PLEASE HELP!

I know I posted this already but. The dog keeps bitng and barking. He growls at me and everything. I honestly feel like hes attacking me. He looks SCARY when he does it. I WILL not have a dog that is a biter. He will go back I just cant do it.

Is it a puppy thing and it will go away? I dont know how much more I can take I tried everything.

Message edited 12/31/2005 5:33:09 PM.

Re: PLEASE HELP!

I used to cry, cause Casey used to do it all the time, I think it took a while for her to stop. She never did it to my DH, only me.

Someone on here mentioned that she would lay on top of the dog, not all their weight, but enough where the couldn't get up, until they calmed down. I did it with Casey a bunch of time and now she never bites anymore. The barking was the same thing.

There were a couple of times, I just had to put her in her cage for some time outs, cause I thought I was going to lose it.

Re: PLEASE HELP!

When he does that, shake a can of pennies and tell him no. All he is trying to do is establish himself as the "alpha", you have to switch that to you and DH. He should stop if you keep reprimanding him. I know Misty did it a couple of times when she had a bone and I reprimanded her and after a few times she stopped.
Good luck, they can be very scary looking when they do that.

Re: PLEASE HELP!

thanks girls. It just makes me nervous and it honestly scares the crap out of me, Im going to try the turning him on his back thing. Cause everything else I did doesnt work.

I just dont want it to be an ongoing thing.

Re: PLEASE HELP!

Simba does things like that with me. He tests how much I will let him get away with.

My co-worker told me with dogs since they are born in packs (litters) they distinguish the "alpha" dog and the "omega" dog. The alpha dog is the dominent. The strong one. The omega is the weak one. My dog has distingueshed my hubby as the alpha because hubby will put him right in his place. He has distinguished me as the omega because I am not as strict, I am the treat and food giver and I do let him get away with a lot at times. Plus my "no" is not as deep as hubby's "no"

Well that has taken a big turn. If he goes to bite I wack him on his muzzle or grab his muzzle and tell him "no". If I have to do this 3 or 4 times oh well he needs to learn that biting is not tolerated.

I've learned to sit right on top of him and hold his muzzle telling him "no" and "who is boss"

It's all working. it's a slow process but he's realizing hubby and I are the alpha's

Please be patient. I know it's always going to be said but he is a puppy. he is in a new surrounding and he is testing you on how much he can get away with. You have to be strong and not afraid. He smells fear and if you show him you are afraid he will take advantage. Tell him no and wack him in the muzzle. Sit on him. You do what you have to do to show you him you are alpha and in charge.

Message edited 12/31/2005 7:06:00 PM.

Re: PLEASE HELP!

yeah he sounds like the alpha.. which means you can never get another alpha, or it wont end pretty.......

try doing this. everytime he growls or something turn him onto his back... with his tummy facing upwards. they feel vulnerable like that and it shows that YOU are teh dominant one. you need to let him know YOU are the alpha.

keep doing that and eventually he will understnad he cant act like that towards you.
you are the pack leader, not him.
it has to happen early on.

he will wiggle to get out of it, but eventually will learn from it.
dharma had a tendancy to growl at certain times when we got her.
i constantly put her on her back and she is really learning from it/has learned.

Message edited 1/2/2006 2:29:18 PM.

Re: PLEASE HELP!

Have you thought of hiring a trainer? Since Denver is our first dog, we hired one, and it was great. We learned so much and were able to correct some bad habits that he was starting. The company was Bark Busters (a national chain) but I know that there are many others.

Re: PLEASE HELP!

I had issue with my dog and sent her to a trainer and the trainer used an electric collar, now I have a show dog...works great and it does not shock just buzzes....

Re: PLEASE HELP!

http://www.petstreetmall.com/alltrainingcollars.aspx?id=527

this is what they look like...

Re: PLEASE HELP!

I agree with everyone above. Be patient with him. Unfortunately, this is why most dogs go back to the shelter, etc, bc the owners freak out - the first year is the hardest. He needs to learn who is boss.

Re: PLEASE HELP!

I am a strong advocate of establishing dominance by rolling the dog on it's back and putting your weight on him/her.

We did this with our rottweiler (never hired a trainer) and it worked. She still tries to dominate me at times, but if I yell, she cowers. DH STILL will do it if she acts up and she'll be 4 at the end of Jan. We also do it with the little guy, but he is more passive than she is.

It must be done repetitively and WHENVER he does something you don't want him to do, not just when he bites at you. Also, you want to say NO, or establish a key word, like CALM, so they know when you say CALM, they need to calm down, etc.

It also can be done randomly, like if DH is playing with the little guy, the big one tries to butt in and she'l lgrowl playfully....but he doesn't want her doing that, so he'll put her on her back and tell her to calm down.

It takes some time, but it does work.

Re: PLEASE HELP!

Message edited 1/3/2006 3:29:22 PM.

Re: PLEASE HELP!

Thanks everyone. I started doing the rolling over on the back thing and it seems to really work. Thanks for all the advice!

when I said he would go back I really didnt mean it. I could never do that to him cause hes just to cute!

Re: PLEASE HELP!

Kristin...

give him time and LOTS of patience and LOTS of consistency. I swore up and down that Boomer was going back because we couldn't get him to tell us he needed to go out to potty. It slowly got better....

first it got better when we moved from the apt to the house, and then after our work routines got settled....even better. Now....we know his signals and he knows he needs to tell us.

Keep up the good work and you'll be very happy with your pup.....plus pups need to mature and grow up and know that they are there to stay. I'm sure he has some anxiety that this is temporary.

Re: PLEASE HELP!

Message edited 1/30/2009 11:13:22 AM.