# Jumping and biting crazy puppy!!!



## zephyr (Sep 29, 2009)

OMG you have described me and Oscar exactly. Not to my boyfriend, JUST to me. Oscar goes nuts!!! And now that he is 50lbs he is quite a moose to be jumping up on me. :doh: I have tried all those things you mentioned... nope, just makes him crazier. SOMETIMES he'll stop if I ask for a SIT, place my hands on the side of his face (gently) and look into his eyes, then give him some calming pets on his neck, then do a little sit-stay for a minute... I think he's just so excited to play, he thinks jumping up and biting me is going to make me want to play... (LOL sorry buddy you just drive me nuts!)... but then soon enough he's back to the jumping and biting. He only really does this outside (on leash) though...  

Looking forward to hearing some other people's suggestions!! I very much feel your pain!! (literally when he grazes me with his teeth -- well at the very least he has no more PUPPY/SHARK teeth!) :bowl:


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## iamswiss (Aug 6, 2009)

Sounds very familiar to me! Bailey did the same thing when she was youger, usually 3-4 times during our walk and because of her puppy teeth I got some holes in my shirts. Now at 7 months she does it just one time on each walk and usually just before arriving home. I just hope she will completly outgrow it because it can be pretty annoying, especially if she does it right then when we cross the intersection infront of waiting cars...


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## max935 (Jul 28, 2009)

I don't have much advice to offer, but wanted to say that I empathise and remember this stage well. At 8 months Jesse is now much better and this probably hasn't happened for the last 6 weeks or so - she now only does it when she's REALLY desperate for a walk after being cooped up inside. When she went through the jumping and biting stage when she was younger I tried a combination of being boring, using various commands (using sit, drop, stand in qiuck succession often worked because she was too busy thinking about what I was asking to remember to bite) and carrying a toy to distract her. I am sure others might have some further suggestions for you.


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## jmamom (Dec 3, 2009)

zephyr said:


> OMG you have described me and Oscar exactly. Not to my boyfriend, JUST to me. Oscar goes nuts!!! And now that he is 50lbs he is quite a moose to be jumping up on me. :doh: I have tried all those things you mentioned... nope, just makes him crazier. SOMETIMES he'll stop if I ask for a SIT, place my hands on the side of his face (gently) and look into his eyes, then give him some calming pets on his neck, then do a little sit-stay for a minute... I think he's just so excited to play, he thinks jumping up and biting me is going to make me want to play... (LOL sorry buddy you just drive me nuts!)... but then soon enough he's back to the jumping and biting. He only really does this outside (on leash) though...
> 
> Looking forward to hearing some other people's suggestions!! I very much feel your pain!! (literally when he grazes me with his teeth -- well at the very least he has no more PUPPY/SHARK teeth!) :bowl:


I forgot to mention this, but Josie only does this for me as well. She is soo good for my husband, she wouldn't dare try this on him. Of course, he's not the one who walks her, so no help there anyway. She can't be bothered doing it to the kids, she knows she can boss them around. I'm the one she likes to challenge. She just started doing it inside, too. I guess she liked the response she was getting out of me.:no:


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## zephyr (Sep 29, 2009)

jmamom said:


> I forgot to mention this, but Josie only does this for me as well. She is soo good for my husband, she wouldn't dare try this on him. Of course, he's not the one who walks her, so no help there anyway. She can't be bothered doing it to the kids, she knows she can boss them around. I'm the one she likes to challenge. She just started doing it inside, too. I guess she liked the response she was getting out of me.:no:


Yeah I'm totally with you there... I think Oscar really loves to grab on to me and get me to squirm around because HE HAS BIG TEETH and it HURTS :doh:

I really hate to hijack your thread but I just had a really bad time with Oscar and I'm still (mostly mentally, but also physically!) hurting :no: and I need to vent and hear anyone's ideas because I'm at a loss here... 

We went outside for a walk and when we got back into the apartment hallway, he went C-R-A-Z-Y, jumping up and doing his "demon noises" thing. He is a VERY vocal dog, and he has this play growl-snarl thing that is LOUD... he hops around and does "play bows" and makes all kinds of crazy noises trying to get me to play??? BUT THEN he is jumping up and like literally GNAWING on my wrists... I'm trying to get him to SIT, LIE DOWN, annnything but he is just not listening... and his demon noises are getting even louder. My neighbors peek their heads out of their doors "Um, are you okay?" I'm like "...oh yeah, he's just playing... he's a toddler... ha ha ha..." (FAKE SMILE FAKE SMILE) and trying to pet him with one hand while GRIMACING BECAUSE HE IS EATING MY WRIST AND HAND... :doh::doh::doh::doh::doh: 
... Then I'm stepping on the leash and trying the "hands on the sides of his head, look into my eyes" thing... NOPE he's wrenched himself away and is now tearing off down the hallway back towards the elevator. Guess somebody wants to GO BACK OUTSIDE AND PLAY MOM :doh::doh::doh:
... So we end up wrestling all the way down the hall and we BOTH END UP INSIDE HIS CRATE... I am crying and exhausted and he is licking my face and hands because I'M PRETTY SURE HE THINKS "THIS IS A GREAT GAME MOM!!!" :no::no::no::no: So we lie in there for a little while... He is like YAY MOM WE'RE SNUGGLING : and I'm like OW OW OW my hand and pride are hurting, Mr. Demon Dog!! :doh:

