# Tackling feet/legs



## americangolden (Aug 11, 2008)

Hi,

I am having a problem with Emma where whenever I walk through the living room she wants to run behind me and tackle my legs/feet and bite. She seems to only want to do it to me and I can't seem to get her to stop. She still likes to bite me but not as much anymore.

I think all or most of her puppy teeth have fallen out and she has her adult teeth now so her teething isn't really an excuse anymore. I can get her attention sometimes with a treat or her favorite toy but I don't always have treats/toys on me and she sometimes doesn't respond to that. I would just like some suggestions on things I could try to try to stop this behavior.

I do have her sit and wait for her food. Sit/stay by the door till I go through first then tell her she can come through. I give/take away her toys and she doesn't seem to mind. I think I am doing the right things to show I am leader but it doesn't seem like they are working with this biting my leg/feet. Help I think almost all my pants/socks have holes in them now from her lol.


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## Chuck's Dad (Jan 24, 2009)

Thanks for the question
I wish I could help but we have the same problem.
With me Charlie is fine but he's all over my girlfriend.
Seems like he's sometimes submissive to her and at other times he sees her as a big chew toy.
Do you play chasing games by any chance?


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## americangolden (Aug 11, 2008)

I play fetch, tug with her rope but I don't let her win. Since we got her she always wants to jump/bite me if we start to run. Example: If we are in the backyard and we and running around she'll jump/bite/nip/growl at me same thing if we are on a leash. When she is in the yard and doesn't want to come in a sure way I could always get her to come in was to stand still for a few seconds then book it the other way as fast as I could and she would come chasing after but trying to bite/growl. I don't think I should've done that because I imagine this is why I have that problem now? Not sure how to correct that behavior.


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## BeauShel (May 20, 2007)

Do you do most of the playing with her? She probably sees you as a playmate. It is not just a dominance thing or teething, I think it is just playing. Bama did the same thing with me whenever I wore slippers but not to anyone else. So I stopped wearing them. When she does it, put a toy in her mouth and redirect her. She will get better it just takes time.


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## americangolden (Aug 11, 2008)

Yes I do most of the playing with her and I guess that clicks because I do all the playing in the living room area throwing the ball etc. How do I go about redirecting her when she latches onto my leg though I will just be walking from lets say the bedroom go through the living room and she runs up behind me and tackles my leg latching on with both her paws and teeth and I know she is telling me she wants to play but I don't know how to show her that isn't how to tell me that she wants to play any ideas for that?


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## jnmarr (Mar 7, 2008)

I agree with Carol... Rusty was the same way. To this day now and then he will run up tp me when I enter the back yard and try it. I learned a lot by watching Penny playing with Rusty this same way.. She will run across the yard and grab one of his legs, or an ear, etc. to initiate play.. I carried chew toys around with me and would tell Rusty " eh... eh,, :no: no bite." . give a chewie and praise when he took it.. It is a pain... in a lot of ways. She loves you sooooo much and she is trying to start playing !!!!


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## Cathy's Gunner (Dec 4, 2008)

I agree 100% with all of you. My Gunner does exactly the same thing. I live alone so I AM his playmate. He goes after my slippers, pant legs and robe. Now that I know that he is just trying to play I will try giving him a treat or a toy to distract him from me. He has one more tooth to lose and his baby teeth with be gone. I was so happy today because I found one. All the others he must have swallowed. I was hoping for at least one. Hopefully the biting will start to go away. He loves chew on my wrist!


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## americangolden (Aug 11, 2008)

For everyone who is having or has had the same problem I am did it go away with distracting with treats/toys? I don't know if I should even bother trying to say "no" anymore because it doesn't do anything she keeps on doing it. I can see it in her eyes I will stand still and she just waits till I start moving then attacks my feet/leg.


