Biting - My 18 year old daughter

Hi Everyone,

Just a quick question, my daughter is getting really upset as each time she gets of the floor to play with colin or even just sit and have a cuddle he is getting really over excited and mouthing her and biting her. Last night I was talking to her and to be honest I thought she was just being a bit over sensitive, but as soon as she got down to sit with him, he went nuts and started by trying to grab her wrist and then when she yelped and said no she was making to get up so that she could ignore him and he came back in and bit her on the back of her arm. Luckily he didn't draw blood, but it really shook her up and left her with a nasty mark on the back of her arm. I must admit it made me jump as well. Because he seemed to go into a puppy crazy, I lifted him up without saying anything - we had already tried No, Down. Leave, Sit....calmly!) and he ignored everything he seemed hell bent on getting beth, so I put him in the kitchen for some time out. Also to let Beth calm down. When talking to her, I said that I think its because he spends more time with me, my partner and my stepson (she works and at college) so I don't think she's established an Alpha position with him yet so he is just trying it on. When she had calmed down and so had Colin, I then brought him back in. I then started training beth and have told her to do the following things (initially with me there in the background) to start feeding him. He's great at sitting before getting his dinner and we pretend to eat it first. Do some command training with treats. he does sit, stay, leave, lie, down, all the time when he is calm. I managed to get her to do this for about 15 mins with him and he did start positively reacting to her and doing what she said. He's never normally aggressive to her, just gets hyper and starts nipping. I've also told her that he needs to recognise that she is his boss too, so I've told her not to sit on the floor with him for a while, but stroke him from sitting on the sofa so that she is in a higher position as the problem seems to be when she is at the same height. Because he has done this a few times, she is getting wary of him and I think he is picking it up as a sign of weakness so going to get her positively reinforcing her position with him. Its the first time we have all had a puppy but I've researched to within an inch of our lives as I am determined that he will be a well socialised pup. (I have to as my mum is petrified of staffies after being attacked as a child and I want to get him to a point where mum can see that its not all staffies). Can anyone advise if I am on the right track or can suggest anything else that we could be doing. He is a little nippy with me, my partner and Charlie, but not as aggressively and does stop when told.... thanks

Sounds like you're doing it all right! It takes patience and Colin is only a pup. I think you're off to a good start

Thanks Lisa, it was more I had to take control of Beth as she was forgetting he was a pup. I think the problem was her ex boyfriend had a pup (lab) and she was around at the time and Billy didn't do it, he just mouthed a bit but didn't go for her. I found out that he was 14 weeks before they brought him home. He was from a breeder and had been kenneled. I tried explaining that because he had been with him mum longer, she would have taught him bite inhibition. I also pointed out that Colin is a week younger than billy was when they brought him home. this seemed to give her a slightly different perspective... I just don't want her wary of him as she loves him to bits and was so looking forward to getting particularly a staffie. I want the whole family to be involved with him. Will keep doing what we started last night. told her she has to be consistent and do it every night for 15 mins. x

Sounds like you're doing things right.

Pups aren't all about being cute n cuddly ! They all like to rough house etc, he will learn thru interaction what is and is not acceptable behaviour.

Be consistent and assertive x

Yep sound's familiar . Just choose one word (NO) or whatever works for you and keep going with it. But as was said he needs Rough play so its just a case of teaching him when it's time to play and NOT. Trust me it gets better. Frankie will only rough play now when he sits like a good boy and waits for me to get on the floor with him.. it will get better.. Just stay strong..

Thanks everyone, feel better that I'm not doing things wrong with him (after my hiccup with the extra long walk! on Sunday

Definitely sounds like you're doing everything right! Keep up the good work and tell your daughter it's alright - ours liked to bite too at that age! He'll calm down and realise it's a no-no.

Also staffies are different than labs! Much more headstrong and want to push your buttons when they're young. Gwen was quite nippy when she was that age. Then she stopped completely until she was about 4 months old. Then once she started teething it got worse than ever with the nipping. Now she is 6 months old and still nips us but is getting better! Find a word (no) and stick with it! Whenever he mouths say no in a firm voice but don't yell. If he doesn't stop stick him in another room for a minute for a time out. Everyone in your house needs to be consistent with this! Also explain to your daughter he is not being aggressive and trying to hurt her but sees her as a playmate and doesn't realize that he is hurting her! A lot of times they do this to say "play with me" or "give me attention" not realizing this is the wrong way to go about it. You have to teach them what is acceptable and what is not..this takes time, patience, and consistency but it will improve!!! Sounds like you are doing everything right for the most part!!

I wouldn't say you're doing anything wrong exactly, but I think you should try & forget the whole 'Alpha' bit. It's been discredited & doesn't really work.

By all means get your daughter to give him his food, asking him to sit & wait for a few seconds before she allows him to have it, but pretending to eat it first is a waste of time! As is making sure you're in a higher physical position. You are not a dog, and your dog knows that! So trying to be top dog (or alpha) will just confuse him.

Your daughter needs to be consistent with him, and for the time being don't get down on the floor with him. Get her involved in the training as well as the feeding as this will form a bond between them.

Does she take him for walks?

You seem to be doing all the right things concerning Colin's puppy biting, it does take time but he'll get it in the end

Caryll wrote:I wouldn't say you're doing anything wrong exactly, but I think you should try & forget the whole 'Alpha' bit. It's been discredited & doesn't really work.

By all means get your daughter to give him his food, asking him to sit & wait for a few seconds before she allows him to have it, but pretending to eat it first is a waste of time! As is making sure you're in a higher physical position. You are not a dog, and your dog knows that! So trying to be top dog (or alpha) will just confuse him.

Your daughter needs to be consistent with him, and for the time being don't get down on the floor with him. Get her involved in the training as well as the feeding as this will form a bond between them.

Does she take him for walks?

Great advice from Caryll

was just going to point out the alpha bit is a load of old tosh and can actually give you a scared dog that with time may actually get worse with fear by all means be assertive and choose a word like "NO" or "OW" when being to ruff and take them away from the situation and leave them alone with no attention then after a few minutes bring them back and do this every time (and i mean every time and every one on the same page) as leave it once and you can be back to square one but dont worry there quick learners and you will have this sorted in very little time