I'm pretty sure this is a case of (1) me not knowing how best to communicate CUT IT OUT / DISTRACT him, and (2) I think he needs to go to the dog park every MORNING so he is more tired throughout the day. We usually wait until the afternoon/evening, but I'm thinking that he needs the running around in the AM. He obviously thinks the biting is a great game, but "ignoring" him is not really possible since he just continues to jump up and make increasingly loud and scary noises 

Thanks for letting me vent :sadwavey: can't find a smiley for "I am exhausted" but that's the one I would be using. And I re-read my thread and I'm laughing because I'm sure my neighbors think I am NUTS and I'm sure we were quite a spectacle today... and that my dog has me very well trained!!!!:doh:


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## jmamom (Dec 3, 2009)

Hi Zephyr,
You aren't hijacking, just making me feel better that I'm not alone. The only reason I didn't respond yesterday is because I was too exhausted to type! Josie was pretty good yesterday, but I never know when her mood will change! One minute she's fine, the next she's biting my pants off.:no:
We get our exercise in the morning, but by mid afternoon the benefits have worn off and she starts with the bad behavior. Unfortunately, I really can't take her for another walk at that time - I have to take care of my kids and get them to their activities. 
Have you had any luck with bully sticks or other chewing things? I gave her a bully stick a few days ago, and the first day she chewed on it fine. Then, the next couple of times I gave it to her (only 15-30 minutes at a time) it seems to make her snappy afterwards. Maybe overstimulating? I just wish I could find something she likes to do that doesn't have bad consequences, and doesn't involve me standing in the cold while she chews a stick. I tried an antler, too, and she liked that for maybe a day, now she has no interest. 
Well, off to walk Josie since she's biting my leg (I'm not kidding)!


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## zephyr (Sep 29, 2009)

jmamom said:


> Hi Zephyr,
> You aren't hijacking, just making me feel better that I'm not alone. The only reason I didn't respond yesterday is because I was too exhausted to type! Josie was pretty good yesterday, but I never know when her mood will change! One minute she's fine, the next she's biting my pants off.:no:
> We get our exercise in the morning, but by mid afternoon the benefits have worn off and she starts with the bad behavior. Unfortunately, I really can't take her for another walk at that time - I have to take care of my kids and get them to their activities.
> Have you had any luck with bully sticks or other chewing things? I gave her a bully stick a few days ago, and the first day she chewed on it fine. Then, the next couple of times I gave it to her (only 15-30 minutes at a time) it seems to make her snappy afterwards. Maybe overstimulating? I just wish I could find something she likes to do that doesn't have bad consequences, and doesn't involve me standing in the cold while she chews a stick. I tried an antler, too, and she liked that for maybe a day, now she has no interest.
> Well, off to walk Josie since she's biting my leg (I'm not kidding)!


Thanks -- it does help to know someone else feels my pain! 

I actually haven't tried bully sticks or antlers anything he can ingest, just because he is a super chewer and he reeeally tries to swallow like everything whole :doh: Well I guess we do stuffed/frozen Kongs a lot... that really seems to distract him. We've "graduated" to the big black one ("Power chewer" or something) and I put peanut butter, treats, and water in there and freeze it. He can work on that for a while!!! He also has some nylabones that we rotate so he doesn't get too bored with all of them.

