puppy teeth

Any tips to stop my puppy biting?

2010-03-16T00:04:00.002-07:00

I recently got an 11 week old puppy, he likes to chew his toys and thats fine he goes to chew other things he's not supposed to and we tell him not to thats fine too he's teething and he'll get over it but he pretty much just bites me and my partner all the time. Not hard its like a playful thing but its gets very irritating and those sharp little teeth have cut me several times.

Any tips to stop my puppy biting?
he needs a sin bin !!!

you need to stop this behaviour and the easiest way is to every time he comes to you or your partner and sits quietly without biting give lots of praise

when he starts biting you need to put him out of the room for a couple of minutes without speaking to him then let him back in and when he does it again repeat the process

he will learn very quickly not to bite the most effective punishment for a puppy is being ignored completly but iot is very important to reinforce positive behaviours
Reply:Also the ouch one is good too, he usually stops after a couple but if he's over exited he goes to sit on his own for a bit thanks all. Report It

Reply:yes hes teething but u also have to train him as well, and when he does something good reward him.
Reply:There is a product that I purchased for our dog called "Bitter bite". It's harmless, but tastes disgusting to dogs (not humans). If you put some on your hands then let the dog out, he might bite you, but then stop because of the bitter taste. You should do this when you have time to train him because 'Bitter Bite" is sticky after awhile.

Also the "ignoring the dog" technique actually works also! I would've put that too, but someone did and I didn't want it to seem like I stole their idea....

Good luck!
Reply:just shout no and tap him on the nose. not to hard
Reply:The best thing to do when a puppy bites-- I have seen it work, you do this, the puppy will stop biting.

When she bites you make a loud noise, as another puppy would if it were hurt. You can yell out OW! or say YIP!!! if you're up for it. She will look scared because she knows her biting has hurt you. Guaranteed, she won't try it again. Be consistent.

And if you have a chew toy handy, give it to her! This way she has something to bite instead. Praise her for being a good girl who bites toys instead of people.
Reply:try a water pistol??? it worked for my sisters dog!!!
Reply:Two things - firstly when he bites you make sure you let out a loud yelp such as a dog would do if it were hurt. It may shock him but he will begin to learn that he is hurting you.

Secondly, find him alternatives. At his age his teeth will be irritating him and he will want to chew to relieve the irritation. As well as the toys, get him some air dried natural chewy snacks such as paddiwack, tripe sticks, pigs ears etc. They taste great and he can chew away to his hearts content.

Try not to exclude the little chap for the family environment at this early stage in his development. His mind isn't developed enough at 11 weeks to be able to reason and he will experience nothing but meaningless distress and upset if excluded.

Exclusion is a good punishment for later on but not just yet.
Reply:Hi,

This may sound a bit harsh, and I understand why the pup is doing it, but a gentle whack across the muzzle with a rolled-up newspaper, with a firm "NO" seems to put a stop to it.

You can soon then just say NO without the newspaper.

It's best to train in this manner as a pup, to avoid aggresive behaviour in the future.

I'm sure that all will be well, and temperaments of course vary from breed to breed, but all dogs will get the messages as they grow up, much like us humans !

Bob.
Reply:Hello.

Don't let him bite you both thats a no no,if there's a training class in your town join

get him some hide chews to bite on and plenty of ex cerise,I had a retriever pup I took him to dog training and it was the best

money I ever spent,hope this as been a help

to you good luck.
Reply:He's teething, look at this website below - it is your new bible. Follow it %26amp; make sure everyone else who meets your puppy does too. It works!

http://www.jersey.net/~mountaindog/berne...

I swear they should hand this out with each puppy that goes to a new home.
Reply:Monika I saw that you said yelping as a puppy would will help the puppy to stop biting but I have tried this and it does not work for me. I have tried alot of different approaches and the best thing to do is offering the puppy an alternate toy to chew on other than my arm and then praise her when she continues to play with the toy. She is also a rat terrier and very hyper when we are playing outside she likes to nip at toes when that happens I walk out of her reach until she settles down.
Reply:I had the same problem but with a 10 month old German Shepherd that I adopted from the humane society. After working for several weeks with a trainer we finally broke him of the biting habit. When he went to gnaw on my hand I would take and fold his cheeks in with my fingers so he was actually biting down on himself. After only a few times he gave up the habit. He is now 7 has never it anyone ever again even when kids pull on his tail or ears he responds with a simple lick of the hand. Try this, I hope it works.

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How do you make a puppy stop biting things?

2010-03-16T00:04:00.001-07:00

I just got a new puppy. She's a Cairn Terrier/ Chihuahua mix and she won't stop biting things. Hair, paper, feet, fingers, anything she can get her teeth on. It's starting to become a problem. She's been eating things and then pooping them out, things such as ear plugs. How can I get her to stop chewing on things?

How do you make a puppy stop biting things?
She's teething. Get her some puppy teething toys. Also, give her ice cubes small enough for her to chew on and it relieves some of the discomfort from teething. You can put ice cubes in her dog bowl.

Kennel training is a very good idea. I agree with the previous poster. It's always worked for me. My Toy Poodle (Marshall) just stopped teething and I didn't have any issues. He loved the ice cubes.
Reply:you can't your dog is probably teething( her teeth are growing in) and just like toddlers she bites things to relieve the strange feeling
Reply:She's a puppy. She is teething. You can NOT get her to stop chewing on things. What you have to do is put everything up that she could choke on then give her toys to chew on. You may want to consider kennel training her. Always put her in a safe place when you can't watch her. She WILL outgrow this but it probably won't be anytime soon. I'm going through it too with my 6 month old german shepherd. Good luck!
Reply:First off stop leaving things like ear plugs within her reach. Second you can scold her ever time she bites and firmly say NO then you can buy her some toys and give them to her when she is chewing things like you and your hair. Replace it with the toy. If that doesn't work try apple bitter spray.
Reply:get a water bottle and squirt her everytime you catch her doing it. it will take awhile to train her out of it but if you don't then when she is done teething she will think it is ok to chew anything she wants
Reply:The dog is just teething Don't worry, If the puppy still bites later one, Take the dog to a trainer.
Reply:That depends on her age. If she's between 3 and 5 months old she's teething and that is a major thing for her now. Make sure she has her own toys to play with. When she goes for what does not belong to her, like your feet, tell her a very firm "NO" and then give her a toy. Tell her how good she is when she starts to play with the toy. She'll get the hint soon enough. Be consistent with her and only time will work it out.

Don't give her old socks or shoes as she will not be able to tell what are old and what are new.
Reply:There is this spray at the pet store you can spray it on items the pup likes to chew and it will leave a very bitter taste in her mouth. It is non toxic and safe for kids, and furniture. It has no odor. Also recommendeed giving designated chew toys like a shoe and buy her a chew toys (a few)

Sorry I cant remember the name of the spray
Reply:shes a puppy she is teething u need to buy her bones and chew toys so she wont chew on u!! Good Luck!!
Reply:kick the crap out of it

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How can I stop my puppy from chewing walls?

2010-03-16T00:04:00.000-07:00

My puppy is six months old. She has been great so far, she tries to bite a lot but we understand that it is because she is teething and we are teaching her that it is not allowed. However, she has now started chewing at walls and wall corners, through the wall paper and leaving teeth marks in the plaster. She has plenty of toys to play with and we leave the radio on for her when we are not around to play.

How can we get her out of this habit before two rooms become one??!!!!!!!

How can I stop my puppy from chewing walls?
try different chewies and treats with different hardness like soft and harder chews. lambs ears are sometimes a good try. also talk to your vet about any minerals that your pup may be lacking if it is craving the glue or drywall maybe something is just missing from the diet. then you might also consider kennel breaking your pup so that when your away it feels secure and is in a crate so that you can watch and disipline when home and not worry when you need to leave.
Reply:Mine did that too. Give your puppy more attention or the puppy might grow out of it

either way works

(sometimes)
Reply:Put tabasco sauce on the things you know he chews and shouldnt'. You can also buy this stuff at the pet store that tastes bitter.
Reply:Give it more attention, try giving it more chew toys or it will eventuallly stop.

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Can you bathe a 2-3 week old puppy?

2010-03-16T00:03:00.003-07:00

me and my family just got 2 puppies that i'm guessing are 2-3 weeks old. they're not even weened yet and can barely walk. they dont really have teeth yet either and their fur is getting a lttle sticky so i was wondering if its safe to give them a bath now. or should we just use warm water but no dog shampoo? all i know is that if they had their mother then she would be licking them clean.

and also what is the best kind of milk for them or can they eat wet puppy food? can i also give them water too?

Can you bathe a 2-3 week old puppy?
Why are those pups away from their mother? If something bad happened and you are stepping up, good for you, but if they were just taken away that early, that is not good!

Don't wash them with soap this early. If you have to just use a warm washcloth, but dont let them get cold.

They are going to need puppy formula. please get a vet check and get them to help show you how to feed them.
Reply:I'd wait until she's weened from her mothers milk.

That's like a pre-mature thing.
Reply:They sell puppy wipe things that you can clean them with.

There should be formula at petstores for puppies. ou shouldn't give them water. They need milk.

Good luck wiht the puppies!
Reply:you need to wait...and if it rly bothers you take them to the vet and tell them...theyll know how to bathe them....and if you cant do that wipe them of with a warm washcloth...make sure its wrung out really good! and keep them warm
Reply:you need to consult with a vet....this is a lot of responsiblity and an iffy situation without the proper help and care as these dogs are much too young to be pets
Reply:Take them to a vet right away to find out exactly how you should be taking care of them, they will also be able to tell you how old they are.

If they are really that young, they should be bottle fed puppy formula. You can get it at any petstore along with bottles or syringes to feed them.

As for bathing, don't do it unless they are really dirty. Heat up the bathroom so its nice and warm and take the puppies in there, then wipe them off with a warm, wet washcloth. Don't use shampoo and don't submerge them in water. Immediately dry them off and wrap them in a towel for a while, if they are only 2 or 3 weeks old they won't be able to keep up their body temperature when they are wet.
Reply:Only use the cloth disposable dog wipes on a baby so small. Or you can use a warm wash cloth well wrung out. The threat is that they will get a chill. Momma is the one that would lick them clean at this age. Why on earth did you take babies so young? It may cause some issues both of health and behavior later on because of this. They really need momma til they are at least 7 weeks old. Buy puppy formula at the pet store. Do not use cows milk. Not enough for them at this stage. They must have water in some form. If eyes are not open and they are not walking, formula should be enough.
Reply:Poor little things, I'm guessing there's a good reason why they're not with their momma but it's not a good situation. However, as for bathing them, I wouldn't do it yet if they're really only 2 or 3 weeks old. Little puppies don't have great control over their body temperature and depending on their breed, size, coat etc. they could get really chilled. If you think it's absolutely necessary, make sure you bath them in warm (not hot) water in a nice warm room, don't use anything other than a very mild puppy shampoo (NOT one that's a flea shampoo or similar) and get them properly dried off in warm towels.

Feed them a good, high quality dry puppy food mixed with warm goats milk or special puppy formula that you can buy at the petstore or get from your veterinarian. They will need water too, but a lot will depend on how good they lap, they'll probably make a horrible mess to start with, but it will get better!

You can find tons of free tips, advice and information on raising puppies at the url below. Good luck with them!
Reply:no, it's not cumpulsary
Reply:I have a litter of puppies that just turned 3 weeks old yesterday. Momma seems scared of there teeth so I started them on puppy chow today soak it in HOT water till it is mushy all the way through. You can let them try some water but keep it shallow they can drown I would supervise it as well. They should stay with the mom till 8 weeks of age but sometimes it doesn't always work out like that. Hope this helps, good luck.

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How can I get my puppy to stop biting?

2010-03-16T00:03:00.002-07:00

I have a 13 week old male boston terrier puppy named Peanut. He's adorable, but sometimes he gets over excited when playing and gets a little rough. He bites sometimes, and he's not doing it to be mean... He just seems to think it's part of playing. He tries to chew on us like we're big toys! He will also bite our ankles when we try to walk from one room to another.

I don't know how to get him to stop! We try to remain calm, as it just makes him more excited when we react to him, but it is difficult when his little razor-sharp teeth are piercing our skin. He is such an enjoyable pet when he isn't biting us. Please give me tips on how to train him to stop this behavior!!

How can I get my puppy to stop biting?
No matter how cute your new puppy may be, if he or she is chewing and biting on you, your family members and guests – he or she probably doesn’t seem quite as cute. In fact, if the pup’s chewing and biting habits are not controlled, he or she might actually hurt someone, or destroy the contents of your home. Training is necessary to teach some puppies appropriate chewing and biting behaviors.

1. First, you have to understand that many puppies that have a biting problem were taken from their mother too soon. The mother dog and litter mates have a way of teaching each other when the chewing and biting have gone too far.

When those sharp, little teeth start coming in and the pup nips the mother dog, she will usually leave the area. This makes the pup question his actions. When the pup bites litter mates too hard, it is usually met with a loud yelp that startles the biting pup. If the pup continues his wicked ways, the other pups will usually nip him harder. It is a lesson he or she does not forget.

2. Second, you should purchase chew toys for your puppy. Buy something that is mentally challenging to the pup. If it is not, he or she may prefer to bite on your nose or the chair legs in your dining room.

Many pet owners who have problems with their puppy’s chewing and biting habits purchase chew toys that have a treat inside of them. A dog’s sense of smell will keep him or her chewing on the toy all afternoon to reach the yummy treat inside. Once the dog understands that there are no benefits to biting on you, he or she will start looking for favored chew toys.

3. Third, when the pup bites you, handle it like his or her litter mates or mother would. Make a noise that tells the pup that you are hurt. Even if the puppy is only chewing on your shoe strings or pajama bottoms, open up your mouth and let out a loud yelp. If that doesn’t teach the puppy that he or she shouldn’t bite and nip, leave the room just like the mother dog would. If the puppy simply follows you through the house biting at your heels, let out a yelp and then place him or her in a crate. Do not hold a grudge and keep the puppy locked up too long. A simple timeout will work. Never take the offending puppy out of the crate if he or she is whining. Wait until he or she is quiet.

If you follow these tips, you should be well on your way to having a puppy that doesn’t chew, nibble or bite on you.
Reply:He's just teathing....he will grow out of it in a few months....in the meentime get him some chew toys...
Reply:I know what your going through with those little needle teeth. Try a deep loud NO, or shove a toy in his mouth whenever he goes to bite or blow on his face when he tries to bite.
Reply:When your dog bites you smack him on the nose and firmly say no. Don't hit him too hard though. Eventually you will get to the point where you can just say no firmly because he will know that is a negative response to his actions, and all your doggie wants to do is please you....You could also get him a chew toy to put his energy into something else.
Reply:Grab his nose and say "NO BITE" when he bites at you. When he runs after your ankles just nudge him a little and say "NO." You have to sound firm and kind of mean when you speak so he knows that what he is doing is bad. I know the feeling I have been raised with puppies forever.
Reply:i had the same problem.My kids would complain that our dog keeps biting them all the time and we have german shepperd.I'd get close to the dog but not on the eye level.Yuo have to be higher than the dog.Litely smack him on the snout and in a stern voice say"no".do it a few times.Other times i'd start scratching behind its ear.That calms the dog down.See if it works.good luck
Reply:Spray him with a squirt bottle every time he bites!
Reply:well my dog did that when she was little. they bite becauz their teeth tickel. when there is nothing else to chew on, they chew on thing like our foot or shoes. But when they get older, they stop biting becauz they teeth got grown. i hope it will help........
Reply:He is a puppy-he is teething. He will outgrow it. Meanwhile, please give him as many "chew toys" etc. as possible. Have a couple in various rooms at all times (or try to). For ankle biting, I would request a simple strong "No!" or a spray bottle full of water to spray at him when he does the ankle biting. Enjoy him! Take care.
Reply:Get some bitter apple spray and spray it on your ankles and hands. keep it handy in case you need to reapply it. i also wipe some in the mouth with my finger so they get a taste of whats coming if they bite.
Reply:don't hit him hes teething but it is still important that you teach him that its not OK...if he does it and you keep petting him then he will think its OK...you have to hold his snout and firmly say NO!

orr....curl up his lip into his mouth by his teeth (it sounds mean but you are supposed to do this if the snout thing doesnt work) good luck with the little munchkin
Reply:You need to establish your dominance. As a pack animal, a dog will try to challenge you. With a pup, flick him with your finger on his nose when he bites you. Do not except this from him. You need to be the alpha in his world, and starting from a pup will help.

If he continues, grab him gently by the kneck and make him roll over, while holding the bottom of his kneck. (Throat) Keep holding until he stops struggling, therefore submitting to you. It is not being mean, it is just showing him that you are the boss, and he will respect you and be a better dog for it.

He will probably try a few more times, but show your disaproval of such behavior and when he does good, praise him!

All he is doing is looking for a reaction from you, give him plenty of toys and love. Good luck!
Reply:hes teething you need to get some chew toys
Reply:Dogs don't understand English, so you can't tell them not to do it using words. They aren't nipping because they want to be pack leader, so asserting dominance won't help either.

They DO need to chew, so you need to provide 'legal' chew toys and teach them the difference between you, your furniture and chew toys.

This is best achieved by interrupting with a loud clap, then giving them something legal to chew. Full instructions are below.

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Hi, Looking for tiny or very small breed puppy.?

2010-03-16T00:03:00.001-07:00

Any breed suggestions? Heres the qualities I would like in a puppy:

Very fluffy

Very Very Very cute %26amp; precious

Still small even as an adult

Not prone to getting sick to everything

Obediant and respectful to children

Lap dog, loves to be held and go for rides in the car

Loves to be spoiled

Has a cute bark

Non-Vicious (teeth showing kinda angry)

Easily potty-trained

Round- like no long thin legs, i want a short legged short bodied kinda dog.

Please help me to pick a puppy with these or most of these qualities. I am looking for a princess to spoil. It doesnt even have to be full breed.. it can be hybred, crossbred, doesnt matter. I just need some breed suggestions.. Thanks!!!

Hi, Looking for tiny or very small breed puppy.?
OBEDIENT - you must train the dog

RESPECTFUL TO CHILDREN - you must train your dog and children

NOT PRONE TO SICKNESS- find a reputable breeder, feed well balanced food and provide exercise

LAP DOG - all breeds like to sit on your lap

SPOILED - never a good thing for dogs or children

CUTE BARK- to each his own

NON VICIOUS - from good lines

EASILY POTTY TRAINED - never easy with small breeds ( they have tiny little bladders)

TRY ::: looking up :

HAVANESE

COTON DU TULEAR

BICHON FRISE
Reply:What about a yorkie terrier they are pretty cute
Reply:Try a west highland white terrier, sometimes they can just be hard to potty train, everything else they have.
Reply:What about an electronic barking puppy from Toys 'R' Us?

- Seriously, every dog is PRONE to getting sick.

- It will have a 'cute' bark, fi you get a stuffed toy. Other than that, you cannot be picky about the bark! Every dog has a different bark, like we have different voices.

- Only you can train it to be non-vicious.

- Every dog will be a toughie to potty train, especially smaller dogs.

- Every dog is precious.

You can't be so picky. Just go to the shelter and pick out a smaller dog that needs you.

ADDED: Like I said, no small dog will be easy to potty train - So, I suggest maybe a Shih Tzu. Great companion.
Reply:this might help

http://animal.discovery.com/beyond/

http://animal.discovery.com/breedselecto...
Reply:havanese my uncle has one and its fully grow at 16 months old and it weight sits at 7 pounds 11oz ats about 11 inches on all fors height wise its like 2 in a half feet on hin legs and its sweet but a barks a little too much loves to be a prince or princess very very easy to trian lives a good 14 years its a fluffy as heck dog and it has short skinny legs not short and stocky but its a couple thousand this dog as a pup but get it its a great addition
Reply:If I had to have a smalldog it would be a papillon! They are great lil dogs!
Reply:breeds i know that are small-medium are yorkies , snauzers , or maybe if u like a pitbull , and border collies and u can train him , make him to be respectful to all people and other dogs for him to stay calm teach him not to beg for table food if u do give him table food just give him a little
Reply:what about a english or american cocker spaniel
Reply:You should get a Maltese or a pomeranian (dont know if i spelt either correctly)

Both are fluffy

both are still small as adults

And most of the other things on your list require training of some sort

Good luck with your puppy! Sounds like its going to be very happy.
Reply:Pomeranian , I love mine , they live long too , I had mine for 10 years now .
Reply:1. Pomeranians and poodles are fluffy.

2. All dogs are very, very, very cute and precious.

3. Go to the AKC site, and look at dogs under the toy group.

4. All dogs are prone to getting sick. All breeds have their own genetic and health problems that responsible breeders are working to eliminate. It's important to find a good breeder if you want one less prone to getting sick.

5. Small dogs and children DO NOT mix. Small dogs can be fearful of children and become defensive. If you want a dog respectful to children, do NOT get a small dog. Small dogs can easily be hurt by children, unintentionally.

6. Lots of dogs think they're lap dogs, love to be held, and go for car rides. However, this is not by breed. It's by the dog's personality. Some small dogs don't like being held and would rather run around.

7. All dogs love to be spoiled.

8. Why do you need a dog with a cute bark?

9. Any dog can be "vicious". If scared, they can show their teeth. This is something that you, as a dog owner, need to train the dog not to do. Socialization is very important.

10. Small dogs are known for being hard to housebreak.

11. You mean a dog like a Pomeranian? They have short legs.

I would recommend you rethink the qualities you're looking for in a dog. Small dogs and children just do not go together. It's extremely important to find a responsible breeder if going with a purebred dog. Please do not fall for those "designer", "hybrid" dogs. These are fancy names for mutts. No good breeder would ever intentionally produce mutts. Supporting someone who does is just supporting irresponsible breeding practices.
Reply:I would say a pomeranian would fit what your looking for they're great little dogs that love to be spoiled. I have two that are the loves of my life.
Reply:Tea cup Yorkies are adorable! They're extremely tiny. They way like 3 pounds max. Absolute cutest dog ever! Adorable bark! As an adult they can sitll sit in a tea cup! It's adorable!

Here's a pic

http://yorkiepup.com/files/pup-on-can.jp...
Reply:Hi, if you're thinking about a small dog just know some of them bark A LOT. O therwise they're so cute. I have a cocker spaniel, she is great with kids, loves to be held, and can get really fluffy. All cockers are like that. Besides a cocker spaniel I would suggest a corgi, thay are so cute and very calm.

Hope I helped and good luck finding a dog!! =)
Reply:A MALTESE! These are just perfect little, fluffy angels! They do well with everyone if you socialize them well! If you have children under 11 or so i wouldn't recommend getting one because they are fragile as a puppy.

get a "puppypurse" to carry it around. They don't like to be left alone. It not a normal purse...check out the website and see!

puppypurse.com
Reply:small dogs are a challenge to potty train and they also are known for being "ankle biters" i cannot guarantee that a certain breed isn't going to be mean to your children or angry in general, it sounds like you want an accessory not a dog, and that's very sad
Reply:Yorkshire Terriers

http://www.classicdogs.com/yorkies.html

great website with pictures
Reply:This quiz will help you find the right dog (actually the top four choices) for all your qualifications. You can specify small breed so you only receive small breed results. Good luck!

http://dogtime.com/matchup/start

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How do I teach my puppy to drop things?

2010-03-16T00:03:00.000-07:00

Hey,

I've been trying to teach my 12 week old Chihuahua/Jack Russell puppy to drop things on command, such as toys when we play fetch. Are there any particular techniques I can use to teach him this? He can be quite bitey at times, we're patient with him but it usually hurts, and I'm afraid that when his teeth get stronger he'll bite and not let go.

How do I teach my puppy to drop things?
I'm not an expert, but I always repeated the word drop while slightly opening the jaws with my fingers and taking and laying the toy in front of her on the ground. it took a few months, but my dog keyed in on the word and does it on her own now when she is told.
Reply:Grab him where his jaw hinges.
Reply:I don't recommend kicking it in the mouth.
Reply:each time you take the toy from him tell him to drop it as you pull it out drop it on the ground and pick it up

or he may only let go of it if you say drop it repatition help train dogs
Reply:You have to give a command, like "let go" or "release" when you take it from them, say it every time. You will have to get ahold of their mouth without getting bit. I know this is hard, I have a Jack Russell, but you MUST teach them "no biting". Use that command too. The first thing a person ask you when meeting your dog is (usually) "does he bite? you want to be able to say "no".
Reply:Say his name sharply and then say "Drop" help him by holding his jaws until he drops it. eventually he will understand what to do.
Reply:I did the same thing with my dogs when they are puppies. when he/she brings you the toy you say forcefully drop it with the the hand motion. This hand motion; you need to make a fist then as you bring it down open your hand so thats its flat. continue doing that till he/she drops the toy and when he/she drops it congratulate him/her. treats help as well. and just repeat the process.
Reply:This worked with my pup, but every pup is different:

To teach this start by trading with your puppy. If he's holding one of his toys in his mouth, give him one fo his favorite treats and ask him to drop the toy as you offer him the treat. When he drops the toy, give him the treat. Keep doing this often until your puppy will instantly drop on command.
Reply:I found that the best word to use is "OUT". They seem to catch onto that faster then "Drop" or "Release". So if he has a toy or something in his mouth you go up to him, make sure he is looking you in the eye, say "OUT" in a firm loud voice while you are pointing to the ground. Most dogs catch on pretty quick. Be prepared with treats! As soon as he drops the toy you give him tons of praise and a treat. Try this a few times a day. He will learn that when he listens to you when you say "OUT" that means he is doing something good and gets praised for it. Dogs are ultimately people pleasers. Good Luck!
Reply:Two things - take care of the puppy biting while you work on the drop! This is not a big deal, but you do need to do it now.

http://www.roycroftcavaliers.com/manualb...

Then, a game that teaches object exchange would be great. You need to pay your dog for giving you whatever it is that he has. So : always give treats when he drops the object, every time, and immediately. That way your pup will be much more inclined to give you what he has. Never chase after your dog for an object! If anything, turn and RUN away from him if he looks like he might go do a victory lap with his prize. Never scold or reprimand the pup in this stage - he'll just avoid you.

Teaching Doggie Zen is a great idea too - a Google search for this phrase will give you instructions for this game.

* pulling an object from a dog's mouth will make their prey drive kick in, and they will pull right back. If you get into a standoff, simply get hold of the dog's collar and draw it in to your leg, making the game very boring for the dog. Keep hold of the toy, be ready with a treat as soon as he relaxes. Chanting "give....give" is not a great idea at this point - just stay quiet, and have a big party as soon as he lets go!
Reply:Ask him to LEAVE tugging it gently, then show him the treat in your hand!He should release it immediately,if not repeat the command again show him the treat,if he drops the item then reward him,if not repeat again ,do not shout ,do not give him the treat, do not pull the item to hard ,because his inclination is to hang on to his prize,his jaws will clamp and you still need to reassure him there is a reward at hand,if he gives you his prize.Do not put your hand near his mouth!Apart from the tug you give his prize.You are only going to get this object from him with patience and no pressure.This is, on his part a primeval action to hold on to his prey.
Reply:I tought my pitbull to "drop it"...I did it by holding his collar and telling him over and over until he did it, after he brought the toy back to me after fetching. Reward and praise him when he starts doing it.
Reply:When trainning my sporting dogs to "drop" what I would do is when they would bring the toy back I would lightly grap their bottom jaw....give the command for letting go....I use "give" but you can use drop it, release, give, whatever......and the lightly pull their mouth open and remove whatever every they have....and then praise praise praise....it works well...also this helps the dog get used you having you hands by its mouth...for cleaning teeth and such.
Reply:Keep a small favorite treat in your hand when you ask him to drop the toy, making sure to use the same command (such as "drop it," "give" etc.) consistently.

At the very instant he performs the task, reward by saying "good!" and giving him the treat immediately (as a fair trade). As he begins to understand what you're asking him to do (this will take a lot of practice), always reward by saying "good!" but don't always reward with a treat. (This will keep him interested in the "game" since he won't always know when there will be a jackpot involved).

Another variation is to gently grasp the toy while he has it in his mouth and ask him "give." Apply just enough pressure to hold the toy still ("dead" toys are no fun) and silently wait him out until he releases the toy (be patient with this). Then immediately give him the toy back as you say "good!" He'll get the idea that his reward for giving the toy is that he immediately gets it back, and the game can then resume.

Another trick is to make sure that you always have another toy with you since to him, the toy you have is likely more interesting to him than the one he has because your toy comes "alive" as you move it around to attract his attention.

Always keep these sessions short (1-3 minutes) and fun for everyone.

As for being bitey at times, when he starts that, immediately but gently tell him "no," and withdraw your hand slightly making it into a gentle fist (to make your fingers unavailable, but not out of his range to sniff or lick). The instant he stops the bitey behavior, immediately say "good!" and release your fingers to pet him, give him attention, etc. Repeat these steps (even if you need to end the "game" sometimes) until he gets the idea that putting his teeth on people will not be allowed.

We've also had great results from puppy and dog obedience classes that center around the use of positive reinforcement techiques, sources for which your vet can likely recommend.

I can also highly recommend these great books:

The Other End of the Leash

by Patricia McConnell

How Dogs Learn

by Mary R. Burch, Jon S. Bailey

Hope this helps. Enjoy your puppy!

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What are the best edible chew "toys" or "treats" for a 3 month old puppy?

2010-03-16T00:02:00.003-07:00

My puppy lovvvves to chew on everything esp. since she still has her baby teeth. I was wondering what chew treats are the safest and healthiest for her to chew on without choking on them and etc.?

What are the best edible chew "toys" or "treats" for a 3 month old puppy?
depending on the size of your dog.

puppy kongs as someone mentioned are great,

also raw beef femur bones. dogs love them and the marrow is good for the dog
Reply:Avoid "Greenies" because some dogs have died from those (yet somehow they can still sell them). Also avoid rawhide b/c dogs don't digest it well. My dog loves pedigree dentastix...and they are good for the teeth too, so that is a bonus.
Reply:nylabones are the best..They digest and don't cause stomach problems like raw hides do..You can also buy soap bones and give it those..but make sure they not small she may choke or break the bone off.
Reply:I have a 3 month old chihuahua and i usually get the slightly bigger soft toys with the sqweeker in the middle. He loves that and it is the cutest when he tries to run with it in his mouth! I find that is good and if you buy enough your pup should start to just play with those instead of your shoes... hahah
Reply:Most dogs LOVE pigs ears. They're safe, chewy and tasty. They're really tough too so they'll dull her sharp little baby teeth. It's a lot tastier than your shoes or the couch so it should distract her from chewing bad things. Give her a pig ear, she'll chew it for hours and she'll love you for ever. Not to mention, they don't get soggy and sticky like raw hide. I'd say that's your best bet.
Reply:My dogs love "canine carryouts" which can be found at any Petco nationwide. They're fairly soft so they won't break their little puppy teeth, but chewy as well. My dogs never had any choking problems with them.
Reply:Dentibone for puppies, you can get it at any pet store its a really common thing. and they come in lots of flavors, chicken, beef, bacon, lamb and others! this is a brand i would recommend after working at a pet hospital for 4 years :D
Reply:Two words for you.. Puppy Kong! They're awesome ;)
Reply:My pup loves the Pedigree Dentastix as well. I would definitely recommend those. Raw hides are great as long as you give them in moderation. I used to buy the miniature raw hide bones (you can get them at Wal Mart and they are 100% natural).

Filling a puppy kong with treats and peanut butter (favourite of my dog) is a great idea as well. Keeps them busy for a long time.

Good luck!
Reply:I have not had a problem with rawhide yet. But I prefer to give my dogs more natural things to chew like tracheas, cow/pig/sheep ears, bully sticks, etc. You can get a good idea of what's available here:

http://www.bullysticksonline.com/servlet...

and probably save some $$$. Check eBay too.
Reply:Here's some things that I recommend for chewing outlet:

- Bully sticks are good, and they are fully digestible so they don't cause internal blockages like rawhides can.

- Moo tubes (dried cow trachea) are also a good chewing outlet, although they don't last very long.

- Also, raw meaty bones are excellent for dogs to chew on. (Never cooked bones, as cooked bones can splinter and cause problems for the dog.)

---

Here are things I avoid:

- Rawhides aren't good because they aren't digestible, so if the dog swallows a large piece, it can cause an internal blockage.

- I also don't like to use pig-ears because they are high in fat.

- And I avoid hooves because they are very hard and can break the dog's teeth.

- I am not a fan of Greenies. I try to stick to more natural things for my dog. Greenies aren't very digestible, when I gave my dog one that I had got for free, there were still identifiable pieces of Greenie in her excrement, it passed right through her. They caused some problems with blockages in the last couple years, but have since been reformulated to [allegedly] be more water-soluble. It's up to you to decide if you trust them or not.

.
Reply:Do not get Greenies because dogs have been reported to have died from them. Also, avoid raw hides and cooked bones because these chip, splinter, and break off in chunks that can get lodged in his throat. I definately recommend the Nylabone Puppy Starter Kit that comes with 3 bones, each a different flavor. You can find them at Target, Petco, or PetSmart. Nylabone has non-edibles and edibles. I forget if they are edible or not but Nylabone is very reputable and the non-edible chews are great for teething puppies. Nylabone non-edibles is what I give my dog and Nylabone is recommended by millions of vets. Also, Puppy Kongs are great for teething puppies. Just fill it with Kong Peanut Butter, Kong Cheese, or other food and your puppy will be entertained for hours with a very strong and very durable (if you get the right size) rubber toy that massages teeth and gums. You can get Kongs and Kong filling at Petco or PetSmart. Both of these products are vet recommended and safe.
Reply:Stuffed Kong with peanut butter and pieces of fruit. Frozen!!

Great treat and helps with teething pains as well.

Above all it's SAFE!!!
Reply:Nylabones are the best! They have edible in all different flavors and non edible! My dog loves them!!
Reply:I have a 7 month old puppy who I have given a couple of different things. Nylabone- they have a couple of different variations of these such as: Healthy Edibles (my puppy loves these). Also try Ziggies from the makers of Kong. Ziggies are made especially for puppies and come in Sm., Med or Lg. My puppy just loves these!!!! I don't recommend any type of rawhide (just from what my vet told me) they tend to splinter.
Reply:idk

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How can I get my puppy to stop nipping?

2010-03-16T00:02:00.002-07:00

I have a beagle puppy that's 12-13 weeks old, and she WILL NOT stop biting us. It's not an aggressive bite...just little nips, but her baby teeth are so sharp they can really hurt. She also gets really wound up when playing with us (especially with my 6 year old!)...she barks and nips and just won't stop. Again, I don't think it's aggression...her barks are playful yaps, without any growling, and her tail is constantly wagging. She just needs to settle down! Any suggestions?

