Hello and HELP!!!

[Tor]

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Hi,

So hello all, and HELP!

I have a beautiful puppy - Blue - I will try to add the pic. He was born on Jan 9th and is a Blue Merle. And I love him to bits. But I am struggling! He basically wants to bite me all of the time he is with me. I try to distract him with toys like the books say, and tell him off, try to be the boss. But nothing is working. It just makes him worse. When ever I try to play wih him he just bites. I'm covered in cuts and scratches! And I dont know what to do! I know he's not nasty, he just wants to play. I think he's a lovely dog!

I've tried to get on a puppy class and have sorted it, but its not until the beginning of July. I've never had dogs before - although my parents have. But I am struggling!

I'd also like some advice on car travel. Im trying to rennovate a house thats 30 miles away around windy roads and want to take him with me when I'm there, but he is so sick in the car straight away. I've currently got him in a crate in the car boot, with a cosy bed made up inside. Can anyone advise on harnesses or boxes or the best way to travel. For him to feel less sick, and for his safety.

Any advice on general day to day trying to cope with him, and travel greatly appreciated.

I love him to bits, but feel a bit like I'm not doing him justice.

Thanks all!

Tor x

 

[JoanneF]

The biting is an extension of the boisterous play he had with his littermates so he isn't being naughty. I find the most effective way of managing it is to simply walk out of the room. He needs to learn that teeth on skin equals end of fun. At 5 months he is late to learn this but as long as you, and everyone else in the household are consistent, he will get there. He will be at the stage of getting his adult teeth though so make sure he has plenty appropriate things to chew too.

Regarding car sickness, try a ginger biscuit before you travel. The boot is fine (I assume hatchback or estate car!). You can get harnesses designed for car travel but the good ones are expensive.

Please don't be 'the boss' though. Collies are sensitive dogs and rather than telling him off for things you don't want, you will find he responds far more to rewarding him for an alternative behaviour that is incompatible with the one you dislike. So for example, if he jumps up, ask for a sit. He can't do both but if he is rewarded for the sit, that is better for everyone. The theory about being the boss and dominating dogs has been dismissed as rubbish by good trainers as the research it was based on was flawed. Dogs respond far better to reward - carrots over sticks.

Finally, you may know this but please never, ever let him breed with another merle. The double merle gene combination results in the most distressing birth defects in puppies that survive to birth.

 

[Mad Murphy]

A note of comfort ..They do get over this biting phase. Murphy thought I was his chew toy for a while and the biting was non stop. Now he gives me kisses all the time..

 

[leashedForLife]

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"reward an incompatible behavior" is good, yes, but 1st U need the incompatible behavior, so that U can reward it.

For pups who are seemingly addicted to biting, it's hard to find a moment that U're with them when they aren't latched onto U via their teeth. // It often turns out the problem is a behavioral chain, unintentionally taught to the pup - i do this, they do that, i bite, they give me attn.

Personally, i'd suggest a tether - THEN, now that he's securely attached to something & has a very limited radius of freedom, when he bites [not "if"] U can briskly step out of reach, cold-shoulder him very blatantly [don't look at, speak to, or even face him; deliberately face away, so that he sees only profile or even the back of yer head], & within 5 to 10-seconds, STEP INTO his reach again.

about tethers & their uses -
Tethered to Success | Kerry Blue Terrier Foundation

Pups & even dogs need an immediate opp to sin again, B4 they'll comprehend that their own action caused U to leave - dogs don't generalize well, & need repeated short consequences to put their action [bite, teeth on skin] together with Ur own response [human leaves] & realize that BITING makes U go away.
Staying within reach when the pup doesn't bite helps them comprehend which behavior works: "not biting = attn for me".
Playing tug with a tooth-friendly toy that he can grab & hold securely, but that's unlikely to result in broken teeth or baby-teeth that come out earlier than scheduled, is a good choice - he can't bite when his mouth is engaged in gripping.

dental-friendly toys are made of such things as solid rubber - a Kong ring, a toy-tire - or solid synthetic, such as the Orbee ball, which comes in a version with a hole thru it. // Thread a fat cord such as a hunk of climbing-rope thru the hole, knot it with a big fat knot to prevent it pulling thru the hole, & make a SECOND fat knot on the 'handle' side of the ball, so that the ball is trapped like a bead. U should have sufficient cord on the 'handle' side to hold onto it, plus to make a smaller knot right at the end of the rope, to prevent any fraying.
Now, U hold the rope, with one hand or even with both depending upon how vigorously the pup tugs, & the pup buries his teeth in that nice cushy ball, & not yer hand or arm.
If he drops the ball & grabs YOU, step out of reach without a word nor a glance, taking the tuggee with U & slipping it into a pocket or even under yer shirt, so that it's OUT OF SIGHT & not tempting him to jump at U to get to the toy.

This is Layla, an adult Golden with a long-time habit of years jumping-up to greet -
she's learning to sit to be greeted, using a tether to limit her reach:

There are 7 brief clips, none longer than 10-mins max - it's well-worth watching each one, to see her progress.

happy training,
- terry

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[leashedForLife]

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to teach a soft mouth, download the 2 free books here -
Free downloads

Ian Dunbar is a vet who became a trainer when he discovered that there literally was no puppy-friendly training available in the USA, in the 1980s - only harsh outdated yank-N-yell classes, for pups 6-MO or older.
He's a very reliable source.

- terry

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[Breed Lead]

Hi,

So hello all, and HELP!