He is a super puller so walks were REALLY difficult, but we JUST started connecting his leash to the front of his harness rather than the back/top, which is how those no-pull harnesses work (it turns him sideways when he pulls) -- and OMG it actually works!! So now I can actually walk him myself... BUT I bring my little bottle of "bitter apple" that I put in my pocket, and if he starts getting nutty and jumping at me and biting, I spray it right on my sleeve or the leash where he is jumping. He hates that stuff SO he stops right away!!! 
...... Okay except that one time when he jumped up at me, I try to spray my sleeve, drop the bottle in the snow and the sprayer pops off... I bend down to get it, and Oscar sees his opportunity to jump ALL OVER ME... ripping the baggie of scooped poop and dragging it around... I fall on my behind... well it just wasn't pretty but I had to laugh!!! :doh: ::

But the best exercise for him is still the dog park, partly because we can play fetch (we have no yard), but mostly because he can run around and play with the other dogs and tire himself out!! Any way you could drop Josie at dog day care or something, even for a few hours, so she can wear herself out with some other dogs? I feel you on that "afternoon crazies" stage... right when I am trying to get a million things done... :doh:

... OH GOTTA LOVE THOSE PUPPERS THOUGH :


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## Jennifer (Sep 12, 2009)

Teddy was the same way when he was younger and he still has his moments. The only thing that really helped was consistency and time. It's taken a while, but he is now realizing that he is not getting the reaction he wants out of it and has given up for the most part.


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## Hurleysfamily (Jan 27, 2010)

I am so glad to know that our golden is not the only one who jumps and bites. We lost our first golden last May. He was only three years old, and the vet. thought he probably had a stroke. We were heartbroken. Hubbel was the greatest dog. We got him when our daughter was two, and they were best friends. He was never agressive and always very gentle with her. Well, we missed Hubbel so much, that we got a golden puppy in August. His name is Hurley, and he is absolutely beautiful, but we are having a real biting problem with him. He is now 7 months old, and he is constantly going after my 7 and 11 year old daughters. I understand that he is doing this because he knows he can, but I can't have this behavior continue. We have been to puppy classes and we have had a trainer come to our house. My husband and I have tried everything- spray bottle, pennies in a can, standing like a tree and being calm, treats for good behavior, but nothing is working. Does anyone have any suggestions for us? We are willing to try anything. The last thing I want to do is give him up, but I am really starting to worry that he is going to hurt one of the kids. I know that he is just excited, and probably wants to play, but it is really hard to tell your 7 year old to be calm when she is getting bit and knocked over. We are really feeling helpless right now and are desperate for a solution. Thanks!


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## little_pony (Feb 4, 2009)

Hello, I'm a desparate mummy too!! My 7 months old boy does the some things!! While we are walking, he starts to jump at me, bits his leash and starts to play tag o war, or starts to bit my pants or my sleeves and he is growling!! This is too annoying!! I don't know what to do!!

zephyr, i'm thinking of buying a harness but i don't know which one..which one do you have?? http://www.companyofanimals.co.uk/non-pull-harness.php 
OR 
http://www.companyofanimals.co.uk/halti-harness.php ??

http://www.companyofanimals.co.uk/non-pull-harness.php


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## zephyr (Sep 29, 2009)

Hurleysfamily said:


> He is now 7 months old, and he is constantly going after my 7 and 11 year old daughters. I understand that he is doing this because he knows he can, but I can't have this behavior continue. We have been to puppy classes and we have had a trainer come to our house. My husband and I have tried everything- spray bottle, pennies in a can, standing like a tree and being calm, treats for good behavior, but nothing is working. Does anyone have any suggestions for us? We are willing to try anything. The last thing I want to do is give him up, but I am really starting to worry that he is going to hurt one of the kids. I know that he is just excited, and probably wants to play, but it is really hard to tell your 7 year old to be calm when she is getting bit and knocked over. We are really feeling helpless right now and are desperate for a solution. Thanks!


Oh no! That sounds even worse than Oscar; at least it is only me he goes nuts over... I have no kids to worry about  I honestly have tried everything you are doing except "pennies in a can", but I feel like that would just get Oscar more worked up? I really should try it though, thank you for reminding me about that! I totally feel for your daughters... I get VERY frustrated with Oscar... it is SOOOOO hard to "stand like a statue" when he is jumping ALL over me. Have you tried spraying your hands/clothes with Bitter Apple spray (or the mint mouth spray whose name I forget, I think they don't like the taste of that either)? Oscar hates it. I also dilute some in a little spray bottle and if he is just IMPOSSIBLE to control, I will spray it in his mouth... just be reeeeally careful not to spray it in his eyes. He hates that!!!! But honestly it just deters him a bit, it's not a complete solution... he will go right back to it.

The "best" thing for me is just to stand on his leash and wait for him to stop flipping out at me, or haul him back inside (as this is an "outside" thing for Oscar) and say "sorry! no walk!" or just calmly put him in his crate. It is really hard to do that when your dog is thrashing around, but at least my neighbors are not subjected to my little lunatic.

