# Getting bitten



## GinnyinPA (Oct 31, 2010)

Ben is starting to settle down a bit and we are beginning to make a little progress on training him. He likes the treats they had at the vet's so we bought some - and it made a difference. He has sat on command several times now - not consistently, but at least he's starting to get the point. 

However, he has one really bad habit that is a problem. He loves to go on walks. Just going out in the back yard isn't as much fun for him. Since we have no fence (not allowed in our neighborhood) he has to be on a leash when we go out back until we start the electronic fence training. (I wanted him to get settled a bit first before we start that. I just limit our explorations to the safe area.) The short leash makes it difficult to do any real play in the yard - we just go out to pee when necessary. Anyhow - when we go back inside after being in the yard, he sometimes gets frenzied and starts attacking me: leaping up and grabbing my arm with his teeth and biting hard. If I turn my back he jumps up on my back and bites what he can reach. He's a big dog, so it is a bit scary and definitely painful. Yelling at him does no good, just makes him hold on harder. A knee to the chest makes him release, but then he leaps up and grabs again. I know I'm not supposed to react, but it hurts! Walking off is initially difficult because this happens just as we walk into the house and there is no space for me to move. He can't be distracted by toys, because he isn't very interested in his toys. I think the only games he ever learned were chase (i.e. grab something he's not supposed to eat and get chased around the house) and leap up and bite. I feel like the K-9 dummy they use to train police dogs! Suggestions?


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## LibertyME (Jan 6, 2007)

He is young, untrained and probably under-exercised....

hammer home the sits....50++ times a day...
If he wants to be petted...if he wants eye contact...wants to eat..wants to go out...anything and everything...SIT.

He cant jump if he is sitting....he will start to get the hang of it that if he wants your attention then needs needs to sit..but he has to have LOTS of opportunities to practice the good behaviors you want..

Watch the position that his body is in when you give him his treat....FEED IN POSITION...if you told him to sit then feed in a sit...if you told him to down...then feed in the down
It is really common to forgive a dog that starts to stand to reach up and take his treat...dont do it...you will end up with a dog that grabs for treats...

A long line (i.e. a piece of rope) will give him room to run around your yard.
Tying some knots in the rope will allow you to step on the rope and the rope will catch on your shoe (rather then slip underneath it)
WEAR GLOVES...
IMHO - a fast nutty boy should not be on a flexi lead (retractable leash). 

If he accepts a crate or a baby gate...then crate him or have him behind a gate when you leave the house....wait for a while before making contact with him...so he has a chance to calm down. You can practice this throughout the day so he starts to see you going in and out of the house ans normal and boring...


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## sterregold (Dec 9, 2009)

All good advice. Also when he grabs your arm do not pull away, as counter-intuitive as it may seem. It only encourages that chase and grab response. Shove your arm in further. Make him spit it out because it is uncomfortable.


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## LincolnsMom (Sep 28, 2010)

Lincoln did this for the longest while until were learned what to do. We started to run on our walks to really tire him out, we did it in the morning which really helped him for the rest of the day. Then when we got inside we would make him sit. When he wouldn't we would tap his back legs with our foot so he would pay attention then give a pull up on the leash -or down depending on the scenario- and again tell him to sit-I want to put emphasis on the fact that it was never a yank just pressure so he understood what we were asking- . We wouldn't move an inch until he sat and with the leash we were able to stop him from biting. Sometimes the moment we took a step he would jump again so again we would make him sit. If he was reallly bad and wouldn't listen it was back outside for another quick jog to help him get the energy out. It was a lot of work and not always the funnest but after a week or so he started to get the picture. Now i'm happy to report that he will sit when we tell him to 95% of the time and he is much much better at not jumping up because we have control. Lincoln is also only 13 weeks old so maybe that's why too?

I hope this helps you in some way.


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## Laurie (Sep 20, 2009)

LincolnsMom said:


> Lincoln did this for the longest while until were learned what to do. We started to run on our walks to really tire him out, we did it in the morning which really helped him for the rest of the day. Then when we got inside we would make him sit. When he wouldn't we would tap his back legs with our foot so he would pay attention then give a pull up on the leash -or down depending on the scenario- and again tell him to sit-I want to put emphasis on the fact that it was never a yank just pressure so he understood what we were asking- . We wouldn't move an inch until he sat and with the leash we were able to stop him from biting. Sometimes the moment we took a step he would jump again so again we would make him sit. If he was reallly bad and wouldn't listen it was back outside for another quick jog to help him get the energy out. It was a lot of work and not always the funnest but after a week or so he started to get the picture. Now i'm happy to report that he will sit when we tell him to 95% of the time and he is much much better at not jumping up because we have control. Lincoln is also only 13 weeks old so maybe that's why too?
> 
> I hope this helps you in some way.