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## jnmarr (Mar 7, 2008)

americangolden said:


> For everyone who is having or has had the same problem I am did it go away with distracting with treats/toys? I don't know if I should even bother trying to say "no" anymore because it doesn't do anything she keeps on doing it. I can see it in her eyes I will stand still and she just waits till I start moving then attacks my feet/leg.


In Rusty's case it really improved.. I always believed that in training you not only just show them what not to do.. but what TO do.. like.. don't chew that.. chew this.. don't pee there.. pee here, etc. They have to chew, pee, play, etc. We patiently show them the ropes.


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## americangolden (Aug 11, 2008)

jnmarr said:


> In Rusty's case it really improved.. I always believed that in training you not only just show them what not to do.. but what TO do.. like.. don't chew that.. chew this.. don't pee there.. pee here, etc. They have to chew, pee, play, etc. We patiently show them the ropes.


 Well I guess I am going to have to go buy Emma more toys to keep her distracted haha. So much for that extra money in my wallet : lol. I will try to do that more often because right now I just try to ignore her and keep on moving which doesn't really work at all.


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## Popebendgoldens (May 16, 2008)

americangolden said:


> Hi,
> 
> I am having a problem with Emma where whenever I walk through the living room she wants to run behind me and tackle my legs/feet and bite. She seems to only want to do it to me and I can't seem to get her to stop. She still likes to bite me but not as much anymore.
> 
> ...


When Emma, comes to attack your legs and feet, immediately STOP what you are doing and stand absolutely still. Do not look at her or acknowledge her at all. This will be extremely hard for the first two to three times she does it. 

She is treating you as a submissive playmate. For example, My male , Kodi likes to play this way with Katie and will play bite with her legs or feet. If Katie doesn't want to play she lies down on her feet and ignores Kodi. Kodi stops playing immediately. 

Do NOT give any treats or toy when this happens. Treats, in this case, just rewards bad behavior.


Pat


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## americangolden (Aug 11, 2008)

Popebendgoldens said:


> When Emma, comes to attack your legs and feet, immediately STOP what you are doing and stand absolutely still. Do not look at her or acknowledge her at all. This will be extremely hard for the first two to three times she does it.
> 
> She is treating you as a submissive playmate. For example, My male , Kodi likes to play this way with Katie and will play bite with her legs or feet. If Katie doesn't want to play she lies down on her feet and ignores Kodi. Kodi stops playing immediately.
> 
> ...


So even if she is biting hard or trying to tear my pant leg I should just stand still not make any movement or eye contact and wait till she stops? This does sound like the better thing to do I don't want to reward her for bad behavior I would like to stop it. I love playing with her but don't want this to be the way she trys to initiate play with me.


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## Elisabeth Kazup (Aug 23, 2008)

_"When Emma, comes to attack your legs and feet, immediately STOP what you are doing and stand absolutely still. Do not look at her or acknowledge her at all. This will be extremely hard for the first two to three times she does it. "_

I tried this with Our Penny. She sat back on her little blonde haunches AND WAITED. I thought "I can out wait this puppy". Then she started to bark at my feet and stare at them waiting for any little movement. After 15 minutes...nope, she never got bored or distracted, amazing for an 8 week old puppy...I moved my feet. She was just as intense as when she started and by then had learned that BARKING at them makes them move.

She likes to come up behind and wrap one paw around to slow us down. Or she likes to attack from the front: biting, then jumping back and then jumping to our feet again making it nearly impossible to walk. 

Our Penny just turned SEVEN YEARS OLD. We've learned to live with it and now that she's been through obedience classes, several levels, we could make it stop if we command "Enough!" Mostly we laugh, play along and dread the day she gets too old to want to play with our feet.

At least she's quit body slamming the back of my knees and putting me on the ground THAT way!:uhoh:


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## jnmarr (Mar 7, 2008)

I also will tell my Penny to stop it.. Sit! Then I praise. She hasn't been biting me. When Rusty would nip hard I would yipe and stomp into the house or if already in the house into the next room and shut the door. Didn't take him long to figure out what made his buddy leave.


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