Oh one more thing... does he get off-leash exercise every day? If Oscar goes to the dog park and runs around for 30 min-1 hour, he is honestly a different dog.... a VERY SLEEPY ONE! But a tired dog is a good dog...  It's just that I can't always get him to the park every day/morning, because I don't always have a car and/or the time!



little_pony said:


> zephyr, i'm thinking of buying a harness but i don't know which one..which one do you have?? http://www.companyofanimals.co.uk/non-pull-harness.php
> OR
> http://www.companyofanimals.co.uk/halti-harness.php ??


We tried a harness exactly like the first one (the Sporn), but Oscar just chewed through the part you are supposed to cinch tight :doh: The material at that part is very soft because it goes through the little plastic clasp thing, and he was always turning around and biting at that part because of where the ring attached to the metal clasp on his leash... I think it irritated him.

We bought this harness instead, at the suggestion of someone on this forum [ http://www.walkyourdogwithlove.com ]. We got the Medium (55-110 lbs), but it is too big for Oscar right now, even though he does weigh 55lbs. It seems pretty nice though, the material is good and the construction seems sturdy... I hope he will be able to wear it soon!

So for now, instead of buying the Small since we are cheap  we attach the leash to the front ring of his normal harness, which I don't know the brand, but we got it at Petsmart and it looks sort of like this one [ http://www.petsmart.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2751427 ], except that the way it sits on Oscar, that front flat ring is higher up on his chest than it looks like on that pink one. Also his is not pink  It has basically a circular band for around the neck and the body (behind the front legs), connected by two straps (top and bottom). There is a ring at the top rear you are supposed to attach the leash to, but we tried attaching the leash in the front to the flat ring where the straps come together. It does work pretty well! 

BUT -- maybe a big BUT -- then the clasp of his leash basically rubs against him when we are walking, which DID cause it to come undone once while we were walking!! He twisted around and it must have caught on the harness and pushed down the clasp part of the end of the leash. Gah!!! Luckily he came right back but it was scary, because of course at that moment, we happened to be walking through the WOODS right along the edge of a CLIFF, overlooking a HIGHWAY... yeah, very bad timing! :doh: :uhoh: 

Hope you find something that works for you. And if you do find something better, let us know!


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## little_pony (Feb 4, 2009)

I had bought a harness like this one http://www.petsmart.com/product/index.jsp?productId=3601464&lmdn=Dog+Collars%2C+Tags+%26amp%3B+Leashes 
but my little devil from the first day he found moves to take it off..While we were walking, he wanted to stop,snif and eat something bad from the road, he stepped back and took it off..it happens twice in the first 4 walks and I decide not to wear it again..
so, i'm thinking to try a harness that the ring is in front of his chest..like this one http://www.companyofanimals.co.uk/halti-harness.php


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## Maxs Mom (Mar 22, 2008)

Sounds like you are all going through the "teenage" phase. You know how rebellious teens can be. This is pretty much a phase, stick to your guns, work hard, lots of exercise and you will move past this. I am dreading our teen phase with our lab pup as she is a handful at 14 weeks! :uhoh:

Also if your dog is wonderful for one person and not for the other I hate to be the bearer of bad news... look in the mirror. The person who the pup is listening to has "authority". The pup does not see you as an authority figure and walks all over you. I am not saying you need to be a meany, just be firm with what you do expect, but high in praise when they give it. 

In my house, I am authority. DH is ambivalent. Happy or mad he sounds the same the dogs blow him off. That irritates him. My dog always look to me for direction. Dad is a play toy. 
Ann


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## RedDogs (Jan 30, 2010)