How can I get my puppy to stop nipping?
Your puppy needs to bite, thats normal and is important for losing its baby teeth and for general behavior. The trick is teaching it what to bite and what not to bite. Give it some chew toys and praise him verbally and with treats when he chews on the toys. Don't scold it when it nibbles on you or something else he is not supposed to nibble on (like your socks or shoes). He will not be able to distinguish between what is good biting and what is bad biting and will think any biting is bad. Hope that helps.
Reply:she's just having fun or she's teething. She'll grow out of it soon. Hope I helped,

-Jeff
Reply:scold her, she needs to learn the command down and "no bite."

she needs lots of toys to chew on.
Reply:Uh oh... you better stop this habit before she gets older and thinks that it's okay to bite. Don't let her bite you or continue to chew on you. Get her some chew toys.
Reply:That is part of being a puppy, it will go away as the puppy gets older. After a certain amount of puppy play, I would hold my hand in a "stop" position and firmly say "NO" - our baby Chihuahua will immediately stop what she is doing to this day and she will be 2 on Christmas Day. I'm so glad you realize it is just play and not aggression. Good for you and congratulations on your new puppy!
Reply:Well along with what miss applegate said you might want to try something sour tasting that might turn her off to biting whatever it is she is biting on.
Reply:SMACK HER NOSE AND TELL HER NO! ALL PUPPIES DO THAT..........I HAVE 2 RIGHT NOW THAT DO THE SAME THING AND THAT SEEMS TO WORK FOR ME.
Reply:When she bites you, gently shut her mouth and say "No biting". Praise her when she stops. Do this a thousand times if you have to, it works. Also when she goes to bite you or your family put something in her mouth like a toy or even a frozen teething ring for a baby. You will need a lot of patience but it does work. Good luck
Reply:she is doing what all puppies do. i would smack her lightly on the nose and say no.
Reply:Fisrt off you have to remember that she is a puppy. You are going to have to raise a puppy, that means training as well and putting up with the playfulness and energry she releases. I have seen a family grab a puppy and hold it close to them until it calmned down and then they would let it go. I dont mean hurting it, I simply mean by holding the puppy toward you and allowing it to calmn down. However, I personally thought that it only angered the puppy more by putting it on a restraint. That puppy has turned out well so I believe that you should come up with a method that you think works best. Animals are not dumb, think of it this way lock a teen in there room and tell them no they cant go out and watch how fast they sneak around the parents back, or get agressive by bad mouthing....dont restrain an animal. Avery good suggestion would be not to allow small children around it while it's young, if there going to get rough with it. Dont grab the puppy's face. Small children tend to tease animals.
Reply:roll up some news paper and bust his little ***.......

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My German Sheperd 14 week puppy is showing a mean streak and attacking/biting me and others.?

2010-03-16T00:02:00.001-07:00

I have had my female GSD since she was 6 wks old. She has been the normal puppy biting but has recently turned into having a mean streak. Out of nowhere, she will come to you and start biting and showing her teeth and crunching up nose and in some cases breaking skin. When I say no really stern, she will talk back and get worse. I am taking her to Petsmart training, but fear that she will not change this behavior. I bought her at a house that had about 14 GSD in a small backyard, I have a feeling that this aggresion/mean streak is from her parents. I have had GSD when I was a child and my parents think this is a sign of an aggressive dog. I am planning to have children and do not want to have an issue with her. I have also recently noticed that she will bark aggressively at some neighbors while walking and has not done this yet. I have tried not to socialize w/ dogs the first few weeks since I didn't want her to get any diseases. Is there any hope of getting this out of her system?

My German Sheperd 14 week puppy is showing a mean streak and attacking/biting me and others.?
A mean streak? 14wks old and it has a mean streak? It hasn't been socialised properly, it hasn't been taught bite inhibition, and it's the dog's fault? Sorry, but having bred and owned GSD's for many years....even if off bad stock, it can be trained properly. (I once bought a dog that had been taught to attack other dogs. She was 2 years old. Turned out to be a super obedience dog.) TRAIN her. Play train, play train, play train. Buy yourself a crate, and put the pup in there, and whenever you cannot keep an eye on *everything* she is doing, have her in the crate. She will settle in with a piece of your clothing, and some toys, and a marrow bone. Do not give her the chance to come at you "out of nowhere". Every time she comes out of the crate (after going outside to clean herself) you sit yourself down and PLAY TRAIN. Arm yourself with a tuggy and treats. Ask for a sit by luring her into the sit, and reward. Same with the down, then the Stand. Then Stay, Come, Heel, whatever. Make her use her little brain, because she's a clever little sod. Whenever you play train, you reward with a treat, then you play with the tuggy. Let her bite and growl with the tuggy. IF she bites you, YOU have allowed it...........you are armed with treats and a toy......they are far more interesting than your hand or your arm.....if they're not, you're not playing tuggy hard enough. When she's growling hard with the tuggy.....*really* growling, offer her a treat (it has to be something really tempting) and when she lets go of the tuggy %26lt;and therefore stops growling%26gt; praise her and put a word to it. Repeat, play tuggy hard, pup is growling furiously, offer her a treat with other hand %26lt;put on floor if you're worried about being bitten%26gt; and when she lets go of the tuggy, say something like "Enough" or "Don't"....be consistent with your word. You will soon have a pup that will leave the tuggy when you say "Enough" %26lt;or whatever word you use%26gt; and will also stop growling when you use that word. You can extend the use of that word to any barking she does......you mentioned barking at neighbours. REWARD as soon as she stops barking, growling, whatever.

REWARD good behaviour. Don't allow bad behaviour by having her in the crate whenever you cannot keep an eye on her. ALL of your time %26lt;or most of it%26gt; should be dedicated totally to play-training. You have a very clever little dog there. DON'T write her off. She will turn out to be a joy.
Reply:take her to obedience training and FAST because she will only get worse as she gets older and stronger
Reply:Puppy School! You and your pup need to go to dog school NOW! Petsmart is good with the basics, but you and your dog need intensive intervention training. Here in the Seattle area there is a kennel/dog school with doggy boot camp for dogs with issues like the ones your pup is showing.

After I adopted my pup (at six months old) we went to to doggy school. One of the other students was this MONSTER that looked like a tall and leggy pit bull terrier. That dog was a terror. It's behavior was so bad, he spent the entire class in "detention". The next week the dog and his family were gone.

I found out later the dog was sent to "boot camp" which was a boarding school with intensive training. The human family would participate several evenings a week for the two week period. The trainer told me the dog finally got it through his thick skin what good behavior was all about.

This training is the "last ditch" training. The dogs that go through the "boot camp" are on the verge of being put down and their owners invest between $600 and $800 to save their dogs.

Get your pup spayed. Spaying will also help calm down a dog. Good luck with your pup.

Invest in some high quality, intense puppy training from a qualified trainer.

A house with FOURTEEN dogs in a small backyard? Doesn't sound like a very reputable breeder to me. Some breeders are utterly clueless and sounds like your pup may have all sorts of issue related to the incompetence of the breeder! There is a variation on the puppy mill called the backyard breeder. Both are bad news and the dogs suffer from all sorts of tragic problems.
Reply:Puppies bite, shes not trying to be mean.
Reply:No matter what the popular thinking seems to be these days saying that there's no such thing as a bad dog, only bad owners, that's just not true. There are dogs with genetically bad temperaments.

I think you should try taking this puppy to obedience or to a behaviourist to find out what's going on. Just, please, don't go to Petsmart - you need a qualified trainer.
Reply:bring your dog to a vet! she might be angry because she might be in pain, like a sore tooth or a thorn stuck in her paw. animals get aggressive and very stand-offish when they are injured or sick, so that might be the problem. Or maybe she just needs some training and time to adjust to her surroundings. Either way, im sure that she will get over her meanness once the problem is solved. good luck!!
Reply:Next time she misbehaves grab her by the scruff of the neck and push her down to the ground (hard so that she's literally on the ground), shouting 'NO' in a stern voice whilst doing it. Dogs are pack animals, and this is how the other dogs deal with a youngster who is out of line, by shoving them down on the ground and growling. It won't hurt her, but she'll certainly remember it. We did it with our german shepherd when she was a puppy, and she stopped misbehaving and biting.
Reply:you should look at the mother and father whenever poss when buying a dog,there are mean bad dogs, same as people, especially when their parents have been trained guard dogs, a mean streak can run in families, and you cant change a dogs nature.Ask the police if they would take him on? he could work well for them.
Reply:PetsMart is not the place for you. You need a highly qualified trainer with your pup. Try to find someone who is very familiar

with the breed.
Reply:Your baby is still young enough to break of this habit. You must show dominance over her. Our dogs also did that when they were pups and sometimes still do. We bite there ears, sounds gross, but it works. We also have a belt that we swat them with on the rearend of course. She is showing her pack leader attempts, your the leader not her. Yes, our male pit talks back and yes i understand every word he says. it will be hard to break her, but keep on her, and don't give in or up. Also try and understand what she's telling you, or say SHOW ME, that's what i do with our cockerspainel/sheepdog, it works and we are both happy. Just some suggestions, hope they help.
Reply:Unfortunately, you got her a bit too early. She should have stayed with her siblings a bit longer like to 8 weeks. Between 6 and 8 weeks pups learn what is called bite inhibition. They learn from nipping and chewing on each other what is too hard. They yelp and get away from each other when it gets out of hand.

That is what you should have done day one when any teeth touch your skin. Yelp and remove yourself.

If you did what most people do: think she is going to grow out of it, push your hand in her mouth harder to 'teach her a lesson', pop her nose or grab her snout, then you made it worse by buying into her aggression.

Now you have an out of control puppy. You need to get to training class asap! She needs the socialization and you both need the bonding. You also need to remove yourself from her the moment her teeth touch your skin. Say ouch and go into another room and close the door. Wait about 30 seconds and reenter the room as if nothing happen. Aslo, don't play on the floor with her, or rough house with her. She is having issues keeping her emotions in check. Don't aggrivate the issue.

good luck
Reply:She should have had training since the day she got home with you. You made two cruical mistakes with this dog. Don't sweat it, alot of people make these mistakes. First you bought a "pure bred" puppy from what sounds like a not so reputable breeder. Big Mistake. Secondly, NOT socializing a GSD is a huge problem. She needs to be socialized. By not doing this you are raising her to be a fearful dog and the behaviors she is exhibiting are those of a "shy sharp" or fear biting dog. She has NO confidence.

A few tips. You need better training then what petsmart can offer. Maybe a few "one on one" sessions with someone who specializes in GSD training.

Go to the pedigreedatabase site (GSD folks) and post about your problem. There are alot of trainers and breeders who are reputable and ethical on there.

Good luck ...and get some better obedience training on her right away!

PS...hopefully this was a pedigreed pup with papers and AKC/USA registration. If not, then you may have your hands full if you used a "puppy mill" breeder. Don't give up...get some help from someone who can "temperment test" your GSD properly. It MUST be someone familiar with GSD's!
Reply:I have a dog that was doing this exact thing when he was a puppy - 9 weeks old! We took him to the vet and this is what she told us to do: Cradle her in your arms on his back, don't let her up when she struggles, talk calmly to her and gently rub her belly. When she calms down, then you let her up. This establishes that you are dominant over her, do this often while she is a puppy. Also, if you play any dominance games with her, like tug of war, or get her all riled up by play fighting, stop these games. Take her for walks, and when her immunizations are up to date, definitely socialize with a lot of people and animals. She has to learn that you are the boss, and you start and end playtime, not her.

I don't think this is caused by being around other animals. When a dog is left with his mom and siblings, they learn that play fighting hurts, because the other animals have teeth and bite back. Since you don't bite back, she just thinks that it's fun. Don't stop taking her to obedience classes, that should help a lot.
Reply:Many pups will bite, chew-on and chase family members just like they did with their littermates. That’s why pups bite hands, socks, ankles and kids. They are playing just like they did with littermates.

This was how it has lived and play with littermates so why would it live differently with humans that it likes.

This misunderstanding is where trouble starts with new pet owners. The pup is playing and the humans think the puppy is being aggressive. The fact is the pup is simply displaying prey drive.

Prey drive is the genetic instinct to chase. Some dogs have a higher level of prey than others. These are the ones that seem obsessed with chasing and chewing.

When littermates get bitten too hard they scream. This screaming is their way to communicate that the play biting is too rough. Often times a human screaming is enough to teach the pup that what they are doing is wrong.

If the pup lets go then you can praise it with a soft pat and “good boy.” Just don’t over do the praise as this will often put the pup back into prey drive and the biting will start all over again.

A better idea is to have a toy with you and redirect the pup onto this toy. Either toss it a foot or two or wave it around in front of the pup in a manner that builds interest. You learn this through observation and experience with that specific dog. This is called reading your dog.

When you can get a pup to redirect onto a toy you are on the road towards teaching that puppy that there are other more interesting prey items out there than your hands and legs.
Reply:Hi my sympathies to you! She sounds like either a dominant female, and that's a problem. or she has inherited her aggression from the parents! Having had dogs, that have been trusted with the children, my gut feeling would be to find her another home, the police may be interested, as they can channel her aggression, but in a family home, I don't think I would risk it. Hope things work out well.
Reply:there's nothing you can do really.
Reply:Hi,

I think you should forget training and vet...take her back to the breeder...get a refund. This pup is going to be toooo much trouble. You don't want a dominant aggressive adult dog...and it's clear it's already as a puppy showing these signs. You want a submissive calm adult dog. This puppy will most likely get worse than better, and will need special handling.

Find another breeder, get a different puppy, or go to a rescue organization and adopt an older GSD without a history of aggression.
Reply:Don't worry, all puppys do that. They are still young, and need to learn. Instead of taking her to a trainer, buy a bitter apple spray, and whenever she does that, spray her and then give her a toy.
Reply:I agree with others that said find a qualified trainer/behaviourist, contact a vet college from recommendations , if you are lucky it is more due to lack of socialization but as others said could very well be due the genetics, but I would not count on it by the way he is acting with you

Your other option is to contact the breeder and see if he will take her back before going any further , you will likely lose out on the money you spent/paid for her, but it will end up being far less than the training, spaying and possibly euthanizing if their is a serious temperament issue and emotionally it takes a real toll.

Years ago I did get a male GSD pup, and I spent a fortune of vet visits, trainers, behaviourist(who was also police dog trainer, and helped the police in select dogs to enter their training programs), was told the put him down, that he was mentally unstable but I a still held up hope until he came extremely close to injuring a young child and I finally accepted he could not be fixed so at 10 months old finally had him put down,

If I was in your shoes today the breeder would be getting the pup back even if they refused to give me my money back, I would rather they have the responsibilty for the dog they created than have to risk repeating all I went thru before, and it is a dog you cannot just can give morally to someone else to deal with either and the police do not want dogs that are mentally unstable Just letting you know of a potential other option
Reply:Be the PACK LEADER!! Dogs are pack animals and every pack has it's pecking order. If you are not dominant over her of course she will not listen to you, she will put her mouth on you as well as several other little things she'll do that most people wouldn't think would be a dominant aggressive signal. When she starts behaving in a way you don't approve of you have to calmly and assertively correct her. Cesar Milan, The Dog Whisperer, has many great and very effective ways of dealing with problematic dogs and he specializes in aggressive dogs as well. Go to his website and start reading his story and his method of dealing with dogs with problems. He also has a great show on the national geographic channel. I recommend him because I have rescued several dogs with aggression issues and used his advice and methods on the dogs and the dogs all responded like little angels:)
Reply:She does this, because you probably let her. Telling them "no", usually does'nt work. I have a female nine week old pup, she's a mutt, but she looks like she i mixed with german shepherd. Every single time she bites you, or even growls at you, grab her by the loose skin on her neck, and shake it from side to side real fast and roughly. I know this sounds cruel and mean, but its really not. This is how the mother shows that playing rough, or trying to dominate is wrong. You have to teach the puppy, you are the alpha, and you run everything, even her. She will surely growl at you when you do this, and try to snap at you, but don't let her. Just hold the loose skin tightly from the back, so when she trys turn her head, your hands are not there waiting for her to bite. Pin her down on her side, and then tell her "no", look at her straight in the eye and make a very stern face. When she relaxes let her go, and when I say relax I mean when she basically lays there and gives up, which will take a long time. She will struggle with you, but don't give up. Like after 2 min. of this, just put her outside and close the door. She is a german shepherd, and she would never run away. She will probably sit at the door and cry, leave her all by herself with no toys, just pure cement under her. I recommend you put her on cement, because if you put her on grass, she will just sit there and have fun playing with the grass, and ruining it. On cement she can't do anything but sit there and feel bad. After like 4 min. of her being outside, let her in and start this over again, when she growls or bites. You will probably have to do this a lot in a short period of time, but don't feel bad, she will soon learn. My pup does'nt even growl anymore. Your pup will learn that as soon as she growls or bites the fun stops, germans are smart, she will catch on fast. If you don't want to try the method above, the Petco training will definetly help.

Good Luck!

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How do I introduce my new male Husky puppy to my male Dachshund?

2010-03-16T00:02:00.000-07:00

I have a two year old neutured male dachshund that is very territorial. I just purchased a male husky puppy that is 11 weeks old. I tried to introduce them through a baby gate. I pet both of them and encouraged them to sniff each other. After they smelled each other and seemed completely fine I let them meet face to face. They did fine for a while. They both followed me around the house but when I went to sit down my dachshund snapped at my husky puppy which lead to a fight. Neither of the dogs were injured but it scared me to death. So I seperated them for several hours, once again encouraging them from the baby gate to interact. After they seemed fine I attempted it again. They were fine for probably 2 hours. Then while I was eating some crackers at my dinner table, another fight started. All I heard was yelping and I saw them both hair-on-end, teeth-bared fighting mad. So once again they are seperated. I do not know what to do and would greatly appreciate any advice.

How do I introduce my new male Husky puppy to my male Dachshund?
Dashshunds are VERY territorial and (owner) jealous. It may just take some time, but they'll get used to each other. Dashshounds are normally all bark and will snap every once in awhile, but not fight. It sounds like the puppy did something the other didn't like. Perhaps too close to his Bed or Toy? It is what used to set off my mother's dashshund. Just keep them seperate when you are away and keep an eye on them when they are together. You sound like your on the right track......They'll get together soon.....
Reply:Give it time. Both need to be neutered. They will tear each other up if you don't.

It hasn't been that long and they need to decide who is leader.
Reply:You should introduce them on leashes. Like put both of them on leashes and go outside with both of them. Like when we were getting a new dog, we would bring our dog to where the new dog was. Like if the new dog is at a kennel, we would bring our dog to the kennel. Once we brought our dog to the kennel, we would have both dogs on leashes and let each other sniff each other. If they didn't get a long, we wouldn't get the dog, if they did we would get the dog.
Reply:H ave you considered taking them to the park or some place that the dachshund has not claimed as his own territory? He may feel less defensive there. Wiping the husky with a cloth and placing it under the dachshund's food dish will help him associate the husky's scent with something positive (food). Neuter the husky as soon as possible. He may be giving off a scent that the dachshund finds threatening.

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How can I get my 5 year old Bichon to like our new Bichon Puppy?

2010-03-16T00:01:00.002-07:00

We just got a 10 week old bichon frise puppy and our 5 year old bichon growls at him and shows his teeth at him? Any advice?

How can I get my 5 year old Bichon to like our new Bichon Puppy?
Your oldest dog is jealous. Thinks that the puppy is the new 'big thing' and that he will gat all the attention. Give them both equal love and attention and your older dog will almost be sure to get used to the idea of having a new friend. Any more queries, just e-mail me at imogen_mckennzie@yahoo.co.uk or visit my website imogenmckennzie.piczo.com and post your question from there. It will be answered within 3 days and put on the page 'imogen's answers'

imogen

xxx

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How much bigger will my puppy get?

2010-03-16T00:01:00.001-07:00

My seven month old puppy is a mixed breed. Probably Australian Cattle Dog, Beagle, and Labrador Retriever. He weighs 25 pounds, has a 17" neck and 21" around his mid-section behind his front legs, and about 13" at the shoulder. He may be 15" - he's a wiggleworm.

He has all his adult teeth, and he was neutered at about16 weeks.

How much bigger will my puppy get?
anytime with a mix breed it is hard to know for sure so all you can do is estimate. He still is a puppy but I'm guessing that he probably will not go much over 45lbs.
Reply:height wise at a full year...he will stop growing at 2 years
Reply:AS BIG AS HE CAN GET
Reply:tough question. How big are his paws? They usually have to grow into them. If they look like snow shoes, good luck, and I'll buy stock in whatever dog food you are feeding him.

But those three breeds don't get all that large, so I would say most likely between 50 and 75 pounds. Hard to say without seeing him.
Reply:they keep growing for up to 2 years......

About 1 1/2 they slow down and fill out.

Hes still has some growing,
Reply:I'd say the bigger of the 3 breeds...our puggle will be the size of his mother who was a beagle
Reply:with that mix of breeds hes probably going to get pretty big, maybe 40-50lbs but thats just a guess :x it could be smaller because of the beagle.. or larger if the lab blood in him came from a large lab. x_X
Reply:Sounds like he doesn't have much more to grow he may get as big as the Australian Cattle dog and Lab but not much bigger. Dogs stop growing after they are a year old.
Reply:he'll probably be around the size of the retriever because he has 2 bigger breeds in him and only 1 small one and at 7 months if he's already that size I would count on him being as big as or almost as big as a retriever.
Reply:A dog is considered an adult at 12 months old. Therefore, after a year and maybe a couple of months they are full size. If your dog was four months. He'd have a couple more growths spurts. He will get taller then get bigger and look gangly then fill out to adult size. Labs and Ausssies tend to be medium and beagles small. So your dogs size can vary. 45lbs sounds close. Maybe more or less. The easiest way is to look at his feet. They rarely lie. If his paws are huge and he trips over them. He will be big. If they are petite and he prances around. He will be small. If he has all his adult teeth I wouldn't worry. He about done no huge spurts should happen.
Reply:A Good way to tell how big ur puppy will get is to look at the size of it paws if they are bigger then he is then he has a lot of growing to do yet

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How do you keep a puppy from biting?

2010-03-16T00:01:00.000-07:00

I recently bought a puppy, a golden retreiver. She is very crazy, you go to pet her and she bites, its not really a defensive bite, more of a play bite, but her teeth are really sharp. Any ways to keep her from doing this?

How do you keep a puppy from biting?
Hi! Congrats on your new golden retriever puppy! It's very normal for puppies to nip while playing -- I think all puppies do it. Please don't whack your puppy on the nose. You want to establish a relationship where your puppy respects and obeys you, not one where he does things because he fears you -- that is not a good way to get consistently good behavior (i.e., your puppy might end up only behaving for you).

Luckily, there is a very easy solution to the biting problem. The thing is, puppies and dogs play with each other by using their teeth. They don't know that this hurts humans -- you have to tell your puppy it hurts. When your puppy bites you during play, pull your hand back and say in a very high pitched yelp, "OW!!!" Your puppy will likely look at you, startled. In the "dog world," when a puppy bites another puppy too hard, that other puppy yelps to let the biter know that that was out of line. After you say OW!, ignore your puppy and stop play for about 30 seconds (not longer, she'll forget why you're ignoring her). Then, resume play. If she licks you instead of bites, reward her with a treat and say "Good girl!"

Do this gradually -- at first, say OW and ignore only for the big bites. Then, work it up to even the gentlest scraping of her teeth against your skin gets the OW-Ignore treatment. You can even work in a time out. That's where you do the OW thing, but then you say 'Time out' and put her in social isolation (either gated in the kitchen or behind a closed door) for 30 seconds. Then let her out. Repeat if she bites. Soon she'll learn that if she wants people to play with her, she cannot bite. Biting is unacceptable.

Our trainer taught this to us, and within two weeks our puppy stopped biting. He never bites now -- even if you stick your hand in his mouth, he'll just back away gently from you. Be consistent, and this will work!

Oh, and another exercise we did -- we held a yummy treat (like a piece of hot dog, or a favorite biscuit) in our closed fist, and let our dog lick at our fist. If he licked (and didn't bite), we slowly let him have the treat, a bit at a time. If we offered a bit of the treat, and he got too eager and bit us (or even teeth scraped against our fist), we stopped offering him the treat. We'd try again in 30 seconds or so. This was also how our puppy learned patience and that biting gets him nowhere.
Reply:thump her in the nosie when she does that. I do that to my puppy and he is starting to learn to stop bitting me. He still nibbles a little but he doesnt mean too. Its just there way of playing. So just thump her on the nosie every tiem she does that and she will get the picture sooner or later.
Reply:The solution is the same for puppies and older dogs. First, do not hit the dog. It is not effective in the long term.

Do not allow a puppy or dog to play with your clothes, hands, or any other part of your body. They can mouth tug-toys, but not you. This trains the dog that people are not OK to nip.

If the puppy or dog nips you, simply stop and leave every single time. The puppy wants interaction, and will soon learn that nipping does not work.

Please take a dog obedience class with your puppy. It will teach you how to manage your dog over it's lifetime.
Reply:when he tries to bite you, or nip, or whatever, grab his bottom jaw and hold it down, saying "BAD, NO BITE!" it sounds mean, but its not, and it works. ive done it with the past two puppies ive had. good luck! %26lt;3
Reply:there is a spray that you can spray on yourself. it as "apple" in the name, but i can't remember the rest. find it at a pet store, and by the way, it's nontoxic.
Reply:ShibaGirl's advice is right on......please take the time and disciplin to follow her directions.
Reply:Shiba hit it right on! I also incorperated the command of "Nice" into my dogs training. Everytime we play and they get to rough they settle down when I say nice. I started saying this in a loud voice at first to make them understand it hurt and now I just say the word without raising my voice and it seems to work. I also use the word nice when giving them a treat. It broke them from snatching or taking the treat to aggresivley out of my hand.

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I have a 5year old dog and just got a 10week old puppy?

2010-03-16T00:00:00.003-07:00

I just got a 10 week old puppy and i have a 5year old puppy. I tried to do what a friend told me to do when i got the puppy... to not show the face only the butt and allow the older dog to smell it.. The older dog did but then she just ran and started growling. My older dog is a chihuahua %26amp; miniature cloli mix and the puppy is a maltese. The older dog dose not get alo/ng with the pup and the pup all it wants to do is play and is a bitter (ouch) sharp teeth... wath can i do to get them get along ?

I have a 5year old dog and just got a 10week old puppy?
From my experience, things like this just take time. The older dog will get used to the puppy eventually and they will establish their order of dominance. Of course, you are the pack leader so you want to make sure you keep an eye on the two...maybe have the two on leashes (for correction purposes and to make sure you can keep them far enough apart if you're afraid he might harm the other), and do little socialization/training sessions. It might be a good idea to do this at a park or something because the older dog is less likely to feel teritorial. Give them equal attention, and keep the mind stimulated (by obedience work or play). Treats might be a good idea too...That way they learn that positive things happen when the two are together (but only give the treats when they are being good and not growling). Every dog is different, and it's possible the older dog will never like the puppy...but with proper training he will learn to live with him, and the puppy will learn to leave him alone. I hope this helps, good luck!
Reply:UM "well, this is a common problem when someone already has one dog and a new one esp.younger one is bought into the enviorment.

Well just don't do anything about it at this time.

Give em' time to come around by themselves!

Don't force the pup nor the older dog to play with one another until they decide to.

I know it is hard to see them at each other but UNLESS you see blood or fur flying from them don't interrupted the fuzzing.

Let them work it out .your older dog is showing the pup he is the Alpah dog and he is standing his ground.

However if you see them draw blood or really hurt each other then call your local Vet for advice!

Good Luck!

Ps.... don't forget about your older dog now that the pup is their....

Their should be enough love for them both!

Also when you feed them let the older dog eat first.or even if you have to feed them in different areas.
Reply:The butt sniffing is the proper way to introduce dogs, it doesn't necessarily mean they will immediately get along. It just takes some patience and adjustment. Introduce them gradually. Try not to change things too fast for the older dog. Exchange some of their items such as blankets and let them meet (Leashed) in a central location. Extend meeting periods when they seem more comfortable with one another
Reply:Some dogs just DON'T like other dogs.

It seems liek you are willing to put some work into making things work, so hopefully some tips will help.

keep them seperate for a while. if you just throw the puppy into the mix, the dog will feel threatened, like this puppy invaded his domain.

if the puppy is slowly introduced, the dog will get used to sharing his territory, and learn to not be threatened or aggressive to the dog. The dog will also get used to having another puppy around.. If the older dog hasn't had much interaction with other dogs, don't expect them to bond right away, it'll happen. Just let it run it's course.

Hope this helped!

=]]

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Very upset about our puppy biting. Help?

2010-03-16T00:00:00.002-07:00

I've asked several times on this site about curbing my 9 week old puppy's biting. (thank you all for great suggestions) She seems to be obsessed with biting our hands and clothes. We sprayed our clothes with bitter spray and that's sort of working, but she is obsessed with biting out hands, necks, faces, and feet. We have tried alot of techniques. (saying NO while clapping, ignoring, tapping her nose, even gently holding her nose down to her chest...and we have plenty of chew toys ready and available) All of this just seems to make her even more nuts. We praise her when she is chewing a toy, yet still if a body part is in sight, she seems to get possessed! Growling and not stopping until her teeth is sinking into our skin. We still can't take her outside cause she's too young to have all her shots (another 4 weeks) My wife is literally in tears because dealing with the pup is so difficult. Does anyone have any advice for us? Please help.

Very upset about our puppy biting. Help?
breed plays a large part on their aggression. Without that part, I can only suggest behavior training. When she does something you don't like, you have to be absolute about stopping it. The one thing dogs understand is dog talk. The mothers solution to bad behavior always works.

For you that means learning to scruff your puppy, and give it a shake. Means learning to hold it down on the ground "pinned" until you decide to let it up. Both of these corrections at this age are appropriate, yet your puppy may scream like you have cut off its leg. Do not give in.

You administer the "punishment" and then walk away and its over. If its biting you, scruff it, give it a shake one, two three, saying sternly, No No No, or what every your stop word will be. then put the pup down, and walk away. Ok. Thats over. Hiting encourages agression, soft spoken words offer encouragement to continue being agressive.

attention span means you dont' hold it against the pup next time you see it. You start all over like the 50 first dates. Always good boy! here's your toy, come and play.

Again, if you are playing and it goes for you, scruff and correct, as it progresses, the dog will not like the correction and will stop the behavior. You can end up with giving correction or they get the toy with praise and play.

For aggressive tendencies that you feel more strongly about, pin the pup by the shoulder and head on the ground and sit quietly until it stops thrashing about. This is a dominance technique you will want to research to finess. And good for any age dog. It doesn't hurt anything but their idea of the pecking order in the house.

It does not hurt the dog to lay quietly, yet it may struggle and scream like you are killing it. Don't give in, just wait until it has gone a minute being quiet. then give it a release command, and get up and go about your business. You progress to 5 minutes as they get older. When they are at the vets it will pay off because they will be handlable and not get as stressed.

Sound simple? Ha Ha. training dogs to function in a human world is difficult becuase we attribute them to human conscience. They aren't human, and live in here and now, and instant reaction. Humans live in the past, and play guilt games. We have to adapt to teach them : ) but in the end its worth the quiet struggle. Dogs are devoted.
Reply:you should get help
Reply:You bite her back
Reply:spank puppy
Reply:I know it sounds mean but I had the same problem and I finally put spicy sauce on what the dog was biting.... the biting ended after it decided not to risk tasting tabasco sauce
Reply:she's probably teething. buy her a toy where you can stuff peanut butter or some kind of treat it in. that will keep her occupied for a while. they also make bones that have food stuffing in it, which my dogs spend hours tryign to get what's inside out! the bitter spray is a good idea. use it on everything! this is just a stage, and she will get over it soon.

if not, take her to a puppy trainer for a few weeks. that will do the trick for sure if all else fails!
Reply:We made the sound a puppy would make if it were being hurt. Whenever it bites yelp and take your hand away. Our dog learned in about a month, and now when she does bite when she plays it's so soft you cant even tell she has teeth. And we didn't even get her until she was 12 weeks old.

But let her know in a way that she can understand that she is hurting you.
Reply:OKAY YOUR PUPPY IS BITING BECAUSE HER TEETH ARE ITCHY AS THEY ARE GROWING JUST LIKE A BABY BITING ON EVERYTHING IT FINDS. SO I WOULD TRY TO LIMIT HER BY GETTING MAD WHEN SHE BITES OTHER THINGS BESIDES HER TOYS....BEST THING FOR YOU IS TO GET A TOY THAT SHE LIKES MAYBE A SQUEAKY ONE OR MAYBE A BONE.
Reply:be consistent. sharp no!, grab the pup with your thumb in his mouth at the bottom jaw just behind the teeth so he cant close his mouth, and another sharp NO! NO BITE!, and then a firm thump on the nose. last, replace with a toy that is okay to bite. you have to be consistent though.
Reply:We had the same problem with our puppy. Nothing worked, then we got her this chew toy from target. It had food it in too like a bone looking thing. Everytime she'd try %26amp; bite, we'd put it in her face to distract her. When she stopped teething around 4 months, she'd stop attacking our hands lol
Reply:One thing to do is when she bites you yell "ow" really loudly or make a high pitched whining sound that a dog would make. I have also mixed water with lemon juice in a squirt bottle and would spray it on their face when they tried to bite. Another option is it sounds like your puppy is fighting for dominance, I had a puppy do that and every time he nipped at me or tried to act like he was the dominant in the "pack" I would lay him on his back with my hand on his stomach. Forcing him into a submissive position while you stand over him shows that you are the alpha in the pack.
Reply:this may seem ridiculous but when she gets close to you to start biting, make a low growling sound until she stays back then pet and reward her for staying away. people say that negative reinforcement doesnt work, but it depends on the kind of reinforcement you use, dont beat your dog but a tough smack to the nose or top of the head is ok sometimes if they are really not getting the point. also.... the worst form of punishment a dog can get is being ignored. puppies only want attention. if she still bites push her off and ignore her while making the low growl noise until she stops and whe she remains calm reward her with a pat on the head and a "good girl" and a little attention

never baby the puppy giving her too much attention will spoil her behavior. train a dog right the first time because its 10 times as hard the second time around!
Reply:it may seem sort of mean, but, when she/he bites, take them and turn them on their back, hold them down, look them straight in the eye, and tell them no, until they give in. Let them know who's boss.
Reply:Just be understanding with your wife. It is breaking a pup form biting anything really. They teeth at this age so, be patient. It seems as though you are doing everything possible already. This might sound a little strange but have you tried a pup time out. Like you would with a child. A question do you have a puppy crate. A time out can teach the pup the behavior is not appropriate, and give you and your wife a break for a sec. to regroup or calm down.
Reply:The reason the dog is bitting humans is because its teething and it likes the taste of the salt on you skin. Keep telling the dog no when it bites you and the give it a toy rright away. also you can take something like an old dish ragg soak it in water and freeze it. This makes a great chew toy for the dog whilel its teething.
Reply:Puppies test their boundaries to see what's appropriate and what's not. They're a lot like kids in this way. :) When puppies play with other puppies and they bite one of them too hard the other puppy yelps (cries out in a high pitched tone). The biter will then back away before play starts up again. A puppy's mom might even give a bit back on the back of the neck or at the top of the nose. You are now your puppies new "pack" so you'll have to respond in kind of the same way. Every time the puppy bites you need to pull back and yelp really loud. Watch your dog. She'll stop and look at you. She might even give an apologetic lick. If not, give the back of her neck or the top of her nose a quick (and not too hard) pinch then ignore her for at least a full minute before playing with her again. What's most important though, is to be consistent. It sounds like you're trying a lot of different things so your pup doesn't know what to expect. If you choose one method and stick with it then you will see some results.

Petsmart offers some awesome classes. You can start now at 9 weeks as long as you have given her all the shots that are appropriate for her age. This will give her a chance to play with other healthy puppies and people and will allow you to bond in a positive way.

Good luck! It's never too late to train a dog... don't listen to that other guy. :)
Reply:My my my, mouthy little things aren't they?

