[angelineg]

iew.

I adopted a puppy a few weeks ago on a total impulse brought on by the begging of my children. I hadn’t any intention of getting a puppy, yet let my heart convince me otherwise. In the past few weeks I have been reading voraciously on dog training. I’ve spent, between adoption and supplies (and 3 different training books) over $400. I have rearranged my busy schedule to try really hard to be a good owner and make plenty of time for the pup. I’ve even gone home every day (difficult for me to do in my job) and walked Poppy. I get up willingly every night to let him out. My children and I have been trying so hard to love him and train him.

Simply put: It’s not going well. Poppy thinks we are his chew toys. He’s not just chewing on stuff in the house, he is biting us. I try to give him his toys and he drops them immediately and resumes biting me. All the tips I've read about are resulting in increased biting! I have a feeling he is trying to play, but it hurts! I can sit or walk in my house while he is out of his crate without being attacked. He grabs my pants, robe, dress, socks, body parts…whatever…and will wooly it with his teeth. I’ve followed all the “tips” to try to get mouthing, chewing, biting reduced. It’s not working. My oldest daughter broke down and started crying yesterday because she said, “I’m not ready for a puppy, I guess. I can’t read a book or lie on the floor or do anything relaxing, ever.” My youngest daughter is in love with the dog, although even she is frustrated with him often. I sobbed most of yesterday because I am exhausted, frustrated and feeling like the most horrible person in the world that I would even consider trying to find another home for him. I made a very bad decision getting him and I know it. I work all day and have a lot of obligations, plus my kids are at their dad’s half the week. Their dad had told me he would keep the dog for some upcoming trips and has now backed out, due to the dog’s behavior, leaving me with the only option of boarding him (which I really can’t afford). I’m wondering if he needs to be with owners who don’t work outside the home. I am feeling guilty and defensive and have already field judgemental and condemning emails from people who became aware I was considering re-homing him. I have no intention of abandoning him, but am considering finding him a home that is a better fit. As a dog owner and a mother (my 8 year old will be devastated) I’m feeling miserable. I haven’t made the final decision, but I am increasingly unhappy and feeling like I don’t know what to do. If I had hours everyday to work with him, no doubt his “problems” could be fixed. I just don’t have that sort of time daily. Yes, I should have thought of it. I already know all the condemnations. I want my children and I to have a reasonably happy life and the pup is adding a lot of stress. I can deal with the potty training. I can deal with puppy proofing. I can deal with getting up in the night to take him out. I can’t deal with getting zero peace and always being attacked.

Any suggestions?

[reeskujo]

How old is your pup? How much excersise is he getting on a daily basis? Do you know what breed or mix of breeds he is?.Have you tried giving him time outs when he's exhibiting this behavior?

[angelineg]

My pup is 4 months old. He is a terrier mix, but since he was abandoned at the shelter, they don't know much else.

He goes out for at least 2 long walks a day, plus numerous times throughout the evening. I and my girls play fetch with him too.

I don't have a good "time-out" place to put him. I've read you shouldn't use the crate as a time-out...that pretty much leaves me high and dry. When I try to stop playing when he bites and ignore him, he jumps on me even more. If I try to walk away, he runs beside me nipping at my clothes and heels.

[reeskujo]

My Husky was the same way..She was absolutely horrible with the nipping..I did two different things both of which worked great with her..For starters I would keep a spray bottle with water in whatever room we were in and every time she would start nipping on the hands,feet etc she got a squirt to the face..I would though have to have it set on stream instead of spray to get her attention..The other thing I used which is really what broke her of it was using Bitter Apple..I would spray it on my pant legs so when she would grab hold of them she got a taste of it and she hated it..She was so bad about the biting that I finally started spraying it on her mouth area and when she would go to lick it to see what it was she was not at all happy..You can also spray it on your hands and fingers just be sure to not put your fingers near your mouth because it's absolutely disgusting..you can also spray it on anything you don't want her chewing on..nina had bad seperation anxiety and when we would leave she would start destroying my blinds so before we left the house I would spray down all the blinds and she started leaving them alone pretty darn quick..

As for a time out spot you're right you aren't suppose to use their crate..Maybe you can stick her in the bathroom for a few minutes and instead of closing the door put a baby gate up..

[threenorns]

in a perfect world, you don't use the crate as a time out.

however, our worlds are not perfect and you have to do what you have to do.

my friend sure as heck used the crate as a time-out but not for punishment. she would stay calm and tell her dog "silly boy - i think you need some alone time" and put him in the crate calmly and pleasantly. when he settled down and was calm - she waited until he was actually lying down -she opened the door and let him out. it worked very well, too - he learned that when he's "in a mood", he needs to be inside his crate and when he was calm and self-controlled, he can be outside the crate. got so she would just leave the crate open all the time and just tell him "you need a time-out, puppy" and he would trot to the crate, almost instantly chill, and either come out a calmer dog or would curl up and snooze.

your dog is an extremely high-energy breed - almost all terriers are - and i feel your pain: mine's half border collie. add to that he's probably been taken from his mother too soon, might've been bounced around a home or two already, he's anxious, and he's teething and yeah - Munch City.

provide him with things he CAN bite - raw marrowbones and beef knuckles are great. do NOT give cooked or smoked bone - they splinter with potentially fatal results. when he is chomping something he ought not, do not get upset - just wave the thing he can chew in front of him. he'll learn what is and is not acceptable for molar activity.