugging on clothes. It's not just chewing/gnawing. If you stop her from doing something (like going after Spike) she'll oftentimes whip her head around and nip you and start gnawing on you. She seems to think that when the attention *isn't* on her she must bark for attention and it is *earsplitting.* For example, this evening I was standing in the kitchen talking with my mom and Missy was barking at me, tugging on my clothes, jumping at me and gnawing on my arm and trying to play tug of war with her house leash. It's nearly always her trying to initiate tug of war and she gets *nasty* while playing that.

I understand that coming when called is a totally different behavior. We aren't even really working on that currently. I was just noting that outside, when you try to play that's all she wants to do. All you have to do is take a tiny step towards her and she's off. I don't want her to do that because she runs towards cars and she *eventually* needs to learn to come when called. 

Our trainer is coming for another session this Saturday and I really feel like the entire focus from here until she doesn't do it anymore needs to be on the biting, jumping at you etc.


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## Ignis

Sooo cute dog! You must be lucky, ha?



Paws&Tails said:


> I figured ya'll wouldn't mind a few puppy pictures.  Her name's Missy, BTW, and we're guessing she's around 12-13 weeks now. These pics were when she was like 7-8 pounds and she's almost 15 pounds now!
> 
> View attachment 9321
> 
> 
> View attachment 9329
> 
> 
> View attachment 9337


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## 1605

Paws&Tails said:


> You know, the funny thing is absolutely *none* of this biting/nipping, jumping at you, barking for attention etc. was an issue over Thanksgiving at my aunt & uncles house. She even left their dogs alone if they didn't want to play. And my nanas dog, a chihuahua, is like Spike and doesn't want to play. All it took was one nip from him and she left him alone the rest of the time. Something she didn't do with the other puppy and doesn't do with Spike. Seriously. She was practically a model dog there. However, they have two younger dogs that are her size and a fenced in yard. She spent a huge portion of the day with them outside whenever she wanted.
> 
> She's in her crate from 8am-11:30am sometime 12. Then she's out for about 2 hours at lunch while Spike is in my room. She gets a training session, a walk and usually some time out on the zipline or inside chasing ice cubes. Then she's back in her crate about 2-2:30pm until about 5. She's out of her crate from 5 until bedtime. With all that crate time would you still put her in the crate when she gets all "wild child?" Overall she gets 3-4 ten to fifteen minute training sessions and 2-3 walks a day and she's out on the zipline in the yard a total of 1-2 hours a day in good weather.
> 
> She knows several commands, mainly sit, wait, and off. She usually does these fairly well as long as you have treats and until distractions are introduced. We just started teaching her leave-it and down.
> 
> I'm just overwhelmed with the constant biting and gnawing and tugging on clothes. It's not just chewing/gnawing. If you stop her from doing something (like going after Spike) she'll oftentimes whip her head around and nip you and start gnawing on you. She seems to think that when the attention *isn't* on her she must bark for attention and it is *earsplitting.* For example, this evening I was standing in the kitchen talking with my mom and Missy was barking at me, tugging on my clothes, jumping at me and gnawing on my arm and trying to play tug of war with her house leash. It's nearly always her trying to initiate tug of war and she gets *nasty* while playing that.
> 
> I understand that coming when called is a totally different behavior. We aren't even really working on that currently. I was just noting that outside, when you try to play that's all she wants to do. All you have to do is take a tiny step towards her and she's off. I don't want her to do that because she runs towards cars and she *eventually* needs to learn to come when called.
> 
> Our trainer is coming for another session this Saturday and I really feel like the entire focus from here until she doesn't do it anymore needs to be on the biting, jumping at you etc.


It really sounds like she needs more exercise or running to get rid of all that excess energy. Or a different toy to keep her attention. Because if the other dog isn't doing a fair amount of playing with her, what outlet does she get? If you don't want to crate her when she gets "wild child", what other kind of "time out" would be appropriate to get her away from the stimulation that is feeding her wildness? Things to think about.

Puppies are hyper because they are puppies. Terriers and hunting breeds even more so than other types of dogs. Our older GSP is 6 1/2 & didn't start to chill out until he was about 3. GSP #2 is going to be 3 this year, but we don't think he'll settle down for at least another year. We run them at least every other day because otherwise neither of them would be manageable; it's typical of the breed. Both our dogs are trained gun dogs, which means working with them in the field as well. (The younger one is still only "green broke" & requires more work to achieve his potential.) We also do obedience with them. So yes, energetic dogs need an outlet or a job to focus upon.

I understand that you feel overwhelmed by your high energy puppy. However, you must realize by now that is part of who she is -- it's her nature. You need to embrace that and find a way to channel all that energy into something else.

FWIW,


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## lauren43

Another thing to think about what is rewarding the behaviors you describe?

When she barks and nips and demands attention? Does she get attention?

What do you do when she runs from you outside? Do you run after her? Ever consider running away from her?

What do you do when she redirects onto you?

What do you do when she gets into her "wild mode"?

Something is rewarding these behaviors and you have to determine what rewards she is getting and remove them. And then create default behaviors that don't coincide with the unwanted behaviors (ie she can't jump if she is required to be in a down)..

Finally there is nothing wrong with crate her more, as long as she is being exercised more (as submariner suggested),extra crate time for time outs will not hurt. It's just showing her that those behaviors are not acceptable and that chewing peacefully in her crate is.


