[Go Herd]

Hello everyone! I'm (obviously) new on here and have come to you all for help. I have a puppy/dog who will be one year old next week. He was a rescue (from Wal-Mart parking lot, no less!) at about two months old, so I don't know exactly what his breed is. My personal best guess would be a Border Collie mixed with either Yellow Lab or Golden Retriever, but again, that's just a guess (doesn't really matter what his breed is to me, but I added it so you'd know what we're working with). He's also 40.0 pounds.

Anyway, I've had him for 10 months now and the biggest problem I'm having with him is that he's still biting. He would mouth as a puppy when he was teething and we would always look him in the eye and tell him "NO" and give him something else to chew on, but now that all of his teeth have come in, he's still biting and biting very hard! I've tried everything I could think of to break him from this. The things I've tried include:

• Time outs
• Holding his mouth shut, making him look at me and telling him "NO"
• Acting as though I were his mother and yelping when he bites and then growling
• Holding him on the floor by the scruff of the neck with my body over top of his (not on him, but over him) until he relaxes
• Using papers (NOT hitting him, but hitting something like a table or counter top) to make a noise that he would associate with biting and not want to do
• Making a hissing noise (shrill and uncomfortable) whenever he bites

None of the above techniques have worked for me. Does anyone have and ideas of what to do to stop him from biting? It's gotten to the point that he is now putting my entire ankle, hand, and even arm in his mouth and biting HARD (I obviously don't let him continue this; most often putting him in time out the first time he bites). He isn't otherwise aggressive at all, so I can't tell if he's wanting to play or there's something making him uncomfortable. I can't really seem to pinpoint a time when he bites more than others (any kind of a trigger), he just does it!

Any help you can give me would be GREATLY appreciated. Thank you!

[Corky/Max]

Long article here I am copying that I hope will be of help: Mabel, a 44# Border Collie-Golden Retriever mix was adopted from an animal shelter when she was 6 wks. old. (She is now 4 yrs. old) She will never be a perfect dog, but she has come a long way. Chris may never be a perfect dog owner, but she, too, has come a long way. Their bond is stronger than ever after a delayed move from a Chicago suburb to Short hills, N.J., triggered something in Mabel that led her to start lunging, growling and nipping Chris and her family about a year ago.
---"Mabel was prob. neurotic by nature, but the situation of taking 6 mons. to sell our house and having her stay with a trainer for a week here and there as the moving process was occuring probably made her more neurotic," Chris said.
CLASSIC CASE
"This is a classic case of a dog biting the hand that feeds it-literally," said (so and so--Ph.D., Certified Applied Animal Behaviorist and Assistant Professor , etc.) She worked with a professional dog trainer to restore calm in Mabel and harmony in Chris's household.
---Dog agression directed at his owner can make a dog uneasy and anxious and his owner frustrated and fearful.
---Such agression tends to happen more in the alpha want-to-be dogs rather than true dominant dogs. The behavior is often triggered by fear and conflict and living in an unstable hierarchy. The dog may feel the need to challenge owners in order to obtain or maintain social control.
---Untreated, the behavior will only intensify. These are controlling dogs that try to control everyone and everything. In about 12% of the cases, behavior modification and medications do not work and the dog has to be put down.
---Dominance agression, a canine version of bullying people, usuall develops between 12 to 24 mons. of age as the dog gains physical and social maturity. Some breeds, esp. working dogs, such as those bred to guard and herd, may be genetically predisposed to the behavior. Intact males are more likely to display dominance aggression than neutered males or females.
---Showering a dog with affection, unearned treats and freedom of the house may reinforce this behavior because he starts to view himself as higher in the hierarchy than his owners.
---Dogs enter into a pack-like relationship with their owners. A dog with a strong desire to push to the top of the social group interprets kind owners as 'weak' and takes advantage of them to increase its status.
---Owners often have a difficult time identifying early clinical signs of owner-directed aggression. A dog may display some or all of the following behavior:
-->Resists having his feet handled, being lifted off the ground or being patted on the head
-->Ignores verbal or physical discipline.
-->Guards his food bowls, toys, resting areas, preferred family members and territories.
-->Steals food or other items in front of his owner.
-->Maintains prolonged eye stares with the owner.
-->Growls or snaps if you approach or disturb him while he is resting.
-->Demands to be petted whenever he chooses.
-->Jumps up and mounts people.
-->Uses his body to block and control his owner's movements.
-->Rarely displays submissive postures, such as lying on his back.
----A dog may have a glazed look in its eye before and during an owner-directed attack that seems to be unprovoked and fast. Usually, the dog does not growl as a warning before biting.
----The 2 ways to convert your canine bully into a buddy: Avoid confrontations that will only escalate the agression and ensure he earns every valued resource by obeying your commands.
----Aim for slow but steady progress. On average, owner-directed agression may take 2 mons. or longer to curb, depending on the owner's and dog's willingness to comply.
----The experts offer these treatment tips:-----CONTINUED--------->

