# 5 month old attacks me during walks



## Oaklys Dad (Dec 28, 2005)

I would strongly suggest a good basic obedience class. You will learn lots of useful information and they are great socialization for your pup. When my Oakly used to do that near the end of our walks I would stop walking and have him sit/stay. I would wait a few seconds then start walking again. If he started jumping again I would repeat. Eventually he either learned not to do it of just grew out of the habit.


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## voltdomingo (Jun 28, 2010)

same problem here. i tried the "act like a tree" tactic, but my dog keeps on nipping on my slippers. i try to make him sit and stop by giving him treats if he obeys, but most of the time, he just goes ballistic!


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## Braccarius (Sep 8, 2008)

Redirecting is something many folks do here... such as with a ball, toy or treat. I've always viewed this as rewarding the behaviour though -- especially with treats. The only thing that got Harley out of this type of mode was a strong emphatic "NO BITE" with a roll. He ignored everything, including other dogs when he entered this mode and he would absolutely not stop.

The only cure I've found that's a sure stop is age.


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## Braccarius (Sep 8, 2008)

....oh and you can also get bitter apple spray and spray his open yap when the little landshark tries to lay a tooth to you...


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## Elisabeth Kazup (Aug 23, 2008)

The alpha roll is highly frowned upon. Golden retrieves should never be treated with such harshness or aggressiveness. Do not spray bitter apple at a dog's face. You could easily spray it in the eyes, causing pain and/or damage.

Obedience class, patience and time are the cure.


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## Sweet Girl (Jun 10, 2010)

Five months old, eh? Sounds like the terrible teens. I went through this with my dog. She had been going to puppy classes since three months old, she was otherwise quite well behaved, but I remember some CRAZY temper tantrums on walks. There was one where I was almost in tears - I felt like I had a two-year-old child screaming on the floor of the grocery store. There was nothing I could do to make her stop.

I usually just stood still and let her get it out of her system. She'd be going nuts, jumping, biting at the leash, biting at me. I didn't respond. Not sure if that was the right thing, but I have never been able to raise my voice to my dog or be at all aggressive with her, so it was my only option when she clearly wasn't going to listen to me either.

And then it stopped. It definitely WAS a phase. I had been warned about it - the phase when they suddenly seem to forget all their training and go nuts - so I think I just went with it. It didn't last long - a few weeks.


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## Elisabeth Kazup (Aug 23, 2008)

I can so relate. Penny started biting my feet DAY ONE at 7 weeks old. I had her outside, it was very cold in February in Michigan. I thought I'd outsmart her by standing still. Puppies lose interest really fast! Right? Wrong!!! She stared at my feet when I stood still. I stood still longer, she hunkered down in the snow staring at my boots. I thought any second now she'll break and scamper away. Nope! She barked at them. Then barked again. Finally I got so cold, I started walking and she leaped at them growling and barking and biting with joy: SHE CAN MAKE FEET MOVE BY BARKING AT THEM!!! OMG, :doh: I inadvertently taught her that the first day. Finally I picked her up and we went in the house. She eventually outgrew the worst of it, but to this day when she gets all happy and excited, she'll bark and pounce AT them. LOL It's funny, now....



Sweet Girl said:


> Five months old, eh? Sounds like the terrible teens. I went through this with my dog. She had been going to puppy classes since three months old, she was otherwise quite well behaved, but I remember some CRAZY temper tantrums on walks. There was one where I was almost in tears - I felt like I had a two-year-old child screaming on the floor of the grocery store. There was nothing I could do to make her stop.
> 
> I usually just stood still and let her get it out of her system. She'd be going nuts, jumping, biting at the leash, biting at me. I didn't respond. Not sure if that was the right thing, but I have never been able to raise my voice to my dog or be at all aggressive with her, so it was my only option when she clearly wasn't going to listen to me either.
> 
> And then it stopped. It definitely WAS a phase. I had been warned about it - the phase when they suddenly seem to forget all their training and go nuts - so I think I just went with it. It didn't last long - a few weeks.


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## codog11 (Sep 28, 2010)

thanks. Thought I had a monster. I will try the toy distraction tonight.

She's so sweet 99% of the time - hopefully this phase will pass quick like the growling she used to do when I picked her up at around 12-14 weeks.

here are some pics of the little devil.


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## diane0905 (Aug 20, 2010)

Awww - she's so cute. Luke (4.5 months) bit at me for about six weeks and sometimes it really smarted. I remember posting on here about it. A few times I held his muzzle shut for a few seconds and said "No" very firmly, but someone on here told me it may make him head shy. Soooo, I just kept telling him "no bite" and at the same time stuffing a toy in his mouth every time. He stopped doing it a few weeks ago (for now) -- thank goodness.

