Biting Whippet Pup

[lucysmum]

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hi guys,

i am new to this site and to whippets so i was wondering if anyone could give me some advice. we got our new puppy lucy 2 weeks ago at only 6 weeks old. she is snapping at us a lot, not just chewing, but really biting and growling especially with my 4 year old boys. :blink: is this because she was taken from her mother too early. she is such a good pup other than this. o she is going outside to toilet already and sleeps most of the night. -_-

thanks

emma

 

[Ann Glews]

Hi Emma, welcome to whippets and K9 :thumbsup:

I am sure you will get some good advice from experienced folks on here......

 

[lucysmum]

Hi Emma, welcome to whippets and K9 :thumbsup:
I am sure you will get some good advice from experienced folks on here......

thanks ann

 

[bertha]

A bit too young to leave mum and litter mates. Eight weeks is the norm. As to biting, all puppies bite and chew, baby teeth are very sharp. You will have to be firm and stop her from biting, not easy as she is so young. Don't let your children play with her, she is not a toy and will need lots of sleep and quiet times.

Good luck.

 

[bertha]

A bit too young to leave mum and litter mates. Eight weeks is the norm. As to biting, all puppies bite and chew, baby teeth are very sharp. You will have to be firm and stop her from biting, not easy as she is so young. Don't let your children play with her, she is not a toy and will need lots of sleep and quiet times.

Good luck.

 

[bertha]

A bit too young to leave mum and litter mates. Eight weeks is the norm. As to biting, all puppies bite and chew, baby teeth are very sharp. You will have to be firm and stop her from biting, not easy as she is so young. Don't let your children play with her, she is not a toy and will need lots of sleep and quiet times.

Good luck.

 

[Suerose]

Can you tell if it is play biting and growling or is she perhaps feeling a bit overwhelmed and frightened? Or maybe overexcited? How you would deal with it would depend a bit on why she is doing it.

 

[bertha]

Don't know why it posted three times!!!!!!!

Aggression in young puppies is not normally meant. Growling is part of playing, when she was with her litter mates they would have had growling and biting play. She is I think trying to do the same with you all. She has to learn not to bite, you must stop her while she is doing it and say no firmly. She will soon learn you do not like her behaving like that.

My two year old dog growls when I come in, it is his way of greeting me, sounds fierce to those who don't know. It is just his way of saying hello.

You have to make sure all your family use the same commands, you will confuse your puppy if you all say different things. Is there no training class near you? My vet runs puppy parties which are great fun, ask your vets if they do this.

:cheers:

 

[pippywhippet]

Yes, I agree puppy socialisation classes would be a good idea! It may be that she has left her mum a bit early, they learn alot about 'bite inhibition' from their mum and litter mates, although all puppies play bite.

It may help to make sure she has loads of safe toys to play with and chew on. If she does bite try 'yelping' and turn away- you are saying "that hurt!! game over"

Good luck with her Bet your boys love her

Just to say my girl growls at me when I come in too- sounds like she is very ferocious! But just her saying hello to her special friends

 

[Hula]

As others have said , the snapping and growling is how all young puppies play . Just watch any litter of pups and they do that all the time . She must learn not to do this and I find distraction the best way of doing this ie substituting a soft toy for what ever human is being chewed . In time she will learn to get a toy herself when she is excited . Good luck with your gorgeous new puppy

 

[charliesangel]

Hi and welcome to K9 ,

I wouldn't worry about the growling whippets and other sighthounds can be very vocal dogs anyway i have whippetxsaluki he is 10 months old and from the day we brought him home at 12 weeks he growled while playing and he barks roo's and everything else.

The growls sound like he is in full attack mode when your playing tug with him he sounds a total savage but its just the way they are .

The biting is just play biting but you do need to teach when to stop and its not acceptable to bite humans. Flash was terrible for it he still tries it on now when he wants you to play. I just growl his name and a sharp no with a finger point that normally stops him dead in his tracks whether he is play biting or stealing something he shouldn't.

You just have to remember to be consitant with the way you stop the biting .

She probably is looking at your 2 boys the same as she would her littermates. I have a 3 yr old a 5yr old and a 12 year old and i taught the younger 2 to fold there arms and turn away and ignore or scream loudly when he nipped at them.

They play well together now although it does get rough sometimes and they all forget themselves lol

But at the end of the day when the little ones fall asleep on the sofas Flash always gets on a snuggles as close as he can to them.

 

[Avalonia]

Hi Emma:

You did get the pup too early but it is not too early to begin patterning the pup bearing in mind the developmental stages dogs go through mentally as they adjust to other dogs and to the humans around them. Here is an excellent link that outlines the stages towards maturity and socialization of pups from birth onwards. It gives some clear pointers of things to do to make each stage as beneficial for both you and your pup.

http://www.diamondsintheruff.com/DevelopmentalStages.html

Good luck with your pup.

Lanny Morry

www.avaloniawhippets.com