1. Find an appropriate training class and professional to help you. If s/he shrugs this off, or makes you feel more distressed...find someone else.
2. In homes with kids, the dog is actively training with the kids or behind a barrier/on leash even in the house. The kids should not have a chance to be getting worried, the puppy should not have a chance to play inappropriately.
3. Use all meals for training sessions or from food toys (like the "Tug a Jug" or "Kibble Nibble"
4. Wear a treat pouch around the house and on walks, toss kibbles and treats for good behavior.
5. On walks, start to reinforce every 2-3 steps starting a ways before the normal place where your dog goes wild. You can also change your walking path for the first week to decrease the liklihood of wildness.
6. Seriously consider stopping the us of sprays, shake cans, etc.. punishment can increase frustration and aggression...and we don't want either of those to increase at this time. (Review the AVSAB position statement on punishment: http://www.avsabonline.org/avsabonl...Statements/Combined_Punishment_Statements.pdf)
7. Spend more time training. Teach your dog skills that you will use (polite walking, recalls, hand targeting), and silly tricks. Learning can be a substitute for exercise when you are absolutely exhausted or when it's way too cold to go out (...below 15, two of dogs think it's too cold to walk!). Training will teach your dog appropriate ways to get attention.
8. Reinforce appropriate ways to get attention -very- heavily for 2 weeks. Wear your kibble-filled treat pouch throughout the house. Toss kibbles for chewing on toys, lying quietly, watching you, sitting.
9. Consider using a gentle leader/head halter. Properly teach your dog to wear it (...put it on for some yummy treats, then remove. Teach your dog to put his nose through the loop on his own.). About 60% of dogs you can stick them on and go...but wild puppies tend to fall in that other 40% of dogs. 
10. Bring a super high value chewy on walks. A little ways before the wild spot, stick the super valueable chewy in his/her mouth and then keep walking. 
11. Find an appropriate professional/article to teach your dog how to tug. A big part of tug is that the game is active and on when you are actively tugging. When you hold still...your dog should let go. This transfers over very well to letting go of the leash/you when on walks. If you have not taught your dog that the game ends when you are still... holding still on walks may not work for you until your dog has learned this game. Get someone experienced to help you here as it's all about timing.
12. Teach your dog to remain in front of you while you move backwards. Think of your dog in front of you...you move backwards...he is moving forwards to maintain position. Play with this in the house. Initially feed him a treat every step or two. Add in a lot of sits. Play this a lot in the house. Practice this on quieter times during walks. Practice in the house. Then try it -before- you approach the wild spot and through that area. Your dog will be in a different emotional state while working than when he's 'not working'. Best results really key off of starting -before- you get to that space on your walk. Many dogs are conditioned to go wild at specific locations (.... a quarter way back of our regular walking route makes Luna go wild! Every time! I love it...but if I'm walking multiple dogs....we go a different route to avoid that space!). 
13. In your training session work on self control. A specific resource would be a book called "Control Unleashed."  Leave it, stay in position, Susan Garrett's "Crate Games" are all very useful in helping with overall self control. 
14. Practice all your "wild dog" strategies at home, at times when your dog is calm. Practice during calm parts of the walk. 
15. Change your walking path. Go on more shorter walks, use other exercise methods, until you have practice/trained alternate responses. It is not good for you or your dog to continue having these types of experiences. 

(I'm not sure why I numbered these..hmm.....!)


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## zephyr (Sep 29, 2009)

Maxs Mom said:


> Also if your dog is wonderful for one person and not for the other I hate to be the bearer of bad news... look in the mirror. The person who the pup is listening to has "authority". The pup does not see you as an authority figure and walks all over you. I am not saying you need to be a meany, just be firm with what you do expect, but high in praise when they give it.
> 
> In my house, I am authority. DH is ambivalent. Happy or mad he sounds the same the dogs blow him off. That irritates him. My dog always look to me for direction. Dad is a play toy.


Very true  oh it's only me he goes nuts on. But, it is also only me who does training with him every day, mainly me who did class with him... and its me who he runs to first and wants attention from. He is extremely good the vast majority of the time, INSIDE the house. I guess I have been hoping the whole NILIF perspective will eventually translate into more... listening? from Oscar... but I guess it is not that simple :doh: Obviously we need to move our good behaviors OUTSIDE, I just can't quite seem to get him there! I feel like I am "firm" (?) with him... I never "let him" continue something I don't like, and he gets lots of praise for doing the things I do like... but yes I would definitely seem to be not doing anything to change my status as an appropriate target of "the crazies"... :no:




RedDogs said:


> 1. Find an appropriate training class and professional to help you. If s/he shrugs this off, or makes you feel more distressed...find someone else.
> 2. In homes with kids, the dog is actively training with the kids or behind a barrier/on leash even in the house. The kids should not have a chance to be getting worried, the puppy should not have a chance to play inappropriately.
> 3. Use all meals for training sessions or from food toys (like the "Tug a Jug" or "Kibble Nibble"
> 4. Wear a treat pouch around the house and on walks, toss kibbles and treats for good behavior.
> ...


I like lists!! 

I guess the real problem, for me, is that I'm just not sure how to translate his really really good INSIDE behavior to the outside world. He is SO good inside... he knows sit, down, take a bow, stand, touch (hand-target), paw, high five, wave, back up, catch, sit-stay, down-stay... and leave-it and drop-it. All with me... I mean, I taught him, and we train every day. We don't train with his meals because he gets raw, but when we put his food bowl down he will wait in silence and stare at us until we give him the "all set!"... THAT was progress for the dog who used to bark and bark at the food bowl warming on the counter LOL We even do "heeling"/"walk nice" where he walks on my left and watches me the whole time. At this point that doesn't even seem possible outside... I'm sure it IS, I just don't seem to be doing it right. The combination of things to sniff/eat and me to jump on obviously make him so excited/happy that is extremely difficult to get his attention. We ARE starting to make progress on "sit" when he sees someone or another dog, which is really important to me as well... so at least that is good.