I understand your desire to tire Lincoln out, but with him only being 13 weeks old, please be careful how much you're jogging with him....actually he shouldn`t be jogging at all at his age.

I find that with my guys, that sometimes mental stimulation is just as tiring, if not more tiring, than physical stimulation. I can take my guys out for an hour run and they`re still raring to go but if I take them on a half hour structured walk (ie. no pulling, heeling, right and left turns, leave it, etc.), they`re more exhausted.


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## TomCat'sGirl (Aug 27, 2010)

Here is some info on biting that we got last week from our trainer at Doggy Haven. I have the same issue with Cash jumping up and I find myself reacting with the knee sometimes. That only induces more "play" at least that is how Cash seems to handle it. He loves to bite at the pant leg when lying by us at the fireplace. I have just started yelling "ouch" when he gets a hold of my pant leg or sleeve or what ever he nips. I have found that removing myself from him "his playmate is gone" has helped the most. My house is not huge and we spend most of the time in the living room. My bedroom is very close and I just go in there for a moment with the door shut. Sometimes he is at my heels and trying to jump on my back when I am walking away from him but when I return he's always settled. I do NOT go and play with him again at that point. I give him a bit I have learned if he has had not enough time the crazies start again.


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## NuttinButGoldens (Jan 10, 2009)

LOL I thought I was the only one that did that 



sterregold said:


> All good advice. Also when he grabs your arm do not pull away, as counter-intuitive as it may seem. It only encourages that chase and grab response. Shove your arm in further. Make him spit it out because it is uncomfortable.


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## mylissyk (Feb 25, 2007)

LincolnsMom said:


> Lincoln did this for the longest while until were learned what to do. We started to run on our walks to really tire him out, we did it in the morning which really helped him for the rest of the day. Then when we got inside we would make him sit. When he wouldn't we would tap his back legs with our foot so he would pay attention then give a pull up on the leash -or down depending on the scenario- and again tell him to sit-I want to put emphasis on the fact that it was never a yank just pressure so he understood what we were asking- . We wouldn't move an inch until he sat and with the leash we were able to stop him from biting. Sometimes the moment we took a step he would jump again so again we would make him sit. If he was reallly bad and wouldn't listen it was back outside for another quick jog to help him get the energy out. It was a lot of work and not always the funnest but after a week or so he started to get the picture. Now i'm happy to report that he will sit when we tell him to 95% of the time and he is much much better at not jumping up because we have control. Lincoln is also only 13 weeks old so maybe that's why too?
> 
> I hope this helps you in some way.


You definitely should not be jogging with a 13 week old puppy, you run the risk of causing damage to growing bones and joints. Try throwing the ball around the yard instead, voluntary running on soft surfaces is fine. It's really not recommended to take a puppy running with you until they are at least 12 months old.


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## mylissyk (Feb 25, 2007)

sterregold said:


> All good advice. Also when he grabs your arm do not pull away, as counter-intuitive as it may seem. It only encourages that chase and grab response. Shove your arm in further. Make him spit it out because it is uncomfortable.


I agree with this, don't pull away when he grabs your arm, push back instead. And step towards him when he jumps up on you instead of using your knee or moving back.

He is excited and needs to exercise more, that's most likely what causes these episodes. Get a 30 or 50 foot long lead and let him have some room to run in the yard, or work on obedience for 5 or 10 minutes before coming back inside to work his brain. It would be great if you could find a place take him and let him run off leash on a regular basis.


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## GinnyinPA (Oct 31, 2010)

Off leash exercise is impossible until he knows how to come. He doesn't. He's learning to sit on cue, but so far it only works when we have a treat he likes and if he's not distracted. Exercise has helped calm him down; we've been walking 3-4 miles a day. That probably won't be possible in winter, but at least this week he's enjoyed the walks. Running isn't possible. I have bad knees and my husband's are worse (one is artificial.) As Ben gets more comfortable in the house and with us, he's calmed down a lot. Still some mischief, but no major biting today. I've been doing all the feeding and brushing - so I think he's learning to accept me as alpha female in the house. Today there were a bunch of full body leans, begging for scratches and lieing on his back looking for a belly rub. I think he's starting to figure out that he can get good attention too.