I'll tell you what, she would probably make a spectacular working retriever.

Why don't you try playing some games of fetch with her? Seems like she thinks all of it is a game, so try making it into one! Get something she really likes to chew on-other than yourself, of course. Remove anything else she can fit in her mouth from the room, or the yard (I know this can be pretty difficult-my chessie likes to chew on the corner of the wall, which can't exactly be removed haha). You could get a puppy bumper from your local pet store-a rubber (or canvas) one with a rope tied to it. Really wind her up with it-swing it around by the rope so she can't get to your hand. When she really starts snapping for it-throw it and make her go after it. Not only will this be fun for her, but it will get her good and worn out after a while.

If you're outside, keep her on a long leash-if you have one (if not, you can get one from the pet store, of course). Maybe 15 feet. That way, if she tries to run off with it, you can correct her and keep her from taking off. If you don't use one, and she does take off, don't chase her-don't call her, don't do anything. Let her run off with it. If you chase her, you've started a new game of chase. If you call her, she may not listen, and therefore learns that sometimes she doesn't have to listen to you.

When she begins to get mouthy with you and doesn't take any interest in her toys-ignore her. Just walk away. Go in another room, go anywhere. Don't look at her, don't say anything to her, just get up and stand there like a tree. If she starts to hurt you, walk away. When, and if, she calms down-then you can praise her, which will likely start her nipping at you again-at which point you do the exact same thing and completely ignore her.

She wants your attention, she thinks it's a game-don't feed her by giving her your attention. By not giving it to her, you will get boring, and she will move on to something more interesting.

I hope some of this helps at least a bit. It takes lots of patiences and strict consistency. Like I said, I think she'd make a really great retriever =] Mouthy pups usually do when they get older. Unfortunately, they're not so pleasant as pups!

Also,

a good treat for pups-frozen carrots. They taste good, are crunchy, and the cold eases the soreness of gums.
Reply:ok tell your wife this will last for about 2 more months then it should stop it may be more or less time depending on the severity of the situation here. You see your dog was probably taken from her mom too early and she needs that motherly figure in her life that she can suck bite or chew on, im my years of breeding i have always been fascinated by how puppies act, they bite on there moms legs and its just a phase she will be going through.

Now if it persists you could do the peck at your dog where you close your 4 fingers over your thumb in a snapping motion. And either gently snap the dogs neck or ear to instill dominace.

Yelling wont help at all and can make matters worst, yelling is the last thing you want to do to a small puppy because the dog is so small now and you are probably close to 6 feet tall yelling down at a puppy, that can be terrorizing for a puppy thus causing it to seek someone else. Basically yelling at a young dog can make it be weary of you for years.

Chew toys are good just keep playing with them squeeking them act like your playing with it so she will desire it and bitter spray is an ok quick fix but she will quickly get over the bitter taste.

So be gentle snap her neck or ear with your hand if it continues, dont yell at it!! and just wait it out its a natural process and she will get over it and you and your wife will love your dog
Reply:In order to know how to deal with a modern breed, you need to trace their source and understand their nature. Dogs are very closely related to what animal? A wolf. In nature, when a mother wolf corrects her young, because they are getting too rough with each other, on her nipple, or with her, she will bite him on the snout. Not hard, but hold his mouth together. Cup it with your hand and say no, sternly. Don't do it above her. Get down on her level and do it. Dogs will pay more attention to eye contact, restriction of their body, and your assertion of your voice more than anything that you can do to them. I hope that works!
Reply:Get a new dog. Once a pup starts with that I dont think you can do anything about it

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What happened to my puppy at the groomers???

2010-03-16T00:00:00.001-07:00

My puppy went to the groomer about a month ago. Since he was a baby I was the only one to clip his nails because he had a bad experience with the vet tech who cut one of his nails too short and he bled. Everything was fine and he used to allow me to cut his nails and pawpads hair really well, without growling or getting nervous. Now when I try to do that, he becomes nervous, growls, and even shows his teeth. My dog is not agressive, and I just think that something weird might've happened to him at the groomer because nobody at home ever does his nail clipping.

BTW, it was an store-chain grooming salon, I've no established independent groomer close to my home :(

What happened to my puppy at the groomers???
You can't assume that it was the groomer's fault. Assuming is bad.

The problem with your pup is probably memory. Dogs associate items with moments in their lives, good or bad. He is probably just associating your clippers with that evil vet tech.

If you calm him down and teach him to associate the clippers with good things this will help him in the end.

Try the following:

Get the clippers and set them in front of your puppy. Then hold him and cuddle with him to calm him down. Praise him and encourage him. Then try clipping his nails. Repeat this process until he is fine with the clippers.

If nothing works, continue the above but use treats as well...dogs like tasty snacks and these can help associate the clippers with food.
Reply:I would ask the groomer that groomed your dog about how your dogs visit went, and if they had any problems. It isn't unheard of that a groomer has mishandled a dog. You might want to take your dog somewhere else if he is not acting normal after his visit with this groomer.
Reply:He could be going through a fear stage puppies do that every now and then, and with him having a bad time with his nails at the vets and then having someone else do his nails it could have just scared him, he mite get over that stage with his nails and he mite not. When you do his nails give him a treat when you are done.
Reply:He is probably just remembering it hurting him. Try to get him to let you play with his paws for a while first, until he sees you aren;t going to hurt him. Then try to cut the nails again, and have someone else there, petting and soothing him. This worked on a stray I found. He is a really bug mutt, and his nails are the thickness of my pinky. He had never had nails cut before, and the vet cut off way too much and had to cauterize afterwards.
Reply:That's too bad that it's her only option. Check with the manager at the grooming salon. You could call the local news and ask them to do an investigation on them.
Reply:They might have been rough with him, or he might have got freaked out by the other dogs. They don't generally like the groomers, mine had a bad experience, and was really traumatised for days, wouldn't leave his basket. I now pay a bit more after shopping around a lot for one that will be patient and kind with my baby. Some groomers overbook and then rush the job. Good luck, he will get over it. X
Reply:It's a very real possibility that your pup suffered some sort of trauma at the groomers. I've been a groomer for about 6 years and I know all it takes is one bad experience and it can ruin a dog's attutitude toward any kind of grooming for a very long time. You'll probably have to start all over again with training your pup to be ok with grooming. Give him treats when you touch his paws or brush him. Reassure him that it's still a good thing. I'd recommend trying to find a different groomer that isn't affiliated with a chain-store. Try a local vet..they often have groomers in their clinics.
Reply:Man! This is way too common. Most groomers do not take the time and have the patience to help dogs get over their issues around their feet and a lot of dogs have them.

You can trim your dogs nails again. It is not difficult and if they are dark and you can't see the quick, you literally nibble your way up the nail with the clippers until you see the dark dot in the centre.

To retrain him, start off by running your hand down his leg when you are rubbing his belly etc. Work your way onto his feet bit by bit. Very nonchalantly. When he no longer reacts to that, start touching him with the clippers. Not to use them just so he doesn't think every time he sees them that they are going to be used. Have them out in the open all the time so they become boring. Do this over a few days.

Eventually rub the clippers down his leg onto the paw. Give him a treat. Tap his nails with your finger nail. Treat. Tap his nails with the clippers. Treat.

Eventually work your way to trimming just one nail. Treat. You always want to keep this in a win situation. Who cares it might take a week or two.

Cutting your dogs nails is not something difficult to do and is not as scary as everyone thinks. If you happen to nip the quick, stay calm. Dab it with baby powder or flour if you don't have quickstop. It is just like cutting your nail too short. It hurts but it isn't that bad.

Patience, non-chalance, and going slowly making the process no big deal is the key. The best nail clippers are the ones that look like scissors not the guillotine kind. Get the size appropriate for your pet.

Sorry about this. I know how you feel.
Reply:If he's in the adolescent stage, it's quite common for them to resist nail clipping and other grooming. Be persistent and he'll eventually settle down and accept it again.

family nanny

My 8 month old Puppy Help!?

2010-03-16T00:00:00.000-07:00

My puppy got into some Preperation H cream, And chewed the cap really bad and then I found the tube on the couch with teeth marks all over it. I'm really not sure if he tasted it but he seems to be doing fine, I already called the vet and I'm going in on Monday..She says to watch him for 24hrs...Should I be worried? Has this happened to anyone before.. PLEASE NO RUDE COMMENTS JUST FOR THE POINTS. Thanks.

My 8 month old Puppy Help!?
.....LOL.....it could happen to anybody....anybody with roids.....( I can relate)......is his mouth puckered?.....sorry......there is shark oil in the Preperation H ....but i'm not sure what else.....doesn't sound like "Rover" ingested any , or much of this NOT tasty substance....if he swallowed very much , I would transport his derrier to the vet right away.....otherwise....just keep an eyeon this curious guy....and buy him some rawhide bones , as well as other distractions.....good luck...
Reply:watch for behavior changes and if he appears sick go to vet
Reply:Here's what you do...Call the poison control center and tell them that your "3 year old CHILD" just ingested a couple of spoonfulls or P. H...Don't tell them it's a dog or they won't answer....My thought here is that you've already spoken to the vet and the vet didn't see any urgency, so your dog is going to be just fine....I would however recommend that you give your dog a meal with some veg. oil to help him get rid of the meds quicker.. :-)
Reply:my dogs have never eaten P-H, but i had a Dalmatian that always ate 'bad' stuff, a stick of butter, one pound of chocolate, rainbow jimmies that made his poop look like a pinata, etc. and he lived til 16, so im sure your dog will be ok. just watch for vomiting, or diarrhea, or changes in appetite.

computers

How to stop our puppy biting? We've read all the books!!?

2010-03-15T23:59:00.003-07:00

We have a four month old alsation/ dalmation (?) cross puppy that we rescued off the streets at roughly 6weeks old. he was from a litter of 10 and first to venture out with his mum. He is very lively but he bites for attention, bites with aggression, bites when we say no or try to control him, bites when playing etc.... I hope this is normal and and not a character fault that will never change. we have tried all the techiniques: spraying with water, acting like scary monsters, restraining his movements about the house etc. plus firm commands of ´no` - even tried dog whispering techniques with baring of teeth and no noise, nothing seems to deflate his sense of dominant dog! Expecpt when he goes out on the lead and then he is afraid of all other dogs and is as good as gold! His biting is waring us down... Is he too young? Could his Pedrigree Chum be making him more aggressive? he seems worse after eating. Though he only obeys us when he is about to get his food.

How to stop our puppy biting? We've read all the books!!?
Withdraw all of your attention whenever your dog bites - straight away!

Hopefully he'll learn to associate his biting with you ignoring him.

This article also has some good points http://www.dog-obedience-training-review...
Reply:bite him back lol
Reply:Come on woman, let us have some fun.
Reply:find him a toy that he would like to keep on biting, then when finds one don't get it back.
Reply:The only thing do do is to say "OWWW" in a loud - non-shouty voice. He should get the message.
Reply:I've owned a few dogs now and I bite them back...seems to work. But a small amount of biting is part of growing up....however they need to know when is OK and when it is not.
Reply:A lot of ppl may not agree but a short sharp tap on the nose will cure him, with a little perseverance, it is quite normal for pups to do this as they are teething, buy him some toys to chew on and if he wants to bite you pop the toy in his mouth. they usually do get out of this at a later age.
Reply:Use a water pistle as it is actually bitting, this also works for barking.
Reply:When pups bite their mothers- the mother will put their mouth around the pups muzzle and squeeze down. Try putting your hand around his muzzle when he bites and squeezing slightly. The other option is whenever he bites- give him a firm "NO" and isolate him from your company (put him in another room) for a few moments- dog's love to be with you- so very soon he'll associate biting with being away from you. You need to be firm and consistant because he's going to grow into a big dog- a big dog that bites is not what you need.
Reply:He's likely biting because he was separated from his mother too young. He never learned many of the etiquette issues that his mother and littermates would have taught him. Puppy kindergarten is ALWAYS a good idea for puppies, but I would ESPECIALLY recommend it in this case. If you've been reading books about training and nothing's working, he needs to get into obedience classes. Puppy kindergarten is just the first step here...by being with other puppies, he will get the vital socialization, training, and interaction he is lacking by being separated.
Reply:We had to use our acting skills and imitate a puppy in pain with a sharp yelp every time Puppy bites, followed by a period of ignoring him and looking at the ceiling. It works.

Another thing you need to do is make sure to work on that aggression with a trainer. This MIGHT be just puppy biting, but the rule of thumb is "Don't let him get away with anything you won't still find cute when he's 90 pounds."
Reply:I think it's probably normal, especially since he's still a puppy. Maybe he's teething? With my friend's dog I held the dogs face with both my hands, looked him straight in the eye, and yelled "no biting!" he just looked at me kinda shocked, like "okay, sorry..." and calmed down. Maybe that'll work for you? Try giving him more toys too, like bones he can chew on for hours and let his aggression out on that. It's best to get him out of his biting phase now, while he's still young, so he doesn't get so used to it when he's older.
Reply:When he bites grab his muzzle and gently squeeze and say NO! Make it a little tighter every time you have to do it. Their mom's do the same thing with their mouths. It worked wonders with our dog.
Reply:maybe you should take him to a proffesional trainer.

the one thing dog owners dont do is CONSISTENCY.

pick a method and STICK TO IT. the dog is not going to learn the first time !!

try this (and pls i am taking the effort of typing all this, so try it long enough to prove it works)

everytime your puppy bites you, make a short-sharp 'yelp' sound. this is the sound similar to what puppies would make if they got hurt or bitten. when puppies are seperated from their siblings are earlier than 9-10 weeks, they tend to bite more as they havent learnt from the experience of biting other pups and learning that biting hurts.

when he bites, "YELP" and hold on where he bit you and immediately STOP PLAYING WITH HIM. thats very important. if you keep laughing or playing, he will not understand. when he calms down, you can play again.

if you keep this consistent, i have no doubts that the dog will soon understand that if he bites you, it hurts and theres no more play if he bites. but pls pls do it for long enough.... keep teaching him....

acting like monsters etc will only agravate him as he thinks you are playing !!!

good luck and get some help from a trainer, you will not regret spending the money !
Reply:He is biting cos thats wot puppies do... i've got a boxer pup and he does exactly the same, he will be teething too, it knacks but it's wot they do..!

Make sure he has plenty of toys (not slippers as he will then think it's ok to bite all of your other shoes) and i'm sorry but you will just have to put up with it
Reply:I had the same problem with my overlay active pitbull, whom I brought home when he was 4 weeks old. The best way I found to keep him from chewing things he's not suppposed to (ie your shoes, furniture, clothes and your hands) Is to supply him with lots of things that he CAN chew on. For example: if you see him chewing your shoe...take it away, say "no, not this (show him the shoe) chew this (give him the toy)" and when he chews on you, or your clothes, get him off, sit him down, make sure he looks you in the eyes and tell him "no" very firmly. My dog cody used to grab your pant leg and bite. I had to break him out of that habbit, because of the breed he is, anyone who wasn't used to his antics might misconstrue it as aggression when he was really just playing. You have to let him know you're the boss. Be firm, and corrective, not scary. You can also try a can filled with small pebbles or pennies, tape it and when ever you're too far to exchange his victim for a toy throw the can at him (not to hit him, just to scare him) when ever he has something you don't want him around. The sound will make him react and get his atention so you can tell him "no" Above all, remember he's a puppy, and all puppies have to be trained to our liking. Don't hit him, and don't give up on him. They need love and attention. and he'll grow out of his chewing face if you teach him what it's ok for him to chew on and what isn't. Good luck. I can tell you from experience that it works and that you'll have a happy house and happy puppy.
Reply:when he bites you, yell a loud OW! and pull your feet away or what ever he is biting ignore and walk away from him for 2 or 3 min. then start playing with him again and if he tries to bite do the same thing OW! pull away, ignore, and walk away pretty soon he will learn that biting wont get him attention. buy some bitter apple at the pet stores and spray it on the things that he is not suppossed to bite like wires ect. if doesnt help i would go to a dog trainer to help your puppy. and if you dont fix this he might be worse in the future!
Reply:You can't stop him from biting because while he is a puppy his teeth are growing. This is kin of painful so they need to bite to stop the pain. I suggest you get them a chew toy or somthing.
Reply:Like the others said, a sharp no, and a muzzle squeeze. Along with that, always have a chew toy, or raw hide to show your puppy the proper item to chew and bite on. Being a rescue dog, this behavior my take a while to break. Always have a chewy ready and stay on top of it. Also remember to say good boy when he chooses his chewy on his own. Good luck.
Reply:This is a very common problem in puppies. It starts with natural behaviour of mouthing and then when the pup sees it can gain control quickly escalates into biting to control you. This will take time to control. YOu must show the dog you are best and easiest way is to show you are pack leader. 4 months is ideal to start this and believe me this really really works!!! When you pup starts biting you... yelp (loudly like another pup would if hurt) and turn away and walk out of the room close the door and leave for 5 mins (make sure pup is left on his own). Then return - play and if happens again repeat (exaggerate yelp and turn body away) and leave for a little longer on his own. Honestly this will work - 2 reasons

1) you are controlling the play (this would happen in a pack if one dog was playing too rough the other would yelp and leave)

2) By leaving the dog on its own (which is the worst punishment as pack animals) you are reinforcing its my house and if you don't work by my rules nice things stop and you are left on your own.

Aggression is a little different and the dog needs to know you are boss. These pointers should help

1) eat before the dog - control his food never leave it down

2) when you come into a room/ come home - ignore the dog for 5 minutes. Then when you are ready fuss. This is extremely powerful. If the dog is excited just turn your back. It will try to get your attention but turn away calmly and walk away/ close the door. Also works if dog too lively.

3) Always go through doors first. Never step over the dog - he will get the message - oh they go around me I'm boss.

4) don't let on furniture (unless really submisive)

5.) play when you want to. A dog that comes over to and demands attention is a bossy dog.

6.)Good lead work - if the dog walks ahead - again is top of the pack.

Read Jan Fennell the dog listener - she has worked for all the dog classes and problem dogs I have worked with.. but make sure the whole family sticks to the rules! Also go to dog classes - they are not expensive and it really helps to meet people with similar problems and discuss solutions.

Good luck! In my experience dalmations are a little more excitable as a breed and alsastions - quite stubborn but both are great breeds for pets - best wishes!
Reply:muzzle him thats how i got mine to stop biting
Reply:My dogs bit when they were pups too. It is a natural thing for them. While with their litters mates they bite each other. You have to think like another puppy. If he biting too aggressively and it hurts, Yelp! Dogs don't speak English, so they don't understand "ow". A yelp they understand. I saw this on some TV show and it worked well with my dogs. Within a week my dogs would grab without much force when playing.
Reply:i was watch this thing on telly ,and vet said to put the pup on ur lap on his back and and put ur arm across his neck gently for few minites it every day he will learn u are the boss and not him,or hold his mouth closed with ur hand when he bites just for a few seconds ,hope that helps ,it sounds cruel but it works.good luck
Reply:When he bites, YELP like a puppy and withdraw all attention. This is what he would have learned from his littermates, and at 6 weeks of age he may not have gotten all his lessons. My Boxer puppy was rough, and I used this tecnique and also said "easy" in a firm voice and put my hands behind me. She now stops instantly (she was never hit for this behavior) when I say "easy". You need to be in control of playtime. YOU initiate it, and YOU stop it on your terms. I also recommend reading Jan Fennel's "The Dog Listener". She shows us how to be Alpha with out force. Don't assume because your bigger that you're Alpha. It's not the necessarily biggest wolf that gets to be Alpha. Jan explains it easily, and I have used her techniques with great success, and my dogs are happier for it. Check you local library or Amazon.com.
Reply:None of those techniques are good, and the Dog Whisperer says not to try his techniques for a reason. They are individually suited for particular dogs, and if done on the wrong dogs, can CREATE issues that weren't there in the first place.

First, 16 weeks is the "bite inhibition marker," meaning that if your pup hasn't learned bite inhibition by this age, it's very hard to teach and requires a professional trainer.

Second, the methods you mentioned are outdated. If you had any sort of expectations as to when your puppy would stop biting you, that could translate into frustration and aggression on your part and make it worse. For instance, if you expected your pup to stop biting you at 8 weeks, you might get frustrated and that would show in your reaction. Doing so would cause more "aggressive" (which is really just playing, or possibly throwing a doggy temper tantrum) behavior. A realistic expectation is that even when taught bite inhibition by other dogs, who know what they are doing, a pup won't learn it until atleast 10 weeks. When taught by humans, it's usually later than that, around 14-16 weeks.

I would suspect that the books you've read were either written in the 1970s or written by someone who hasn't updated their training style since then. It is widely recognized in the dog training community that these harsh methods don't work. They always make the dog worse, either for play or aggression. "Spraying with water, acting like scary monsters, restraining his movements about the house, etc., plus firm commands of 'no'..." All of these methods are ineffective and can cause fear, dominance, and aggression issues if used by an untrained person.

The proper way to teach bite inhibition takes a few weeks, and I will outline it here, but it only works if you are patient. It is also for dogs under 16 weeks; no matter what I or anyone else here says, you HAVE to take your dog to a professional trainer (and don't skimp, the cheap ones are cheap for a reason). After 16 weeks he really needs to be individually evaluated and assessed.

The proper way to teach bite inhibition is:

1. Play with the pup.

2. When he bites, scream "OW" and remove your hand from his mouth. (If he is biting too hard to do this, gently press his upper lips into his sharp canine teeth, this will cause his jaw to open.)

3. Say "No bite," very calmly, and WALK OUT OF THE ROOM.

4. Make sure that no one plays with the pup. Leave him all alone. (You obviously need to do these exercises in a safe room.)

5. After a couple of minutes, come back in and play again. The INSTANT he bites you, repeat. Your pup will soon learn that nipping=no more playing.

Remember, your pup is not biting out of "aggression" unless you have taught him to. He is more than likely biting out of play (because it's being reinforced...he gets talked to and wrestled with!) or because of a temper tantrum (he's a teenager now, it's to be expected).

Call a behavioralist, but I don't suspect that, if you do, this should be an issue you will have to worry about for much longer.

Good luck!
Reply:i had a german shep once.had same problem..when he bites someone grab him, flick him on the end of the nose, put hand oround his nose and mouth and say no quite stern.it works cos the nose is very sensitive..they learn very quickly that biting someone hurts them more..try it it works.dont think ya being cruel.cos if you dont take control now he will rule your life..
Reply:Try making your hand into a fist next time he bites then make a load noise like a squeal that he would make if he was hurt.

This should remind him that he's hurting you.
Reply:try yelping when he bites. its something the dogunderstands as when he was younger his litter mates would yelp then be quiet for a moent if play got too rough. If this doesn't work, you need a behaviourist as this behaviour should have stopped by now.

I know yelping sounds silly...but if it doesn't work....i'll bend over and kiss my toes....
Reply:diggers right he deserves your best answer a little pinch on the nose and a firm voice will discourage him.
Reply:get yourself a plastic bottle and put a few stones inside to make a rattle. When your dog nipps just shake the rattle and in a loud tone of voice say No! or something that's appropriate to you. This takes time bit it is affective and can be used to train your dog in other areas too.
Reply:kick him!lol

flickr

Am I training my puppy right for biting?

2010-03-15T23:59:00.002-07:00

We have a 3 month old puppy, Bichon/Sheltie mix. Lately, in the past week as she's settled into the house, she seems to have picked up a ugly habit of biting my shorts and baggy pants.

How do I prevent this? She usually does it downstairs in the den, so what I usually do, after yelling OW and NO a bunch of times is to just go upstairs and close the door. This leaves her to her own devices.

However, she tends to cry and scratch the door a lot. I'm fine with ignoring that until she calms.

Does this reinforce that biting shorts and pants will get your owner to go away? She is teething, and we encourage and praise as much as we can when she chews on a toy.

The shorts situation can get very painful and she lunges, so teeth can get the shorts and many times what's underneath! Ouch!

Am I training my puppy right for biting?
You prevent this by giving your dog a bone to chew on, sounds like teething. Puts your clothes away. You wouldn't treat a child this, way don't do it to your dog. It is wrong to leave your dog longer than 2-3 minutes to 'fend for itself', how do you think it feels? it has not education etc...

I think some toys for her to play with as well, try a Kong, or get another dog for to play with, it is really lonely by yourself, for the rest of ones life, you try it. Good luck.
Reply:I would have to say yes it does reinforce that, but that's what you want. She'll eventually get the hint that you stick around when she doesn't bite and stop.

My poodle used to like to chew on ice when she was teething. See if she likes ice and if this settles her down a bit.

Good luck!
Reply:Get one of those rope chews. When you tell her no give her the chew so she gets the hint not to chew your pants.

Sounds like she is just so happy to see you and have to get out of the biting. I wouldn't lock her up just tell her no and give her the toy.
Reply:alright. first of all, dont leave her alone too long, because who knows what she's eyeing and sees as a chew toy. never let her have old shorts or things like that to chew. get her actual chew toys, that way she'll learn the difference. if you give her old clothes, she'll think its ok to chew clothes. and if she bites, tap her lightly on the nose, and show her the bitten spot, so she knows that everytime she does something like that, she'll be punished, and she'll learn that biting is wrong. she'll learn to conect the biting with the taps/spanks. but never seriously hurt a dog. as far as i know, the type of dog you have isnt aggressive, so she wont learn to retaliate after a tap on the nose.
Reply:If there is a smell that your dog doesn't like put it on one of your dogs favorite pairs of pants to chew then buy a chew toy that your dog likes and take the dog with you to petco or something and let him choose his own then make your dog smell the pants and then make sure he backs away from it and then as a reward give the toy to the dog
Reply:she wants to play tug of war. she will grow out of it
Reply:My rottie did this when she was little too. I had holes in all the knees of my pants. lol. But just tap her on the nose and say no or outch or whatever. Leaving the puppy alone isnt the answer. The dog doesn't know why you don't wnt to play.

If you watch puppies play, you will see they bite each other the same way.

Just tap it on the nose and correct it. Don't just leave it in the room.

Good luck!
Reply:my cosin's collie who is a pup (2 mouths old) dose the same thing when u run he will chase ur feet so put a leash on her and in front of her some clouths when she starts biteing say no and pull on her leash for a split sec
Reply:You need to give her a substitute; something made of cloth that she knows is hers to shed during teething.

If she grabs your shorts (and thighs) again, you should give her a sharp tap with one finger across the bridge of her nose and stay in the same room while ignoring her. Don't be too hasty in forgiving her. She should pick up on your feelings and stew for a short while.
Reply:No.... See, you go in "her territory", she bites you, and you leave.... And even though it may just be teething, it's going to /lead/ to biting people when the person goes near her/him. Which is bad... If it were me, I'd just stand still and let her do it until she gets the idea that biting won't make people leave or get the person to give her attention.... Or you might try giving her some corrections the Cesar Millan way! xP Cesar Millan is known as the 'Dog Whisperer'.... He has a show that plays on National Geographic every Friday at 8/7c... He usually plays other days too. Just look up the NGC schedule on the net and see when he plays. He rocks! =P Good luck! ^_^
Reply:You are right for training him to bite because if the puppy grows and there is not enough space for him,he has to leave the house and requires alot of self defence. But right now, under your care, you should not train it because it is still young and has a long way to go before it gets old. If you train it now, whenever you take it for a walk, it will bite other people and you are blamed for it. You won't want that,don't you? But if you never get the intention to throw it away, PLEASE NEVER EVER TRAIN IT TO BITE OR ELSE AFTER BITING YOU, IT WILL BE OUR TURN!
Reply:We had the nipping problem with our puppy, The way that we handled it with him is that when he would go pants chasing we would tell him no and then reenforce that no with a time out. The time out was turning him away from us and holding him in a sit between our feet for about 30 seconds, once the time out was over we would give him something that he was allowed to chew on and praise him for doing so. If the behavior continued we would give him a big time out which consisted of being put somewhere where he could see the family but not be with the family. This worked with our dog.
Reply:all puppies do this at this age. From what you've said you're doing the right things. keep going and she should get out of it herself in a month or so.

Good Luck

PS. What 'Kaska' said could actually be rewarding your puppy for biting your shorts.

Imagine this.... you bite someones shorts and they give youa toy for a while. After this if you want your toy, all you've got to do is bite. You're getting rewarded for doing the wrong thing.

HORSE

Need help with a Puppy who Bites and Chews??!?

2010-03-15T23:59:00.001-07:00

My husband and I have a 3 month old cocker spaniel (named Cocoa). She is ADORABLE and we love her to pieces, but she tries to eat everything (even though we have puppy proofed, we watch her like a hawk) and gets in these "moods" where she tries to bite us. We want to use positive reinforcement if possible ... I don't know if I like the whole "squirt bottle idea" ... but I'll take any/all HUMANE suggestions.

Just so you know: we have her on a feeding schedule (3 times a day) and we have her potty trained, she knows "sit", "stay" and "down" and we give her lots of exercise (at least 3-4 walks a day %26amp; tons of play time with us) , lots of fresh water ... and a multi vitamin from the vet. She has several favorite chew toys (they don't always distract her from our ankles and couches).

what are some of your proven tactics?? I know that in general PUPPYS CHEW/BITE ... I get that, but I don't want her to think its OK to bite us ... and now that she has most her teeth, IT HURTS! Thanks

Need help with a Puppy who Bites and Chews??!?
Squirt Bottle doesn't cause them any harm-It teaches them to stop the habbit you don't like without teaching them to be afraid of you.

If you don't want to use this-try getting a chew bone for puppies and say no firmly when the dog bites and distract it with the chew bone.

Brocolli, Carots etc,

Not Onions or Garlic as these are toxic-Garlic is found in many natural dog foods!
Reply:Buy the puppy some rawhide or even better pork chew sticks. This will give the puppy something it will find tasty to chew on that will last for hours, It will also save your furniture.
Reply:I am on my 8th dog in my life now and have raised them all from pups. I too believe in 'Humane" teaching methods and even though I hunt most of my dogs they have never and will never be subjuect to a shock collar. I know what you mean about the chewing and nipping. Puppies are by nature trying to establish dominance and testing the limits of everything including you. I have found that by lightly flicking their nose or holding their bottom jaw open after they nip reinforces the fact it is not alright to bite you and offer up something they can chew on such as a toy but keep it to some specific toy that is theirs strictly for chewing on. Be patient and consistent.
Reply:When my Neo was a puppy, he used to bite all the time (just playing of course)! I used to just lightly pop him on the nose and say NO BITE. Eventually he caught on and didn't bite.
Reply:Hello. I have chihuahuas and an English Bulldog that all loved to bite. I got this tip from a breeder friend that saw first hand how bad biting can get. She told me that EVERY time I got bit I was supposed to shove my fingers down the puppys mouth almost to the point where they gag. I thought yeah right! But she insisted that this worked and swore that it would take care of the problem. So I promised that EACH time I got bit I would do it. Sure enough by the THIRD time I shoved my fingers down their mouth they knew what would happen and it stopped. I swear it! I have since then given this tidbit to other friends and family and I havent gotten told it didnt worked. So I hope this helps!
Reply:when a puppy does something it's mother doesn't like she will growl at it, when ur tellin her off lower ur voice like a growl an say NO!!! trust me this will work after a few attempts whenever she does something you dont want her to 'growl' at her you will instantly get her attention then distract her to something nice... l have bred dogs an this does work....
Reply:I had the same experience.

Give him some predesignated toys for chewing/biting that he can be encouraged to play with.

Show him a finger and lightly tap on his nose when he bites.

You could also show him a rolled newspaper, that you can identify to him in the beginning by hitting the ground next to him and where he has bitten. The noise scares them, and in future they know just by seeing a rolled newspaper that they have been naughty.

Play with him with things he can chew/ bite. Keep him occupied. They sometimes chew at stuff out of boredom.

Give him raw hide bones. (My dog used to hide his bones and chew at the furniture instead when he was a puppy)

Be patient, and praise him and reward him when he has been good.

Good luck
Reply:i had many dogs... i was always too lay to train them so they were all bad. they peed and pood everywhere... they barked t and attacked only children and few adults...they tried to eat me if i had food or sauce on my hand... so to prevent biting you , you put on gloves or whats better is to put perfume on your hand. they dislike smell and dont bite it and if they do it taste horrible and they dont bite...strong perfume
Reply:its normal its called teething when I first got my rusty dog he bit my hair,toes,fingers,etc. I tried growling and pinching its head
Reply:I agree somewhat with grumpy, but not the gagging part. Im sure it works but this is what i do with my PitBulls. EVERYtime teeth touch you, Grab ahold of the lowere jaw, thumb under tongue and just hard enough to hold them there. No pain. The lower jaw is the only one that moves and if you hold it still they will shake and fight and hate hit. But hold the jaw, tell them "No Biting". Dont yell at them but in a firm calm voice say it. They will soon associate that teeth on skin means really uncomfortable mouth. It doesnt hurt them but rather makes them see its not worth it. My APBT is 16months and hardly ever mouths anymore, but you have to make sure anyone around your dog follows the same rules or he will learn not to do it to you but its OK with other people.

city opera

I have a 3 day old puppy chihuahua that has got bitten in the stomach what can I do I cannot afford a vet help

2010-03-15T23:59:00.000-07:00

I have 2 female chihuahuas and one of them gave birth, the other one came and tried grabbing the puppy and when I went to get the puupy I saw that it is injured, it looks like the dog hurt it with its teeth and its bleeding it has a very bad scratch in one side and like a dot on the other, I don't know if they are deep wounds but it looks like it, the puppy was bleeding in the begining but it stopped now, I cannot afford a vet at this time, any suggestions on how to care for it myself. Please help anyone with any suggestions

I have a 3 day old puppy chihuahua that has got bitten in the stomach what can I do I cannot afford a vet help
Take the dog to the vet and work out a payment plan. Like someone said, If you can afford a computer, tv, phone and other basic necessities surely you can afford making small payments on a vet bill.

Im sure if YOU were the one that was in need of medical attention you wouldn't hesitate getting to the hospital would you?
Reply:Why Can't you go to the vet? If you dont have money why do you have a computer? Offer it to the vet until she/he takes it!!!! quit being lazy and get a job if your old enough
Reply:Is this just a common occurrence here or what?? People that shouldn't be breeding, ARE?

You should take htis little pup to the vet, you have NO idea if and what internal damage could have been done to this newborn puppy!!!

WHEN you get the money from selling these pups, get your female spayed.
Reply:The bite could have caused internal damage to the puppy, and the cut on the outside can become infected quite quickly. I would really suggest taking the puppy to the vet so it doesn't have to suffer, use a credit card, borrow money, do whatever you can to get it to the vet.
Reply:Sorry, but you have no choice but to take that poor puppy to the vet. If you spayed and neutered, you wouldn't have this problem.

Some vets have payment plans, now quickly! Take that baby to the vet! The puppy deserves more then that!
Reply:GO TO A VET NOW ask you neighbour a family member any one jus go now any vet will let you pay in installments if you can't afford it!

ADD-

Sorry i just couldn't imagine that por puppy dying thanks for going! ^_^ Good luck and i hope your puppy gets better soon!
Reply:You know the lecture most will give...

Clean the wounds with some type of antiseptic, keep them clean, if a scab forms over the 'dot' keep a very close eye on it. It may be a puncture wound that is infected, this is the worst that can happen. If it appears that there is swelling and redness (you may or may not be able to detect heat on the belly) make sure the wound can drain. Without going to the vet this is really all you can do.
Reply:SORRY.....NO SYMPATHY FOR YOU HERE.....GO TO THE VET!!