We haven't tried using a chewy toy to hold during walks, because he just wants to sit down and shred those... but we have giving him a stick to hold on to while we walk, even for potty trips. It seems to keep him focused on holding the stick and not on jumping on me or eating anything off of the ground! (Yay) I will also look into the (1) appropriate tug and (2) walk-backwards "games"... Oscar definitely doesn't "drop it" if you stop moving the toy... just makes more crazy noises and thrashes around. But he really loves tug so that would be a good if I could use that to reinforce more appropriate behavior.

I guess my overall theme is... good dog inside = crazy dog outside. I think partly it is an issue of timing and reinforcement by me... he thinks jumping all over me is a HOOT, and he's just so excited to be outside... so why would he stop??? I can appreciate that from HIS perspective, it's just really not any fun for me, especially when my arms and hands are battered in the process :doh: So I think maybe I need to do lots of little repetitions or something... get on the leash and everything and just go into the hallway, or downstairs, or a little walk... then repeat... only if he is good?

Thanks for all your advice guys, I will keep you posted... :crossfing for baby steps!!


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## Tioy (Sep 12, 2012)

How did it work out for all of you? I am currently going through this.
What worked?


Sent from my iPhone using Petguide.com Free App


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## quilter (Sep 12, 2011)

I would love to know the outcome. I didn't realize the thread was years old. I only noticed the dogs were all three years old. I thought, oh, no, are there dogs still doing this at 3 years old? There is no hope!


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## raqinmex (Nov 28, 2012)

Yes, there are dogs doing this at two, I can attest to that.

Our last retriever, my avatar, was just like that. I took a no nonsense approach with her, basically putting her in boot camp every time she misbehaved. That meant she had to do pushups before every meal or treat. It worked, eventually. 

Good Luck.


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## Tayla's Mom (Apr 20, 2012)

jmamom said:


> Here's Josie's behavior problem this week :doh::
> When she's outside on the leash, she will all of a sudden turn to me and start jumping at me and biting me. She goes for my hands, my coat, and then my legs as I try to hold the leash so she can't get me. I try to stand still and be boring - doesn't work at all. I've tried putting her in a down and stepping on the leash until she settles (trainer's suggestion), doesn't work and often makes her madder , plus I just don't like doing it, it just feels like there is a more positive way to teach her. I've tried redirecting her with commands and treats, sometimes works but I feel like I'm just teaching her a new way to ask for treats. Usually I end up getting her/dragging her to the house, and then giving her (and myself) some time out in her crate. (I always give her treats in the crate so she doesn't think it's a punishment.)
> Any suggestions on how to get past this weeks mystifying behavior problem? Don't worry, next week I'll have a new one to solve!





zephyr said:


> Yeah I'm totally with you there... I think Oscar really loves to grab on to me and get me to squirm around because HE HAS BIG TEETH and it HURTS :doh:
> 
> I really hate to hijack your thread but I just had a really bad time with Oscar and I'm still (mostly mentally, but also physically!) hurting :no: and I need to vent and hear anyone's ideas because I'm at a loss here...
> 
> ...





zephyr said:


> Thanks -- it does help to know someone else feels my pain!
> 
> I actually haven't tried bully sticks or antlers anything he can ingest, just because he is a super chewer and he reeeally tries to swallow like everything whole :doh: Well I guess we do stuffed/frozen Kongs a lot... that really seems to distract him. We've "graduated" to the big black one ("Power chewer" or something) and I put peanut butter, treats, and water in there and freeze it. He can work on that for a while!!! He also has some nylabones that we rotate so he doesn't get too bored with all of them.
> 
> ...


Let me tell you all that I know first hand and arm what you are going through and it does get better. Let me tell you of my experience as quickly as I can and you can look up some prior posts. We got Tayla at 4 months and from the day I got her home she would crinkle her nose up and snap. On walks she was horrible. She would get these spells and jump, snap and bite. For 8 months I was covered in bruises and had bloody scrapes from her teeth. One walk she attacked me so badly I had bruises on my stomach, arms and hands and on more than one occassion I came home in tears. Tayla suffers from a low tolerance to frustration and impulse control issues. We work so hard on both of these things. Instead of telling her no bite all the time I would quickly follow up with what I wanted instead, I wanted her to sit. Always have treats ready for rewards and make them comply. Over time she got better. Then almost a month ago she just stopped. One day she did, the next day she didn't. We still work on impulse control daily, I watch her for over excitment on walks and at home and make sure to nip that in the bud. But there is hope if you are consistent and use positive reinforcement ONLY!!. I tried other methods and the backfired badly on me. At a year old she is still very much an overactive puppy, but now she is one that rarely uses her teeth. I am bruise free. Good luck to all of you.