On the leash, all I get is pulling behavior. The puppy kindergarten teacher just told me to stop whenever he did this and not to go again until he ceased the pulling activity. So, I stop and say "Stop pulling" and that actually works. It was a pain the first few walks, but now he's getting the idea.

I'm sure your sweet Ruby will grow out of this. I do think obedience training will help greatly. I took Luke to puppy kindergarten and his one on one obedience training starts next week.


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## Sweet Girl (Jun 10, 2010)

Hahahahaha! Oh my GOD. That top picture of her is HILARIOUS! It looks like she's going, "Ta-dah!!! Here I am! The grrrrreatest dog in the world!" You totally made my day with that pic.

And I can't believe she's EVER bad! :


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## jackie_hubert (Jun 2, 2010)

She is so cute!....and she is so normal. I too have a teenage dog who is well behaved most of the time and goes into these fits of biting (only the leash for us), especially when we get close to home and after his morning potty. 

I look at it as excited behaviour that he will grow out of but that must also be controlled because it can be dangerous to both of us. A rope toy to tug on is great. You can also throw treats into the grass and divert that way as she'll spend some time looking for them and will refocus her.

I have also noticed that the behaviour is generally a part of the zoomies. So if Cosmo starts getting bitey I make him do a quick sit, then some obedience or tricks and then I let him off leash (only if I'm a place to do so) and he'll almost always start doing the zoomies. Then it's back on leash. The calmer you are the better generally.


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## GNmom (Jun 15, 2010)

Yes, same here. Nemo started to do that since he's 3 months old. He used to do it everyday. Now he's much better. 

I felt really embarassed when people walking by saw me as a "tree" and Nemo jumping and nipping my butt, thighs, calves, total frenzy.

I tried the sit/down, stay too. Sometimes he totally ignored me, sometimes he obeyed and as soon as we resumed walking he's crazy again. If I kept doing the sit/down, stay, then crazy routine, it would take forever to arrive home. I gave him 5 minutes, if he still behaved this way, I just grabbed the leash so it's very short and kept walking without saying anything with an angry face. Only until then would he calm down and follow me. 




voltdomingo said:


> same problem here. i tried the "act like a tree" tactic, but my dog keeps on nipping on my slippers. i try to make him sit and stop by giving him treats if he obeys, but most of the time, he just goes ballistic!


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## BriGuy (Aug 31, 2010)

My almost 4 month old dog Cookie does the bitey thing on the leash too. It is almost like a switch goes off in her head and she totally loses her mind for a few minutes! The snarling and thrashing about really look like I've leashed up a Tasmanian Devil. :doh:

Last night I changed tactics by stopping the walk and telling her to sit. This works, but I had to repeat this every few steps. My trainer also recommended holding the leash close to the collar and putting a little tension on it. This way the dog can't really grab the leash. The way my dog thrashes around, I had little success with this.

I also think that golden puppies absolutely need something in their mouths, so I tend to gather sticks up as we walk and pop them in her mouth as we go. This works well on normal-Cookie, but not much on Tasmanian-Cookie!


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## Willow52 (Aug 14, 2009)

My Maggie (at the Bridge) did this when she was a puppy. I have an old down coat with iron-on patches up and down both sleeves to prove it! I started carrying a walking stick, not to hit her with, but I would point it at her or put it between us and say "NO!" For some reason she respected that stick. She finally outgrew the behavior.


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## codog11 (Sep 28, 2010)

Ruby has been to puppy kindergarten too. Seems like it basically was a chance for puppies to socialize with other puppies.

She still has her moments but I've found that making her sit for a treat until she clams down helps. I just help I am not rewarding bad behavior:doh:


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## Debles (Sep 6, 2007)

I so agree with those who suggest putting something in their mouth when they are biting and saying NO BITING!
We are going through this with Sasha. They are just like a human toddler: lots of redirection!!!
Our goldens liked to carry a toy, dummy with them. it calms them. Mine aren't show dogs so it doesn't matter.
Sasha starts puppy classes in three weeks! he already knows sit and down, working on a good recall.


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## voltdomingo (Jun 28, 2010)

i'll try that toy in the mouth routine..  just spent 800 bucks (philippine peso) on his new toys, so its worth a try..


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## phaseshift (Jul 19, 2010)

I kind of have the same problem with Buck, except its with other people, when he gets near other people that want to pet him, he'll knaw at their hands, and gets excited with other dogs. I have a trainers number, I'm prob going to call him next pay check and see what we can do. Buck is also 5 months.


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## codog11 (Sep 28, 2010)

phaseshift said:


> I kind of have the same problem with Buck, except its with other people, when he gets near other people that want to pet him, he'll knaw at their hands, and gets excited with other dogs. I have a trainers number, I'm prob going to call him next pay check and see what we can do. Buck is also 5 months.


.