SIMPLE.................IT'S NOT ABOUT YOU....TAKE HIM TO THE VET VET VET!!!

IF THAT WERE YOU OR YOUR SISTER OR BROTHER, OR MOTHER, OR DAUGHTER/SON...............WOULDN'T YOU TAKE THEM TO THE DOCTOR?????

PLEASE GO NOW!!! TO THE VET!!
Reply:If you can't take it to the vet write that pup off.You have no way of telling how serious the injury is yourself
Reply:If you can't afford to properly care for the pups, why did you breed?

The only way to know for sure if any serious damage was done to the pup is to take it to a vet.

Also, keep the other female far away from the pups!
Reply:If you don't have enough money for the vet, you shouldn't have pets. Period. Take the puppy to the vet...please!
Reply:I agree with everyone that said you need to get the pup to the vet, but if that's not going to happen you will probably find that the mother will keep licking the wound trying to help it heal. This can be a good thing, but it can also irritate the pup and do more damage. The best thing to do would be to keep an eye on it, make sure that you keep it clean and not let the mother at it too much. A mixture of salt and warm water would be the way to go, clean it up every couple of hours...as some others said, there is no way to tell how bad the bite is, because the way dog bites present on the surface gives you no clue as to how much tearing has gone on under the skin. Ring the vet and ask them what to do as well, they'll guide you. After this, don't have any more animals that you can't provide emergency care for.
Reply:The other female needs to be kept from any possible access to the pups again.

Next, you really need to see a Vet with this pup or there's a good chance it will die. If not from possible internal injuries, then possibly from inadequately treated infection.

The wounds need to be cleaned out. Pharmacies sell a sterile saline wash solution that sprays a stream and cleans out wounds without burning. This won't keep bacteria from causing infection from a puncture wound though.

If nothing else, cleanse with some hydrogen peroxide. This advice does not take the place of a Vet though!

Hope this pup survives. If the mother starts to push it away, you might have to separate it, keep it warm, help it feed, stimulate it to go to the bathroom after each feed.

Hope you can get to a Vet and hope this one survives. Sorry to hear this has happened.
Reply:You are taking a chance with the pup...

If you aren't going to take him...then you may end up with more problems and HIGHER vet bills by waiting...

IF you STILL aren't going to take him...

keep an eye on the pup..make sure he is still eating and pooping...keep weighing him...to make sure he is gaining weight...not loosing...if the pup is going to "die"? honestly? at this young of an age you will loose him quickly...the next 6-10 hours(if not less) will probably tell...

I doubt that at this age...there is much a VET is going to do...he will probably give you some warning signs to watch for...but as far as any type of meds or surgery to help the pup? Doubt a VET can/will do much...at the VERY least...call a VET...
Reply:what the hell are you doing breeding your dogs? if the breeding was intentional, shame on you for being stupid..and if it was an accidental pregnancy, shame on you for being irresponsible. if you can't afford to even help the poor newborn pups..ugh people like you make me so angry. i dont even know what to say.

nanny agency

I have a chow/lab/huskie puppy two questions!?

2010-03-15T23:58:00.003-07:00

She's a recue her name is Jade, i rescued her from a house with about 14 cats and 5 animals. With a redneck yard (garbage everywhere in the yard). She is chalk full of fleas very big ones that i'm not used to seeing (as i've had dogs all my life). I tried pet shampoo /w flea removal in it for puppies didnt work. As well as sleeping her in a crate with a cedar filled pillow. Any ideas to help her remove the fleas?

second question, shes basically potty trained but shes only 4 weeks old (mother died due to poison from a mean neighbor or so i heard) although shes having trouble holding her liquids in, is this normal for a puppy? She can hold her poo till she pops but not her liquid almost as if shes marking spots. Oh and shes eating solid dry dog food at four weeks (water in it so its easier on her teeth).

I have a chow/lab/huskie puppy two questions!?
Get some Advantage or Frontline. You need something that WORKS and is effective!

She may also have tapeworms....but them again, she needs a good general worming and vaccines too.

You REALLY should get her to a vet ASAP. She may be older than you think. She needs a lot of care.
Reply:Please take this dog to see a vet right away! She may have health issues that need to be addressed after living in such a terrible environment. No doubt she will need frontline. The vet will be able to help you with this. Flea shampoos are really not that good for such a severe problem. Let the vet check her over in general to be sure that she gets all the treatment she needs to recover from her bad upbringing. Poor little dog. She really needs some good care.
Reply:Oh she is so young and needed to learn so much from her mom. Bless you for taking her in to your home.

Because she is so young you need to be careful with flee treatments. I would call your vet and ask about the pill that kills fleas as soon as they bite her.

At 4 weeks her little bladder is just that very little. She will need to go out every hour or less. She will also need access to water all the time. Every time you look for her she will have her head in in the water dish.

Larry Harris

TLC Chow Rescue
Reply:ok when you have a pup in this bad of shape there isn't really any home remedies to waste time on, she needs a vet asap, at this young age a flea infestation can kill her, and unfortunately being a rescuer i have seen this same scene twice this past year and both times the owners had more important things to spend money on, and the pups died, as far as her not holding fluids this to could end up being life threatening, if it is the start of parvo or some other disease attacking her little body, please make an appointment and get her checked by a vet, she will thank you
Reply:I would not use Frontline. A pup that young wouldn't be able to handle it. I would use Advantage. If you give her a bath, you need to wait 2 days before applying any topical treatment to give her natural oils time to replenish. The natural oils are what distributes these products into their system. I would first try a bath with a mild detergent like Dawn Dish Detergent. You'll be amazed how many fleas you will get off of her with just that. It suds up so much that the fleas get caught in it!

As far as the second question, I would keep an eye on how much she is drinking. That will give you a better idea as to why she is peeing so much. She should go to the vet for a nice check up and worming. Maybe bring in a urine sample to be checked, just in case.
Reply:This type of post raises lots of questions about private adoptions and sites for private adoptions. An actual shelter would have expertise in dealing with young puppies. My local shelter has trained foster homes for such puppies. A shelter would have vet care. A shelter would place animals with people who had a vet and would bring the animal to it.

Concerned in Lewiston
Reply:You need to get some proper flea treatment for her, from a vets. Flea shampoos, and indeed and flea treatment from a pet store, are not going to work. Stores aren't licensed to sell the appropriate treatments. Also since she's only 4 weeks old, you won't find anything in any store for a pup this young! The only thing you can in fact use is Frontline spray, this can be used on dogs from 2 days of age. Few people on here seem to have heard of it - you're going to be told to bath the dog in dawn dish soap or try to comb the fleas off or use baby oil - don't, just get the spray version of Frontline from your vet.

Second, at 4 weeks of age don't be surprised she's not fully potty trained yet- it's pretty awesome she can hold her poo already! Does she go on a training pad? Continue using this, and move it gradually closer to the door and then outside, until she's able to go outside on command. Let her go out regularly to wee and poo - don't carry her out, she needs to learn to walk to where she's expected to go. Let her out every few hours. Expect accidents for a while longer, but she should be fully potty-trained and able to go on command by 10-12 weeks. Pick a command to use whenever you let her out to go so she learns to associate those words with peeing, something like 'be quick' so she learns to go on command.

Chalice

opera sheet music

Is my pitbull puppy purebred?

2010-03-15T23:58:00.002-07:00

i had got a pitbull puppy 2 months ago the man i got it from had papers on it when i brought it to the vet and ask him if it was purebred he said yeah my friends was telling me that she was purebred now she is 3 months all of her features is of an pitbull her head ,skull,ears,teeth,snout,chest,shoulders,... but her tail still curls to her back so my friends now claim that she isnt purebred but my other pitbull that is also purebred tail didnt stop touching his back after 4and a half months i know he is purebred for sure because i seen when his mom and dad mate so what is her tail going to stop curling to her back (and also her tail only curls when she is really happy ) around the time my other pitbull tail stop curling or is my friends messing with me or is they telling the truth please help me

Is my pitbull puppy purebred?
they are messing with you

its pure bred if your vet says so
Reply:tell me how much money do you pay for you puppy and i can say if the pitbull is not good breed.

htyp://www.pitbull-apbt.com Report It

Reply:If your puppy is purebred, the breeder is required to provide you with registration papers.
Reply:get the tail clipped.
Reply:I would say yes if the dog did it with the boy dog but the boy dog as to be a pitbull to.
Reply:Just because a dog is purebred doesn't mean it can't have defects.
Reply:Purebred dogs are registered by the breeder.

Hopefully papers wont affect how you feel about your lil cutie. :) Love her reguardless. So she's not designer, dosn't mean she can't be the best doggie ever. ^_-
Reply:well you should get in contact with the breeder you got the pitbull from and ask him if you can see the papers, then you will know if he/she is a prebreed. the thing with the tail might just be something that happens with pitbull puppies.
Reply:If you don't have PROOF-via REGISTRATION-you will NEVER know!!

What you DO have is a PET quality pup w/a MAJOR FAULT!

***NOT*** show/breeding prospect!!! SPAY/NEUTER NOW!!!

PS: vets are TERRIBLE at guessing breeds!!!
Reply:apbt's tails do not curl at all....

never ever ever ever.. unles somthing is broken.
Reply:pitbulls aren't supposed to have long tails if it's tail is hanging down the tip of the tail should only reach to the hock and it should start rather broad at the base of the tail then taper a lot of pitts curl their tails,not like a husky of course but in a gentle arc over their backs,they do this when excited,or angry but your dogs tail should not be excessively long,or excessivley curly and should never curl if not excited,i have seen Pitbull's with long whip like tails and very tall and leggy but these aren't what a pit should look like,a Pitbull should have a barrel chest,wide head,squarish muzzel,and muscular hind quarter's,should be a bit taller and not quite as muscular as an American Staffordshire terrier but very similar in appearance,can't really say without looking at your puppy if she is or not but don't worry if she looks even remotely like a pitbull all the people who are scared to death of them will think she is purebred anyhow,just love her for what she is and dont worry about it unless you plan to breed
Reply:Not withstanding the criticism sure to come from my answer, I think everyone should understand that there is no such thing as a purebred! Every breed of dog shares the DNA of Canis lupus, which is the grey wolf. Man began domesticating the grey wolf nearly 100,000 years ago. The genetic relationships between the various breed trace back to 14 so-called “ancient breeds,” including Chow Chow, Shar Pei, Akita, Shiba Inu and Basenji. The reason for crossbreeding varies from aesthetics, types of work, to status symbols.

As long as you love your dog and treat him well, his lineage should have no bearing in the grand scheme of things. Treat him well and he will treat you well. Unlike other domesticated animals, dogs remain fiercely loyal to their human companions and they consider their humans as part of their pack. Naturally, you want the humans to hold the Alpha-position in that pack.

Good luck!

Will D

Enterprise AL

http://www.notagz.com
Reply:I have seen alot of dogs with AKC paper that are purbreed but don't look it. So chances are your dog is purebreed but from a bad breeder that just puts any 2 dogs together so he will have pups and dosen't care about qualty.
Reply:Lets see if I understand this correctly. You have one dog that went through what the dog you are inquiring about is going through now. Your vet has assured you as to the breed. It is a breed known for unprovoked attacks on strangers. You are unsure about anything concerning the dog or the breed. If all this is correct then I'm damn glad you don't live near me. You are clearly the wrong type of person to own a dog like this. I'm sure that in the next year or so I'll be reading about you in the newspaper or see you on TV feigning ignorance about why your dog just killed or mauled a child. Dogs should be owned by people clever enough to be able to handle them. Your not even clever enough to figure out what you own. Get a parrot or a goldfish and spare some other poor family the misery of your ignorant desires.
Reply:Why does it really matter? Any dog can be turned into a great family dog. I think people need to start stoping about getting the finest purbreed puppy. The point of adopting is to open your heart %26amp; home to a lovable pet who is part of the family. Anyway, you should contact the breeder %26amp; discauss the contract %26amp; papers.
Reply:I have a pure pit, and my ex also has a pure pit, but they have very different features, and all of his friends would always pick on him, saying things like his is a lab or other silly stuff. Your friends are probably just messing with you. I wouldn't worry about it, as long as you know you have what you want, who cares what they think. Plus, unless you're planning on breeding her, who cares what she is. As long as you love her, and she loves you, it shouldn't matter. I love my little princess, and if someone told me tomorrow that they had proof that she was a mutt, or even a poodle, it wouldn't make one bit of difference to me. Anyways, a pit puppy with a curly tail sounds so so so cute. Good Luck with your new baby. Enjoy it now, they grow up so fast :(
Reply:You need to have both of these dogs neutered or spayed right away if you love them and want them to have good lives.

Even if you did observe the parents of one of the dogs mating, it means nothing...a female can carry the offspring of more than one male if she mates with another, so the pup you have may not be necessarily a 'pure bred.'

If you don't have registration papers and at least a three generation pedigree on them, then no, they are probably not 'pure bred' and certainly should NEVER be bred.
Reply:all pit bulls are mutt's, but as for akc papers, all they mean is that the dog and it's parents were registered as pure bread dogs. i can't tell u how many dogs I've seen that weren't pure bread dogs but have akc papers.

- vet tech.

konq-bugs

Help, my Cavalier King Charles Spaniel puppy keeps drooling when sleeping. Is this normal or an illness???

2010-03-15T23:58:00.001-07:00

Help, my Cavalier King Charles Spaniel puppy keeps drooling when sleeping. Is this normal or an illness???

Help, my Cavalier King Charles Spaniel puppy keeps drooling when sleeping. Is this normal or an illness??? I am not sure whether this is a cold from the winter as it is cold when he goes for a walk or whether it is some other sort of illness. Please help!!!

Will dental chew bars help to clean their teeth from any little bits? By the way if you want to know hes only been drooling today and hes become very sleepy. Just today he started to lick his nose ALOT every 2 seconds?? Is that strange??

Help, my Cavalier King Charles Spaniel puppy keeps drooling when sleeping. Is this normal or an illness???
If he hasn't shown these symptoms until today then I'd get him to the Vet as soon as you can. Get him properly diagnosed. Better to be safe than sorry. My Cavaliers have never shown that kind of symptom.
Reply:Did you walk him on the street? was there stuff on the street to melt snow? Maybe green stuff which could be anitfreeze. I would wash his feet and get him to the vet immediately Report It

Reply:Do you really think a stranger online can diagnose your dog? Take your dog to a VET. If you could afford a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel you should have enough money for that!

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9 Week old puppy has biting habit...any suggestions?

2010-03-15T23:58:00.000-07:00

We have a 9 week old Min Dachshund puppy who is beautiful. She does however have a tendency to bite, fingers toes, arms etc. We have lots of toys for her to chew and play with but she does still have a tendecny to bite whenever we play with her. I am assuming that she is still teething and once she develops her adult teeth she should get better. Any tips or advice would be appreciated.

9 Week old puppy has biting habit...any suggestions?
With my bulldog I bought this stuff called Bitter Apple it worked GREAT! Initially spray a bit in his mouth and he will not like it. Then You spray it on your hands or whatever he bites.. and when the dog does bite it tastes the bitter and they stop. I bought mine from my vets office but I've seen it at petco. Its like $12 but so worth it. I used it about 5 days and he stopped biting :) Good Luck!
Reply:We all do at that age, just give her lots of chew toys and gently discourage the unwanted chewing. Beware though us puppies have a tendancy to be very destructive, don't get angry with us, we can't help it.
Reply:Tap her on the nose every time she does it.
Reply:My chow puppy did that. Just tell her no in a firm tone.. If she continues fill a bottle with rocks and shake it when she does (they dont like the noise) and if yet again she persists im afraid you might need to take out the rolled up newspaper. Not very hard across the nose.
Reply:bite her back :)
Reply:when they are teething, you will have to be patient - their gums itch and there is no way they will stop biting till their teeth is grown. get him a soft rubber ball or piece of rope to chew on..the best advice is to dip the rope into some nice gravy or meaty sauce and then get him to chew on it for hours..it works well - he will chew and chew till he gets tired. throw it away afterwards and get him a fresh one the next day..it will take about a week
Reply:Its just a puppy thing, I have a 6 month old puppy and he has got all his adult teeth now, he still chews on everything in his path, like you we have all the toys, chew sticks etc.. but he is just a puppy and will do it, I am afraid you will have to be patient and wait for her to grow a little older before she will stop doing it. Sorry, there are no miracle cures
Reply:I know it sounds silly but, bite her back... on the ear, quite hard, she'll learn really quick. Worked with our Staffy!
Reply:Pull her teeth
Reply:grab the bottom jaw and press down on tounge with your thumb they hate that
Reply:Beyond the *thus far* good suggestions on gentle reprimand and repetition...

When you verbally reprimand the behavior, say the behavior is bad, rather than the pup...

i.e. "bites are bad" rather than "*rover* is bad...

just don't make my mistake of telling my dogs, "bites are bad, kisses are good"... now all humans are their personal lollipops
Reply:Muzzle it.
Reply:At this age they don't know their own strength. In the littler if they bit to hard the other puppy would squeak and then they know they have bitten to hard, so if you do a doggie yelp or squeak. It will know not to do it again. Failing that blow in her face, I have found that works with smaller dogs.
Reply:Never knew how needles felt jabbing into your toes before huh?

Amazing how that can make you laugh and shriek with pain at the same time.

Give your baby exercise to wear her out, she is full of energy and a no will suffice with the biting. She will try for a while as she is a puppy but you will win in the end.

Exercise is so important though, when dogs have less energy they are so much more ready to be trained.

Have fun with your new addition!
Reply:When she bites squeal like you are in pain, their instict should then tell them that biting hurts and that it is wrong.

You should never smack a dog on its nose as there are a lot of nerves and blood vessels that could be damaged. It is also teaching them to respond to violence with violence.
Reply:she will grow out of it don't worry
Reply:This behavior is very easy to correct. All you have to do, is get the dog to realize that biting is causing you pain.

The best way of doing that is to shriek in pain every time the dog bites you (even when it doesn't hurt).
Reply:my lhasa apso is 6months old now and thank goodness has stopped biting me. once his 2nd teeth came through he stopped. you just have to be patient. but shout loudley wwhen he bites you..happy days..
Reply:buy it a toy it can chew on
Reply:smack her on the nose
Reply:bite your dog back
Reply:Its not teething or biting, its 'mouthing'. Pups investigate the world and play with their mouth because they don't have hands.

She needs to learn its not acceptible to mouth. Just yelp sharply, pull your hands away, stand up and turn your back on her every time she does it.

If she doesn't get what she wants she'll stop doing it. Be persistant and don't quit, just withdraw attention when she mouths.
Reply:My vet suggested a couple of things:

1) Grab her by the scruff and pinch her. That's what her mother would do if she were biting in the litter.

2) Yell "ouch" and then ignore her for a little bit. If they were biting their littermates, they would get a yelp out of them and then be ignored. Puppies hate being ignored.

Make sure when she is being good to praise and play with her a lot. That way they know they're pleasing you and that's what they strive for.
Reply:When my gsd puppy was teething OUCH. I still have the scars. Finally every time she bite us we said no sternly and put a toy in her mouth (always have one by you.) Also when she bites say no again and stand up fold arms, and dont look or talk to her. Eventually shell see she gets no attention when she does this. It actually worked for us. Good luck!
Reply:Boy there are some ignorant people on here ( bite her back,smack her on the nose ),i strongly suggest you do not do any of those,distraction methods such as a can with stones in are the best never scold or strike a puppy this can cause psychological harm.
Reply:All puppies playbite. If your puppy had been left to grow up with her littermates they would have bitten each other all the time when playing.

When pups play together and one bites too hard, the puppy that has been bitten will make a high pitched yelping noise. The puppy who has just done the biting will back off looking slightly alarmed and the bitten puppy will glare at it - play will stop briefly.

The biting pup has just learned:-

oops! I hurt my brother

he was annoyed

play stopped.

As soon as play resumes the biting pup will probably bite again but he will be more careful and inhibit his bite. He might be the one that gets bitten too hard next and he will react in exactly the same way as his sibling did.

After lots of puppy play all the pups will learn 'bite inhibition'.

This is very important because when they are adult and they have a spat with another dog they will not bite as hard as they can and not do any real damage.

If you accidentally hurt a dog and it aims a bite at you it will not apply the full pressure of its jaws if it has learned to inhibit its bite as a puppy.

The way to deal with puppy biting is to let it know it has hurt you by imitating a puppy yelp, glaring at it and then ignoring it for a very short time. Then give it something appropriate to play with.

Do not yell at it or smack it - it isn't doing anything wrong - it just doesn't know that it is hurting you unless it hears a yelp.

This takes time and patience - it is not learned overnight but the pup will learn to be more gentle with you.

Adult teeth start to come in at about four months and the pup will need good chew toys especially when cutting her back teeth at about six months.
Reply:water pistol might work ///////////////////
Reply:she is . teach her now that curtain things should not be crew on is she crew one a crew toy tell her she good. if she crew on something like fingers, toes and arm tell her bad dog. then give her a crew toy and tell her she good. she learn. don't get a toy shape like a shoe. she will thing it alright to crew shoes.

konsole-devel

12 week old puppy scratching alot.why?

2010-03-15T23:57:00.002-07:00

My 12 week old puppy has been to the vet, had 3 of his shots and the vet says his skin looks wonderful. He also had a small tube of Advantage flea by Bayer put behind his neck for clearing fleas and it is supposed to last for a month. But I am aware he does like to scratch, not very frequent but at least a couple of times a day.I just put a collar on him a few days ago but sometimes after I take the collar off him, he will still scratch.Sometimes, he will use his teeth to nip around his back.I wonder why.Does he still have fleas or is it the collar?The vet says it will take a few weeks for them to get used to the collar.Is it true?

12 week old puppy scratching alot.why?
Advantage does work for a month, but fleas will still jump on your puppy. Advantage is soaked into the hair follicles of your dog. In order to kill fleas, they must bite your puppy to ingest the poison. The fleas will continue to crawl until they are dead, which will still irritate your puppy. This is also allergy season, lots of dogs have allergies to grass and pollens. These allergies occur when the seasons change. If he is not scratching alot, he is probably fine. If the scratching continues, take him to your vet. You can also give your puppy over the counter Benadryl without pain reliever. This will help with the itching and will not cause drowsiness in dogs. Check with your vet for the proper dosage, depending on your puppy's weight.
Reply:it's just Obsesive conpulsive order i guess. Animals get it just as much as humans. My dog has OCD about where she eats at. everytime we give her fod where we place the bowl, she always drags it to the corner of the room
Reply:Yes, its the collar.. He will get use to it.. You have to realize that he is also growing in his hair. The new growth hair my actually ich and the collar may be rubbing the wrong way. Look for a more higher quality collar. See if you can find an all leather one.. They slide more easily over the fur and don't annoy as much as the plastic or cord like ones that snap.
Reply:Could be fleas, could be his diet, could be an allergy. Ask your vet.
Reply:I think the puppy is fine. He isn't scratching that much a day. Give him some time. I do the same thing if I wear turtle necks. It is irrating at first then I get use to it.

Good Luck
Reply:With advantage he should not have fleas but look thru his fur to check for them.

Yes it will take a little time to get use to a new collar.
Reply:Collars just kill the fleas that happen to wander up to the neck area....Try a dusting powder as well...that should kill the critters
Reply:well the first thing that you want to do is to make sure that he does not have fleas then the next thing is to determine on the food. if he has no fleas then usually the other thing is to change the food to an all natural food. the food is the most common thing to cause dry, scratchy skin.

the first thing to do is to get a different food like chicken soup which is all natural, then mix 1/2 and 1/2 of both your old food and the new one. then the next thing is to use an oatmeal bath soap for him, then you can use this after the bath is dermacool(get from your vet). you will need to shave his spot to help it air out to heal faster put some dermacool on it and it will heal really nice. my golden has had these hot spots and i had to do all of this and it healed in about 1 week but i also had to put an e-collar on her and you won't be able to do that because your pup is to young you will have to just watch him and make sure he does not chew. you will have to bathe him at least once a week to help his spot get better. ifyou have to shave it every time then you will have to do that . it will need to air out in order to heal faster. the oatmeal bath soap you can get is called aveeno it is very mild on the skin and will help soothe the skin while you bathe him. also to the collar will do that and if he does it when you take the collar off then there is something else wrong. leave the collar on him after you bathe him to see what he will do, then leave the collar off and then see what he will do then, but the way it sounds is that he is developing hot spots and yes they can get those this early in age and it will get worse before it gets better.

good luck
Reply:IT COULD BE THE SOAP YOU USE TO BATH HIM OR IT COULD BE YOU BATH HIM TO MUCH AND HIS SKIN IS DRYING OUT

opera.com

What To Do With My Picky Puppy?

2010-03-15T23:57:00.001-07:00

my six month old pom puppy no longer wants to eat the wellness puppy food (dry kibble) she has been on for 4 months. she'll eat treats and wet food (i give her about 1 tablespoon a day) but is uninterested in her dog food that is kept out all day. i'm not sure what to do about this! i don't want to switch her food because she has already been on 3 different dog foods. should i mix her dry food with her wet food? should i just restrict treats/wet food so she'll be forced to eat the dry food to survive? can i just give her wet food and rely on her treats/bones to strengthen %26amp; clean her teeth? any suggestions would be helpful! :) thanks

What To Do With My Picky Puppy?
mix wet food with dry, works like a charm for me, or try day old bread (found at store) and mix with some water and dry milk powder.
Reply:Put the food down for 20 minutes - if it doesn't eat - the food gets put away until the next feeding time. If the dog refuses food and starts getting ribby (you can see all the ribs) take it to the vet. If the dog is not eating half of the portions most of the time - you are feeding too much.

Also - only give treats after the dog has performed something - like after a training session. You could have inadvertantly caused the pickiness - kind of like giving kids candy and then asking them to eat dinner - it doesn't work too well.
Reply:She might be getting enough to eat from her treats and wet food, so she's not that interested in her dry food. But it's not good to just feed them wet food, because it is really high calorie and dry food helps remove plaque from their teeth. To get her to eat it, try mixing her wet food with dry. Sometimes, though, dogs will lick the wet food off the kibble and not eat the dry food if you mix them. If that happens, just give her less wet food and leave the dry food out all the time for her. She'll get hungry and eat it eventually. My dog is really irregular about when he goes to eat his dry food, so don't worry if she doesn't eat it at first.
Reply:Maybe your dog is trying to tell you that it wants real food not processed waste products. Dogs need meat and bones not grains and additives.

You said that you are concerned about her teeth so do some research into a natural prey based diet. 80% of dogs fed processed artificial food have peridontal disease by the time they are three! These statistics are then used by the same manufacturers to sell other products - teeth and gum cleaning 'treats'.

My dog eats raw meaty bones as the basis of her diet and her teeth are sparkling with not a sign of tarter anywhere. Even the vet comments on her mouth and shiny coat.

The attached link is a great starting point for your research, good luck
Reply:if you want her to have a good habit, then just ONLY give her the dry food, if she doesnt eat it, leave it there. she'll have to when shes starving. and once shes eating the dry food like she wants to, then give her a little wet food. which she will probably stop eatin the dry food again. but just stop giving her anything else if she doesnt eat the dry food

Visual Basic

My mini daschund puppy has problems chewing?

2010-03-15T23:57:00.000-07:00

Her teeth are so little but shes like 3 months old... she can't chew up adult dog food which i give her now I have two other mini daschunds and I started them on adult dog food at this age. she also can't eat puppy chow either the kibbles. All the stores near me are closed so I can't get her some caned food also I can't get her some tomarow because its Sunday. So in the meantime could I mix milk with her dog food she is under weight and is always shivering so would milk make the food softer for her AND fatten her up???? Thanks!

My mini daschund puppy has problems chewing?
Boil the kettle. Pour the hot water over her kibble, just enough that it will soak it all up. Let it sit for 5-10 mins, or until it cools, DO NOT give it to her hot.

This will soften the food and also make it warm for her, she should gulp it down.

If not, there may be a prolem with her teeth, she could have an infection, and will need to see the vet.
Reply:I wouldn't add milk to her food but a little water will do to soften it up so that she can eat it.
Reply:Don't use milk, dogs can't digest the lactase. You can try water, though
Reply:all dogs chew
Reply:you can soften it with water or boil some beef or chicken bones and add the broth to her food. Don't add salt.
Reply:A little bit of wam water, then let it sit until it gets soggy, it won't take to long. Don't mix it with milk.
Reply:i would not recommend the milk use warm water or chicken broth and here is a trick i used with my Pitt I made some rice with extra water when rice was done i drained the water into a pot and poured it over her food until soften the mixed it up a little gave it to her now she has both the food she needed and the weight
Reply:I would not add Milk ,I would cover the food with warm water and let it set for a little while and then give it to her.You may need to make a Vet visit if she keeps shaking and not eating or thriving,Something could be wrong.Good Luck!

Nanny Profile

My golden retriever puppy ( she is almost 8 weeks) is constantly biting?

2010-03-15T23:56:00.003-07:00

I was told that it is not a good idea to physically punish my puppy, I keep firmly saying "no", but she keeps biting. Every time I raise my voice she barks at me. She is wonderful, she is almost potty trained and she loves her crate, but we can not even play with her, she bites us! Her little teeth are so sharp. What should we do?

My golden retriever puppy ( she is almost 8 weeks) is constantly biting?
Hi there, I am a Veterinarian Technician and I hope I can help you!

First of all, congratulations on your new puppy! I love Goldens!!! How exciting! Secondly, I do have two suggestions/strategies to help you stop your puppy from nipping! There are two different types of biting, agressive and play. It sounds as though the puppy is play biting. Please be aware if play biting is not stopped, it can lead to agressive/territorial biting even over something as silly as a sock they want to play with. I am also wondering if it is a quick bite or a clenched on bite, there are different ways to go about those.

Anyways, luckily for you, it is not too late!! The first strategy I would like you to try is something littermates would teach each other when they were very young pups still with mom: Each time your puppy bites you I want you to let out that loud, earpiercing, yelp that I know you have heard from other dogs. That is how other dogs communicate to each other that the behavior is not acceptable.

It is important that you DO NOT yell, hit (not even a tap on the nose!!), or bite your puppy back (trust me, I have seen EVERYTHING! It will create fear in your pup), instead let out a loud yelp. It might take a few times for your puppy to realize what your message is, but remember it is so so important to remain consistant! Don't yelp every other time she bites, yelp each and every time or you will leave your puppy confused as to why sometimes she can bite, and sometimes she can't.

If that doesn't work (it really should if done consistantly!) then you can try to associate a word with a behavior and a consequence. Think when you try to teach your puppy to sit. You associate a word ("Sit!") with a behavior (when they actually it) with a consequence (a cookie, praise, rubs, etc. remember... consequences are not always bad! they are just a result o a choosed behavior!). So apply the whole sit concept to the biting. Your word could be as simple as "Ouch!" (say it sternly, you can use a louder voice, but don't yell) when she bites (behavior) and the consequence (as SOON as your puppy releases from the bite reward them with a cookie, praise, rub, etc. Again, it might take a few tries (ok, maybe a week, so again, stay consistant.

If you feel like the cookies, praise, etc. are not working you could absolutely still use your word "Ouch!" and then immediately pick your puppy up (not in an angry way, just sternly) and put her into her crate for 1 minute. Go on doing your business as she is crated, ignore any barking, crying, eye contact. Then after the minute is up let her out and praise her! Each time you say "Ouch!" and place her in her crate she will associate the behavior (biting) with the consequence (crate).

Dogs are smart and want to please, she will catch on! Just remember to stay calm and assertive!
Reply:when you tell her no then give her a toy ore something she can bite she is teething and it's the time of 6- 8 weeks that the mother and siblings would have taught her how hard to bite this is why dogs shouldn't leave until they are 8 weeks or older.
Reply:You have to just keep teaching her games she can play with you like fetch or chase or find (the toy). She will turn out fine, but they are mouthy dogs. Keep toys in her mouth.

Don't play tug of war with her, but do play fetch.
Reply:next time she bites grasp her snout and bite her back. not hard but just enough to make her realize it hurts. and say no bite! each and every time do this. Ive had dogs for 40 years and this has always worked for me. after a bit you wont have to do the actual bite. you'll be able to say are you supposed to be biting?

good luck , be consistent with your discipline and all will be fine.
Reply:Go to a pet store and get some apple bitter spray and spray it on your hand, wash hands after you play with your pup. This spray should make the pup not bite at your hands. (Not harmful to anyone). I did this for a week or so and that help with our Golden. I don't recommend physical abuse, that may make your pup be more aggressive. Try it and see!
Reply:Yelp loudly the way dogs do to tell each other that is not acceptable and take your hand away, looking hurt. Then give her a toy she can bite and move away from her.
Reply:I know what you are going through and I know how annoying it is! I have a goldendoodle and he is 8 months now and the mostly the nipping has subsided. The first thing I would recommend is to have patience, as hard as it may be! When the puppy bites, yelp loudly, and then leave the room for a couple minutes. This way, they learn that when they bite, they lose their playmate. Also, puppy kindergarten is helpful when you have a new pup. You can talk with other puppy owners and get some good tips. Good luck, and hang in there, it gets better!
Reply:I have a Golden - he is now 13 months. At that age, he (as well as all other dogs) are all about their mouths (think of human babies - everything in the mouth).

Puppy teeth are sharp - but the good news is, like humans, dogs lose their puppy teeth (just like children lose their baby teeth). Puppy teeth fall out within a year. I've never come across any of my puppies' teeth, however, my neighbor was able to get some of his pup's teeth as they came out. My point is, you may not even notice the teeth leaving as it happens quickly. The good news is that the adult teeth aren't as sharp.

To break your pup of biting, just say a loud "Ouch!" whenever there is a nip and pull your hand away in a hurt manner (even if it didn't really hurt that much). Then give a squeeze on the neck with a gentle "no bite" command. Repeat as needed. The "Ouch!" is their way of learning that they can hurt - and they don't want to hurt you. Puppy teeth are so sharp that they will draw blood (my Dal pup even scarred my Golden pup due to his sharp puppy teeth when they were play-fighting). Dogs learn to play-fight more safely as they age (again like kids - at first they hit hard, but then they learn to play fight better so there's less or no pain).

Keep tons of hard rubber toys around. Soft squeaky toys will be torn apart and the pup may swallow the pieces - so get hard rubber toys (including puppy size kongs). Constantly use the toys when you play. NEVER get an old shoe, pillow or anything else you cherish as a toy. The pup will not differentiate an old shoe from a new shoe. So even though you are playing with an old shoe, one day you may find your new shoes chewed up because the pup thought they were chew toys! My pups leave my shoes alone and always have - they learned their toys quickly and love them.

If you follow these tricks and have some patience, you'll do fine. And as I tried to illustrate, the sharp puppy teeth phase doesn't last long.

Enjoy your new pup!

C#

Dog food for older dog? (has lost most teeth and has hard time chewing)?

2010-03-15T23:56:00.002-07:00

I have a 12 year old chihuahua, and a few years ago she had to have her teeth removed (most of them). Now she has a very hard time eating normal dog foods. I was feeding her purina puppy chow (as its the only food she can chew), however I was wondering :

1.) is it okay to feed her puppy food?

2.) or does anyone have any suggestions on some senior dog foods that are REALLY small and soft?

