10 week old CC training question

[Traceylaneve]

Hi all - we have a 10 week old CC female that we've had about 3 weeks. First few weeks were a big adjustment and she did seem to have a little bit of a bratty attitude. We made lots of rules and changes in our behaviors to help. In my opinion, she seemed to be having temper tantrums and telling me that she didn't like what I was doing or that she wanted things "her way". Things have been slowly getting better and I'm feeling much more like her leader, but tonight we had a little blow up. We were playing like we usually do and she tried to play bite and I said Ah ah, and she didn't like that. She tried to bite again and I said No very loud and she just let loose like she was going to kill me. In the past I have pinned her like her dog mama would, held her until she stopped fussing and then would let her go with no hard feelings. Tonight she faked like she was done about 5 times in a row and then would come right back at me. What am I doing wrong or what else should I be doing? She is well exercised, being socialized with other dogs and has been learning obedience commands well even at this young age. Thanks in advance!

 

[karennj]

First of all she is still VERY young. Even though it may seem like full out aggressive it is probably just rough play. Puppies play rough. Second, your not her mom and she knows your not her mom. No more pinning her down. Would you follow someone who lead you by restraining you?

If she goes to play bite immediately yelp, say ah ah, no, whatever and give her a toy. With puppies I carry toys and treats all the time so I am always ready. She bites, correct and shove the toy in her mouth to initiate play with someone appropriate. If that does not work then when she bites, correct and immediately remove yourself. Get out of the space quick and don't return to her for a min. She will learn playing too rough makes all play stop and you disappear. If that doesn't work when she bites, immediately correct and then put her in time out for 2 minutes (in a crate or behind a gate). That will allow her to calm down and get her head on straight.

Puppy biting is extremely common and very frustrating. You just have to be consistent and keep at it.

One more thing, make sure she is getting enough mental stimulation, obedience training and physical exercise each day. Instead of telling her no try to show her what you want her to do instead. Teach her appropriate play.

 

[Traceylaneve]

Thank you.
The first bite was definitely play bite - the second bite was a "oh no you did not just tell me what to do". I did not remove myself bc I was afraid this would teach her that she won.
She is very young and I can't expect to much from her - just want to make sure that what I'm doing isn't making things worse.
I think you are right - if I would have walked away, she would have been upset that I wasn't with her and would have come to "make up". I will definitely try that next time!

 

[DDSK]

Welcome to the forum, all good advice.
Let's see a picture of your little terror.

 

[Traceylaneve]

Here she is, the little terror

 

[danielleconn]

My CC was a terror as a puppy...she was my piranha puppy! I looked like I had track marks all up my arm. I cried once because I thought for sure I had a devil puppy...however, I had a lot of life transitions at that time & just realized I had an over zealous puppy! Karennj gave you perfect advise. You are not a dog, so don't pin her, soon you won't be able to anyway & personally I think they think it's fun & you aren't proving anything. For Zoe, once teeth hit skin I just left the room. Baby gates were our friend, she lived in the kitchen until she was 4 months...she had to earn her freedom. We tried yelping, it got her going even more, we tried shoving a toy in her mouth, she still went for clothes & skin. It took consistent dedication but by 6 months she no longer mouthed. She now has a very soft mouth & earned every privilege. By 8 months she no longer needed to be crated but she still loves her crate & is always available to her. Just be gentle & be kind to your dog. You will have a much better bond. Don't force her to do anything, teach her to make the right choices. She is a baby & doesn't know how to live in a human world. You don't have to dominate her or think you are letting her win. Teach her what you want her to do, she will learn to look to you when making choices. It taught Zoe more to be left alone to play...which she didn't, she wanted a buddy...so she learned quickly every time she bit, we left!

 

[PrinceLorde13]

You are not a dog, so don't pin her,

You want your dog to follow rules not out of fear because you physically dominate her but because you're in charge and she respects you. Set rules and boundaries that have consequences when broken like a time out. If you begin to attempt a physical domination of your dog it can have many negative consequences for you such as an overly submissive and fearful pup or the opposite she could one day attempt to challenge you back in the same manner and in a few short months she may be able to do it. Both Karen and Danielle have given you very good advise on the situation IMO. Also while still teething their nipping and play biting can be very hard, her teeth hurt and biting into something makes them feel better and she still hasn't learned how to control her bite force yet. With rules and consistency she will learn.

 

[Druid]

Hi,
A 10wk. pup can and will "loose its mind" when it gets too wound up. We've all see the crazy eyes, ears back, going a bazillion puppy miles an hour. fantastic advice given. I've found the alpha dog move doesn't have much effectiveness till they are around six months, and I only save it for true moments of idiocy.

 

[PrinceLorde13]

I forgot to say what a cute pup she is! Also wanted to ask is there something wrong with her front right leg or is it just a funny angle picture?

 

[DennasMom]

Such a sweet puppy face - she couldn't POSSIBLY be a piranha, could she???

We had a bitey puppy for a good 6+ months here, too...

We used all the advice given above. Denna has a VERY soft mouth now.

My thoughts on the issue:

1. Redirect teeth to a toy, then make the toy FUN! Teeth on skin = boring, no fun (and/or you go away). Teeth on Toy = FUN, PLAY, TUG, CHASE!! Enough repetitions, and the puppy will learn that if she wants your attention, she needs to bring you a toy to play with.

2. "YIPE" and DON'T MOVE when teeth hit skin. Pulling back initiates prey drive. Holding still can cause confusion and makes the puppy THINK. Make the yipe screetchy enough to really get the puppy's attention. In that split hesitation you can reward the puppy for moving back away from you, and/or stuff the puppy's mouth with an approved chew object. Denna STILL backs off and looks at me like "why are you so fragile?" if I "Yipe" during play.

3. If puppy goes into tantrum mode, that's a good time to send her to her crate to unwind with a chew toy - both for her sanity and yours. I'm sure she hates hearing "no" as much as you hate saying it... I save "NO" for major infractions, and use body language more for minor items. Tantrums = no attention, simple removal to your crate for alone time. But... going into crate always means you get a treat when you get there... to make sure the puppy doesn't associate it with just negative things. It's a balancing act, for sure. Often silence gets my point across better than yelling (try whispering a command she knows when you think she's ignoring you... I bet she does it... really, it works!)

4. Practice some impulse control games - do a search for "It's yer choice" on YouTube for a great intro and recommendations.

Good luck and keep at it!
Puppies like to keep testing the limits... but they do get it after a while (sometimes a long while), and it's totally worth it!