Hi all,

I know its been less than a week since i've had him but these last couple of days - every day seems to be a power struggle with him - he is biting at me & not listening to commands i know he knows... We fall out on a regular basis and he gets a smack every time he goes over the top with his teeth...

I just don't get what i'm doing wrong...

Any advise would be greatly appreciated!

Thanks,

Erinc.

Puppies can play rough and be mouthy. When he bites, stop playing, get up and leave the area. Remain calm. He will learn that when he bites he gets no attention from you. Be consistent with your response and understand that this will take time. You may want to put him in his crate or another room. Be sure he is given appropriate toys to chew on and encourage their use. Smacking him is negative reinforcement and generally creates additional problems. Praise him a lot when he is playing appropriately. Good luck to you.

beck3465 wrote:

Smacking him is negative reinforcement and generally creates additional problems. Praise him a lot when he is playing appropriately. Good luck to you.

Agreed! Smacking him is negative reinforcement and might cause him to lash out more towards you. If he's biting your hands you can also try closing his mouth shut (firmly, but hard) and give him a firm NO! That or scream "OUCH OUCH OUCH" really loud. It's just a matter of what works for you and your puppy. Being first time puppy owner you're going to encounter a lot things in which you have no idea what to do, but we're here to help. They're VERY SMART so they pick up on things quickly. They're also VERY STUBBORN so it might take a while for him to listen to you (even though he knows exactly what you're asking of him). The main thing is to try and remain calm. I know, it's very hard, but just try your best. Good luck!!!

definately dont smack him. make sure you are taking him on a good walk to wear him out. Even negative behavior gets attention and that is what he is looking for. You want to let him know when it is time to play and not.
I know we all get tired but they need a ton of attention.

These are normal problems with such a young pup. Best thing to do is screech OUCH! And leave the room, preferably closing the door behind you. It's going to take a while, it really is. If you're playing with him and he starts that stand up and ignore him until he does something else (anything at this point-as long as he's not ripping your pant leg up or chewing your shoe) as soon as he's doing something that isn't naughty shove a toy in his mouth (ropes are easy at this stage) and make that the most fun thing ever. If he goes for you again stand up and take the toy with you. If he doesn't stop or starts going after your pants/shoes that would be a good time to leave the room.

Thanks for the replies guys - i felt so guilty about falling out with him earlier we've spent most of today rolling around together - sometimes i forget he is only 8 weeks old and that he has a lot to learn - it gets frustrating but i hate seeming my little guy acting timid around me - its almost back to normal now - the whole ouch thing doesn't really work for me - maybe because i can't let out one that is high pitched enough but the closing his mouth thing seems to be doing alright!

Im taking him back to the vets tomorrow as he has had diarrhoea since I've had him and its getting worse - came out like water earlier!

Erinc wrote:

Im taking him back to the vets tomorrow as he has had diarrhoea since I've had him and its getting worse - came out like water earlier!

Good luck with that one, we had the watery poo in the beginning as well. Hopefully it isn't anything serious and is just him adapting to the new environment or something food related.

Oh we had the runny poops when Libby was young and not fully potty trained. I think we only had her a few days. All over the crate when I got home from work. YUCK!!! She ended up having worms and needed to have meds. I freaked out when she threw up a bunch of live worms. so gross. It cleared up fast and let her tummy settle and then she was fine.

Has he been to the vet before to get checked out?

blueeyedghost wrote:

Erinc wrote:

Im taking him back to the vets tomorrow as he has had diarrhoea since I've had him and its getting worse - came out like water earlier!

Good luck with that one, we had the watery poo in the beginning as well. Hopefully it isn't anything serious and is just him adapting to the new environment or something food related.

Same with Kody! Had the watery poop for until he was like 5 months! We got him at 12 weeks though. Good luck with that one like Meredith said. It's not easy and gets frustrating! The vet put on antibiotics three times I believe and it would help a tad, but then he would go right back to it. It ended up being food allergies, but it took us so long to figure out what worked for him. Thanks to some of the girls on here I was able to work it out. I knew nothing about doggie nutrition like AT ALL. I've learned a lot since

Im not sure if its the new environment or his food, the breeder had him on the purina from before and told me his stools were fine so providing she isn't fibbing then its either the environment or the fact that he has picked up something thats unsettling his stomach.

Christine, he was at the vets on monday for a full checkup and his first set of shots - he also got his microchip - i can't tell you how hard it was holding him and hearing him let out a squeal - that microchip needle is huge! he was a very brave boy though. The vet said he was in great condition and the runny poo is probably just him adapting to his new environment - it doesn't help probably that he is between houses as i take him to my parents over the weekend.

Don´t smack him, besides of that this can backfire on you when he is older, dogs don´t understand that kind of language. What is important is that for example when it comes to the biting, make sure that everyone that has to do with your dog follows your rules of treating him, ignoring in that case.

Anubis had watery poop alot when he was a pup and there are still moments where he ha sit. The problem is this can have many reasons.