I have tried feeding her the dog food in a can, but she won't always eat this. She is, eh, very spoiled, and refuses food if she isn't ready 4 it =| thus, with dry dog food i just leave it down so she can eat whenever she's ready...

anyway, any suggestions on some dry dog foods better suited for her age and her lack of teeth? THANKS! =D

Dog food for older dog? (has lost most teeth and has hard time chewing)?
If she likes the food she's eating maybe go to a food made for her age in that brand. They do make it and try to moisten it with a little warm water. Maybe your vet could recommend some food that would be good or go to a local pet store and ask them if there is any good quality dry dog food for older pets that can't chew to good. My older dog has a few teeth out also and he eats Iam's active maturity but he has always pretty much swallowed his food from the start no matter what food we've tried.
Reply:Buy a quality food like Canidae and simply moisten it with a little warm water a couple minutes before serving.
Reply:poor thing try mature food and give a big kiss from and my 2 dogs gilbert and junior
Reply:Little dogs like yours really need the extra calories and nutrients that puppy food provides. Try to moisten her puppy food with a bit of warm water. See if this will help her to eat it better.
Reply:I had a little dog with the same situation, but he wouldn't eat dry food. I could buy Kibbles and Bits, but some of them are hard and other pieces chewy; so I had to pick out the chewy pieces for him. My parents years ago had an old boxer that had lost most of her teeth. My mother bought her meat baby food and flavored it with butter and a little salt, because she thought it tasted bad. (My mother, not the dog) Another suggestion is to soak the food in a little milk and water. My little old dog also liked it mixed with a raw egg. My dogs eat puppy food and the cats sometimes get Kitten Chow as a treat because they love it. I don't think it should hurt him.
Reply:In addition to feeding her a really good quality dry food that's been moistened with warm water, why not add a little chicken to tempt her to eat. I knew someone with a pretty old rescued greyhound who had no teeth and she mixed in canned tuna, chicken, or salmon (bones removed) to encourage him to eat. You could also try boiling her an egg and adding that to her food once a week or so.
Reply:You may make your own food. Go to www.happydogfood.com. It's very easy to do and she'll be getting all the good things that she needs in her diet. Good luck;^)
Reply:Buy Ol' Roy dog food. It isn't too hard and dogs love it

The red bags are beef and pork
Reply:she doesn't need puppy food, stick to adult

i recommend you get solid golds just a wee bit adult dry food

it's available at petco (check the link) the kibble is tiny and is made for small breed adults. and it doesn't have any by-products or bad fillers unlike purina puppy chow

if your dog doesn't eat the food even though it is soaked in warm water you could try soaking it in chicken broth (just a enough to make the food soft) not soupy like

you should give solid golds just a wee bit a try

good luck

Poetry

How to stop puppy nipping?!?

2010-03-15T23:56:00.001-07:00

Our puppy nips us ALL THE TIME. Whenever you try to pet her, she nips you. If you sit next to her, sometimes, she nips you. She's broken my skin at least 3 times already, and I have A LOT of scratches from her teeth.

We pin her down on her back whenever she bites us to show dominance (what our vet told us to do), say no bite, but it just doesn't seem to work. She has like 18 toys she loves to chew on, but it seems like she prefers us instead. I want my dog to be my best friend, not my biggest fear.

How do we get her to stop nipping us for good!

How to stop puppy nipping?!?
Step OneBegin your training early - when your puppy is 6 weeks old, if possible.

2Step TwoTeach your puppy that biting hurts you. When he bites, give a sharp "no!" or "ouch!" - or even a yelp like a dog would make. This is the same reaction that your puppy would get from another puppy if he bit too hard during play. It teaches him that he's been too rough, and the odds are that he'll be more gentle next time.

3Step ThreeRemove your hand slowly - don't jerk it away - and give your puppy a toy that he can chew on without damage.

4Step FourIf your puppy ignores your reaction and bites again, repeat your "no!," "ouch!" or yelp, and leave the room for a few minutes. Let your puppy know that when he bites, he will lose his playmate. This, too, mirrors the reaction he would get from another puppy if he played too roughly.

5Step FiveBe persistent in your training. As your puppy's behavior improves and his bites are softer, continue to yelp or give a sharp "no!" or "ouch!" whenever he puts his teeth on you. Make it clear that all bites are painful and unacceptable to humans.

6Step SixReinforce your puppy's good behavior. Whenever he licks you without using his teeth and whenever he plays nicely and appropriately, give him plenty of praise.

7Step SevenBegin teaching the "off" command after your puppy has stopped biting with any pressure. Hold a handful of the puppy's dry food, close your hand and say "off." After a few seconds, if the puppy has not touched your hand, say "take it" and give him a piece of food. You are teaching him that "off" means not to touch.

8Step EightContinue to give a sharp yelp, "no!" or "ouch!" any time your puppy bites you unexpectedly. If you see the bite coming, give the "off" command.

9Step NineEnroll your puppy in an obedience class where he can socialize with other dogs when he is about 6 months old. Their interaction will help to reinforce what you teach him, since rough play with other dogs will likely cause them to yelp and cut off play. At the same time, your puppy will learn the difference between people's limits and other dogs' limits - dogs will allow rougher play than people will.

Tips %26amp; Warnings

Make sure your puppy always has plenty of chew toys to exercise his mouthing and chewing instincts.

Make sure your puppy is getting plenty of exercise and play time every day. Going for walks, playing fetch and learning tricks are great distractions that may reduce biting.

Try to create a consistent schedule for play time - perhaps 15 to 30 minutes, twice a day. Your puppy will learn to look forward to that time and will be less likely to seek attention at other times.

Remind all family members, including children, to be consistent about the "no biting" rule.

If your training doesn't seem to be working or if your puppy becomes aggressive instead of backing off when you indicate that he's hurt you, see a veterinarian or professional trainer for help.

Rough games like tug-of-war and wrestling may encourage aggressive behavior, including biting.

If you have young children, don't leave your puppy alone with them until he has learned not to bite.
Reply:pinning her down is probably making it worse. I would try a strong NO, then ignore her. Walk away do not give her attention when biting. Good Luck!
Reply:use a water bottle and spray her in the face everytime she does it she will stop in about a week or so
Reply:My lab/akita/shepherd mix nipped when she was a puppy too.

Whether playing, sitting, or petting, I would get in a dominant position, sternly say no bite, wait for her to break eye contact, then praise her for leaving me alone. I did this every time, never let them get away with it.

I personally think it's a puppy thing, but keep consistent with it, and puppy classes will provide you and her with pack guidelines, so that she knows you are not to be undermined, or nipped at like a peer.
Reply:When my lab was in his nipping stage I would yelp really loud like a dog would, so that he knew it hurt and he stopped nipping me. He would still nip other people though. so everyone that is around him needs to do it and it should work. thats how we got our puppy to stop nipping
Reply:a very simple method used by trainers. when the dog nips, keep your hand in his/her mouth, and put your finger in the back of your dog's mouth. the dog will stop immediately because it isn't comfortable for him. If, everytime the puppy nips, you'll do this, you'll notice the nipping behavior will stop very quickly.
Reply:This is an article I include in every puppy packet. I hope this helps you too!

"No bite!"

Angel days and devil days: teaching bite inhibition to puppies

Q: My Dalmatian puppy is almost nine weeks old. I got him when he was five weeks. He's playful and fun but I can't get him to stop biting me. That seems to be the only way he likes to play anymore — rough! I've been telling him No!, holding his mouth shut while saying “No bite!” and even shoving my hand back in his mouth like a trainer told me to do. Nothing seems to work. In fact, he thinks I'm playing a game with him and gets more excited the more I try to stop him. Sometimes he walks right up and attacks me! What can I do? Is he vicious?

A: No, he's not vicious, he's just being a normal, rambunctious, and sometimes obnoxious puppy. To get control of your pup's biting, it helps to understand why puppies bite in the first place.

Biting and mouthing are normal behaviors for puppies. Dogs don't have hands so they investigate objects and their environment with their mouths. To a curious puppy, everything about this big world is brand new and exciting. He learns as he goes along. You can almost hear his thought processes as he discovers something he's never seen before: "Hmmm...what's this? [chomping on it] Something to eat? No? [tossing it around] Can I play with it? Maybe. Can I make it squeak?"

Playing is also a normal learning behavior for puppies, especially play-fighting. Play-fighting with littermates and other animals develops reflexes, coordination and physical skill. It also helps them develop social skills and teaches them how to interact positively within their canine society, their "pack." And it's great fun for them. Sometimes their fighting and "attacks" on us appear frighteningly fierce but to them, it's just a game. Much like a group of kids playing make-believe games and pretending to be grown-ups, puppies have their own games and pretend to be "grown-ups," too!

A dog's ability to control the force of his biting is called "bite inhibition." It's a critically important skill that every puppy needs to learn, the earlier the better. At first, they don't know their own strength nor how sharp their little teeth really are. Puppies learn to control the force of their biting from the reactions of their mothers and littermates during play and especially play-fighting.

We can teach puppies about bite inhibition, too, but some of the methods most often recommended aren't effective. Mother dogs' methods, however, are very effective, often more so than ours. I believe this is because they're speaking to their pups in the language they understand best -- dog language! A baby puppy is much too busy learning how to be a dog to take time to understand our human words and ways. That takes time and maturity. Puppies respond to dog language in a very powerful, instinctive way. We can take advantage of that by copying a mother dog's actions and using them for ourselves.

The idea of using mother dog's natural training techniques isn't new. Respected trainers like Carol Lea Benjamin have been using them for years. To understand these methods, let's take a look at a typical mother dog disciplining her brood. We'll use my Heather (Chow) and her four rowdy puppies as an example.

When a playful puppy bites Heather hard enough to hurt, she squeals in shocked indignation. The puppy, surprised at her reaction, usually hesitates a moment, unsure of himself, then tries to bite again. Heather yelps even louder this time and whirls on the puppy, growling, showing her teeth and scowling at him fiercely. Then she turns her back on him and storms away, completely ignoring him and any further attempts to get her to play. A smart puppy picks up her clear message quickly: "if you can't play nice, I won't play with you at all!"

If the puppy persists or doesn't take the hint, Heather doesn't fool around. With a menacing growl and using her teeth, she grabs him by the scruff of his neck and gives him a shake. If he sasses back, she gives him another little shake, tougher this time. She doesn't let go of the pup till he's acknowledged her authority (in dog language) by relaxing his body, laying his ears back and keeping still for a moment. Heather disciplines especially obnoxious puppies by knocking them over with her paw and pinning them to the ground, growling angrily and pinching them with her teeth. The puppies shriek but they're not really hurt. She doesn't let them up again untill they relax and lie still. After the correction, the puppy shakes his fur back into place and goes off in search of a playmate with a better sense of humor.

We don't have to growl at our puppies or shake them with our teeth, but we can modify Heather's technique for ourselves. The next time your puppy bites you, scream "OW!" in a high-pitched voice. Exaggerate a little. Then refuse to play with him or pay attention to him for a few minutes. If he doesn't get the message, give him a little scruff shake and scold him in a low-toned, threatening voice. You can exaggerate a little on that, too! Sound meaner than you really are. For puppies that just won't quit or seem to get wilder with every correction, flip them over on their backs, scold them in that same low, scary voice (growling) and gently but firmly, hold them in that position until they stop struggling.

We sometimes give puppies the wrong message about biting by some of the games we play with them. Wrestling and tug of war can encourage a puppy to bite and make it hard for him to distinguish when it's okay to use his teeth and when it's not. To make it easier for your puppy to learn good manners, it's a good idea to avoid these games.

Puppies seem to learn a great deal about bite inhibition and authority between five and eight weeks of age through play with their mothers and littermates. This is an especially good reason not to buy very young puppies. Puppies that were acquired earlier need to be taught these important things by their owners. They might require a little more intense use of Heather's methods than puppies that stayed with their litters longer. Puppies that receive little or no training in bite inhibition, either from their mothers or their people, may grow up to develop behavior problems.

I noticed that Heather picked out certain puppies for a little "extra" correction two or three times a day. She'd roll them over, pin them down for no apparent reason, growling at them if they didn't lie quietly. I noticed, too, that the puppies she chose were the most outgoing and dominant in the litter. She gave them regular reminders of her authority and the behavior she expected from them. I've found that using her technique myself works very well on puppies that've become too big for their britches!

Even with their mothers, puppies act a lot like kids -- they're always testing and pushing their limits. They have angel days and devil days. With patience, persistence and a few hints from your puppy's mother, you'll be able to tip the balance toward the angel's side!

More on kids and dogs is available in the article: Kids And Dogs: Safety first and Vicki DeGruy's award-winning column: Kids and Dogs: A common sense approach.

Vicki DeGruy
Reply:OK. Please STOP pinning your dog down, this instant. This is the most inhumane thing you could do to her - short of punching her. Dogs cannot and do not understand this method of punishment. You are teaching her to be aggressive by pinning her. Do not ask your vet for any more training advice.

All puppies nip. They are nipping machines for a while. Instead of alpha rolling her (did I mention yet that you must not ever do this to your dog ever again?) when she nips, YIPE! as loudly as you can and end the game. Leave the room, silently, and give her a time out.

For this to work, all members of your family must do this. When you come back to her, if she decides to nip again, YIPE and leave.

Repeat.

Dogs learn by repetition. If you and everyone who interacts with the puppy do this YIPE and leave consistently, the nipping will stop. Your puppy will learn that when her teeth land on human skin, the game and the fun is over.

http://dogpublic.com/dogs/dogs_content.a...
Reply:Our bullmastiff was into this when he was around 4 months. We tried every trick in the book. The one that worked for us was to yell ouch when pup bit and the put him in his crate for a couple of minutes. as soon as he was calm, we let him out. If he done it again, straight back in the crate. We had to crate him 5 times in total and the biting stoped. Good luck
Reply:You may need professional assistance if this persists.

When she nips, scream or writhe or make any other indication of pain to show nipping hurts. (She should have already learned this from her littermates; it may just need to be reinforced.) If this fails, tap her on the nose firmly when she nips and growl, "No!"
Reply:put something really nasty on your skin...i did it and it worked (on my brother)

BEST WISHES FOR THE NEW YEAR!!! GOD BLESS!! ;D
Reply:Well a good way is to get a squirt bottle and whenever she nips at you, you can squirt her (it isnt mean it will teach her to stop!) Or you can get a muzzle on her.

Java and C++

Please help! My puppy is sick?

2010-03-15T23:56:00.000-07:00

My doberman puppy, Lexi, is about four months old. She has been throwing up for the last two days... then last night, she woke me up dry heaving and I tried to feed her, but she wouldn't eat. This is very strange since Lexi would eat all day everyday if I let her. I saw one of her teeth fall out, too. She won't even get out of the house now. Her tummy has been rumbling non-stop. Can anyone help me? What should I do?

Please help! My puppy is sick?
Definitely take her to vet right away! She may have swallowed something poisonous, or she may have a parasite or worm. Our puppy swallowed a cigarette, and the same thing happened. She was throwing up, then dry heaving when there was nothing left to throw up. We called the vet, and he said to just monitor her over the next day. But in your case, this has been going on for two days, so you need to take her in!

Also, make sure that she stays hydrated. Keep offering her water, and if she's not drinking water or keeping it down, feed her ice chips.

As for the tooth falling out, it's normal at that age. She's teething, and I'm sure it has nothing to do with the sickness.

Good luck. Poor Lexi. I hope she feels better soon.
Reply:Time to take Lexi to a vet!!!
Reply:Get her to the vet - what are you waiting for???
Reply:This could be a number of things. You should take her to the Vet. Maybe she ate something she shouldn't have or maybe she has an illness. Only a Vet will be able to help.
Reply:You need to get her to a vet today.
Reply:You need to get her to a vet quick. Being four months old her teeth are going to start falling out but vomiting can be a sign of serious digestive problems.
Reply:You need to call your vet to get a proper answer to this. My first concern would be the possibility of Parvo. Just because a puppy has gotten a booster does not mean they can never get it... only reduces the risk of it. I had a puppy that did get it and was fully vaccinated. You may not be dealing with anything too serious, but I would be calling the vet to rule out the possiblity of Parvo, which can be deadly if left untreated. One other possible sign of Parvo is the dog/puppy to be lethargic and not eating or drinking.
Reply:You need to get her to a vet right away, it definately sounds like she could have Parvo. This is a very serious disease for pups and could ultimately kill them if not treated right away.
Reply:Vet visit and now.

This could be many things and your are going to need to have the dog seen at the vets to find out what. They are going to want to run tests to find out what is making your dog sick.

As for the tooth she may just be loosing her baby teeth.
Reply:Take her to the Vet very soon!!!!
Reply:Get her to the vet today! But if it is Parvo, as some people seem to think it is, 1) it is not a death sentence, and 2) a dog that recovers from Parvo can lead a long life afterward and can be a very pet. My sister had a German shepherd that had Parvo as a pup and was the most loving animal I think I've ever been around.
Reply:She probably has a fatal disease. I can't think of the name of it, but it is usually fatal. Maybe she should be put to sleep before she suffers any more. I think the word is Parvo.
Reply:Do you really need to ask what you should do? Get off Y.A. and get her to a vet!!!
Reply:Why are you wasting time here? Get your dog to the vet!
Reply:My advice is you go to the vet. That's the best.I think it should cure your dog.
Reply:Take your pup to the vet. She could have ate or swallowed something that you are unaware of. Don't sit back and wait for it to pass. Dogs throw up when something isn't quite right. If you'd take your child to the doctor when they are sick throwing up for two days, why wouldn't you take your pup? You are the only one she can count on at this point to take care of her and make sure she is okay

safari browser

How hard is it raising a shiba inu puppy?

2010-03-15T23:55:00.003-07:00

Also, do they bite viciously? Are they very friendly? Can you brush its teeth without biting you? Are they obedient? Can you play catch with them?

Also when puppies are teething, do Shiba Inu's bite you hard?

Can you have a shiba inu puppy in your bed and bite your face off when you sleep with them?

How hard is it raising a shiba inu puppy?
All puppies are the same. When teething, they will bite just about anything including fingers, furniture, toys, etc. When dealing with a teething puppy, you need to encourage chewing on the appropriate items by giving them a chew toy or bone when they chew on the wrong items(or hands). Never hit a puppy.

Most dogs can play fetch or catch if you train him to. Obedience is something taught, not something a puppy comes with.

When dealing with biting, it all depends on how you raise a puppy. The breed doesn't matter. If you let a puppy bite, he will continue to bite. No dog bites more than others. A bored puppy is a destructive puppy.

Furthermore.. No puppy can bite your face off. Puppy teeth are sharp, but can't do too much damage.
Reply:What is the deal with the biting? Shiba inus can be an aloof breed but no well trained dog bites at every opportunity.
Reply:General Appearance

The Shiba is the smallest of the Japanese native breeds of dog and was originally developed for hunting by sight and scent in the dense undergrowth of Japan's mountainous areas. Alert and agile with keen senses, he is also an excellent watchdog and companion. His frame is compact with well-developed muscles. Males and females are distinctly different in appearance: males are masculine without coarseness, females are feminine without weakness of structure.

Coat

Double coated with the outer coat being stiff and straight and the undercoat soft and thick. Fur is short and even on face, ears, and legs. Guard hairs stand off the body are about 1½ to 2 inches in length at the withers. Tail hair is slightly longer and stands open in a brush. It is preferred that the Shiba be presented in a natural state. Trimming of the coat must be severely penalized. Serious Fault--Long or woolly coat.

Temperament

A spirited boldness, a good nature, and an unaffected forthrightness, which together yield dignity and natural beauty. The Shiba has an independent nature and can be reserved toward strangers but is loyal and affectionate to those who earn his respect. At times aggressive toward other dogs, the Shiba is always under the control of his handler. Any aggression toward handler or judge or any overt shyness must be severely penalized.

Summary

The foregoing is a description of the ideal Shiba. Any deviation from the above standard is to be considered a fault and must be penalized. The severity of the fault is equal to the extent of the deviation. A harmonious balance of form, color, movement, and temperament is more critical than any one feature.
Reply:Shibas are generally independent and intelligent dogs. Some owners struggle with obedience training, but like many dogs, socialization at a young age can greatly affect temperament. Traits such as independence and intelligence are often associated with ancient dog breeds, such as the Shiba Inu. Some shibas must always be on a leash, but with the proper upbringing, a shiba's loyalty will keep the dog with its owner for life.
Reply:Shiba Inus

What's good about 'em

What's bad about 'em

There are energetic Shibas, and placid Shibas.

Hard-headed Shibas, and sweet-natured Shibas.

Serious Shibas, and good-natured goofballs.

Introverted Shibas, and Shibas who love everyone.

If you acquire a Shiba Inu puppy, you can't know for sure what he or she will grow up to be like. Because a good number of purebred puppies do NOT grow up to conform to the "norm."

Now let's look at some common characteristics for this breed...

If you want a dog who...

Is conveniently-sized, sturdy, and spitz-like, with prick ears, foxy face, thick coat, and curled tail

Is energetic, bold, and spirited -- definitely not a lapdog

Moves swiftly with light-footed grace

Thrives on vigorous exercise and athletic activities

Makes a keen watchdog

A Shiba Inu may be right for you.

If you don't want to deal with...

Vigorous exercise requirements

Massive destructiveness when bored or left alone too much

Suspiciousness toward strangers when not socialized enough

Aggression toward other animals -- strong chasing instincts

Escape attempts and running away, oblivious to your calls, when an interesting sight or scent catches his attention

Strong-willed mind of his own, requiring a confident owner who can take charge

Heavy shedding

A Shiba Inu may not be right for you.

If I were considering a Shiba Inu...

My major concerns would be:

Providing enough exercise and mental stimulation. Shiba Inus are active go-getters who MUST have regular opportunities to vent their energy and to use their busy minds to do interesting things. Otherwise they will become rambunctious and bored -- which they usually express by destructive chewing. Bored Shibas are famous for chewing through drywall, ripping the stuffing out of sofas, and turning your yard into a moonscape of craters.

I strongly recommend that you get your Shiba Inu involved in obedience classes at the intermediate or advanced level, or in agility (an obstacle course for dogs), as outlets for his high energy.

Suspiciousness toward strangers. Standoffish by nature, Shiba Inus need extensive exposure to people and to unusual sights and sounds. Otherwise their natural caution can become suspiciousness, which is difficult to live with and could even lead to biting.

If you have small children, I do not recommend a Shiba Inu. This breed does NOT like to be grabbed or hugged or held tightly, and if pushed too far, may react defensively.

Animal aggression. The Shiba Inu was bred to hunt other animals. Many Shiba Inus are dominant or aggressive toward other dogs of the same sex. Many have strong instincts to chase and seize small fleeing creatures. This can make for conflict if you own a cat. It may be much worse than that if you own a pet rabbit or hamster!

Shiba Inus cannot be trusted off-leash. They will take off -- oblivious to your frantic shouts -- after anything that runs.

Fence security. Many Shiba Inus are clever escape artists who will go over or under fences in search of adventure. To keep your Shiba Inu in, you may need higher fences than you might imagine for their small size. Some Shibas are incredible climbers who require a covered pen when outdoors. You may also need to sink wire into the ground along the fence line to thwart digging. Gates should have the highest quality locks.

The strong temperament. Shiba Inus are not Golden Retrievers. They have an independent mind of their own and are not pushovers to raise and train. They can be manipulative, and many are willful, obstinate, and dominant (they want to be the boss) and will make you prove that you can make them do things. You must show them, through absolute consistency, that you mean what you say.

To teach your Shiba to listen to you, "Respect Training" is mandatory. My Shiba Inu Training Page discusses the program you need.

Heavy shedding. Shibas shed a LOT. You'll find hair and fur all over your clothing, upholstery, carpeting, under your furniture, on your countertops -- even in your food. Frequent vacuuming will become a way of life. Make sure you're REALLY up for this.

If you're considering an adult Shiba Inu...

There are plenty of adult Shibas who have already proven themselves NOT to have negative characteristics. If you find such an adult, don't let "typical breed negatives" worry you.

When you acquire a puppy, you're acquiring potential -- what he one day will be. So "typical breed characteristics" are very important. But when you acquire an adult, you're acquiring what he already IS.

http://www.dog-e-news.com/o/Shiba%20Inu_...

http://www.shibaweb.com/bookstor.htm

http://www.icewindkennels.com/testimonia...
Reply:I have a Shiba Inu, and they're not vicious dogs at all. Dogs develop their personalities during their first few months after birth, so their behavior reflects how they are treated. Most puppies like to chew things and will bite (nip) playfully, so just give them a variety of chew toys and they'll be fine.

You will have to work extra hard to train your Shiba Inu. This breed is very strong-minded and independent. But they are very intelligent also, so they can be trained with enough persistance. They can also be territorial and protective. I've always heard that if a Shiba Inu could say one word, it would be "mine."

And my Shiba Inu loves to play catch, but we play indoors. Shibas are natural hunters, so I highly recommend keeping them on a leash when playing outside. They will run off and chase anything that moves.

I hope that helps. Good luck
Reply:I have a shiba inu. His name is Mitu. He's great. I have a friend who got a female shiba inu and he regretted it big time.

Yes, they bite, just like any puppy.

They are friendly if you socialize them properly. Mitu is standoffish with most people, but he is a sweet heart with my mother, me, and our close friends.

Shiba Inu's are not particularly obedient. It is possible to train them.... but it's tough.

They have the personality of a cat. So if you like cats, but want a dog, a shiba inu is perfect. They do not follow you around everywhere like most dogs.

I sleep with my shiba inu all the time and I have never once been worried he was going to bite my face off. He snores a little bit, but other than that, he is a great bed partner.

A shiba inu is not the dog for everyone.
Reply:I just got a shiba about 3 weeks ago, Jack Bow-er. He has been wonderful! He does listen to my husband better than me but its because he has the strong, in charge tye of voice, and I dont. As long as you tell them you are in charge, you should be fine.

He likes to play, run, and plays catch with a tennis ball, and he will bring it back to me. He is very friendly, but has kind of a cat like personality. He wants attention when he wants it.

He does bite, but you just have to teach him not to. He loves socks that are balled up, and his bones to chew on. Likes to hide his bones in the house.

I doubt you will have much luck brushing teeth, mine doesn't like to be brushed!

He does sleep with us and wakes us when he needs to potty. Has done very good potty training.

He hasn't really tried to bite my face yet. Just don't let him.

I would recommend this breed. They MUST be socialized with dogs and people right when you bring im home, and continuously, can be very protective of its owners.

Good luck!
Reply:It can be challenging to raise a shiba. They are very smart and very stubborn. They need consistancy and patience. It didn't take long for her to learn commands, but she will test you to make sure you really mean what you say. To quote my vet "Dogs always have one question...who is the boss? Some ask it once and they accept the answer, others ask it everyday." Shibas are the latter of the two.

My shiba does not bite viciously. She is an 8 month old puppy, so she will nip, but gets a firm no when this happens. The only thing I have seen her bite viciously is her stuffed toys, she will chomp down on them and shake furiously (it is quite amusing).

Zoe is very friendly. A key to the friendliness is socialization. As soon as we got her we had her in as many different situations as we could. We took her to Petsmart, car shows, parks and walks around the neighborhood so she could meet a lot of people and a lot of dogs. She loves people, kids, dogs and cats. Her favorite place is the dog park because she gets to play without a leash!

Unfortunatly I don't have an answer about the teeth brushing because we don't do that. But I would bet that if you start while they are puppies you can train them to accept it like any other task.

My shiba is obedient, but sometimes you have to give the command more than once. She does have naughty spurts, but I think any dog does this.

Zoe loves to play catch! It is one of her favorite games. We will take her to the tennis courts (the only fenced area in our neighborhood) and play fetch with her. She loves it. It is great exercise for her too! If it is hot or rainy or someone is using the courts we will play with one of her stuffed toys inside.

When she was teething she didn't bite hard, she just nipped and usually doesn't even close her mouth. A stern no and turning away usually stops the action.

I'm not sure how to even approach the last question. You can have any dog in bed with you if you choose to do so. I don't think a puppy has the strength to bit your face off. My girl is more likely to cover you in kisses. On the weekends we wake my fiancee up that way. She loves to wake daddy up with kisses.

Hope I was able to help!
Reply:no they don't bite viciously, yes they are friendly, start using your finger moving along the dogs gums, with the proper training very obedient, yes u can play catch with them, no just hard nips, It is not recommended for any type of dog to sleep in the bed with you, cause as a puppy, it could poop or pee in the bed.
Reply:every time the dog bites, give it about 10 swats with a newspaper.

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Shiba inu puppy unplayful?!?

2010-03-15T23:55:00.002-07:00

I have a 14 week old Shiba Inu puppy, we've had him for 4 weeks now, and I've noticed he's not playful at all. He'll get going for at most 5 min with his chew toy, but thats only when his teeth hurt at night. Why is this? I know shiba's are extremely active.

ohh btw he was just diagnosed with giardia last week, so can this play a part in it?

Shiba inu puppy unplayful?!?
It is posible that giardia is the reason. Not all dogs are as active as others of the same breed. She will probably become more active as she gets a little older.
Reply:that could be it. Puppy doesn't play for long either. They sleep alot.
Reply:umm it might be because of the giardia. but shiba inu should be playful. try getting it to play with toys by waving it in their facfe nicely. hope i helped!♥☻☺♠♣♦○◘•◙♂♪♫☼►◄↕‼¶§
Reply:Puppies sleep a LOT. When my labrador was that age, he would sleep practically all day. Now he basically has a nap and then plays the rest of the day until bed time.

You'll notice when they aren't themselves. That usually means they are sick. When my dog gets sick, he just lays around and whines a lot. If you're worried, take him to the vet. They can give you information and tell you if your dog is sick or not.

my cat

Disobidient Pug/Jack Russel Mix Puppy?

2010-03-15T23:55:00.001-07:00

Hello! I have a Jack Russel/Pug mix puppy currently 4 months old. She is constantly biting both objects and me, especially the hands,fingers, and feet. I am aware that she is still just a puppy and will do some silly things. But it has reached the point that I cannot play or interact with her without her bitting. Be it her means of playing too, it is really annoying and I have a fear she will always insist on using her teeth to "play and get attention". I'm going to spare details because I don't know where to start. My question is to you, will it stop, eventually? Is this normal for this breed. Currently whenever she bites by means of hurting or annoying me I just tell her to stop and say no.

There are times however, when I have to hit her hard so she will let go but after that she just charges back at me! Is there an effective way to teach her that bitting is bad?

Disobidient Pug/Jack Russel Mix Puppy?
I have 3 full stock jrts and know exactly what you're talking about! I have scars all over both my forearms from the play biting. It seems to be for attention, although mine get all the attention they could possibly need! Better cared for than most children. I've found that raising my voice in a stern tone works better than anything, because the jrt in them wants to please, and knowing that they've displeased you sometimes in itself is enough! In extreme cases a rolled up newspaper does the trick. Don't know why, but my dogs are scared to death of one. Just had to use it a couple of times, now all I have to do is tell them I'm getting the newspaper and they line up like little soldiers at attention! They love it when they please me!
Reply:Jack Russel's are spunky little things, so you need patience and by all means, show her who the boss is. Pug's are nice dogs, but they can be bossy...so the jackrussel/pug mix is a doozy, but adorable.

Consistency is the most important thing when teaching a puppy anything. The poor dog is teething, and until she gets her grown-up teeth, she will bite anything and everything/everyone. It's frustrating, I know, but she will get over that habit.

We kind, understanding (I know it's difficult at times!), but the loving reward you will get from her when she's over these shenanigans is well worth it.
Reply:If you use your hands to push her away or 'hit her', she will naturally come back because she thinks you are playing. Have you tried yelping and walking away from her for 20 seconds before paying attention again? Bite inhibition can be taught and SHOULD be taught (rather than bite prohibition) so that she learns to have a soft mouth when she does bite. See this article based on Dr Ian Dunbar's methods (he is a well-known veterinary behaviorist specializing in puppies). You may have to copy and paste it to a word file in order to make it more readable. Good luck with your pup.

family nanny

Help... My puppy bytes while playing...!!!?

2010-03-15T23:55:00.000-07:00

I have a 2 months old Labrador puppy. She is very sweet, energetic and playful. I understand that she is teething now so thats why I have got a lot of chew toys for her and she loves to play with them. But just like that at times she comes and pounces on us and starts biting us. She has very sharp teeth, which hurt when she does that. I say no to her in a stern voice, I’ve tried locking her up but no change. I kiss her and hug her but when she does something good and I parse her she gets all excited and starts biting again. I don’t know what else to do as I am a first time owner of a dog. Please help.

Help... My puppy bytes while playing...!!!?
Your puppy is probably just "play biting" because she's excited. There's no bad intent behind it, but it doesn't hurt any less. Locking her up isn't going to help any as it's not an immediate response. When she bites or even mouths you, give a short, high pitched scream. This should startle her and let her know that she's hurt you, since another puppy would react the same way. Then stop playing with her for a couple of minutes. Don't pay any attention to her. After a couple of minute, you can start interacting with her again. Also, try to be a little more restrained with your praise. It sounds like all this kissing and hugging may be too much excitement for her, causing her to start play biting again. Just say "Good girl!" in a positive tone, and give her a pat and/or a little treat. Getting the dog overexcited through praise is sometimes counterproductive. If you do this consistantly, your dog should learn not to bite when playing with you.
Reply:she doen't no she is learning you have to teach her NO
Reply:my staffy is bout 10 monsths now he stil lbites because she thinks your playin with her and she dont no how much shes hurtin u until lyou shout so when she does shout no or her name in a loud vioce keep doi tht then she will stop she wont stop completly tho because she stil la puppy
Reply:Praise her quietly with strokes and words. If she bites yell 'No' or 'Ouch' loudly but try not to pull away as they will see this as a sign of play,she must take her mouth away from you.then offer your hand to her,is she goes to bite again shout 'No', wont take long b4 shell move away from your hand.
Reply:I had the same problem with my dog. (She's a labrador too!) %26amp; She went through that teething stage. She bit because we were playing around. But I remember keeping my hands away every time she started to bite. I would use a stern voice, and say NO or BAD GIRL. %26amp; Stop playing all together. You should try that %26amp; be more calm around her until she gets out of the teething stage.
Reply:When she bites grab her muzzle so her mouth is closed and say no, then offer her your hand and if she licks it praise her if she bites repeat the first part. Use only enough pressure to close her mouth she should get it. When you praise her avoid too much emotional praise as she apparently thinks this means she should start getting wild again.
Reply:This is a common normal behavior that needs to stop right now! Through many years of breeding and raising dogs the best way that was rec to me, is: when pup bites- squeal loud enough that pup knows she hurt you, and take muzzle with thumb and first finger above the muzzle and pointing down, squeeze muzzle hard enough to make pup yelp, be quick , firm, and do this with the squeal. This procedure will stop this immediately with only a few times, but... do squeeze hard enough to get a yelp and don't do it more than once each time. If you miss don't keep trying this only makes it a game, wait and try again, be serious about it and praise and love your pup constantly for good behavior, she only wants to please you, enjoy your dog and be committed to your new baby so you will have many wonderful years of companionship and love!
Reply:yEAH, It's natural for dogs. As an owner of a dog, I also experienced it with my pet. aFTer 2 months, her teeth started to grow. So when we play her, she also bite us but after a month, I think she will behave and never bite you.
Reply:my pup is lyke tat give it a bone 2 chew.

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Help! My puppy only chews plush toys but he destroys them too fast!?