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## lloyddobler (Nov 30, 2014)

Anyone else have positive updates? I'm currently one of those people who comes home and cries after at least one of our walks each day and my neighbors probably think me and my pup are both lunatics! I'm praying this is just a stage that we will work though. I'm trying to stick with positive reinforcement and have gone back to the basics I started with when we first began leash training. A treat for nice walking every few steps and lots of off leash time at the park. But, he still gets crazy and bites and jumps all over me at least once a day and the bites are getting harder and harder. I'm currently bruised all up and down my arms and legs. I love him dearly, but he is really testing me bit time. I'm single, so I have no one else to help me when he gets nutty.


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## Goldylover2 (May 1, 2014)

lloyddobler said:


> Anyone else have positive updates? I'm currently one of those people who comes home and cries after at least one of our walks each day and my neighbors probably think me and my pup are both lunatics! I'm praying this is just a stage that we will work though. I'm trying to stick with positive reinforcement and have gone back to the basics I started with when we first began leash training. A treat for nice walking every few steps and lots of off leash time at the park. But, he still gets crazy and bites and jumps all over me at least once a day and the bites are getting harder and harder. I'm currently bruised all up and down my arms and legs. I love him dearly, but he is really testing me bit time. I'm single, so I have no one else to help me when he gets nutty.


If you can afford it. You need to find a trainer that will take him for a week or so and work on the basics. You seem frustrated and overwhelmed. We were in the same position. My girlfriend wanted to get rid of our 7 month old pup. I contacted a trainer the next day. He kept him a week and we met with him once a week for seven weeks. My trainer suggested a prong and e-collar. He told us that we have a dominant male golden with tons of energy. I was hesitant about using the e-collar at first. I didn't want to shock my pup. Our trainer has been in the business for 28 years. Who was I to question him. Our pup Caleb is 14 months old and doing much better. He still wears his prong collar and has a 8 foot nylon rope attached in the house. You need to reach out and get some help with your pup.


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## Leslie B (Mar 17, 2011)

This is an older thread but it reflects a common problem that many golden owners have. These dogs were bred to be working dogs with the ability to RUN for hours in the field. It is a physical ability but it is also a mental need for exercise. Add to that the exuberance of youth and you have a dog that can be WILD once they get outside. A walk, even a long walk, will seldom provide enough exercise to drain that energy. The leash biting, whining, dancing, pulling, jumping, all all saying "lets GO!" by the dog. 

Since no one can run as long or as fast as a these kids you need to find a plan to exercise your dog. Retrieving is the easiest way to start. With the dog on a long line, and in a flat mowed field, throw that bumper (frizbe, ball, dockken, whatever) and get the dog moving. Swimming and biking are also great. Some people use a treadmill but that requires some skill to train the dog and you have to be with the dog the entire time he is on the treadmill. Regardless of what you do, the dog should be tired when you are done. This will take much longer than you think. 

Once you have a good exercise plan in place (4-7 days a week) and you should notice an improvement in the general behavior. The old saying is right - A tired dog is a good dog. Next you can work on training. While many people like to stick with the purely positive approach to training, a number of dogs will walk all over you with it. Seems they never read the book on how this method is nicer than the others. Or maybe they just have a thicker skin that most. I have a few that will simply give me "the paw" if I am unwilling to reinforce my commands. 

Find a trainer who will make a difference with your dog. While many people try to find a trainer they like - it is more important to see how that trainer reads your dog and if their instructions make a difference in the dogs obedience. I might not like the suggestions my trainer gives me (yes, I work with one too) but if it makes that dog respond better then that is the way I will go. After all, this is about the dogs behavior not the training method.

Last is patience and persistance. Not patience like wait this out as it will eventually get better but patience like when you put the dog in a down you need to wait until the dog gives you the response you are looking for and THEN reward. If you are impatient and let the dog up before he is doing the command correctly all he learned was that if he keeps up the bad behavior (wiggling) then you will give in and let him up. Think of a young child whining at the store for candy. Letting the kid whine for 5 minutes and then buying him the candy will only make him whine for candy more and longer the next time you go to the store. 

Persistance is when the dog fails to give you the response to the command and you give up. Sit means sit and if I have to make the dog sit 100, 200, or 500 times I will do it. Eventually the dog will figure out that I mean what I say and that he cannot ignore my commands. A command given that you do not enforce is teaching the dog that it has the option of obeying or not obeying. It was more of a suggestion. Again, think of the kid at the store and mom says "don't climb on the carts" but when they climb on the carts mom does not make them get off. Mom sighs and says that they are so disobedient but keeps on shopping.