[Corky/Max]

-->Avoid aggressive confrontations. Dominant dogs usually win these tiffs by growling or biting their owners. Don't try to match force with force. You'll end up reinforcing your dog's unwanted behavior. Instead, identify a list of circumstances that elicit aggression in him and devise ways to avoid those situations. Put your dog in a safe, small room like a bathroom with a bowl of water as a time out and keep him there 30 to 60 mins. When you open the door, ignore him to establish your higher status.
-->Start a "Nothing in Life is Free" program. Bolster your leadership and cultivate your dog's dependence and respect for you by controlling all resources. You determine when you put the food bowl down and when you pick it up. You set the time for playing with toys and when game time ends.
----By controlling the resources, you will have your dog eating out of your hand instead of biting your hand.
-->Neuter your dog if you haven't already. About 25% of dogs displaying dominance agression show up to 90% levels of improvement after being neutered. (Me-Corky/Max talking here--I don't agree with this paragraph and personally would not do this unless it was absolutely necessary/last resort!)
-->Work your dog. Give him a healthy, invigorating outlet for his energy by providing a minimum of 20 mins. of aerobic exercise once or twice a day. Some high-energy breeds, such as Border Collies, may require more exercise time than low-energy breeds, such as Basset Hounds.
-->Instill daily, mini-obedience training. Use reward-based training and make your dog earn every food treat by complying with your "Sit," "Stay," "Leave it" and other basic commands.
----Rely on training tools. The use of a head halter and other non-painful restraints prevents a dog from biting and allows the owner to gain more control of him. It's important to make the time of putting on head halters a fun activity so that the dog doesn't view wearing it as punishment.
-->Ignore demands or pleas for attention. Owners should initiate and end all interactions with their dogs.
-->Stop roughhousing play. Avoid tug of war or hand wrestling with your dog. These activities can trigger a dog's aggressive behavior.
-->Serve healthy chow. One free of artificial preservatives.
-->Don't leave dogs unsupervised with young children. Children may unwittingly breach the household hierarchy rules and cause the dog to react. A child may reach down to pick up the dog's favorite toy, prompting the dog to lunge and possibly attack.
-->Keep your dog floor-bound. Dogs view sofas, beds and chairs as prized real estate. Maintain your higher status in the household by keeping your dog off the furniture. You can provide him with his own dog bed on the floor.
-->Consider medication. In extreme cases, the vet may prescribe Prozac or another anti-anxiety medication to provide greater sucess with the behavior modification program. The goal is to use these drugs as a temporary bridge until the dog's behavior can be improved. (Again a very last resort as far as I am concerned!--Corky/Max)
-----Chris worked with the 2 before mentioned experts in implementing many of these recommendations on Mabel. She also enrolled Mabel in a class tailored for dogs showing aggressive behavior. Chris needed to gain some leadership as she would tense up on the lead and try to keep Mabel close to her when walking her, and those emotions of nervousness and anxiousness were being read by Mabel. We increased Chris's authority and confidence by putting Mabel on a Gentle Leader (a head halter) and setting her up for sucess by having Chris feed her meals on their walks, so she began working for her food and paying more attention to Chris.
----Today, Chris can say "crate" once, and Mabel scoots into her crate in anticipation of a food reward. The lunging and biting have ceased, and Mabel appears more relaxed and happy.
----"It's all about taking baby steps, not giving up and not expecting overnight miracles," Chris said. "Mabel is what I call a work in progress. She will never be 'normal,' but that's okay. Living with Mabel has been a good learning experience for all of us, including my son, Bill. He has learned patience and the need for consistency and strength."
The last page of this article is too long and mostly a repeat of the methods given on another dog and the results. I am just going to shorten as much as I can, the 'stuff' that is not necessary so be aware of the 'chopiness' of the rest of this article!--To be CONTINUED tomorrow----->