2010-03-15T23:54:00.003-07:00

In have a 14 week old puppy and he only likes chewing plush toys, especially those with the squeaker inside. The problem is that he doesn't just CHEW on them, he RIPS them by holding down the toy with his front paws and then pull with his teeth. He also uses his molars to chew down the plush material. The main problem is that he rips the material then eats it! A new toy usually gets chewed through to the filling in a day. I can't afford to keep buying him new plush toys every other day, and I don't want him to keep ingesting fibers from toys. What should I do? I've tried Kong toys, but he doesn't like them at all. =*(

Help! My puppy only chews plush toys but he destroys them too fast!?
please be careful my friend was doing the same thing you were and piece of the string got caught under her puppys tounge and didnt know it.and she had to get emergencie surgery. buy some chewys there real hard and go to the pet store and ask them just be careful..
Reply:Did you try the Kong toy you put treats inside? Most dogs love trying to get at the treats.
Reply:To get through my puppies chewing stage without breaking my pocket book, I started buying old toys at Goodwill or any thrift shop. That way it doesn't matter if they chew up a stuffed animal when it only cost me a few cents. Also, I found my pups loved chewing on hard plastic, so they got all my discarded tupperware or mismatches at a rummage sale.
Reply:I HAVE TWO DOGS AND THEY DO THE EXACT SAME THING WHAT I STARTED DOING IS BUYING THREE OR FOUR AT A TIME AND GIVE THEM ONE AND WAIT UNTIL THAT ONE IS TORN TO PIECES BEFORE I GIVE ANOTHER. NORMALLY THEY PLAY WITH THE LITTLE PIECES OF FABRIC FOR A WHILE. BUT TO ANSWER YOUR QUESTION I JUST THINK DOGS JUST LOVE THE SOUND OF THE SQUEAKY. THE BEST THING IS TO GIVE HE A NEW ONE EVERY MONTH INSTEAD OF EVERY WEEK. HOPE IS HELPS
Reply:Buy him a real chew rope toy

Looks like this:

http://images.search.yahoo.com/search/im...

hope this helps!

-Dog Lover

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4 months piranha gsd puppy?

2010-03-15T23:54:00.002-07:00

My gsd puppy like to bite me. I think he is only playing but he still has his baby teeth and they are very sharp. I tried screaming and distracting him but he won't get distracted. I had pennies in a can but that only worked for a day, now he just ignores it or bark at me whenever I shake it.

I also took him to the dog park for the first time yesterday. He did not play with any of the other dogs because he was scared. He hasn't played with any dogs since last month when I dog him. The reason for that is the vet said not to bring him around other dogs until he has all his shots at 4 months. That's exactly what i did but I'm afraid that now he will grow up afraid of other dogs. Is it normal that he is scared or should I be concerned?

4 months piranha gsd puppy?
First off, for the biting. Whenever he does this, give a quick tap on the muzzle, or grab it FIRMLY, not enough to harm him, but enough to startle him and grab his attention, and firmly say "no". Then stop all playing and IGNORE him for a few minutes. No more then 3 minutes at the most. When I say ignore, I mean COMPLETLEY ignore him, no eye contact, no verbal contact, no physical contact no matter what he tries. This will give him the impression that YOU'RE the dominant one, NOT him. Biting regardless of the consequence is a show of dominance (yes, they do this at 4 months of age), and this is NOT a breed you want to let have that much freedom. GSD's can be VERY dominating, especially if you allow them to be from the start. They can be very head strong, and you NEED to take control from the very beginning. Consistency is also key. GSD's are INCREDIBLY smart dogs, and he should pick up on this rather quickly as long as you keep doing it EVERY time he bites. Distracting him wont help, as it wont teach him the behavior is wrong. Screaming will only excite him more, which is the EXACT opposite of what you want to do. Treat a dog with excitement in ANY form, and they will return the favor. Treat a dog with calm assertive behavior, and you'll see like results from your dog.

As far as the fear is concerned, I doubt it had much to do with his quarantine period, as most puppies who see a vet regularly go through this. Although, he could very easily be socialized. When you take him to the park, do NOT baby him when he shows fear around other dogs. What I mean is, if he starts to cower and hide behind you, move away from him, do NOT let him hide behind you. Keep him ON LEASH in case anything happens and you need to quickly remove him from the situation. Let the other dogs come up and sniff him. Don't pet him and baby talk to him, don't tell him it'll be okay. Stand there, almost as if you're ignoring the situation. He needs to know that you're there in case he needs you, but that he also has to face this himself. This may be a slow process that can take a few times. Eventually, if you keep this up and keep socializing him, he'll work himself out of being so scared. As much as we want to comfort our dogs when they're scared, and as much as we want to let them hide and cuddle them, etc... we can't do this, as it doesn't help anything. All this does is enable their fear, and makes them think it's okay to be scared. This can lead to fear of other objects in the future, including humans. Also, fear, if it's allowed to get out of hand, can lead to aggression. Good luck to you both!
Reply:remember the dog park is like nursery school... the first few trips are a bit over whelming and the pup will stay close to you because he knows your safe. But he will soon start to wonder but run back to you when he sees he has gotten off a bit. soon he will find a friend and off he'll go.
Reply:Your puppy just needs some socialzation! I would strongly recomend some obedience training. This way he will not only learn but will also be among other pups!

It is a great bonding experience for the both of you and you get to learn how to properly train your pup too!
Reply:This dog may just need to chew on something,it would be

best to feed it something hard or give it lots of chew toys.

my other thought is that he/she is teathing.

hope this helps

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Stroking my puppy?

2010-03-15T23:54:00.001-07:00

My 16 week old puppy is still hyper but I am wondering if I stroked her, would it calm her down and if so, where should I stroke her. She is just losing her 1st teeth and is nipping me at any opportunity, yelping at her has no reaction! Help!

Stroking my puppy?
Hmmm find a spot where she really likes! Normally its behind the ears or on their tummy i suppose its a bit like tickleing to them!
Reply:she will grow out of it its perfectly normal for a puppy
Reply:I've heard if you rub dogs on the tips of the ears it calms them down.
Reply:she wont settle until she has tired, perhaps try more walks with her every day,
Reply:Teething. Just like a toddler..
Reply:well try and just let her calm herself down at night and when shes lying down just sit next to her and stroke her either just behind the ear or on the back. different dgos like different places
Reply:you should have been stroking he from the start to bond with her that way she may not have started nipping you
Reply:be careful

it might turn her on
Reply:she will grow out of the hyperness she will stop biting once her grown up teeth grow in. hope i helped!!
Reply:when she gets hyper stay calm with her and stroke her head and behind her ears
Reply:It might calm her down for a very little while, but she's a puppy and depending on the breed will be a little crazy until she's maybe 2 years old. Teaching her basic obedience will help use all that energy in a positive way. As far as the nipping goes, get her lots of chew toys. When she nips at you hold her mouth closed for about 5 seconds then let go. This may sound strange, but when you are holding her mouth closed move your head just above and in front of her and give a low growl. This is establishing your dominence over her. She has to learn that it is not acceptable to bite humans. Hope this helps and good luck.
Reply:Hyper dogs simply need more excersise. That doesn't mean you have to go for a two hour run it is as simple as playing games during tv comercials or working on obedience skills. Get him bones or teething ring type toys this should curb the nipping. As far as stroing her dogs prefer to be stroked under the chin on the chest and sides. Don't do it on there head as that is persived as aggresion.
Reply:my puppy was like that, she still is a times. She is still young but my dog likes it when i stroke her behind the ear. take her out on walks to calm her down. as she gets older she will calm down.

good luck x
Reply:yes deffo try more walks, my pup is 12 weeks and a 10 min walk tires her out

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How can i stop my puppy from biting,growling, and charging? plz help!?

2010-03-15T23:54:00.000-07:00

i just got my puppy 2 weeks ago and shes close to being 2 months old and shes a mix of labrador, chow, and pitt. i know that since shes puppy she is teethin and constantly tries bitting on EVERYTHING thats around her including hands, toes and arms she has sharp teeth so i already have red marks on my hands, i already tried to redirect her mouth to her toys and tried grabbin her two front legs and pullin her back sayin NO firmly to her but she always comes back chargin to bite, im even tryin time out everytime she tries biting, she'll growl sumtimes which i want her to stop also, i heard that squirting some lemon juice or vinegar mixed with water into her mouth could help also, i dont know what to do, but i know i want these habits to stop now before its too late please help me!

How can i stop my puppy from biting,growling, and charging? plz help!?
I feel like you're telling me my story. We got our little girl ,who is a terrier mix.They say she will be about 35 lbs when grown,(she is smaller then your puppy and your puppy is probably a lot stronger. She is now 5 months old and a lot calmer and less nippy My puppy just lost the last of her sharp fangs. When she feels like chewing she has one of those huge rawhide bones ,when she gets crazy,I give her that.. Your puppy will out grow this, give her lots of love ( my puppy is a big ear and face nibbler ,when she does this I encourage her to lick my face, not bite, she is getting a lot better) . I noticed when she is hungry, she gets a little wild and nippy,Is she eating enough? For the1st two months we walked around with scratches on our feet and legs and hands.... Every time we tried to pet her she would think we were playing and start biting our hands,when she got too rough we would stop petting her. We encouraged her to be nice ,we would pet and hug her as long as she was not biting. Get that rawhide bone or other chewing bones,and mine likes ice cubes...Avoid playing tug of war with her,throw something for her to fetch. You are doing all the right things ,you just have to give it time. Hang in there ,, it will seem like forever. Miss Molly
Reply:go to petco and get it trained
Reply:i dont know!!!!!!!!!!!
Reply:i would just say wait it out and she'll get over it. our dog displayed that behavior too, but now she's older and doesn't do that anymore. i think we tried other things, but they didn't work.
Reply:THATS EASY AS SOON AS YOU SEE THIS HAPPENING CORRECT THE DOG BY TAPING IT ON ITS SIDE RUFF BUT FIRMLY DO THIS EVERY TIME IT DOES SOMETHING YOU DONT LIKE WORKS WITH ALL DOGS IF DONE RIGHT TRY IT
Reply:try asking a vet to help you. they might know what to stop her.
Reply:I have a pitbull and he is 5 months, but I have had him since he was 6 weeks. He has been going through that phase ever since. I tried toys, but it made it worse. Maybe you could close her mouth and tell her no in a negative and firm way showing her she should not bite skin. This in particular didn't work for me and incase it doesn't work for you try timeout. When she bites tell her no biting and send her to her crate or a special corner for 5 minutes. Also use timeout as the name of the place so she can associate the place with the negative behavior.She will then learn when she bites she will go to timeout for 5 minutes. If she is stubborn like my dog you may have to increase the time just to show them who is boss because all it is...... is a territorial thing
Reply:First of all you have to understand, shes a puppy and nothing will fully stop these behaviors except time. Its like telling a child not to play.

However, since this can become a problem and you don't want to let her know that biting is ok, try this:

Whenever the puppy bites you, make a high pitched yelping sound, but do not pull away from her. If you pull away she will pursue. Instead, the yelp mimics the sound her litter mates would make if she played to hard with them and she will stop and look at you. When she stops, praise her.

Second, never ever roughhouse with the puppy because that will teach then that rough play is ok. Since you don't want the dog to bite you, then roughhousing is not the way to go, and neither is tug of war. Try fetch instead and refuse to play or pay any attention to the dog if it won't give you back the toy. (You may have to open the dog's mouth and take the toy from it the first few times so it gets the idea that you want it to give the toy back)

Another method to keep the puppy from biting is to firmly grab her nose/muzzle when she bites, and say "no" firmly.

And yet another method, when the dog bites, growls, or won't calm down, quickly flip it on its back and hold it down by the chest. For a large dog, pulling it's back against you and firmly holding it by the chest works best. Put pressue on the dogs chest(not alot) and tell the dog "no" firmly and hold it there, repeat the no and the firm pull until the dog stops struggling and relaxes. Then you can let it go and repeat if it starts the behavior again. This is how the mother dog disiplines her pups, by holding them down and growling, and the pup usually responds very well to this method. This is what we use in my kennels.

Best of luck with the puppy.

Note: never put your dog in timeout in its kennel/crate. The crate is a place of safe haven for the dog, not a punishment. You never want to punish your dog using the crate.
Reply:Try PetSmart they have obedience training for dogs.
Reply:She's a puppy, puppies do that. It's normal. It's play time all the time for them. What you're going through is normal, when my dog was a pup, there were times I had tons of scratches running up and down my arms and legs (my dog is boxer, german shepard, mastiff ++). My suggestion is - don't use redirection, I made the mistake of doing that in the beginning. You can probably do that with labs and retrievers, but dominant breed types are different and have different issues. Read about chows and pitts and training info from the various websites. When all the 'nicey-nice' stuff and positive reinforcent wasn't working, I turned to sites, information and a trainer who specialized in German Shepard training as I found that my dog's personality was very German Shepard.

You need to make clear firm commands, there must be consequences for biting/nipping you - time outs - then after she's been good and had her time out, then you can give her a toy. Using immediate redirection is teaching her from the start that she'll get rewarded for doing that action.

The reality is - 2 months ago your puppy didn't exist except in her mum's tummy. She's a baby - what you're asking and expecting of her is too much. It takes time and effort - over a duration of time as she grows and matures - and training. It doesn't happen immediately. The truth is, she's a baby and it doesn't just stop because you want it to, she needs to grow and develop the restraint and cognitive abilities in order to do as you ask.

But the key is - consistency.

As she gets older you may have hierarchical issues as well, you need to make sure it's clear that you're the boss, not her. I suggest "The Art of Raising a Puppy" by the Monks of New Skete. it's really great and has a ton of info. Plus, they raise German Shepards - so it's based on dominant breed types and training them.
Reply:Well shes still only 2 months old so right now she probably thinks you are one of her sisters or brothers and thats why she nips.

if you are playing tackle games like teasing her with your hands or some one in your family is then ide advise you to tell them to stop. or you can try this... next time she nips at you, you give her a sharp YIP! and completly turn your attention to something else and that should tell her that you dont like it.
Reply:If its really a pit, its natural for them to be agressive. its in their blood

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Homemade food for my chihuahua puppy?

2010-03-15T23:53:00.002-07:00

I am getting a Chi puppy and would like to give him the best diet possible. I have been searching the internet for the best diets. I know that commercial dog food is aweful and foods like chiken, carrots and pasta or oatmeal are best. But I also know that dogs need dry food for their teeth. So I am wondering if I could cook the food, blend it, and then roll it into little balls and dehydrate them or bake them? If this worked would it be a good diet for my chi puppy? I would start him on it slowly to switch from his current food. Any other suggestions?

Homemade food for my chihuahua puppy?
Innova makes a kibble that is the closest replica to the BARF diet possible. I would suspect dehydrating your prepared human food may have adverse effects on it's nutritional content and/or freshness. Besides, do you really have THAT much free time to keep doing this ball/dehydrate routine for the rest of your dog's life? You would be so busy making dog food that you would miss out on the more important parts of being your dog's companion - like going for walks, playing in the park, wrestling on the carpet. :) It's difficult on their bowels to change foods over and over, and changing too frequently can make your dog a picky eater.

Try Innova, they're an awesome company. http://www.naturapet.com/display.php?d=p... My dog's enjoy the EVO treats very much!

Innova EVO Dog

Evolutionary Diet for the Modern Canine

Innova EVO has been specially designed to provide all the key nutritional benefits received from the feeding of raw food diets but with the benefits of 21st Century nutritional research.

Innova EVO formula is based on ground chicken %26amp; turkey meat, bones, fat, cartilage and connective tissue. It includes whole, raw fruits and vegetables which contain health promoting phytochemicals and micronutrients. Low Carb, Hi-Protein and Grain Free.

At Natura, we understand that it isn't always possible to feed your pet a raw diet. This is until now. Innova EVO is also a convenient, complete and balanced supplement to a raw feeding program.

Innova EVO...What to feed when you can't feed raw

Animal feeding tests using AAFCO (Association of American Feed Control Officials) procedures substantiate that Innova EVO Adult Dog Food provides complete and balanced nutrition for all life stages.

Innova EVO is available in 28.6 lb., 13.2 lb., 6.6 lb, and 3.3lb. packages.
Reply:There are actually really good dog foods out there.

Check out these sites

http://www.dogfoodanalysis.com/

http://www.dogfoodproject.com/index.php?...

General care for Chihuahuas off the Chi club site

http://www.chihuahuaclubofamerica.com/ge...

Really good chi info

http://www.blueboychihuahuas.com/
Reply:First you need to check with a vet and find out what he thinks would be the best thing for your chi. you could probably use this other food for a treat, but a puppy needs a nourishing food to give them a jump start on a healthy long life. I have 3 adult dogs and they have been raised on Pedigree dog food their whole lives. I have not had to make any trips to the vet for colds, muscle problems, etc.

Pedigree also has a real good adult food, too. my dogs love it. It has chicken, rice, peas and carrots in it , and my dogs prefer it to the regular Pedigree,
Reply:Hi there,

Had your same concerns at one time. What I did was ask my Vet, who by the way is known to be the BEST and most expensive in the county. Here is the recipe I was given and both my dogs love it,

In a large bowl, Mix (1) one large canister/box of Oatmeal, 32 oz. Honey, 2 eggs, and cooked/boiled Chicken (cut or ripped in small pieces). Mix all together as you would Cookie dough, Roll into balls,and gently flatten a little. No grease cookie sheet.

Bake in 350 Oven for approximately 10-12 minutes.Can store in refrigerator up to 3 weeks, Makes a lot,

Before giving these to your dog bring to room temp. They like them warmed in the microwave too. Just warm, not hot.

My vet said this is the best way to feed your dog.

Just another note: All ingredients are fairly cheap except for the Honey. Still-- much better than anything on the market, especially the foods they add food coloring to, to appeal only to the human eye. The packages picture are made, to make humans think they look delicious. Dogs just know they taste bad.

We want our dogs healthy, and happy with their food. Same as we want for ourselves.
Reply:Your dog is so lucky that you want to feed him the very best.

I have been breeding purebred dogs for the past 38 years.

Two years ago, I began feeding Canidae. I have tried nearly all the major premium brands of kibble, but since feeding Canidae, I would never want to feed anything else.

My old dogs became younger, my pups grew better than ever, and the in between are robust with good health. My dog's teeth don't need cleaned, and they have Sweet breath.

Take a look at the ALL HUMAN GRADE ingredients:

Chicken Meal, Turkey Meal, Brown Rice, White Rice, Lamb Meal,

just for starters..

Other great kibbles are Innova, Wysong, Solid Gold, Wellness.

You will find these kibbles at your local pet supply, but never at the Grocer's or Dept store.

Premium dog food costs more per bag, but less per month, as the dogs eat less, and waste(poop) less. It is a huge savings in veterinary care, as they are so much healtheir, especially as they age.

If you decide to cook the cookies recommended by the other answer, be sure to add vegetables and cod liver oil, as there is not really enough nutrition in that recipe.
Reply:cooking the food then dehydrating it will take the nutrients out of the food and the pup will not be getting the best nutrition. RAW is the best when you feed all natural foods.

some good dog foods are innova, canidae, solid gold, and california natural, artemis is good and so is eagle pack go with a good dog food for a healthy dog, unless you want to feed raw. cooking the food is not good to do.
Reply:If you want to make your own food, I'd recommend a raw diet. Be sure of course to do your research first though, and until then feed a high quality kibble.

Cooking food destroys essential vitamins your dog needs, raw food is a great source of everything your dog needs. Yes it is ok to give dogs RAW chicken bones. Raw bones aren't dried and won't splinter the way a cooked bone would, and even your chi could handle them.

Dry food being good for dogs teeth is a myth. Its horrible for their teeth. It does stick to them, and the food that sticks to their teeth causes bacteria growth. Dogs have a lot of dental problems, and its due being fed kibble. Raw fed dogs don't have these issues, because chewing bones and muscle DO clean the teeth.

Raw food dogs also have less dog odor, less waste to pick and in general are healthier than kibble fed dogs.

I do realize that raw just isn't for everyone, and that's why I recommend some high quality kibbles.

Here's my article on choosing a dog food, it also contains some links to start you off on research into raw.

Anything by Purina is pretty low on the high quality foods list. In fact most of your better known brands are, this include Eukanuba, Iams, Science Diet, etc.

Vets are great sources of medical information but they very POOR sources of nutritional information. Vets are required to take very little in the way of animal nutrition courses, in fact these are usually just an elective. The few classes they are offered are either taught by or sponsored by major dog food companies. No bias in that teaching huh? Vets also of course make money on the foods they sell, as well as recieve 'perks' from dog food companies for promoting a certain food.

So when looking for a high quality food, I'd stay away from your better known, highly advertised brands, and look for the following:

Here is some information on finding a high quality food for your dog.

Nothing you find at a grocery store is going to be a good food. High quality foods can be found at large pet store chains, or online. A couple of foods I like are Nutro Natural, Innova, and Cannidae.

There are other high quality dog foods. Here's how to spot them:

A high quality food will have little or no fillers such as corn, wheat or soy. These aren't very digestable for dogs, and are common food related allergens. Since you were seeing corn meal in the first few ingredients, those are not high quality foods. Foods list ingredients by content, with the ingredient it contains most of at the top.

A high quality food will not contain BHT, BHA or Ethoxyquin, these are all chemical preservatives that have been linked to cancer.

A high quality food will not contain by-products of any kind. Meat meals are ok as long as the source of the meat is listed, such as Chicken Meal.

A high quality diet should have meat as at least the first ingredient., and be made from human grade ingredients. Foods that don't use human grade ingredients often get their ingredients from less than desirable sources, such as meat from animals that were diseased, or euthanized.

There is another diet option other than dog food. Some people choose to feed a raw diet. This involves feeding the dog raw meaty bones and organ meat. However it is not as simple as throwing a couple chicken bones in a bowl everyday. If you wish to feed this type of diet, do lots and lots of research first. Switching to this diet without knowing what your doing can lead to nutritional problems for your dog. I'll give you some links as a starting point in research if you are interested in this type of diet.

http://www.willowglen.com/barf.htm.........

http://www.bestfrisbeedogs.com/diets.htm...

http://www.rawlearning.com/rawfaq.html.....

http://www.rawfed.com/myths/index.html.....

http://www.rawdogranch.com

What's Really In Pet Food

http://www.api4animals.org/facts?p=359%26amp;m...
Reply:Actually, raw food is better for dogs - ie. meat

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I am not sure how old my puppy is????

2010-03-15T23:53:00.001-07:00

I just got a long haired doxie 2 weeks ago and the store owner (1st mistake) told me she was 10 weeks. When I took her to the vet, she check out fine and is healthy. (This is also the FREE vet visit that came with the puppy) I noticed this week that she is still "sucking" in her sleep and spent 15 minutes trying to suck on a dog stuffed animal yesterday as if it was her mother. My mom also notice that noot all of her teeth are in. For almost 12 weeks, I have read her "baby" teeth should be in. I think, she was weaned too early and maybe younger than they told me! I have another appointment sched. at a diff. well respected vet next week. Until then, ANY IDEAS.... or hints to look at to tell her age?

I am not sure how old my puppy is????
Here is the schedule for when a pups teeth come in:

-4-6 weeks baby teeth come in.

-3 months first permanent teeth come in (the buck teeth)

-4 months 2nd pair of pernanent teeth come in (next to the buck teeth)

-4-7months permanent come in and should be complete by 7 months

-6months the permanent canine teeth should come in.

-1-5 years the cusp points are worn down on the incisors.

If you have any more questions your vet will be able to give you an estimate age. Usually the pups aren't taken away before 8 weeks and infact it is illegal to take them away before then. So chances are that the pup was around 8-10weeks when you got him. But if you said that the teeth just came in than maybe he's younger. Once you figure it out and he is too young call the local aspca in your area and let them know that there is an iresponsible breeder in your area that you would like to report. Good Luck

-
Reply:if her eyes were still blue when you got her she was under 6 weeks.

Puppies should not be taken away from the litter until 12 weeks %26amp; you will reap the problems because they did.

It is really impossible to tell much difference between an 8 wk %26amp; a 10 wk or 7 %26amp; 9 wk old. Definately different vet not affilliated with the pet shop
Reply:She was taken from her mom too early, and also some puppies just suck in their sleep, or suck on things to comfort themselves to sleep. Generally tho it's cause they lost their mom too early..

They start to lose baby teeth approx 15 weeks or so, depending on the breed. They don't have a full mouth of newborn baby teeth, but when they lose those they'll have all their teeth. She could very well be 12 weeks of age.
Reply:ask a vet
Reply:If you bought your puppy from a pet store, chances are you were lied to about the age. Pet stores buy their puppies from puppy mills, puppy millers take away the pups from their mom as early as 3 weeks, yes 3 weeks, illegal or not, they load them up in big trucks and haul them off to the deplorable pet stores that sell them overpriced and underloved. The "free vet visit" was to a vet that is paid by the pet store to lie and say whatever sounds good about their dogs. I am anxious for you to go to your vet and see what he says about the age. I bet you anything that puppy is not over 6 to 8 weeks old. Good luck with your new baby, and I hope all turns out well for you and your puppy.

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Growth of previously malnourished puppy?

2010-03-15T23:53:00.000-07:00

I have a 4-month-old rescue puppy that came from a bad situation who arrived sick and malnourished. She is happy and healthy now, with a good appetite and clean bill from her vet. She is tiny for her breed, still building strength, and her adult teeth started coming in early (possibly before 3 mos). Does anyone know what effects malnourishment and early illness can have on a puppy's growth and maturation process? (Incidentally, she was spayed at 12 weeks by the rescuers.)

Growth of previously malnourished puppy?
As with a child, malnutrition can cause issues with every part of the body... especially bones and joints. I would talk to the vet about possibly giving her a multi-vitamin to help her body fully recover. She may be small now, but it's very likely that with time she'll catch up. I've had some 'special needs' puppies in my litters (boston terriers are a tough breed to raise), but they have all caught up to their littermates. Some have even ended up being the largest of the litter. One turned out to be bigger than either of her parents and the most incredible companion ever.
Reply:you didnt mention the breed (big breed or small)

joint health would be my main concern - make sure the food she is on is a good one preferably with glucosamine/chondroitin added for joint health

assuming the vet gave her a clean bill of health you shouldnt have problems - if you think she was abused mentally it will be very important to take her to Obedicence for proper socialization and to build her self esteme
Reply:Ok the growth procsess may be a little stunted in other words she might be a bit smaller than usual however the size of the dog is unimportant is long as she has a clean bill of health if you breed her there should be no problem her gene pull should be strong enough to have normal size pups
Reply:I think if you just give it lots of love and train her she will be a fine dog. Also I would put a little bacon grease on her food once a week and never let children near her when she is eating.

As far as effects go she may be harder to train and she may have troubles with her bones or hips.

Good Luck and way to go for rescuing.
Reply:Generally speaking, as long as her diet has improved, the dogs growth will resume at a normal rate. Even runts do not stay runts forever.

family nanny

Question bout Female puppy chihuahua..?

2010-03-15T23:52:00.003-07:00

my puppy who is almost 6 months, has gotten aggressive, shes only 2 pounds, but she shows her teeth, and makes those agressive noises. and bites, just by touching her sometimes, or just trying to love her. It just started to happen, why is she doing this? and what can I do to make her stop, I cant hit her, cause shes so smalL!!! thats waht some pppl said. when she behaves poorly.

Question bout Female puppy chihuahua..?
Thats how they are,mine straches me alot
Reply:shes starting her heat cycle
Reply:Watch the Dog whisperer. Read his books. Many of his shows have dogs just like yours. Actually, I saw a show on it the other night. The dog has most likely taken the roll as the dominate one in your house.

http://channel.nationalgeographic.com/ch...

http://www.dogpsychologycenter.com/
Reply:put her 2 pound booty in some puppy training that should help.or call your vet she may be able to tell you what to do.good luck

o yes i must also tell you that is just how Chihuahua's are i know i have 2
Reply:it might take her sum time to get used to u...or she's just like that

don't try to touch her too much

maybe she'll gradually like u
Reply:Perhaps she is in pain. Have you taken her to the vet. If there is nothing physically wrong with her, you should take her to puppy training. PetSmart has a good program.
Reply:get use to it.....all chihuahuas are loud and aggressive
Reply:Something noisy like a dog whistle, or a rolled up paper (a small one). Or a squirt bottle may work (or she may like that).

The tone of your voice and body language have allot to do with it. She doesn't think you are in charge.
Reply:well I can relate to a little bit , my dog she bites me alot, you probably used the r.r when a dog came close to her and she probably got frightened.
Reply:i would probably think "am i doing something differently?" or go to a vetrinarian,maybe its soething mental or physical that needs to be treating thats causing ur dog to do this.i hope it works out for u.
Reply:i have the same problem...only Tudy is 6 years old! small dogs are very territorial. mine sits on her recliner and won't let me near her without the teeth or growling and snapping at me. she does it because she feels safe there and doesn't want me in her space. i'm living at home with my parents(i'm 29) and she has lived with them her whole life. she displays this same behavior when lay with my mom or dad and i approach. i understand why she does it but haven't found a solution. i got another chihuahua who is 1 and a half y.o. she doesn't act like this. i suggest watching the dog whisperer cesar milan on the animal planet network. he is amazing! it's all about being assertive. you are the pack leader, not the dog. discipline doesn't hurt their feelings. watch him and you'll learn some techniques. good luck!!

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Sweet and Angry Pitbull Puppy!?

2010-03-15T23:52:00.002-07:00

I recently purchased a pitbull puppy, he is now 7 weeks old. Okay, here's the issue! He growls and snaps at us on several different occasion, next he is the sweetest puppy ; listens to you, and so forth. The problem is Tiny (the poopie) he snaps at my 3 yr old faster than anything; the rest of every blue moon (so to speak). Here's my question to you: Do you think this is a phase, something he will grow out of? Are do you think its best to give him up, because he is MOST likely to continue with this attitude and one day attack my 3 yr old as a older pup with stronger teeth or as an adult(which is 100 times worse)? Please answer seriously, please! I like the little rascal, he's so cute! I will add this, my 3 yr old does play hard with him, but other times;accidently stepping on him and causing him pain somehow, or picking him up. Which those are times Tiny growls at him. Other times, when my son trys to pet him, he growls and snaps. Tell me what you think. Your opinion really matters.

Sweet and Angry Pitbull Puppy!?
I totally understand what you are going through, I have a two year old and I know that it is very important to feel that your kid is safe...Maybe you should take him to puppy classes try and teach your son how to handle to pup right and if that doesn't help I would seriously think about adopting him out to a family that doesn't have younger kids and has some experience with the bully breeds as they tend to be dominant dogs. Although yes your dog is still a puppy, if you don't get some kind of help like from a professional trainer, then this behavior could escalate and you will have a problem later on. I have and American Bulldog, but he's totally submissive towards my two year old son. I hope I have help and I wish you the best of luck...I know you have a hard situation and I hope everything works out for you and your family.
Reply:you need to find a professional trainer or find a responsible owner that has handled pit bulls before.
Reply:he is too young to be away from his mother for starters, this could cause behavior issues
Reply:"my 3 yr old does play hard with him, but other times;accidently stepping on him and causing him pain somehow, or picking him up. Which those are times Tiny growls at him."

Gee, can't imagine why being stepped on would elicit a growl. And define "playing hard" - pulling ears? Pulling tail? Playing rough enough to hurt the puppy?

"Other times, when my son trys to pet him, he growls and snaps. "

Your puppy (who is too young to be away from its mother, by the way) knows that this child has hurt him in the past, and wants to avoid being hurt again.

I don't blame him.
Reply:I think you should have done you RESEARCH before getting this breed.

I also think you should have gotten her when she was OF AGE. She is TOO young.

Yes, I think you should give the pup to a RESCUE, not a shelter, because she is sure to be put down.

You may be misinterpreting this behavior since you are unfamiliar with this breed.

These dogs don't need to be in irresponsible, uneducated hands. Find a rescue to take her to.
Reply:Pitbulls are very controversial. Some say severe aggresion runs in the blood. Some say it's the owners that cause aggression. I do not know. However, when it cfomes to your son, his safety is first. What do you mean by "snaps"? Does he bite? I'm leaning towards giving him up to somebody who is trustworthy (who won't raise it to fight) and somebody who has previously owned a pittbull. I would do this sooner than later. The later you wait, the deeper your attatchment for him will be.
Reply:Pit Bulls can be agressive... like all dogs. They get a bad rap though, largely because they are often bred for agressivness. But they can also be the sweetest dogs ever.

They do, however, NEED to be properly trained. And honestly, a 3 year old is not old enough to be left alone with a puppy or any other animal. Intentionally or not, they're very likely to hurt the animal through rough play, and the animal WILL respond in kind 9 times out of ten.
Reply:Ok, I know that it is going to kill you to hear this, but you really need to let this dog go. Pit Bulls are naturally agressive dogs, it is just in their nature. For this dog to already be acting the way you say it is, that is not a good sign. There have been several unfortunate cases where full grown pit bull dogs have mauled, and seriously injured, sometimes killed children. With a puppy, it should not matter how hard your child plays with it, it should NOT be growling and snapping, no matter what. Please,........ you knew in your heart that the way this dog was acting wasn't right when you posted this question. Please, Please, please, get rid of the dog before you find yourself wishing you had when something unfortunate has happened. I wish you the best of luck in your decision!
Reply:Well when he is sweet give him some loving like pet on him.When hes angry persuade him by giving him some snacks ,if you dont have any go out and buy some there only about $1.00-$3.00
Reply:this Will go on when hes older...but you should not let him go!!!!!

it probably was the owners that had him before you they probably treated him badly!!!

you should give him professional training , or this might work and it might not but you just have to take it some time!!!!!!!!

okay when he starts to growl like hold him ...i cant explain it but i saw it on the dog whisper...they was doing it on this chiewahwah. he just snaped all the time but he stoped..................................... sorry about that
Reply:Sorry, but though I hear sweet stories about Pits, I don't understand why you have one around a 3 yr old son. The "snapping" is very common with Pits, and that's why they have their negative reputation for attacking. There have been plenty of cases where Pits seem like the most harmless dogs, then one day decide to attack their owner or someone at random. Why does it have to be a Pit? You should get something gentler if you want to ensure safety for your son!

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You think this would help you to understand what Puppy Mills are? SAD!!!!?

2010-03-15T23:52:00.001-07:00

If Only Things Could Have Been Different....

I don't remember much from the place I was born. It was cramped and dark, and we were never played with by the humans. I remember Mom and her soft fur, but she was often sick, and very thin. She had hardly any milk for me and my brothers and sisters. I remember many of them dying, and I missed them so.

I do remember the day I was taken from Mom. I was so sad and scared, my milk teeth had only just come in, and I really should have been with Mom still, but she was so sick, and the Humans kept saying that they wanted money and were sick of the "mess" that me and my sister made. So we were crated up and taken to a strange place. Just the two of us. We huddled together and were scared, still no human hands came to pet or love us.

So many sights and sounds, and smells! We are in a store where there are many different animals! Some that squawk, some that meow, some that peep. My sister and I are jammed into a small cage, I hear other puppies here. I see humans look at me, I like the 'little humans', the kids. They look so sweet, and fun, like they would play with me!

All day we stay in the small cage, sometimes mean people will hit the glass and frighten us, every once in a while we are taken out to be held or shown to humans. Some are gentle, some hurt us, we always hear "Aww, they are so cute! I want one!"... but we never get to go with any.