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## chewy10 (Jan 31, 2013)

Goldylover2 said:


> If you can afford it. You need to find a trainer that will take him for a week or so and work on the basics. You seem frustrated and overwhelmed. We were in the same position. My girlfriend wanted to get rid of our 7 month old pup. I contacted a trainer the next day. He kept him a week and we met with him once a week for seven weeks. My trainer suggested a prong and e-collar. He told us that we have a dominant male golden with tons of energy. I was hesitant about using the e-collar at first. I didn't want to shock my pup. Our trainer has been in the business for 28 years. Who was I to question him. Our pup Caleb is 14 months old and doing much better. He still wears his prong collar and has a 8 foot nylon rope attached in the house. You need to reach out and get some help with your pup.


This was the only thing that worked with our dog too. He is now two years old and was an absolute horror to live with. I would like to respectfully disagree with those who think exercise and persistence will fix the issue. With some dogs it does NOT work. There is no reason why a dog should make your life a living hell. I was very resistant to using a shock collar on our dog but having him terrorize our kids was beyond acceptable. 

I'm going to be very honest here - I think this kind of behavior is not acceptable in Goldens. Since when did a hard bite and harassment become acceptable in the breed? If breeders are breeding high energy dogs with drive (whatever that means) I wish they would stop selling them as wonderful family pets. We were looking for a companion dog for our special needs son and we can't even leave him alone in the same room with this animal. He's brilliant and beautiful but, if he doesn't have his shock collar on, you never know when he is going to lick you and when he is going to clamp down on you!


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## lloyddobler (Nov 30, 2014)

Thanks all for your responses. I have been STRUGGLING with this for some time and really do believe my pup gets enough exercise. I usually take him out for fetch and a walk in the morning, so he's running and moving and sometimes even playing with other dogs for 45 min to an hour before work. Then he walks to work with me and is with me all day in the office. We typically go on another walk or to the dog park at lunch, yet another 30 - 60 minutes of exercise. Then we go to the park for more fetch and playing with other dogs after work for another 60 minutes. Then, we sometimes go for another walk later in the evening for another 30 - 45 minutes. I completely agree these dogs need exercise and behave much better when they are given the proper outlets. However, despite a good 2+ hours of exercise on a daily basis mine is still having these biting, jumping issues.

Last weekend, I bought him a new leash. It's a rope that goes around his neck and does not attach to his collar. It's one that makes corrections easy. I've noticed since using this leash verses a harness, his biting and pulling are tending to be more focused on the leash itself verses me. I have no idea if that will continue, but I'm feeling a bit more hopeful. I've also realized he seems to get worse when we do a down and back path on our walks... it seems to be less when we vary our routes so there is less boredom. He's now almost 8 months and 66 pounds. I've also enrolled him in a new puppy class with trainers that have a great reputation and hope that I get some other ideas from then on how to best manage this behavior. 

Lloyd's a wonderful dog over 90% of the time. He walks great on the leash and doesn't pull when he's not going crazy. He plays great with other dogs and rarely jumps on people. He doesn't bark that often and is otherwise a joy. So, if we can figure out this one thing, we'll be set! Fingers crossed.


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## Goldylover2 (May 1, 2014)

chewy10 said:


> This was the only thing that worked with our dog too. He is now two years old and was an absolute horror to live with. I would like to respectfully disagree with those who think exercise and persistence will fix the issue. With some dogs it does NOT work. There is no reason why a dog should make your life a living hell. I was very resistant to using a shock collar on our dog but having him terrorize our kids was beyond acceptable.
> 
> I'm going to be very honest here - I think this kind of behavior is not acceptable in Goldens. Since when did a hard bite and harassment become acceptable in the breed? If breeders are breeding high energy dogs with drive (whatever that means) I wish they would stop selling them as wonderful family pets. We were looking for a companion dog for our special needs son and we can't even leave him alone in the same room with this animal. He's brilliant and beautiful but, if he doesn't have his shock collar on, you never know when he is going to lick you and when he is going to clamp down on you!


Wow..I would of never guessed my little pup would turn into the little monster he became. It was unreal to see him in action. Some of it was probably our fault. My last golden was gentle and calm most of the time. When we would wrestle in the house. She would never use her teeth on my arm or clothing like Caleb does. Caleb has made great strides but can still be a handful at times. Definitely not fit for a family with kids. I'm sure he will calm down as he gets older. I don't use the shock collar as much. But his prong collar is on all the time. We are leaving for Florida soon and he will be staying with our trainer at his facility. My girlfriends sister will be staying at our house, but in no way do I think she could handle our 15 month old golden. Leaving him with our trainer is the right decision. Hopefully we can take him on vacations as he gets older.


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