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## Paws&Tails

SubMariner said:


> It really sounds like she needs more exercise or running to get rid of all that excess energy. Or a different toy to keep her attention. Because if the other dog isn't doing a fair amount of playing with her, what outlet does she get? If you don't want to crate her when she gets "wild child", what other kind of "time out" would be appropriate to get her away from the stimulation that is feeding her wildness? Things to think about.
> 
> Puppies are hyper because they are puppies. Terriers and hunting breeds even more so than other types of dogs. Our older GSP is 6 1/2 & didn't start to chill out until he was about 3. GSP #2 is going to be 3 this year, but we don't think he'll settle down for at least another year. We run them at least every other day because otherwise neither of them would be manageable; it's typical of the breed. Both our dogs are trained gun dogs, which means working with them in the field as well. (The younger one is still only "green broke" & requires more work to achieve his potential.) We also do obedience with them. So yes, energetic dogs need an outlet or a job to focus upon.
> 
> I understand that you feel overwhelmed by your high energy puppy. However, you must realize by now that is part of who she is -- it's her nature. You need to embrace that and find a way to channel all that energy into something else.
> 
> FWIW,





lauren43 said:


> Another thing to think about what is rewarding the behaviors you describe?
> 
> When she barks and nips and demands attention? Does she get attention?
> 
> What do you do when she runs from you outside? Do you run after her? Ever consider running away from her?
> 
> What do you do when she redirects onto you?
> 
> What do you do when she gets into her "wild mode"?
> 
> Something is rewarding these behaviors and you have to determine what rewards she is getting and remove them. And then create default behaviors that don't coincide with the unwanted behaviors (ie she can't jump if she is required to be in a down)..
> 
> Finally there is nothing wrong with crate her more, as long as she is being exercised more (as submariner suggested),extra crate time for time outs will not hurt. It's just showing her that those behaviors are not acceptable and that chewing peacefully in her crate is.


I feel like we have a better handle on it after today's training session. We worked on what we can do to channel her energy, walking on the leash, how to teach her to play fetch (structured, not a free for all which is how she tries to play) and what to do about the jumping etc. As far as exercise goes, we have to wait until she's better on a leash to take her on runs, bike rides etc. but once we're there I'd like to have her every morning go on either a run, bike ride, roller blading etc. with a walk in the afternoon and evening. And we're working on teaching fetch.

One problem that our trainer actually saw this time is when *I* work with Missy it's a lot of jumping at me etc. much more than with anyone else. She, for some reason, sees me as her play thing/toy. So for now when I'm working with her my brother or mom is going to be there as well so Missy will see me as someone she needs to listen to as well. She will listen to me, but when I have treats she jumps at me and bites me to try and get them, a lot more than with anyone else. She listens incredibly well to my brother. After the training session Missy and Spike were actually sleeping next to each other in the sun. 

We've started her on a NILIF program and I'm confident that will make a difference. I do think that the fact that she got attention with barking etc. made it worse and her more persistent. 

We've started immediately putting her in her crate if the first redirection attempt doesn't work when she gets wild. Yesterday it took four times of going in her crate for ten minutes each time, but after that she came out pretty mellow and just chewed on a chew toy.


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## Paws&Tails

I have to say that the NILIF has made a world of difference! She no longer does her jumping/lunging and biting thing and for the most part has learned that she can't get all wild child in the house. She goes on two runs and a walk every day and likes to go outside on the zipline in the afternoon. She's starting to want to play fetch. It's been tough when the weather is nasty and muddy from all the ice and snow we've been getting because she can't go outside and burn off her energy as much as usual. I KNOW she would do even better if we could fence even just a portion of the yard, as she often just sits there because she wants full run of the yard.
She has ceased jumping up on at least those who live in our house though she still does get too hyper and crazy excited and try to jump on people when we have other people over or we take her out in public or on walks. As far as walking goes we're still working on that and she still does try to grab her leash but I've discovered a way around this. We have two leashes attached to her collar and if she grabs the one we are holding, we immediately grab the other and drop the one she has in her mouth. She doesn't grab it as much as she used to. She's now in her crate for nighttime, when we are not home, and in the morning after her walk/play/breakfast/training from about 8:00-12:00 which is when we are doing schoolwork (some of my siblings are homeschooled). 

We also started clicker training and she is doing SO much better with clicker training than what we were doing before.

So yeah, the only real issues still are the jumping on people when they come over or we have her out in public and not liking Spike around when she's eating. She doesn't get "protective" per say (she doesn't growl or snarl or bite etc), it's more like when she's trying to get him to play, but she won't let him near her food. She'll "go after" him even if he's in the other room when she's eating.


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## Piglet44

Interesting to note that she only "bit" adults, not children. Dogs seem to know the difference between children and adults even when they are puppies. My Staffy (3 yr old now) behaves similarly when I or the 16yr old teen son wrestle with the him. He will clamp on to my arm, not trying to really bite but just hang on tight. He never does that to the gf or the neighbours small children (though he has knocked a few kids on their butts attempting to stick his tongue up their noses).

Even with a double dose of obedience training Gir will get excited and occasionally try to jump up and lick new people. From what I have seen of other bull terriers thats not something you will ever completely eliminate.


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## CesarMillan56

If you have problem with house training. so you can also check the dog training academy for your dog. its really very helpful.

Thank you


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## CesarMillan56

Yes, With new puppy... all faces some problems. but i also get trained my puppy from training academy.Training center are good for dogs training. You also try this.

Thank you


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## DwayneTaylor

This is a same issue with all dogs. It is tough to train them for bitting outside, but not impossible. You should start treating them from the age of 6 months. If you will treat them for this regularly, they will follow it for whole life time.


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