My sister died last night, when the store was dark. I lay my head on her soft fur and felt the life leave her small thin body. I had heard them say she was sick, and that I should be sold at a "discount price" so that I would quickly leave the store. I think my soft whine was the only one that mourned for her as her body was taken out of the cage in the morning and dumped.

Today, a family came and bought me! Oh happy day! They are a nice family, they really, really wanted me! They had bought a dish and food and the little girl held me so tenderly in her arms. I love her so much! The mom and dad say what a sweet and good puppy I am! I am named Angel. I love to lick my new humans!

The family takes such good care of me, they are loving and tender and sweet. They gently teach me right and wrong, give me good food, and lots of love! I want only to please these wonderful people! I love the little girl and I enjoy running and playing with her.

Today I went to the veterinarian. It was a strange place and I was frightened. I got some shots, but my best friend the little girl held me softly and said it would be okay. So I relaxed. The vet must have said sad words to my beloved family, because they looked awfully sad. I heard severe hip dysplacia, and something about my heart... I heard the vet say something about backyard breeders and my parents not being tested. I know not what any of that means, just that it hurts me to see my family so sad. But they still love me, and I still love them very much!

I am 6 months old now. Where most other puppies are robust and rowdy, it hurts me terribly just to move. The pain never lets up. It hurts to run and play with my beloved little girl, and I find it hard to breath. I keep trying my best to be the strong pup I know I am supposed to be, but it is so hard. It breaks my heart to see the little girl so sad, and to hear the mom and dad talk about "it might now be the time." Several times I have went to that veterinarian's place, and the news is never good. They always talk about congenital problems. I just want to feel the warm sunshine and run, and play and nuzzle with my family.

Last night was the worst, pain has been my constant now, it hurts even to get up and get a drink. I try to get up but can only whine in pain. I am taken in the car one last time. Everyone is so sad, and I don't know why. Have I been bad? I try to be good and loving, what have I done wrong? Oh if only this pain would be gone! If only I could soothe the tears of the little girl. I reach out my muzzle to lick her hand, but can only whine in pain.

The veterinarian's table is so cold. I am so frightened. The humans all hug and love me, they cry into my soft fur. I can feel their love and sadness. I manage to softly lick their hands. Even the vet doesn't seem so scary today. He is gentle and I sense some kind of relief for my pain. The little girl holds me softly and I thank her, for giving me all her love. I feel a soft pinch in my foreleg. The pain is beginning to lift, I am beginning to feel a peace descend upon me. I can now softly lick her hand. My vision is becoming dreamlike now, and I see my mother and my brothers and sisters, in a far off green place. They tell me there is no pain there, only peace and happiness. I tell the family good-bye in the only way I know how, a soft wag of my tail and a nuzzle of my nose. I had hoped to spend many, many moons with them, but it was not meant to be. "You see," said the veterianarian, "pet shop puppies do not come from ethical breeders."

The pain ends now, and I know it will be many years until I see my beloved family again. If only things could have been different.

You think this would help you to understand what Puppy Mills are? SAD!!!!?
Thank you....this should be posted everywhere and I wish more and more people knew about the horrors that they promote and help when they buy a puppy from a pet store. It's a horrible life and most people don't understand how many of these puppies actually die in their cages before they ever know the love of a human.

People....please stop this horrible cruelty from happening....don't buy from Pet stores.
Reply:What a great.. wonderful portrayal above.. All the more reason why I detest puppy mills and wish that people would CEASE from buying from them and perpetuating a bad bad situation for our four legged buddies. Thank you for sending that wonderful but sad and truthful message above.
Reply:omg my dogs name is angel!!
Reply:very sad. support your local humane society.
Reply:That has got to be the saddest thing I have ever read! I actually cried when I read it. By the way, I have a dog that looks just like your pomeranian except she is white.
Reply:This is the truth, thanks for posting this. I know better, but so many don't and have to endure that pain. It brings tears to my eyes everytime I hear something like this.

I know of quite a few people in Calif, that dealt with a petshop owner of the same calaber. They took her to court.
Reply:Even I had a tear from that one! Thank you for sharing that with us!

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Should I keep my puppy?

2010-03-15T23:52:00.000-07:00

My dogs had a litter a couple months ago and I just cant let go of the last one. Not because its the last one but because hes so cool and smart. I wouldnt have a problem at all keeping him but I can tell hes of a dominant personality, which isnt so bad , for me, except that my 2 yr. old male is also dominant over the female. In other words, Im afraid that when the puppy grows up, the males will fight over the territory. Mind you, theyre pitbulls so fighting isnt just growling and showing teeth with this breed. I have the 2 yr. old completely under control, but I dont want to disturb the peace in the yard that I have now by letting this dominating puppy stay. Am I being paranoid or is this truly a concern I should be worried about? EXPERIENCED DOG OWNERS ONLY, PLEASE.

Should I keep my puppy?
Intact males will generally have a problem with another male "competitor". If not now he will likely tru to engage the newcomer as your puppy grows towards reaching sexual maturity. It is not impossible but would require some intense supervision on your part. A lot of dividing living space and inside/outside time for your dogs. Not to mention the next time your female comes into season you will no doubt have some intense, possibly dangerous situations.

For all people reading this and having concerns about Pits - this is not an answer tailormade for the breed, Dalmatians or Cocker Spaniels would have the same problem with this situation.

I don't think you are being paranoid, it is a good thing you are these concerns and thoughts. I think it is not impossible and can definitly be managed but depending on your home, your lifestyle concerning the dogs (are the allowed to roam free indoors and the yard) keeping this pup might upset your balance greatly and impact your comfort and the comfort of your dogs.

Unless you are comfortable do a lot of locking away and keeping dogs apart you prbably should not keep this pup. A second female would still be easier that a second intact male. I would say find this puppy a great home and be happy and feel good about him having a loving home where he can have the whole family for himself.

Good Luck!

This said: I do hope you are at least taking care of the basic genetic screening for your dogs since you are breeding. For Pits I would definitly not breed without getting CERF clearance annually on the eyes and an OFA rating in hips and elbows of Good or Excellent. I would Thyroid test them as well. You can get more information at http://www.offa.org and http://www.vmdb.org/cerf.html

Good Luck!
Reply:If you'd like to keep them, I suggest spaying and neutering all three. Otherwise, I recommend re-homing one.
Reply:Maybe, you should put an ad in the newspaper, or hand him down to a kennel, or shelter. Make sure he's in good hands.

Because two pitbulls fighting would NOT be a good thing.
Reply:This could be a very bad situation, but you might be able to work it out if you are willing to put in the time. BUT, you will need to deal with the fights for pecking order, and your best bet is to get BOTH dogs neutered. ALSO, A LOT of training will be required. Honestly, though, considering the danger of this breed, I would not do it. Find the puppy a good home, get your dogs ALL fixed, and enjoy what you have.
Reply:If the dog grows up with the other two, he will learn his place. His place may wind up being the top dog or he will learn to become submissive to the dog that is. Make sure all three are neutered to further even the playing field. By the way, Staffordshire terriers that are truly under control and balanced are no more inclined to fight than other dogs.
Reply:yes you should be worried..

infact all your dogs should be fixed unless they are registered dogs and are actively participating in going to dog shows to PROVE they are excellent examples of the breed - worthy of being bred....
Reply:I have three pits, 2 boys and one girl and I can tell you personally as long as you keep them seperated when your female comes in heat there shouldn't be a problem. It's the females that will fight with each other. I have 2 boys and a girl and I love them very much and they have never fought over my female. Any dog will fight when his territory is being invaded when a girl is in heat so just keep them seperated at this time and you should be fine.
Reply:get rid of it. Dominant dogs cannot live together. Makes it worse that they are pits. This breed has a propensity for being vicous. I know that you can train a pit to be sweet and all that. I know that it can be a good pet, but deep down inside those dogs have the violence in them and all it takes is one little spark to bring it out. Think about the scenario of when the ***** goes into heat again down the road. There could be a very strong fight for dominance then. You are so better off only keeping the one, or keep them penned up seperate and never have an opportunity to challenge each other.
Reply:Since you already know that it has a dominant personality, then I wouldn't take that chance, but that's just me. ☺

Here is some useful reading. WARNING: The first one is a video and is very graphic

http://www.winfights.com/fights/man-anim...

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2005/05/1...

http://www.pitbulllovers.com/pitbull-att...
Reply:I can understand your concern. Bringing a dominant pup in with a dominant male. But it is a pup and the dominant male can quickly put this pup into the correct place in the hierarchy. Most times if a mature pit is introduced to a pup it doesn't mean an instant fight, things could go smoothly. But leaving the two together unsupervised would not be something that I would advise till you actually see how they will interact with each other. Have you thought of keeping the pup and having him fixed as part of the solution? It may help.
Reply:You are right to be worried and you are right in thinking they will fight.

Re-home the pup. It sounds like you've done a good job with the male you have, don't wreck that.
Reply:Keep the pup, he will be submissive to the male. it's not in the puppies nature to try to dominate an older dog. I would definitely neuter thee pup and keep him away when th e female's in heat.
Reply:Pit bulls don't necessarily fight to the death as you seem to believe. Any two dominant males will engage to determine who is top dog. If you let it happen, then the dog is running the house. If you put a stop to it, then you are top dog. I would spay and neuter all three of them and that will really really really help the situation - or at the very least, neuter the two boys if you are intent on keeping the female for breeding. We have 3 dogs, two of them are pit mixes and we haven't had a problem. Sure they wrestle and play and what not to figure out who is top dog, but they don't kill one another!

PLEASE be careful and check with your shelter before dropping hte puppy off if you choose to get rid of him. Our Humane Society does NOT adopt out pit bulls and if one is dropped off, they euthanize it, no matter how cute, sweet, or even how old. So check that before signing him over to the shelter.
Reply:sorry ur question is too long so i didnt read it but u should keep it if its cute! :)

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I just got a Puppy 2 weeks ago and she won't really touch her food..??

2010-03-14T17:34:00.001-07:00

I just got a puppy about 2 weeks ago her name is Trixe. She will eat her puppy chow but only a little bit and she only picks out colors...such as theh red and green pieces...I dont know what else to try everyone says soft food is bad on dogs teeth..??

I just got a Puppy 2 weeks ago and she won't really touch her food..??
Try mixing in something with the food. When we got our dog, she didn't eat real well for the first two weeks, so we fed her steamed rice with her food, and you can also give her plain scrambled eggs mixed in. The other thing is, you can mix a raw egg in with the food. You can also try chicken. Nothing with spices or lots of grease. The important thing, is to get your dog to eat. The other thing is, we changed foods, because our dog didn't like the one we got. We tried all different kinds (Purina, Pedigree, etc) and ended with Beneful. Good luck with your puppy.
Reply:give it a mix of wet food and dry food.and also try different variates of food imagen eating the samething everyday.
Reply:How old is she? you can mix a little water in it, also try microwaving the dry food for about 30 seconds it makes the oils come out and smell better. I used to mix about 1/10 of a banana in my puppys dry food, she loved that.

Try a food without colors like Innova for puppies?

reminded me of my dog his food had dry peas and corn in it, he spit the peas out or left them in the bowl, I don't think ill get a food with mixed pieces like that again lol.
Reply:Purina Puppy Chow is a really low quality food, and I doubt it's very tasty, either. Purina uses rancid resturaunt grease in their pet food, that is stored outdoors in large steel drums. Nasty.

Switch her to a holistic food, such as Canidae, Innova Evo, or Wellness, which is the one that I use for my kids.

She should be eating 2-3 meals a day, depending on how old she is. If she is really not eating well, take her to the vet, as this could be a sign of a serious illness, such as Parvo.
Reply:Pedigree Puppy Pouch and a little bit of dry food always works for my dog..
Reply:If you are concerned about nutrition, try another good dog food, or boil chicken and rice. Veggies are really good for dogs too. Chop carrots, peas, corn - most love veggies, but add chicken for protein too.
Reply:I feed my 7 week puppy Bill Jak, she loves it and it won't hurt her teeth. Just throw some dry in with it and she will get the nutrition she needs.

She just eats a little each time, so I got the 2 lb. frozen bag of Bill Jak and thawed it out enough to separate, then put a small amount (about a weeks worth) in sandwich bags and then put the sandwich bags in freezer bags and take one out as needed.
Reply:Puppy chow really isn't the best kind of food for dogs. Try a higher quality food. She probably just doesn't like the way it tastes. Try something like Canidae or Innova. My dogs love the taste, and they are so much healthier since I put them on it.
Reply:I'd call the breeder and find out what she was eating before you got her. Is she loosing weight?

You don't say how old she is nor what she weighs. Small, young pups don't eat very much. Usually people don't realize just how small their little stomachs are. Try feeding more frequently.

Try a different brand of dog food. Inova, Prairie, Newman's Own. Maybe smash it into smaller pieces with a food processor. Try putting some baby food meat on it for a few days until she gets used to her new home and food. Mix it with a little water. About 1/2 t meat with 2T water. That will soften the food a bit in case she is having some trouble chewing the dry kibble.

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I have pupp thats supposed to b 8 wks, but only have sum back teeth coming thru, how old is he really, 5 wks?

2010-03-14T17:34:00.000-07:00

I was told by my vet that the 8wk old puppy I bought is not that old becuz he doesnt have ne teeth,ive been told hes only about 5 wks, how old r they when they start getting their teeth, hes a shihtzu

I have pupp thats supposed to b 8 wks, but only have sum back teeth coming thru, how old is he really, 5 wks?
Pups start getting teeth between 2 and 3 weeks of age. Depending on the breed, the pup can continue to "teeth" until he's 10 to 12 weeks.

In your case, I'd probably consider the pup between 5 and 6 weeks of age too.
Reply:hi there

pups start teething at about 3weeks and it sounds like your puppy is about 4 to 5 weeks too young for this puppy to be away from its mum pups should be with their mum till about 7 to 8 weeks , good breeders i think will agree, your pup will also teeth again when it is about 4 to 5 months when it will start to get its adult teeth. good luck with your pup as you will have to make sure now your pup gets everything it needs, talk to your vet again and get a feeding program started for one so young. good luck again

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My 8 month old pit bull puppy only licks his food...?

2010-03-14T17:33:00.003-07:00

Hi. I never really watched my puppy eat before, but was noticing that he wasn't eating as much as I thought he should be. I started watching him eat and saw that he licks, or rather slurps his food, rather than digging in with his teeth. He'll obviously eat whatever he can pick up with his tongue... but everything else stays packed down at the bottom of his bowl. I mix dry food and wet food and have tried changing brands, adding water... any ideas about how to get him to eat "with his teeth"? Or is this ok?

My 8 month old pit bull puppy only licks his food...?
If he's licking it its most likely because he likes the taste of the canned food and not the dry food, and he's trying to 'avoid' the dry food. Dogs are crafty like that.

Try switching only to dry food or not always mixing the wet stuff. He needs the crunchy stuff for his tooth/gum health.
Reply:Sounds like tooth ache to me, or some other pain in the mouth or the jaws. What did the doctor say? Report It

Reply:If he's licking his food the reason is because he likes the taste or his teeth could be coming in theres nothing wrong with this though it's perfectly normal for a dog this young.. Don't worry about it
Reply:do you give him a lot of flavored hard treats? that will train him to like the taste and have to chew.. Liek those beggin strips are a little harder perfect for a pup, and he will have to chew it.
Reply:Just like Amanda said. Dogs are very crafty. I definately think he is just licking the wet food of the kibble and only eating pieces if they happen into his mouth. I had a rottweiler that did this as well.
Reply:Do not feed wet food...it is not healthy and promotes tooth decay, and dogs prefer it so they will not eat the dry food.

Make sure your dog is on a high quality diet, like fish and chips from http://www.frrco.com/121668 which you feed 1/2 as much of regular food of, so it only costs a few cents more per feeding. It also wards off allergies, cancers, diabetes, and other medical problems associated with most dog food ingredients.

Stop feeding the wet food immediately. The dog may not eat for a couple of days, but he will eat the dry food when he is hungry enough. Make sure there is always plenty of water. Do not give him treats during this time, either. Wait to give treats until he is eating his dry food well.

Once you get him on dry food only, do not go back to wet food.

Moni

http://www.geocities.com/libertydogtrain...
Reply:Try giving it dry food only.
Reply:you should stop feeding any canned food. Try only using dry food and if you want, mix in just a little low sodium chicken broth if you find that he's finicky about eating the dry.

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Please help! It's about my puppy!?

2010-03-14T17:33:00.002-07:00

We got a golden retriever puppy at a dog breeder a while ago when we was 8 weeks old. Now, she is probably about 13-15 weeks old. And we have no control over her whatsoever. She bites all the time- we pinch her teeth together, we put her in her crate everytime she bites and yelled "NO BITE!" I think we have done enough stuff to get the point across but she just refuses to obey. We award her when she does good. If you stand up to her and tell her "no bite!" or "bad" or when we put her in her crate and pinch her teeth together she gets even more aggressive like she is trying to get back at us! I have so many cuts on my body from her.

I am not sure but my ******** a$$hole father wants to send her back to the breeder! What do I do??? I need to make her stop getting aggressive and we are not about to take her to obedience school!!!

Please help! It's about my puppy!?
This is really really tough to deal with. You really need to check out the parents and bloodline of dogs when you get them from a breeder. I don't know that taking the dog back will solve the problem. I suggest you talk to a professional trainer. You can talk to them online on various websites and call those that are local to you. Unfortunately, obediance school may be just what she needs. Good Luck.
Reply:why wont you bring her to obedience school. It is a REALLY good investment.
Reply:This is just normal puppy behavior! be patient, maybe take a puppy obediance class and keep up the rewards for good behavior! its hard but it will pay off in the long run.
Reply:Golden Ret. are very hyper..

And it sounds like she was abused by the breeder!

Maybe this will help:
Reply:Unfortunately, puppy preschool would be the best bet for you. A dog is a responsibilty, and training is part of the responsibility. You have to be calm and work with her daily. Pinching her teeth together could be telling her that you want to play. Tell her "OUT!", which sounds like a mother dog correcting her. Put her down and ignore her until she stops the undesired behavior. By using physical means, she will think that you are wanting to play. Plus, her crate should never be used for punishment. It should be her den, and a calming place.

If you won't try obediance training, get a good basic obediance book and start learning what you are up against. It is really in your best interests.
Reply:that's what they make muzzles for.they are not expensive
Reply:I would DEFINATELY take her to obedience school! It's a great thing to do...GOTTA get the biting under control! It'll get worse and someone will get hurt and you may get sued for it.
Reply:take her to a trainer
Reply:Golden retriever are known to get aggressive when they are puppy's.And just try to smack her on the nose! i know they are cute but if you want you can that will help make them obey more... So um yea
Reply:all you would have to do would like not put her in a cage or anything, or pinch her teeth together, but just barely slap them on the head, or tap it, and say,"Don't do that," or,"SPANK," make your Golden Retreiver be scared of you, but not like where you can't pet it no more. I feel the same way becuz my dog is like that and now she don't bite me anymore.
Reply:don't pinch her teeth and when ever she bites you get a news paper roll it up and (don't hit her so hard that she wines)hit her behind her legs.if this doesn't work then get some toys for her and when ever she tries to bite you switch the part shes biting and give her the toy.like the one for tug a war but remember to always win on tug a war.hope it helps!
Reply:i don't know what to say
Reply:*sigh* honey, i got bad news for ya. out dog was just like that. we tried traning and all, but it didn't work. unfortunantely, when he bit someone and they had to be taken to the hospital,

we put him 2 sleep:(
Reply:the reason why shes so aggressive is because she either wants to play or because shes trying to be more dominant then you are, get a short leash and put it around the dogs neck right behind the ears, take her for a walk and make her walk beside you not in front, when a dog walks in front of you that means there more dominant which if a bad thing for you, after a while she will stop pulling and trying to get ahead of you and she will calm down. also lay her down on the floor and stand over her and stare at her, this also makes you more dominant do this when she is being bad and in a deep but calm voice you tell her "no".
Reply:i have a puppy golden retriever who is about the same age as yours. whenever she bit, or jumped we would hit her snout and yell no. i don't think that crating it is a good idea. maybe putting it outside if that is possible? it's a good way for them to run around. and if she growls back, keep yelling no until she stops. one way to train them is to reward them whenever it does something good.
Reply:luv a pug gave the correct advise. Your Golden will not want to be crated if you continue to to punish her this way. Obedience classes are always the best way to go. Chances are the breeder is not a reputable one and never socialized any pups in the litter. We are Golden breeders and this is a case of very careless breeding. Goldens are also very smart, so there is also a good chance she has set the pecking order in your home. If you need some advice, feel free to contact us so we can try to help you out. Taking the pup back won't help. Chances are the this breeder won't give you a cent back, tell you there hasn't been any complaints about the other pups and will resell it to someone else. Your breeder should actually be helping you with advice on your pup. GOOD LUCK!
Reply:Some pups are more energetic and more hard headed than others. Retrievers are smart dogs but also very energetic. All dogs but especially breeds who are extra energetic need lots of exercise and outside space to play. Try taking your pup for walks several times a day. Take her outside often and play with her with balls and Frisbees and things like that. Pups her age are teething fiercely and need to chew so get her a supply of dog toys. 'Kong's' are an excellent brand of dog toys for chewers (Petsmart, Target, Walmart). My chewers LOVE their Kong's. They have a hole in the middle of them so you can put peanut butter or dog biscuits or anything she likes. She'll love that trust me!! It also keeps she busy with her mind and her mouth.

Just putting her in her crate when she bites is not a good idea! The crate is meant to be her sanctuary not her room for punishment.

Ask your dad to hang in there a little longer! She IS after all just a puppy. Gently remind him of that. And you guys have to wait the teething stage out. Teething hurts anyone, including pups and she's just trying to relieve the discomfort of the teeth coming out.

One more thing, talk to her vet. See if she or he has any suggestions. Good luck!!! And show that pup lots of attention!!
Reply:I'm not sure obidence school will do the trick. Extra love always worked with my animals but I have never really had such an agressive dog. Perhaps she is trying to tell you she is in pain. Have you taken her to a vet for a check up? Perhaps she was abused by the breeder and she is afraid to get close to you, for fear you will abandon her or whatever.

If you truly want to keep the dog you are going to have to do some homework and a trip to the vet to see if there is a medical problem that is causing her anixety.

Pushing the teeth together doesn't work and quite frankly I have never heard of it done like this. I've heard where people bite the dogs ear and say no, but this seems rather like reinforcing a bad habbit by saying you can't do this but I can.

Animals are like small children. They consume a lot of time and love and patience and sometimes the rewards are not immediately comming as fast as we would like them to.

When your puppy bites she may be playing rough. My cat does and so I don't play with her except with a string and I'm far from her sharp claws.

You might try a muzzle when she bites and tell her firmly without screaming that she is bad for bitting and that she has hurt you and show her where it hurts. Muffle a tear and sob a little and then put the muzzle on. Allow her her normal freedom and let her roam the home. You could still give her love and still talk to her in a normal loving voice. With the muzzle on you could pet her and let her know how much you love her. But when the muzzle comes off you should be stern and wistful and say you won't do it again if she doesn't bite you or hurt you. She will learn that the muzzle is only for bitting and that you don't love her less, but you won't put up with the bitting either. If she wants her mouth free than it can't offend.

My bet is that there is something medicaly wrong and she is trying to tell you. Take her to a vet - the peace of mind will be worth the price and it could be one thng less you don't have to worry about.
Reply:The puppy learns what acceptable behavior is from the mother like biting and if the puppies are with the mother longer than the standard 8 weeks they learn biting is not acceptable. Please don't put her in her crate as punishment, she needs to have that as her place like her den, where she can feel safe. Never play games like tug of war, that will make the problem worse. Do you have a friend that has a female that has had a litter? Maybe you could set up some play dates where puppy learns from a mama
Reply:Obedience classes sound like what your dog and you need. If you're not willing to do that, try this book. The Art of Raising a Puppy by The Monks of New Skete. It covers all the bases from basic training to housebreaking to problems solving.
Reply:golden retrievers often have aggresion problems. well first u can do is not do physical punishment because it may make matters worst instead use your body posture, tone of your voice, and facial expression to remind the dog that your the boss. also try to make your authority firm by attaching a leash to the collar and putting it a one minute time out from the family. don't hold a grudge instead review your relationship with the dog and see why it may be challenge you? and remember little signals are big things to dogs and that you are the leader of the pack and eat first and walk first.

i got most of my info from a nice book and knowledge of my own but most of it from the book called" caring for your dog."
Reply:I agree with the training class answers. My lab puppy used to play bite me all the time and I had scars and scratches all over because I couldn't even touch her without getting teeth on me. As long as she's not growling or snarling when she bites, she's only playing and/or testing you, or she could be teething.

One thing I did was every time she bit, I yelled "Ouch!" and quickly got up and left the room. I came back a minute later and tried to pet her, but if she bit again, I did the same thing, until she learned that biting will make playtime over.

Also, it would help to know why you're against "obedience school". Look up training classes at your local humane society's website, or Petsmart. It's so important! Especially for an active breed like golden retrievers. It's only a couple of hours a week, for a few weeks, and it's the best thing you can ever do for your dog and for the family who loves the dog!!! Like another answerer said, training is part of your responsibility as a dog owner. One trainer in my area says "An untrained dog is an unloved dog."

Best of luck to you.
Reply:TAKE YOUR DOG TO OBEDIENCE TRAINING!!!!!!!!!!! you need it just as much as she does! you're giving inconsistent messages to yell at her in her crate. that's just like not sending your kid to school. you'll all have a better relationship if she's trained and you learn how to train her.
Reply:I've got a golden puppy that is just a little bit younger than yours.

The first thing that you *need* to do is get control of this dog! Put her on leash and take her for walks - lots of them. Unless you are planning on hunting this dog you need to teach her to heel - now. Don't believe anyone who tells you that puppies can't learn this stuff.

A lot of the time golden puppies don't get the amount of exercise that they need and they get a bit (OK, sometimes more than a bit!) hyper. Face it, goldens bounce off the ceiling sometimes. Remember too, she's testing her limits. What can she do and get away with? Can she do the same thing tomorrow? You need to be consistent with everything. It's like having a 2 year old kid - which I also have.

You really should stop physically punishing her for this. You are not really teaching her what you think you are. By pinching her teeth together, you are making her feel that hands are bad. By yelling, you are playing to her sense of the dramatic. Any reaction is good, in her view.

Also, you want her crate to be a quiet place of refuge for her, not a penalty box.

Now - all of that being said - this is how I taught my puppy to keep her teeth to herself...

1st time (in a quiet but low tone of voice) "no bite"

2nd time collar shake - gentle here! - simply grap her scruff at the collar level under her throat and give her one or two shakes while you look her in the eye and tell her no bite. DO NOT get crazy with the shaking thing.

3rd time - if she came back and continued, which she usually didn't - I would go full-on-alpha-female and roll her. Gently but firmly roll your puppy onto her back and put her hand on her throat (gentle but firm!!!!), look her square in the eye and verbally chastise her, do NOT scream or yell, but make your voice absolutely mean what you're saying. Lower is better because there's no drama. Keep her "pinned" and continue to chastise for about 30 seconds. Let her up but then ignore her for a little while. She will probably go off and sulk for a little while but when she comes back to you and is ready to make up - do it!

I only had to go to the 3rd step a couple of times. Anymore all I have to do is give her the old "stink eye" and she generally settles down.

I agree that obedience school would be a benefit to both her and to you. BUT - at this stage you can do a lot of it yourself. Read the 3 books in the source section. I really liked the Dummies book because it was geared specifically to goldens. Also, the Golden Retiever Club of America had a lot of information on their web site.
Reply:Send her back to the breeder. You're obviously in over your head and not willing to get professional advice in the form of obedience school or puppy classes. For the love of god, don't do any more of this physical punishment crap, and don't start any of this alpha rolling either. The puppy is like a little kid, exploring it's environment with it's teeth. Retrievers are fun-loving, hyper little devils at that age, and she's learned that she can have a grand ole time making you yell and thrash around by biting you. You've managed to turn this into a real rough and tumble game. Maybe the times when she gets more aggressive are a sign that either a) she's taking the game to a whole new level or b) she's feeling attacked by your physical domination and is responding in a defensive manner. I would strongly recommend you give this puppy back before she is damaged beyond all belief, or contact a puppy training specialist who can teach you the basics of positive reinforcement training.

Remember, this is just a baby and she's not trying to hurt you, she's just responding to how you've been unwittingly coaching her to react.

Good luck!
Reply:Puppies need ALOT of patience and loving training. It will take time to get results. I feel if you cannot do this yourself and you want to keep her you must take her to obedience classes. You pinching her snout closed is wrong. I have NEVER heard of doing this to control bitting. She is a puppy...puppies nip and bite when playing. Don't you think that if someone held your mouth closed you'd be pissed off too????? And as far as putting her in the crate when she's bad...thats wrong also. The crate is suppose to be a happy, safe haven for your pet. It is not to be used for punishment. Again puppies need alot of love and patience and ALOT of happy rewarding when they do right, that is how you get positive results. Did you really think this thru, meaning all the work that it takes to be a responsible pet owner???
Reply:Every year, millions of dogs are surrendered to the pounds and humane societies because they are believed to be "untrainable". Their "bad behaviour" includes chewing furniture and shoes, barking too much and ignoring commands - all problems that are not permanent and easily corrected if you take the time to do so.

As difficult as it may be to remember, your dog is not a little person. You cannot reason with a dog to get him to behave the way you would like. Even though they have shared our homes for thousands of years, dogs still retain many of the instincts and characteristics of the wild dogs from whom they are descended. Bred from ancestral wolves, dogs are both pack and den animals and for this reason, most dogs will accept a crate as part of their lifestyle. Like a baby's playpen, a crate or cage is a place in which your dog can stay when you are unable to keep an eye on him.

Choosing a Crate

A crate is a dog's very own special place. When you choose a crate, be sure to select the correct size for your dog. The crate must be large enough for the adult dog to stand up straight, turn around and lie down in a stretched position. Crates usually come in two varieties: fiberglass and metal. A fiberglass crate will provide a greater sense of security for your dog; a metal crate is collapsible and will allow for better circulation.

Introducing Your Dog to the Crate

For crate training to be most successful, your dog must be properly introduced to the crate. Crate training should begin as soon as you bring your new dog home. Equip the crate with water and a blanket or towel. Start off slowly and increase the time gradually. Place the crate out of the way, but not away from the action: your dog is one of the family, and needs to feel he is not being banished when confined in the crate.

Introducing your dog to the crate should be positive and fun. Never place your dog in the crate after disciplining him. Your dog needs to feel the crate is a happy, secure place. Select a command such as "Into your house". Encourage your dog to enter by tossing a treat into the crate. Leave the door open at first. Once your dog enters readily, close the door for a few minutes, and praise him with a cheerful, positive voice. Leave your dog with a special chew toy, just for the times he is in the crate.

Scheduling is very important. Ideally, young puppies would not be crated for more than three hours at a time - they cannot be expected to hold their bladders for more than a couple of hours. Adult dogs should not be crated for much more than eight hours. If you must leave your puppy or dog for longer than the ideal length of time, be sure the crate is arranged to provide a bedding area and a papered area to accommodate "accidents". If your dog needs to use the papers in the crate, under no circumstances should you scold or punish him.

Any complaining your dog may do at the beginning is not usually caused by the crate, but by the new controls set by this unfamiliar environment. Do not let your dog out when he whines or complains. By doing so, you will only reward his bad behaviour. When your dog settles down for five minutes, release him from the crate.

Once you feel your dog can be left on his own, you may practice leaving him alone for short periods of time. Allow your dog access to only certain areas of your home. As with children, place breakables and dangerous items well out of reach!

Your dog's crate is a tool that should allow you to have a smoother, happier relationship with your dog. It is not intended as a place to leave your dog and ignore him.

While crate training is a very effective method of training your dog, it may not be the answer to every behaviour problem your dog might exhibit. If your dog seems to be taking a long time to come around, do not give up! Your dog can be trained to be a fastidious member of your household regardless of age. Just be sure to give your dog every chance to do the right thing, at the right time, in the right place, and let your dog know you love him for him!

The Golden Rules of Crate Training:

The crate belongs to your dog. It should be off-limits to children.

You are the "pack leader", and you are in charge. Your dog needs to learn this!

Never let your dog out when he is whining. Giving in will make it more difficult to train him.

Remember, you are doing your dog a favour by keeping him safe and out of trouble when you are unable to supervise him.

Your dog's crate is not intended for long hours of use. When you are at home, your dog needs to be out of his "house" and in your company.

Never use the crate as a means of punishment.

Do not place the crate in a draft or in direct sunlight.

Do not leave a collar or tag on your dog when he is in the crate. It may catch on the bars and cause injury to your dog.

The Basics

SIT, COME, DOWN, STAY, HEEL.

SIT

Holding a treat in your left hand just above the pup's nose, gently rest your right hand on pup's rump.

Slowly move the treat in an upward motion while applying gentle pressure to the rump. ( you dont want to push hard because if you do the dog will sit every time someone touches him and this is not good for competitive obedience)

as soon as pup sits say in a very happy excited tone "GOOD SIT" and give the treat.

Repeat excersize 7x. then take a play break and move on to something elce.

very young pups should not train for more than a half hour each day

every time you put food bowl down or give a treat give the sit command, and wait for the sit. then once pup sits give treat or food down.

DO NOT move on to something new until pup has the new command down pat.

COME

walk away from pup about 10 feet to start. say pup's name and "COME" in a happy voice. once pup comes praise it lavishly have a bit of a play and give it a treat.

Gradually increase the distance you walk away. and eventually once pup knows command only treat every 3rd come. tappering off until he comes every time with out treat using only praise.

this will take a few days to learn if you practice every day.

DOWN

Start with pup in sit. move hand with the treat between the pup's front paws on the ground.

Say "DOWN" in firm but not loud voice.

pup might try and get treat without going down, dont let him have it until he downs.

praise in happy voice "GOOD DOWN"

repeat 7x

STAY

Start pup in down possition. say "STAY" in firm voice. walk to end of leash, backwards. if the pup moves say once only "AP" in a not pleased tone. go back do not say anything. put pup in down again repeat "STAY" walk backwards to end of leash.

pup does NOT get praise or treat untill he stays for 30 seconds, then a minute, then 5 minutes. move times up each week.

after he can do a 5 minute down/stay every time. move on to a sit/stay doing exactly what you did for down/stay.

Once on leash sit and down/stays are reliable for 5 minutes each. drop the leash and walk away from your pup, your back to the pup. about 10 feet away. wait 5 min. recall your dog. with dog sitting in front of you once he reaches you. treat and praise.

HEEL

Please do NOT train with a choke collar. i recomend martin gayles.

with dog on a short leash exactly beside you on your left side say "HEEL" if the dog starts to pull give a correction snap with leash on collar. and recomand "HEEL" the second your dog complies peaise with "GOOD HEEL" in happy voice. and continue to walk , correct, and praise for 30 minutes.

Allways end training sessions on a positive note. Never get angery with your pup for not responding to a command. Praise lavishly every time pup responds to a command.

NEVER hit your dog. NO reason is an acceptable reason for physicaly abusing your pup.

REMEMBER: you can allways call me for problems, you and your pup are allways welcome here to train with us free of charge for the dog's life time.

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Teething Puppy!?!?