[Corky/Max]

When A Cuddly Corgi Suddenly Became Cujo:
---Any dog can bite, even ones who graduate from puppy obedience and therapy training classes. I know. I found that out the day I returned from a 5-day business trip to pick up Jazz, my then 8 mon. old Corgi puppy, from his 1st stay at a boarding kennel.
---Jazz began to lunge, growl and nip at me, bruising and sometimes breaking the skin. He'd also without warning attack friends he'd known since he was a young puppy. (leaving a gap of not needed info here) Her vet performed a physical exam and a blood test to rule out medical causes for Jazz's sudden shift in behavior.
---I then booked an appointment with a specialist--a Vet. and Certified Applied Animal Behavorist. The assessment: Several factors contributed to Jazz's change. First was genetics. Corgis are a dominant breed. Second was age. At 8 months, Jazz, a neutered male, was entering the I-need-to-test-you age of adolescence. Third was the type of collar I periodically used. (She used a prong collar which caused pain at times. The collar caused Jazz to react defensivel and protectively.) Fourth was my need to be a more consistent leader. Final factor: separation. This was the 1st time Jazz and I'd been apart more than a day and his 1st time in a kennel.
---Diagnosis: Jazz is a dominant dog suffering from anxiety.
---You can never take dominance out of a dog, but by rebuilding respect and establishing consistent leadership, you can possibly control it.
---The game plan: Implement the "Nothing in Life is Free" program. I control all resources--food bowl, toys and activities like walks--to establish leadership. Jazz must sit and wait for me to enter and exit doors and place his food bowl and pick it up. He must be floor-bound, losing couch and bed privileges. I also reinforce obedience commands and taught Jazz the "Settle" command. He lies down in a relaxed posture with my foot anchoring the end of the leash to keep him in place.
---The "Settle" command rewards a dog for exhibiting calmness and quietness. You are reshaping his behavior by giving him an occasional food treat and saying, 'good settle' as encouragement.
---If Jazz shows any sign of aggressiveness, I put him in a bathroom with a bowl of water, close the door and give a 30- to 45-min. time out. When I open the door, I ignore him for about 30 mins.
---The move serves as social isolation. Banishment and withdrawal of attention are the most potent forms of correction because they remove a dog's ability to control a situation.
---The result: Jazz is about 95% back to his playful, spirited self. And I've learned to become a better leader, one who's consistent, firm and kind. I catch him in good behavior--when he chooses not to show aggressive arousal--and then reward him with praise and treats. (The end)

[CD Miller]

First, let me say "Thank You" for rescuing this guy! There are so many homeless animals out there in need of help and shelters too full to take them in. You have done a great thing. It also sounds like you have used most of the "tried and true" methods of trying to get your dog to stop biting. I really only have one other suggestion, and then a question. When your dog bites, and you vocalize as if in pain, follow that up by ignoring your dog. Often people will take all of the initial steps, and then go back to playing or paying attention, or loving on their dog which invalidates the previous message. If, on the other hand, you follow through by turning your back and completely ignoring him, he may understand that he's not going to get the attention he wants by biting. As with any type of training, this won't be immediate. It takes time and patience.

My question is, what kind of play do you engage in with your dog? Do you play rough? Do you play tug-of-war? There are mixed opinions on this, but my feeling is that if your dog is having a problem with biting, you want to limit rough-play. He can play rough on his own, and beat up his chew toys, but if you join in, he may then think that you are also fair game.

If you haven't already tried these two tips, give it a shot -- and let us know how it goes!

[Go Herd]

CD -

When he bites and I "yelp," I always try to ignore him, but unless I can create a barrier between us somehow (like if I'm sitting at my desk and he can't get around my desk chair), he will continue to bite me. It's almost as if he's thinking "I can bite her and she doesn't even notice it now!"

As far as playing goes, it's usually fetch type playing. Occasionally I'll play TOW with a cotton stretchy band but that's about it. He has several squeaky toys he plays with but when I play with him I always throw a toy and he runs to get it.

At this point, I'm not really sure what to do about him. Obedience training where I live is $90 for six sessions and considering I'm a full time student with a part time job, $90 is hard to come by right now. I'm definitely going to continue working with him, so let's keep our fingers crossed!

[fidobuddy]

you should have him checked up by a vet.. there may be some behavioral problems like aggression or anxiety that's why he bites. enrolling him to training schools may also be a good idea. experts there may know how to handle him