Funny, Ruby is as sweet as can be with strangers. Instantly on her back wagging her tail. My wife and I joke about how she attacks the people she knows.


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## Lola212 (Nov 21, 2011)

Sweet Girl said:


> Five months old, eh? Sounds like the terrible teens. I went through this with my dog. She had been going to puppy classes since three months old, she was otherwise quite well behaved, but I remember some CRAZY temper tantrums on walks. There was one where I was almost in tears - I felt like I had a two-year-old child screaming on the floor of the grocery store. There was nothing I could do to make her stop.
> 
> I usually just stood still and let her get it out of her system. She'd be going nuts, jumping, biting at the leash, biting at me. I didn't respond. Not sure if that was the right thing, but I have never been able to raise my voice to my dog or be at all aggressive with her, so it was my only option when she clearly wasn't going to listen to me either.
> 
> And then it stopped. It definitely WAS a phase. I had been warned about it - the phase when they suddenly seem to forget all their training and go nuts - so I think I just went with it. It didn't last long - a few weeks.


But WHEN did it stop?! Lol, sorry, but it is so frustrating I am wondering if lasted for months, weeks, etc.?


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## Sweet Girl (Jun 10, 2010)

Lola212 said:


> But WHEN did it stop?! Lol, sorry, but it is so frustrating I am wondering if lasted for months, weeks, etc.?


It was so long ago now... (sniff)... but I think it lasted about 4-6 weeks. It truly is the terrible teens of puppyhood. Thankfully, I had been warned. It really can seem like, everything they've learned goes right out of their brains. But thankfully, it comes back, too!


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## quilter (Sep 12, 2011)

We saw this happen to another woman with her puppy last week. We were so happy - somebody else's dog was as bad as ours! Maybe worse, because she didn't Lock down the flexi lead and the puppy took off left and right and about dragged her into the street. But if it helps, it doesn't look as bad to watch as it feels when your dog does it to you.


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## Tanyac (Jun 18, 2008)

It's never easy when your puppy goes through this "phase" our boy Obi was like this and we had holes in all our clothes, but you know what, he stopped at some point and that was that! I have found subsequent puppies (Obi was on his own) don't seem to have the issue as much because they quickly learn bite inhitibion from playing with the adult dogs.

We had a phase where Flo (now 22 months) would run and jump up at strangers. She scratched a jogger's legs once (cringe!!) but totally ignores them now. Flo is extremely orally fixated, and carries things around constantly. she will carry the ball chucker all the way home & will hold my hand gently in her mouth. I see it now as her "connecting" with me and not mouthing. It's her way of saying "I'm here". She's never hurt me either which is amazing really.

So if your puppy doesn't get much chance to play with older dogs, try to find an opportunity to do so. I never encourage too much puppy on puppy play as they don't learn any manners at all, in fact quite often the reverse happens. A puppy will learn respect from a kind older dog because the older dog will demand it! If the pup bites too hard, the adult will teach the pup in a language it understands that is NOT appropriate!

I always take our puppies out on their own until at least 6 - 8 months of age. With Flo, I would walk with some local ladies and their older Irish Setters. Once the Setters had accepted Flo, just a look from them would put her into line, and she was so well behaved around them, she was just one of the gang, not interfering with them at all, but happy to be in the "group". It helped her socialisation no end & she can now judge another dog's intentions long before she has to greet it!

If your pup is behaving poorly, I would definitely try distraction (don't worry about it rewarding the behaviour) and carry a soft toy in your pocket which you can stuff in the mouth at the crutial time. Chances are the pup will trot along happily carrying it.

It's just a build up of energy. the high protien food we feed them definitely does not help. Have a look at the % of Protien in the food and consider changing for a lower one (the adult version). Flo calmed down noticeably once I changed her food over at around 6 months, and her litter brother had a remarkable change in energy levels once they'd changed him over too.


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## willows pack (Apr 14, 2012)

You can also stand with the leash under your foot...give the dog side very little lead and hold yourside of theleash firmly in you hand. And wait. He won't be able to jump up and it doesn't take long for them to settle down once they realize they can't go anywhere or grab at anything other than nibble on your foot...used it in puppy class when she was getting out of control..eventually she would lie down and settle


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## mooselips (Dec 4, 2011)

I am happy to say Bridget has outgrown this phase. (HAPPY dance)

I was going crazy trying to stop the behavior. Putting her down on the ground, lifting her by the collar...(all recommended by the personal "bad" trainer we hired) raising my voice, rewarding a sit, you name it, I did it.

I would have been a happy girl if someone would have told me they outgrow it. They do!

The only thing that stopped it completely was a pinch collar at 6 months, *or* it so happened she outgrew it, at the same time we tried the collar.

All I know is my arms STILL look like I'm a "cutter" person, who does physical harm to themselves with box cutters.........lol

It also stops her from the jumping up on ppl behavior.


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