# Biting, grabby 18 mo. old Golden



## sscma4 (12 mo ago)

We are caring for our daughter''s 18 mo. old Golden for a couple of months. She has had him since he was 10 months and adores him. However, she never disciplined him when he would start nipping and biting to the point that I noticed bruises and broken skin on her arms and ankles! Anyway, we have him now and my husband is working so hard to retrain him. He does something very odd (in our opinion): when we are ready to walk him and our own 11 year old dog (very calm) and we are putting on shoes and coats, he starts biting and nipping at our shoes, gloves, socks like crazy! As well, he will start to grab at my husband's arms and ankles and growl at random times. He will steal items and run away and does not stop even though we tell him firmly "no" and my husband will hold his face and stare into his eyes until he calms down but only briefly. Gnocchi is a beautiful and an engaging boy except for these periods of time. We don't know what to do. He is very strong and when he starts in one me, my husband has to step in. Please advise!


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## SRW (Dec 21, 2018)

Sound like a normal dog that has had no obedience training at all. 



sscma4 said:


> He does something very odd (in our opinion): when we are ready to walk him and our own 11 year old dog (very calm) and we are putting on shoes and coats, he starts biting and nipping at our shoes, gloves, socks like crazy! As well, he will start to grab at my husband's arms and ankles and growl at random times.


This is simply excitement because he knows he going outside.



sscma4 said:


> we tell him firmly "no" and my husband will hold his face and stare into his eyes until he calms down but only briefly.


The dog doesn't understand the No command, or any other commands I suspect.
I don't know what staring at the dog is supposed to do, apparently Gnocchi doesn't either.

You need to start at square one of obedience training. Your daughter would have to continue with it, which sounds unlikely.


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## Ontariodogsitter (Feb 23, 2020)

Nothing odd about his behavior, very excited and no limits have been put on his behavior.
You certainly have your work cut out for you, and any form of training that will have him '" Down and Wait", while you are getting ready will work.
NOTHING happens until he is back to "Down and Wait" and walk happens only when he is released.
It's amazing how fast they get it, if you are consistent.
Good luck, you are doing the dog a great favor.


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## CCoopz (Jun 2, 2020)

Hi Suzanne,
Gnocchi is a lucky boy that you and your husband are taking him in hand, I just worry the 2 months you have him won’t be long enough. Your daughter needs to get on board with following abs building on what you and your husband do.

We adopted Teddy at 18 months. He did similar behaviour to what you describe. I remember thinking one day after we’d had him for about 4 months, wow, things are getting better. The worst of the behaviour has been trained on and worked through. But we still had other things to work on.

We did a short 8 week obedience class. We also followed the they have to work for everything approach. Can’t remember what is called exactly, people talk about it on the forum and say there are training videos. But also lots of consistency, calmness and patience.

Teddy would clamp onto our forearms when he was fear based stressed by new stimuli or frustration and overexcitement. But always with that soft retriever mouth. But with a scary growl sometimes. We would stand very still and say No in a low harsh voice. We wouldn’t pull away. At the beginning it would take 3 or 4 No’s and what felt like around 20 seconds before he would let go.
Then we would say firmly sit with the hand gesture. Again this could take 2 or 3 times before he followed through. Sometimes we would also command down. Then give him a minute to calm down. Then command up and sit. Then always paw. The approach seemed to calm him down and reassert that we were in charge.

As time went on those utterances of commands didn’t need to be repeated, he would follow through first time. At around the 3 months we noticed he’d stopped clamping on our forearms.

But I think making him ‘work’ for everything so he understands humans are in charge maybe helpful.


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## cwag (Apr 25, 2017)

CCoopz said:


> Hi Suzanne,
> 
> We did a short 8 week obedience class. We also followed the they have to work for everything approach. Can’t remember what is called exactly, people talk about it on the forum and say there are training videos. But also lots of consistency, calmness and patience.


Nothing in Life is Free just Google it and lots of free info shows up. I think the pre-walk biting is over excitement. Rukie spins in a circle if I ask him if he wants to walk but if I told him to sit and wait, he would. Goldens are very trainable and at 18 months he should start to settle down some. Rukie's breeder said it takes the boys 3 years to grow a brain. If you can get into an obedience class or have a few sessions with a trainer it would help teach you how to train him. I saw in your other post that Gnocchi went to boot camp so it should be easier to revive those skills. I would talk to your daughter about the problems that could arise if he bit a stranger. He's a very cute boy. Good luck, a well trained dog is so worthwhile.


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## mylissyk (Feb 25, 2007)

Good suggestions so far. I would change up the routine. Before you even pick up your coat/gloves/shoes, put his leash on him. The first week, just put the leash on and let him drag it a few minutes, but don't take him out right then, when he has stopped being over excited, take the leash off. After several days of doing that, then you can do the same thing, but go ahead and put on your coat/shoes, etc. If he starts to get over stimulated, stop, and get him to lay down. Eventually his default should be to lay down when you start to get ready.


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## Rion05 (Jan 4, 2016)

Sounds like a mouthy , excitable golden with attention seeking behavior. Yes to all of the above suggestions about obedience training - hard to mouth if you are supposed to be on a sudden "down" or "sit." Also, teach him to grab a toy when he is excited instead of clothing, etc., i.e., "go get your toy." Resist chasing or getting excited yourself when the dog is excited - remain very calm (easier said than done when the mouthiness is happening). Consistency and persistence on the part of all of you is the best way to change this.


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## DevWind (Nov 7, 2016)

Sounds like a normal pup in need of obedience classes. Maybe gift her a class at a local club.


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## sscma4 (12 mo ago)

sscma4 said:


> We are caring for our daughter''s 18 mo. old Golden for a couple of months. She has had him since he was 10 months and adores him. However, she never disciplined him when he would start nipping and biting to the point that I noticed bruises and broken skin on her arms and ankles! Anyway, we have him now and my husband is working so hard to retrain him. He does something very odd (in our opinion): when we are ready to walk him and our own 11 year old dog (very calm) and we are putting on shoes and coats, he starts biting and nipping at our shoes, gloves, socks like crazy! As well, he will start to grab at my husband's arms and ankles and growl at random times. He will steal items and run away and does not stop even though we tell him firmly "no" and my husband will hold his face and stare into his eyes until he calms down but only briefly. Gnocchi is a beautiful and an engaging boy except for these periods of time. We don't know what to do. He is very strong and when he starts in one me, my husband has to step in. Please advise!


Actually, she has had him since he was 10 weeks old, not 10 months!


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