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## Oaklys Dad (Dec 28, 2005)

For winter exercise you might want to look for a large fenced area like a ball field or tennis court to let your pup run through the snow to burn off that energy. I use a local baseball field for my boys. It is also a great place to practice recall.


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## solinvictus (Oct 23, 2008)

For winter exercise you might want to look for a large fenced area like a ball field or tennis court to let your pup run through the snow to burn off that energy. I use a local baseball field for my boys. It is also a great place to practice recall.

I agree. A 3 year old dog needs some off leash running time. Since you both have bad knees I really suggest finding some place that is completely enclosed by fencing to let Ben do some running even if you have to drive to get to it. Mental exercise (training) does wonders to tire the dogs out but because he is still young he does need to have some time to really stretch out his legs.


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## Ranger (Nov 11, 2009)

Signing up and taking him to obedience classes would be hugely helpful. You'll be able to work on recall, he'll use his mind and burn off some energy working, and you'll get the tools needed to stop the jumping up and help him to learn to walk nicely. I'd definitely be looking into some good obedience classes in your area and make sure both you and hubby go so you're on the same page. It's not going to help with the jumping up if you and him both do something different. Consistency is key. 

It really sounds like he's underexercised and understimulated (both mental and physical) and so it's coming out in unwelcome areas - nipping, chasing game, jumping up, etc. A well-exercised dog does not necessarily need a backyard...how does that saying go? "A backyard doesn't exercise a dog, the owner does". If health issues make walking hard, look into hiring a dog walker once or twice a week to help your guy burn off some steam. Look into interactive toys for feeding him his meals so he has to think and work to get the kibble out. Anytime you can make him THINK and FOCUS, you're going to help tire him out mentally. 

Walk him for 5 steps, stop, and make him sit. Walk him for ten steps, and do a 180 degree turn, and stop. Make him sit EVERY single time you stop so his sits start becoming automatic. Do a 90 degree right turn and stop/sit. Do three more so you make a square. Then do 90 degree right turns at a walk. Do a 90 degree left turn and walk him in a left square, nudging him with your leg when he's in in your way or in front of you. Slow down until you're walking heel to toe then speed up to normal. Make "normal" as brisk a pace as you can. 

Instead of taking him out for one long walk, break it into 3-4 shorter walks. It'll be easier on your knees and better for him since dogs usually follow a "play, rest, play, rest" pattern. Meaning if you walk him for 3 miles in the morning, he'll nap for a few hours then be ready to go again. Do 3 one mile walks a day instead. Start his day off with breakfast in an interactive toy (you can search the forum - there's been a lot of threads on them lately), then go for a one mile walk, utilizing all the tips in the paragraph above so you're not JUST walking, but making him think, too. Go home and do a 10-15 min obedience session inside the house with him - sits, stays, downs, tricks, whatever. Rest time can be a marrow bone, frozen kong, or elk antler to keep him occupied. At lunch or right after work, go for another one mile walk and repeat the sequence - walk, training, something to chew on. After supper, same thing - walk, training, something to chew on. 

If possible, I'd definitely look into obedience classes and a dog walker to help out, especially if you doubt you'll be able to walk him much during the winter due to health issues. A young healthy dog needs his walks. I've been laid up since May with a busted achilles tendon and most recently, a sprained ankle. I've had a dog walker walking Ranger once or twice a week, plus my mom takes him once a day or so. If not, he'd be going crazy and start becoming destructive.


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## GinnyinPA (Oct 31, 2010)

We are walking him three times a day now. We walk after breakfast, after lunch and before bed. We plan to continue the walking as much as possible through the winter; I was just remembering last winter and the snow that wouldn't melt. We felt very confined, and we're not dogs. I can do snowshoes, but my husband's titanium knee didn't tolerate that well. 

High energy time for Ben seems to be late afternoon and late evening. That's when he gets into mischief. I think when he learns interactive play, it will help. Right now, most of the time when we throw a ball or toy he just stands and looks at us. He does toss the ball or kong for himself though. When he's feeling like playing with us, he either looks for something to steal, so we'll chase him, or he jumps up and attacks the hands. We're offering him his toys instead, but it doesn't always distract him. I think his previous owner started the rough play when he was a puppy and didn't know how to stop it when Ben grew up. Spraying my arm with bitter apple keeps him from chomping hard - but he needs to learn that hands aren't chew toys. It's already getting better, but it will take work. This afternoon my husband was able to keep him chasing the ball and kong up and down the stairs for about 10 trips - that wore him out.


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