I have a beautiful puppy - Blue - I will try to add the pic. He was born on Jan 9th and is a Blue Merle. And I love him to bits. But I am struggling! He basically wants to bite me all of the time he is with me. I try to distract him with toys like the books say, and tell him off, try to be the boss. But nothing is working. It just makes him worse. When ever I try to play wih him he just bites. I'm covered in cuts and scratches! And I dont know what to do! I know he's not nasty, he just wants to play. I think he's a lovely dog!

I've tried to get on a puppy class and have sorted it, but its not until the beginning of July. I've never had dogs before - although my parents have. But I am struggling!

I'd also like some advice on car travel. Im trying to rennovate a house thats 30 miles away around windy roads and want to take him with me when I'm there, but he is so sick in the car straight away. I've currently got him in a crate in the car boot, with a cosy bed made up inside. Can anyone advise on harnesses or boxes or the best way to travel. For him to feel less sick, and for his safety.

Any advice on general day to day trying to cope with him, and travel greatly appreciated.

I love him to bits, but feel a bit like I'm not doing him justice.

Thanks all!

Tor x

Hello,

Try with your local vet, they often do puppy parties, maybe you could get in there earlier.
Do you take him for regular walks? Maybe he has too much energy?!
My dog used to be car sick when she was a puppy and she grew out of it. Check also with your vet maybe they can recommend something for car sickness. In my opinion the crate is better then a box, as he will grew out of it at some point. Try one of those leads which you can attach to the buckle, maybe that will work.
I hope I helped!

 

[leashedForLife]

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BTW, for car-sickness that seems unrelated to 'rough driving' - too fast starts & stops, no deceleration on turns putting lots of sideways momentum on the dog, etc - try a grounding strap on the car.

https://www.amazon.com/Gates-90330-Static-Strap/dp/B000CRBR8U

They're not hard to put on, nor are they expensive - & most car-owners who can operate a wrench can put one on the car, BUT - it does involve getting underneath the car, so if U don't have the 4 wheel-ramps for parking a car safely above the mechanic underneath it, & U don't have access to a hydraulic lift, i'd have a mechanic mount it for U.
They last for years before the abrasion of the paving wears them too short, & they must be replaced.
By that time, the puppy may well be over the sensitive-stomach reaction.

No one knows why they work, but for some dogs with persistent & awful car-sickness, they are an instant "cure".

Just be sure the DRIVER of the car takes note of the livestock on board - excessive sway, sudden starts & stops, hard turns, are definitely going to provoke nausea even in seasoned travelers. // My own older BiL is a horror to ride with, he cuts into & out of traffic lanes, he jack-rabbits out of every stop, determined to reach the speed-limit B4 the next traffic signal at all costs, etc. He's a monster behind the wheel, & riding in the backseat as he drives is Godawful.

- terry

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[JudyN]

I really like the book The Puppy Primer by Patricia McConnell which can give you some excellent advice on training puppies. Don't expect puppy training classes to be 'instant fixes' for behavioural issues such as biting - they tend to focus on skills such as sit, stay, etc., but what puppies really lack is self-control - both the ability to control themselves, and the understanding of why they might want to!

Rest assured that many people struggle in the early weeks/months of dog ownership. Often, when OH came home from work and asked how our pup had been that day, I'd just burst into tears!

 

[arealhuman]

Hello and welcome to the forum. There are plenty of car options you can try, we've been through several as our dog barks when he sees traffic from the car (all the time, then!). Like you, we know have a crate in the boot which he doesn't really like, but travelling with him barking and rummaging around is a non-starter. In our crate, we usually spray some Adaptil around half an hour or so before travelling, which is supposed to have a calming effect. This may work for you.

You can get adjustable leads where one end clips into your seat-belt socket in your car, the other end attached to the dogs harness (never attach it to a collar - even moderate breaking can then snap the dog's neck). These are usually length-adjustable so you can control the amount of movement the dog has in the vehicle. Placing the dog on the front or rear seat is your choice, but if he's in the front, be aware that he may interfere with controls (e.g. gear stick) and may be more of a distraction for you. If you buy this sort of tether, pay attention to the metal buckle that goes into the seat-belt socket - some are thin and can easily bend when stressed.

We also tried putting our dog in he boot space with a divider (not sure if that's the right name) clipped to the rear seats so he couldn't get through. We also blacked out the rear side windows so he couldn't see traffic. This gave him more space but he could stand up and see oncoming traffic and barked, hence we ended up with the crate - he has plenty of room to move around in it but can't see oncoming vehicles.

I hope that helps!

 

[leashedForLife]

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re "dogs in front seats" -
if Ur car has air-bags, DOGS & KIDS + anyone under 5-ft tall or under 100#, GO IN THE BACK.

The exception is if Ur air-bags can be *disabled* with a switch - then disable the air-bags, & now they can go in the front seat, but be aware, it's still not as safe for them as the rear seat. // U can keep a better eye on them, yes... but in any accident, even a "no impact" accident - a mechanical failure, being struck by another vehicle, a skid, sudden stop, sharp turn, etc -- they're more-likely to get hurt in the front seat, vs the rear seat.

Air-bags are designed for adult humans only - & for anyone smaller than average-adult size, they're dangerous.
They explode from their casing, & can cause burns; deployment can also cause impact injuries, knock the air from the person's lungs & then make it hard to breathe, break bones, etc.
The angle at which they deploy, the shape, everything in air-bag design is meant to stop a 5-ft or taller, 150# human from flying thru the air; anyone who's the wrong shape or size can be hurt worse by the air-bag, than by the accident itself.
Plus generally speaking, rear seats are statistically the safer option.

Travel safely, & have fun along the way,
- terry

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