buddy and biting me and the cat

Buddy has started to nip/bite quite hard. mainly when you are trying to get hold of him to stop him doing something he shouldn't be.. like pinning the cat down in the corner ! We are trying hard with the "enough" and "leave" commands .. 95 % of the time he is fine ..but other times he will not give up and you have to physically go and get him -it is then he tries to bite your hand or feet ..he make a growling noise but I do not think its aggression but I do not want it to turn into it

he has been really good with the cat up until this weekend - he just will not leave the cat alone and is not just trying to play he is trying to grab his neck and he will not come away - he then runs round and round the garden and house like a mad thing knocking things over and biting if you try and stop him

I have no room I can give him time out in as my whole bottom floor of my house is open planned - I had to put the cat in the conservatory this morning and had to put Buddy on the lead every time he wanted a wee as he would try and grab him -

He does appear to be teething quite badly but normally he will sit with me and chew on a rice bone or a teething ring I put in the fridge -but this morning he just kept jumping on the sofa looking at me trying to nip my hand and then jumping down and running around pulling coats off chairs. Pulling the bin over - he turned into a devil dog for about an hour - I had to put his on his lead to keep him still then he calmed and started eating his Kong with me as usual
Any ideas on why he is acting like this and how long it will last..

Could just be pain from the teething. A frozen towel and frozen treats should help.

nylabones are also good

he has frozen carrots and also I freeze his kong.. he doesn't like nylabones he just hides them - will try a frozen towel that may be good

Let us know how it goes. The teething phase is rough on all of us.

Typical fussy staffy when hes a bit older a stag bar or deer antler are also good

Marley is the same always has a mad hour where he will just randomly bit and run off, the best thing I have found to stop him is to grab the closets toy of his to you and say do you want to play fetch and I throw it Marley gets it brings it back and has forgotten all his biting etc we then move to his training with a few treats and he always stops all the biting

I do try distraction but sometimes he just does not want to know - he bit my hubby last night on the hand and drew blood he was trying to get his collar to stop him getting the cat - this morning he was as good as gold paid no attention to the cat shared the water bowl with it ... laid on the sofa with me and ate his rice bone - it must be his teeth and tiredness I am hoping !

Yh Marleys had us bleeding to had my daughter the other day on the back was quite nasty! I think it's Deffo their teeth! Just try the fetch game once he seems interested tell him to sit and distract with his training honestly always works with Marley, sumin we've got to get on with arm ini lol

It sounds more like a desire to play to be honest. I'd try is distracting him and bringing him away with a toy, maybe a rope or soft toy, so that you're offering him a fun alternative. It that works, bring in the command 'this way !'. I've put the grin in there as it has to be fun. So what you're saying is 'don't play with that boring cat, play with meeeeeeeeeeee! It should also give him something to hold onto which should help with the nipping.

Find a super duper high value toy and keep that toy for special occasions, and take it away when you're not playing. Not only do you want to not leave soft toys around, especially while they still have their stuffing, you also want this to have special importance. It works better if it's 'oh wow, THAT toy' rather than one he can play with at any time.

hi Liz - I have tried the distraction bit sometimes he comes away, but to be honest by the time I have grabbed the toy he has grabbed the cat ,and sometimes he just chases the cat and corners it - he looks as if he is trying to grab his neck although there does not seem any aggression so I think it is play .. he is also now trying to hump him.if you are right by him and you tell him to leave he will go about his business or just sit and look at the cat - other times he will wait that split second you take your eye off him and charge full pelt at the cat ..the cat is 15 years old and cannot get away as cannot jump as high as before he is starting to look ragged as he is always outside with no love.. I feel really bad about it - the cat will tolerate him if he leaves him alone he has lived with dogs most of his time with us- someone said to try putting Buddy in the lie position and then holding the cat above him so he can see he is below the cat in the pecking order but how often would I need to do that ?. he is so erratic with the behaviour that some days I think he has got the idea and then like today am really fearful for the cat -

To be honest, Carol, it sounds like you need hands on help from a good behaviourist. Or another puppy... Buddy needs to learn to direct his desire to play somewhere other than your poor, long suffering cat. Now he's decided that's his favourite toy it might be a bit of work, but you should be able to get there as his instinct reaction isn't aggression.

In the meantime, I'd say the most important thing is to find ways to provide a safe area for you cat, and/or to have a time out zone for your cat. Have you looked into a puppy play pen? This sort of thing:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Easipet-Metal-Medium-pieces-30inches/dp/B004D9Y6UO/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1435854285&sr=8-1&keywords=puppy+play+pens

That's just the first that came up. If it might be an option have a look and see what would be high/big enough that you could create a secure 'Buddy corner'.

Then make sure Buddy has lots of play time and as much exercise as you can at his age. Take him into the garden, to the park, wherever is suitable and play chasing games there, and let him play with other dogs. It might not work but on the other hand it might at least in part sate his need for interaction play.

hi Liz ..thanks for your advice -he was out all day yesterday with my daughter being played with - not walked as far too hot but in the garden and house , tiredness seems to make him worse.. he becomes like a naughty toddler and seems to go to the cat more. I have looked at pens I actually tried Buddy in one when I first got him but he would not settle and kept weeing in it because it was too big- I have two crates at the minute , a smallish one he sleeps in and a bigger one which will be his permanent bedroom when he is bigger but for now he goes in and plays as the door is always open, and if I have to leave the room I put him in it to play so he doesn't hurt himself as we have an open plan downstairs and he likes chewing plugs... he was not too bad this morning only one attempt at getting the cat and he left him as soon as I said to, I think we will just have to be very watchful and maybe put him on a training lead when we see the cat is on the floor in the garden before we let him out, when he is in the house he seems not to worry about the cat, he just sits and watches him ,he lets him eat from his dish and sits with him in the mornings waiting to be fed, it is just the garden maybe it is a territorial thing- we start puppy classes hopefully next week so maybe that will help ..will let you know