2010-03-14T17:33:00.001-07:00

My puppy is a little terror. She is 3 months old and is at her prime for teething and she is driving my family nuts! She has lots of toys and rawhide but always seems to find something she shouldn't have. We keep giving her ice to chew on to help her teeth. We have her gated off in our den with wooden borads along the computer so she doesn't get the wires, which has been working good. but she has found speaker wires under the fouton where she has been chewing on the wooden sides and we didn't know she could fit under. She just chewed a hole in the carpet, not at a seam or door way but in the middle of the carpet. Granted that the carpet is old and we will be replacing it at some point but still... Please Help!!!

Teething Puppy!?!?
It's not a "training problem" all puppies chew ESPECIALLY at 3 months. It's just what they do. If it were a training problem, you'd be teaching the dog never to chew and that's not possible because DOGS CHEW.

You need to teach it WHAT to chew and what not to chew. The simplest way is to litterally take the thing its chewing on that its not supposed to, firmly look the puppy in the eyes and say "No!", then immediatly hand it something it is allowed to chew on. Once it takes interest in the new thing, pat it and get excited and let it know it's a good puppy. The biggest thing is BE CONSISTENT. If you let her get away with it sometimes and not others, she will never ever learn and you will just confuse her.

If there is anything particular she is chewing on that you can't afford to just "catch her doing it", get Bitter Apple Spray (Petsmart, 7.99) and spray the thing with that. The taste is horrible to puppies and they end up making a funny face and leaving it alone.

Good luck!!
Reply:this has nothing to do with teething and everything to do with your not training your dog.... you are letting this dog develop bad bad habits.... if you cannot watch your pup,, the pup needs to be in her crate.. your dog is learning to chew up your house,, a habit you do not want your dog to have... crate train your dog and enjoy her......
Reply:Try taking wash cloths and wet them and ring them out. You can also use chicken or beef broth. after you ring them out freeze them. Once frozen give one to your pup. This really sooths the gums. Hope this helps. All the best;~}
Reply:When she is not in a crate (hopefully you're crate training her) someone needs to keep a CONSTANT eye on her and tell her "No!" or "Leave it!" and make sure she stops. Then offer her a toy once she is being good again. Also, make sure everyone in the household is on the same page and using the same commands. It will be confusing for her to learn 3 different words that mean the same thing.

Unfortunately there's no other way around this, but you'll be very happy that you trained her properly in the long run.
Reply:ok you have to let her no what she can have and what she cant have every time you see her with something shes not sapost to have take it from her and tell her "NO" in a strong voice dont scream at her just let her no thats not yours then give her one of the toy that you have gotten her and give it to her when she strarts to chew or play with the toy tell her "good girl" in a sweet voice and pet her head this will help her know what right from wrong but remeber this takes some time and will work as long as you use a strong voice for no and a sweet one for yes. try and have a puppy toy in your pocket for when every you catch her in the acted it will not be as effetive if you dont give her something to chew on right away and rewarded her with "good dog" so try and keep something on you. but dont let her see it un till you have told her no. this should help
Reply:i would definatley recommend buying a crate or cage for this dog to use when you are out so as she cant damage anything else.

when you are home if you see her chewing be sure to tell her off strongly and remove her from where she is chewing. also provide her with plenty toys and hide to chew and try something like a treat ball or kong to keep her interested in something other than chewing the house. dont worry this will pass (eventually)

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Please answer dogiie teeth cleaning!!!!!?

2010-03-14T17:33:00.000-07:00

ok we have a almost 8yr old maltese

is it to late for her 1st dental cleaning?

we feed her chicken soup solid gold and innova dog food

we dont feed her a bunch of crap

she has lost her teeth like in the front so her tongue sticks out

she has a bad back because of something that happened to her when she was a puppy but the vet gave her a shot and said just to keep her calm so that she doesnt jump around everywhere and pop itout of joint and if she does just let her sleep(every once in awile she does and just sleeps for a day then shes good)

does she seem like her bloodwork would be ok?her teeth are awful.....want to use anethesia:isoflourane????im worried about her being under!!!!how long will it take?cost?im predicting lots of teeth will be pulled!what will happen if they pull all of them?

trusted coos bay/north bend vets please?

im only 13 please dont harass me

Please answer dogiie teeth cleaning!!!!!?
Talk to the vet about your concerns.. he will let you know all about the procedure, and what to expect.
Reply:8 years is not old for a maltese at all! For a small dog that has been well cared for you can expect maybe eight more years.

Having bad teeth can cause a lot of health problems with the dog. It doesn't take that long, shouldn't take more than 20 minutes, if that even. Just do all the correct preliminary tests and if your dog checks out ok, then I'd go for it. There are so many benefits to get from keeping the teeth cleaned.
Reply:Wow, that's a whole lot of questions there Missy.

Those are questions only a vet can answer, sorry.
Reply:Judging by all the other problems your dog has, unless her teeth are causing her pain, I wouldnt anethatise her, iso would be best if you have to. Try feeding her raw chicken necks or chicken wings to clean her teeth up, they are fine as long as they are RAW
Reply:no, she is not too old to have her teeth cleaned. there is no way to know if her blood work will be ok without running it. if you only want gas anesthesia, your vet should be more than willing to do that for you. most dentals run between 20 minutes up to an hour. if they have to pull all of your dogs teeth, she will be sore for a few days but fine afterwards. in fact she might even feel better than she does now. infected teeth are painful teeth.

might i suggest though that you have her put on antibiotics a week before the surgery to help curb any infection already present in her mouth and that you request an iv catheter to be placed so that she can have warm iv fluids during and after the procedure to help keep her temp up and help her recover from anesthesia faster.

also, if you do not have her teeth cleaned, the infection can spread through the rest of her body causing way more health problems.
Reply:It sounds like you have a regular vet. I would call them and ask the to give you a price quote over the phone. Keep in mind that tooth extractions add up rather quickly. Bloodwork? Well, we can't answer that for you. It does need to be done for sure before she is anesthetized. I'm sure your vet does many dental cleanings. She is not too old for a cleaning. I'm willing to bet this won't be her last either. At this point just know that she will be ok. Talk to your vet, only he/she can really put your mind at ease. Good luck!
Reply:Dental cleaning is a key component to animal health,especially in the smaller, more tartar-accumulative prone breeds. Many of the smaller breeds have less teeth in their mouths not only from tooth decay, but because their oral cavaties actually don't keep the teeth in-root for an entire lifespan and natural tooth loss occurs. You should insist upon preanesthetic bloodwork, since your dog is the beginning of geriatric canine age (age 8.). Iso anesthetic is most commonly used yes, sevoflurane is for faster-induced procedures in most clinics. I would recommend your local board certified dental vet. if possible, because they can specialise in any specific extractions,electrosurgical work, etc. 150-250 is a normal price range for all of the work, typically.

Tasha, Vet Tech
Reply:Some vets offer a Pet dental month where they lower the prices of a cleaning, here they charge 170.00 including pre op lab work, anesthesia and the actual descaling. But many smaller breed dogs have dental issues so it's a good idea that you want to start now. Also you can brush her teeth daily with a doggie toothbrush and doggie toothpaste. About your bloodwork question, there is no way to tell. Just have the vets run a full blood panel. The benefit of proper dental hygiene and care outweigh the risks. Dog dental issues can be gum disease, tooth loss, infections that can be very serious.

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My puppy is driving me crazy pleaseee HELP?

2010-03-14T17:32:00.003-07:00

My 4 and a half month old puppy is literaly driving me crazy when i am walking him he bites my foot and jumps to bite my sleeves every time i come home i have cuts everywhere caused by his teeth he embaresses me in front of everyone by doing this i am starting to want to not take him for walks pleaseeee someone help me is there any other way apart from getting a trainer or taking him to classes

My puppy is driving me crazy pleaseee HELP?
your puppy is very young and is just acting like a puppy! why don't you want to go to training classes? whenever your dogs starts biting at you, just walk into another room for a little. also, get your dog more exercise. DON'T stop the walks, and play with toys. when he is chewing on something acceptable give him praise. also, have a few training sessions every day to get his mind working. it will also help with his respect for you. plus, if he knows the command "sit" you can tell him to sit if he is biting you. these are all things you can try but I would really reccomend a training class. they are very helpful

ADD: I would imagine that your friends had no success with training classes because they didn't keep up with it. a dog is not magically trained once classes are over. you still have work with your pup every day. however, it is a great way to learn the techniques and socialize your dog.
Reply:May I ask why you don't want to take him to classes? I highly recommend it. It will cover all the different aspects of raising a puppy and provide your dog with a solid foundation of basic obedience training.
Reply:2 words-

Obedience training!

If you don't want to take him to classes (which is crazy, because not only do you learn the obedience, but you get your dog well socialized, too.)- buy a book. There are tons of them at Petsmart, Amazon.com, Barnes and Noble.

But, your dog is a baby and he needs to be taught how to behave, and now is the perfect time- before he gets older and is still doing this!
Reply:well i been there all you need to do is push the dog drown and say no it takes time but the dog will stop OK have fun
Reply:Aww...all puppies go through this phase...however if it really is a problem you should consider showing your dominant status over him. For example, when my dog was a pup if he bit or nipped too hard we'd LIGHTLY flick him on the nose...it's a very sensitive area, just enough to let him get the hint. Also, to help train him to walk on a leash, bring a spray bottle filled with water with you...everytime he tries something crazy, spray him! He won't like it, but again, it's a way to reinforce the "NO" comment.
Reply:Alright sweetie, time for a little puppy ed.

Very important: puppies are like small children. They need discipline! What happens when you spoil a human child and give them their way constantly? They get whiny if you ever say no, they kow how to play you, and they exhibit bad behavior.

Your puppy biting at your feet is not okay! Time for puppy to learn some manners. This doesn't mean you have to be mean. In fact, showing your puppy who's boss will make the both of you happier! Dogs live with a mindset of "the pack". Think about it, if you're number one, your dog knows you're looking out for him, which makes him all the happier! So time to put your foot down.

First: if your puppy jumps up at you, discourage this by either raising your knee or turning your back, and saying a word in a deep tone, like "no" or "down". You don't have to yell, it doesn't help. Key is the low tone, which a dog interprets as "uh-oh, she's being serious!"

What you're doing is letting him know "if I jump up, she's not going to pay attention to me". And do just that - ignore him for ten minutes or so. Put him in a time-out area, and leave him be till he calms down.

Next, if your dog comes up to you and doesn't jump up, enforce the positive! Say a few words in a high voice, like "good boy!" and give a pat on the head or a small treat. That way, puppy will think "if I stay down, I get a reward!"

This can be applied to many dog behaviour.

It will take a little time, but with patience and a steady hand, your dog and you will be much happier!

Also, this website is great for more tips. Also on taking your dog for walks!! You can learn so much from this site. Good luck sweetie!!

http://www.cesarmillaninc.com/
Reply:The reason WHY they say the classes don't or didn't work is because they expect the puppy to train itself. It takes WORK, LOTS OF WORK on your part to train a puppy. The classes are to teach THE OWNER how to train the puppy. Classes are not the be all and end all. They are only the beginning. The lessons give you the tools to train your puppy, YOU have to use them. YOU have to be CONSISTENT, YOU must make sure you take the TIME EVERY DAY to train your dog. If you can't handle it take the puppy to a shelter now, while it can still be adopted and DON'T get another dog.
Reply:Your dog is a puppy, however, you have obviously not established yourself as pack leader. Dogs to not jump and bite the "alpha dog" you are not alpha dog.

Training classes are not a waste of money, the trainer knows a hell of a lot more about training and behavior correction than you do obviously so I would suggest you take some.

Have you attempted to correct your puppies behavior when he jumps up and bites you? What might seem funny as a puppy is not so funny when he becomes a full grown dog and bites you and others. He will be taken away from you or put down.

You need to learn to properly correct this behavior, if you do not know how to do this correctly then find someone who can teach you, buy a book, watch Cesar Millan etc.

How do you think dogs end up in the pound or shelter? It's because people failed to train their dog or teach him manners, thinking that they can do it all themselves and because they don't realize that what they are doing is wrong they can't figure out why their dog is becoming aggressive towards them and their visitors. So they kick the dog out, or dump him somewhere, rather than take him to training classes or learning how to socialize him properly.

If you do not know how to properly correct and change this behavior then you will have not choice but to take to classes, or rehome him.

acne scar

Bad Puppy!!?

2010-03-14T17:32:00.002-07:00

I have a 3 month old St. Bernard/German Shepard Mix. Shes a "normal' puppy. If you dont watch her she'll chew on ANYTHING.The one HUGE issue with her is she bites ALOT! Any chance she sees an opening shes going for your arm,clothes or something you have in your hand. And I know its not aggressive biting. She does growl or bite like she wants blood. Just always "mouthing" and its starting to get annoying. Not with her b/c i understand shes a pup but just for the fact we tell her NO and she doesn't care. We've tried making a noise to just get her attention but NOTHING. She just wants to play with her teeth and her CLAWS. Let me tell you shes got huge paws and it hurts to get hit with them in the face! Also shes in a cage now when we are not home and she does perfect!!!! No whining or using the bathroom in it PERFECT. But if you have to go the bathroom and you shut the door and she cant come in she whines and scraches the door. We eventually want to leave her out when we are gone. Help!

Bad Puppy!!?
I am a vet tech and teach puppy classes.

For your puppy to understand what it is you are telling her you must communicate with her in a way she understands. Yelping like a puppy as her littermates and mother would do is the best way to let her know. Your puppy needs to learn bite inhibition. You should never allow your puppy to "mouth" you. It is too difficult for her to understand it is okay for that but not when she gets too excited or weights 80-100 pounds.

See below for excellent information on this issue and good luck!
Reply:Keep telling her no. Always use no, dont change it every 3 yells at her as it will confuse her. offcourse she doesnt understand she is a baby and doesnt know human language yet. Tell her no and ignore her for a minute so eh eventually relizes that she will not get attention if she claws at you or bites you.
Reply:Get hr some chew toys and spray her with water everytime she bites
Reply:Time along with consistent "reminders" are the only things to break her of this. Give her about 3 more months, lots of rubber toys and bones (replacing your arms and fingers with them every time she mouths or bites), and consistent reminders. She will also eat your walls in a few weeks to months... Only way to break her of that is to catch her in the act. TRUST me. I trained my Shiba Inu this way. They are one of the most stubborn breeds ever... But she did it! Best of luck!
Reply:On the biting you can squeeze the bridge of her nose and she will usually let go, reinforce it with NO!. if you can't get her to stop LIGHTLY flick her in the nose. It will get her attention, and make her eyes water, she will learn quickly. You can also put hot sauce on anything you don't want her to chew on and it will stop her from doing so, unless she really likes hot sauce.
Reply:hit her on the nose when she bites etc.

try teaching her tricks/playing with her/walking her she might just be to a.d.d!
Reply:wtf plz shut up! it is a puppy give her time and give her treats when she is gone i did that and my rat terrier got trained to heal sit and stand in one day my doberman in a week give her time and toys lock up the toys when she is bad take them out when she is good
Reply:My pit was very mouthy when he was younger. He had this habbit of chewing on my pony tails at night, yaa, painful, lol. Just tell them NO strictly, take whatever it is they're biting at away [hands, toes, shoes, w/e it is you don't want them to eat.] and ignore them for a minute or two. If they're really persistant and don't listen to you when you tell them no, likes ours was, a little swat on the butt works too. Not hard, but so they know that they did bad and they need to stop. Our pit was taken from his littermates really soon [6 weeks.] so he didn't have the time to learn what hurts and what doesnt, how hard he can bite, ect.

Ours out grew it fairly soon after we got him. But it does get really annoying, really fast. Just be stern with them. Don't swat them then say "ohh, im so sorry, aww, coochie coochie coo" and junk. If they did wrong, ignore them and make sure they know they did wrong...

I'm not sure that you're in the same situation since your dog is most likely huge, lol. But when Ivan [our pit] was younger and would eat my hair/fingers/toes, we'd pick him up and put him on the floor, then move his "doggie stairs" away from the bed so he couldn't climb up, and make him lay on the floor when we were on the bed. He eventually got tired of being alone and he'd quit being a pain.

He's 100% over biting and nipping at us now, though. You could stick your hand IN his mouth and he'd look at you like you were nuts... Actaully, a short time after he learned that he got swatted when he bit he starting hamming it up... If you stuck your hand in his mouth, he'd fake a yawn till you took it out. Like, EVERYTIME.

Ohh oh, do NOT spray your dog with water if you ever want it to enjoy/be nice in a bath tub, or if you ever plan on taking it to the beach/water/ect... We had a dalmation that was utterly TERRIFIED of anything that had to do with water because when he was smaller he got sprayed with water for doing something bad.

Welll, good luck, sorry this is so long...
Reply:Keep telling her no and then making her stop. You have got to break this now or you are going to have serious problems later (not just with the biting, but that she won't listen to you in general). As for the cage, my rotty is almost 3 and is just now being allowed to stay out during the day simply because she was just too rambunctious. I doubt yours will be "calm" anytime soon. You are probably going to have to break her slowly to behaving when left out. Start by leaving her out at night, that way you are still around if she starts getting into things, and might be able to catch her (most likely not though). I would suggest getting used to the crate being in your house- you will probably have it for a while!
Reply:She could have been taken away from her mum %26amp; litter mates too early and hasn't learnt any bite inhabition.

It's pretty easy to teach, I had this problem with my dog.

When she bites or mouths you (or anyone else) make a yelping noise and turn away from her and ignore her for a minute and then go back to the game, if she does it again make the yelping noise and put her outside or loc her in another room and ignore her for 5 mins or so.

If you are consistent she should figure out that she is hurting you (hence the yelping noise) and being punished for biting.

it could take a month or two to stop this behaviour, or even longer considering she is already 3 months old (I started working with my dog the day she came home at 6 weeks old), but you should start seeing an improvement after a couple of weeks though.
Reply:Stop telling her no. She doesn't understand the concept because dogs don't have the word "no" in their vocabulary. Start puppy classes asap and every time she "mouths" remove your body part from her reach. Don't react physically or shout no. Yelping may help get the point across but from how she sounds she'll learn faster from being ignored. Bite inhibition is a learned behavior. Her siblings/mother would have yelped and stopped playing or growled at her when she got out of hand. Another idea is to get a toy she CAN bite to play and play with her. When she gets the toy praise her but if she gets your hand/arm yelp and end the play for a few seconds. The pawing is something that I have no experience with. Redirecting the behavior into something positive may help end it.

add: Hitting a dog for mouthing is NOT a good idea. In dog world mouthing is a normal and accepted play behavior up to the point where it gets too rough. Physical punishment=fear=fear aggression/avoidance/unhappy dog. Physical abuse is never the solution, it's just another part of the problem.
Reply:tell her no discpline is the answer and sh is also young still

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My puppy got into a fire ant nest?

2010-03-14T17:32:00.001-07:00

My puppy not only ate but got eaten by fire ants. She dug a hole in my backyard and tried to eat the ants but didnt' succeed. They were attached to her gums around her teeth. I was told to give her benedryl but is there anything else I can do to help her?

My puppy got into a fire ant nest?
look for signs of distress and reaction. fire ants are pretty toxic to humans but I have no idea what they can do to a dog, especialy a puppy. You should have her examined by a vet to make sure shes ok.
Reply:awwww, poor puppy. Benedryl should help, and only give her one - I would call the vet and ask how much to give a puppy though, to be safe.
Reply:Please read this article:

http://www.peteducation.com/article.cfm?...

and this one:

http://www.answerbag.com/q_view/15746
Reply:ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh. that is so sad. you need to take her to the vet
Reply:I think the best course of action would be to take her to the vet.
Reply:unless she is acting not right.. the benadryl should help.. give it when its needed..

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Aggresive puppy?

2010-03-14T17:32:00.000-07:00

I have a 5 month old beagle/cocker spaniel. Normaly he's very loving and he's a very good puppy. However, on two occasions now he's growled at me. The first time he had gotten a peice of pizza off the table and i was taking it out and he growled ( VERY meanly), then just tonight he got a brussel sprout ( of all things!) off my plate, and i went to get him and he actually bared his teeth to me.

I still took it out of his mouth grabbed him by the scruff of the neck ( kinda meanly) and took him to a time out in the dark bathroom.

I know that he needs obediance classes, I have him signed up for January. But for now is there other things i can be doing to stop him from being food agressive. I do all the regular stuff, I pet him and put my hand in his bowl while he eats, and i try to take his bones and toys away from him once in awhile so he knows im the alpha but it doesnt seem to be working.

Any tips would be appreciated.

Aggresive puppy?
I suggest you disregard any advice that encourages you to pull an item from your dog while he's guarding it. I have gotten bitten when I listened to this same horrible advice, and chances are you will get nipped as well.

SO, the big question is how to counter this. First, you need to teach him the command "Give". To do so, you have to teach your dog to "trade up". To build this behavior, begin playing with your dog or give him a low value treat like a carrot. Once he grabs the object, hold a high value treat, like chicken or hotdog, and let your dog sniff it. Upon sniffing the high value treat, he will loosen his grip on the low value object and most likely drop it. Say "GIVE" and as soon as he lets go of the object, and give him the high value reward. Repeat repeat repeat. In essence, you've taught your dog that it's a GOOD thing for him to give up objects because he will receive something even better. Over time, you can fade out the treat and simply say "Give" and your dog will give up whatever is in his mouth.

Believe me. If my dobie can do this with raw bones, your pup can do it, too! It just takes a lot of repetition and firm consistency.

Also, in the meantime, keep your food out of your dog's reach. Until your dog has mastered "Give", do not give him any chance to grab food and guard it from you. You want to set him up for success, not failure.
Reply:Dealing with this type you must not be afraid to yell NO! to him my dog I had was aggresive toward me because she thought she was dominant take control of the situation don't put him in the dark dogs get meaner like that spank him with newspaper many people doesn't know dogs do not like being spanked with paper they're very afraid of it tell him when to sit and lay down
Reply:It sounds like your doing pretty well. My advice is to not play tug-o-war, if you were, now is the time to stop, and when these insidents occur grab him muzzle in your hand and squeeze gently, saying "no bite", "no bark" or in this case"no growl". And if it happens when your playing, take the toy (if there is on) and stand up, and don't pay attention to it for a few minutes. Other than that your doing fine.
Reply:every time he does that, take whatever he has in his mouth away, and turn around and look up at the sky. for 15 seconds. after a couple of times it will work.
Reply:sounds great to me. i have a great dane puppy who is now about 10 months and 120 pounds! even though he could easily kill me i guilt trip him if he does ANYTHING like that. he is large enough to take things off the counter but when he used to as a puppy i screamed NO!!!!!!!!!!!!! and said "what did you do? thats a bad dog. basically just like you would a person. he understands well and is a perfect little angel now. oh obediances classes work MIRACLES!
Reply:Well don't spank him with newspaper like the first guy said. Lots of people don't know that spanking a dog will make it more aggressive.. Stick with the classes and what you are doing. Don't listen to the people here who have never trained a dog. You'll end up with a bigger problem by spanking your dog, hitting him with newpaper and all the goofy things people are likely to tell you.
Reply:When he growls at you, grab him firmly [do not hurt him] by the scruff of his neck and flip him over and hold him down until he is submissive. This shows him you are the pack leader.
Reply:My theory, and I have a lot of experience with dogs, is that dogs know you're not the "alpha dog." They know you're different from them. Your dog can tell one species from another.

For example, doesn't he play differently with another dog than say a cat? Does he play differently with you than a dog? People smell different, walk upright, wear clothes, talk, etc. He knows you're not a dog.

Which brings me to my next point... you have to teach him to respect and obey you, much like a child. He needs to know there are consequences for his actions. There has to be some sort of fear factor there. Otherwise, he will push his limits %26amp; possibly bite you or someone else if he doesn't get his way.

Putting him in a dark bathroom when he does something you consider bad behavior isn't effective. He doesn't see that as punishment. He just notices a change in scenery. Dogs aren't that complex.

There's this whole theory of positive reinforcement which I don't think is effective with all dogs. Some dogs are more easily rehabilitated than others. I have a difficult dog myself... a husky mix. None of those positive reinforcement techniques worked at all for him. Honestly, there is no sure-fire way of dealing with difficult dogs. It takes a lot of trial and error. No dog is the same %26amp; cannot be treated the same. I do not encourage any kind of spanking or physical abuse, but I do think your dog should fear you at times in order to take you seriously %26amp; to know you mean business.

Now back to the direct question you were asking about food aggression toward humans...

This can actually become very serious. No general obedience class will correct this. You should seek out a highly experience dog professional who works with aggressive dogs or dogs that may become aggressive, much like Cesar Millan.

No one on this forum will be able to effectively and accurately assess how serious this aggression is unless they were to meet with your dog %26amp; observe his behavior.

Don't get discouraged though, I believe most dogs that are showing signs of aggression can be rehabilitated with great success.

I'm sorry I could only provide you with a little bit of insight, but I'm glad you're taking your dog's behavior seriously enough to work with him instead of letting the behavior escalate.

Props to you! =)
Reply:You dont ever take a piece of food away from a dog, the pizza or brussell sprout will not hurt him......but you do need to food socialize this dog before he does take a chunk out of you.......give him a piece of meat by hand,,,tell him good boy, then not with your hand, you can buy an artifical hand at a pet store which is used for this very thinjg,, take the piece of meat away from him with the hand stick, if he becomes aggressive, you say bad boy, no very fimly...this is called food socialization.....you better start it now, or keep all other foods away from him...or your gonna get hurt, he has food aggression habit, which has to be stopped while he is young./////
Reply:my advice is too get a small peice of chain and when the dog does sumthing wrong through the chain at the dogs feet and yell Bah, ( bah is the dog language word for no) you shouldnt use no because it is used so often in everyday life so for example if your other half is yelling out asking if you've seen sumthing of his and you yell back "no" the dog will think he has done something wrong.. use the chain and " Bah" command everytime the dog does something naughty and he will soon realise that you are the boss.. trust me i had aggression problems with my German shepherd i was a bit skeptical about this method at first until now i have seen the results he is 9 months old now and we still use the chain.

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My puppy is eating wood/twigs/branches....?

2010-03-14T17:31:00.002-07:00

She's an 11 week old lab puppy and we can't get her to stop chewing on, and eating, the twigs/branches in our backyard that have fallen from the trees. She's also starting to get interested in picking up and carrying around rocks, but hasn't tried eating any, yet!

She has all kinds of chew toys that she loves, but she ignores them as soon as she's outside. We've also tried getting special toys that she only gets outside, but she likes the wood and rocks better. I'm worried she'll chip/break her teeth on the rocks and that she's eating too much wood. It's all over the yard so fencing off a certain area won't work. Help!

My puppy is eating wood/twigs/branches....?
I have two lab puppies (4 months) and they chew EVERYTHING! They too chew sticks, branches, even the wood from the deck!. I just try to stop them when I catch them %26amp; replace it with an appropriate chew item. But I have to be honest, I have been told that labs will chew everything for 2 years! So be prepared to supervise!!
Reply:Go to a special trainer.
Reply:rake your yard! she's a puppy, so she's going to eat/chew things.
Reply:she needs a chew toy that crumbles and gets inbetween her teeth, shes teething and trying to make it stop hurting.
Reply:Your puppy is going through a discovery process. Remember they don't have hands so instead of picking things up and looking at them and learning about their environment they pick things up with their mouth. They also play like children instead of rolling balls. or playing with cars they bite things and chew things for playtime.
Reply:My dogs are 5.5 and 4.5 and they still love to play with sticks. They went nuts on a couple today. They like finding them and then running around the yard with them growling. Quite funny. No probs man.
Reply:You need to remove any object that you do not want her to eat from her mouth; forcefully if you have to. Do not let her eat these things and tell her with a strong, firm 'NO' that she is not allowed to eat it. Also, keep some treats to reward her for listening to you.
Reply:It is a lab thing. I have a 19 month old lab and he loves to chew sticks and have spoken to many other lab owners and their dogs do the same thing. My boy never eats them just loves to chew on them. She is probably teething just watch her carefully, it should not hurt her.
Reply:Clean up the yard, pups chew on EVERYTHING! (one tried chewing up my dentures once). She'll get worse in a month or so too, because then she'll be teething. To give a little wood "treat," so to speak, every now %26amp; then, teach her to play fetch with a wooden stick. Inside, get up all electrical %26amp; phone cords out of the way-I didn't once, and wound up re-runnung the wires from my stereo to my speakers!
Reply:Its normal, mine is obessed with grass, twigs, leaves and sticks too. It won't hurt her. I usually take it away when I catch her unless it's a stick that won't break apart. Discipline her firmly when you see her go for the rocks. She'll out grow it. As far as her teeth go, she'll be losing her baby teeth soon anyway. If you don't want her doing it, toss her a rawhide bone.
Reply:Perfectly normal puppy. Outside things have far more interesting smells than toys do! Let her chew, just make sure she doesn't swallow rocks. She may be starting to teethe too.

My nearly 3 year old Great Dane is still chewing branches off the trees!

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How long do dog's teeth take to come in???

2010-03-14T17:31:00.001-07:00

We got a puppy at I think 8 weeks old. She has grown well, had very vet visits, shots, etc. Everything is well with her...she's a healthy chow/labrador/something else. She's now about 11 months old. But a few of her teeth look like they have not come in all the way, and she still bites on a lot of things and has what many people describe as "the maddies". Ugh. The vet said the teeth would be in around 9 to 10 months. She's almost a year old. What gives with the lateness of the teeth coming in all the way? They look maybe halfway or a little more, and it just doesn't look like they are in as much as they should be, when compared to nearby teeth.

How long do dog's teeth take to come in???
I have a black lab that turned 5 months on Oct. 14th. He has had all of his teeth for about three weeks. My vet told me that they should all be in by the time that he was 7 month old. Your vet is not concerned? If the vet is not worried don't worry.
Reply:they should already be in id ask the vet again

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One of my dogs is not getting along with our new puppy!!! please help?

2010-03-14T17:31:00.000-07:00

i have a new 10 week old shih tzu...our 6 year old golden retriever loves her. they get along so well, but our 2 year old queensland/ blue heeler mix (she was a rescue) doesnt seem to want to see her. at first she wouldnt even come near me because i had the puppies scent on me but now she does interact with me just like normal but when the puppy tries to come see her she runs away or wont even come into the same room as the puppy. when our mix cant get away from the puppy when she comes to see her or for whatever reason she gets to close to her she growls and sometimes shows her teeth if she gets too close (but thats only happened once). when i tell correct her for showing aggression she stops but if the puppy is still near her she growls again. she is getting considerably more comfortable with her; she will stay in the same room and isnt being too aggressive with the puppy, but we always have to watch them so they dont get into trouble. how can i resolve this so they can get along??

One of my dogs is not getting along with our new puppy!!! please help?
Oh dear! I have a Queensland he is a red one. He is about 6 years old. He had been the only dog in our family for his whole life. I recently got a new Pit Bull puppy back in May. He wanted nothing to do with her for quite sometime. They (Queensland's) are very Territorial dogs. They got into quite a few scuffles. Often the Queensland would growl bark and nip at the pup. It's been about a month and a half since we introduced the two of them. Now they are getting along just fine. It takes time for dogs and puppies to learn there places. So your pup will be received into the pack. They may get into small fights but that is just the older dog showing who's boss. Now when my puppy bugs the older dog he just looks at us like shes bugging me HELP!!! Make sure you praise both of your older dogs when they act properly around the pup. Also don't allow too much aggression toward the puppy. No drawing blood! Now our dogs are in the same yard when we go to work. We also sneak peeks at them when we are home to see how they are getting along. Just give it time! Good luck and if you need more advice feel free to email me!!!!
Reply:No problem!! Good luck! Report It

Reply:thanks Report It

Reply:The mix is probably feeling invaded. Try to have an interactive play with all 3 dogs. It may also be that the mix is aware that the puppy is young still and doesn't want anythng to do with it which should pass as the pup gets older. Praise the mix for being around the puppy and make sure each dog is getting enough alone time with you so none of them feel unloved-sounds funny but it does happen. I have a 9 year old Keeshond that was the same way with my 3 month old Chihuahua until I started spending time with just her-she now spends time with my Chi and plays with him.
Reply:your blue healer, is just taken her time to ajust to the puppy , that all. pecking order . healer is top dog ,

the puppy mite get nipped , so watch this . really it a wait and see, the puppys new and getting all your attention .

take your time with both of them , share the love , but dont feed them together. the healer will fight .whe n the puppy get older , they will sort out whos boss

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Some puppy help please??

2010-03-14T17:30:00.003-07:00

My puppy is 13 weeks old I think she is teething cause she chews on everything like the legs of my furnature!!! How do i get her to stop??? she has LOTS of chew toys but she prefers my table and my couch I want this teething thing to be easy on her but I dont wanna buy new furnature! Could she be teething at this age ( she is a heeler)? and I feel like the rubber chew toys she has are too hard for her teeth she has others that are not rubber but I just worry that the rubber ones hurt her is that possible? But my most important question is how do I stop it? (I tap her on the nose and tell her NO when I catch her but when I dont see her or am in another room she will do it)

Some puppy help please??
When you see your puppy chewing on your furniture (or any other things she shouldn't be chewing on), give her a firm "No." Then hand her one of her toys and when she starts chewing on that, praise her and give her a treat. Also, as difficult as it is, you really can't let a puppy that age out of your site. Something else to keep in mind - if you give your puppy an old sock or a shoe, she may develop bad habits (for example, she may think ALL socks and shoes are her toys). So stick to durable, puppy toys. And don't worry - her teeth are a lot stronger than you might think. As long as you buy a toy for her age/size, it shouldn't hurt her teeth one bit.

As far as the crate, NEVER send her to her crate as a form of punishment. You need to gradually introduce her to it, by inticing her inside with treats. Lay some inside without her seeing you do it, and when she goes in on her own, quietly shut the door and praise her. Leave her in for just a few minutes. Repeat this process every day, gradually increasing the time you leave her in the crate. If you punish her by sending her to the crate, she'll have bad associations with it, making it very difficult to get her to enter it on her own.

Good luck.
Reply:try buying a cage, i had to do this , i introduced my puppy to it the day we got her, if she is happy put her in for a few minutes, when she is naughty pop her in again, dont always put her in just when she is naughty though as she will hate going in ..i kept her in it at night until the chewing stopped , now she sleeps on her bed in my room , and i can go outnot having to worry. she will stop eventually
Reply:Buy this stuff called "Bitter Apple" it is a spray. Spray it on your furniture where she is chewing. They don't like the taste and it should put a stop to it. Have you bought her a dental rope? My puppy loved to chew on that; it's soft and durable.

Also when you catch her chewing on stuff say "No" and give her one of her toys to play with. That way she can determine what she can and cannot chew on.
Reply:Oh, those canine chompers! They'll be the death of pet owners, yet. It's amazing how much destruction those tiny teeth have wrought. No. 1 rule for discouraging chewing: Provide lots of super fun chew toys. Make sure they are toys your pup likes. If it doesn't like plush toys, offer a rope toy or nylon bone. If that doesn't work, get serious with a peanut butter-filled Kong, knucklebone or pig hoof. When you catch pup gnawing on no-chew items, simply remove the item with a firm, calm "no," then offer one of pup's chew toys with a "good dog" when it accepts it. Visit www.dogChannel.com for other really good tips on stopping chewing
Reply:dont tap her nose, she will just think you are trying to play. loud noises are a better deterrent. The best way to stop chewing is to redirect their focus on something else. If she is teething, the rubber probably hurts those puppy teeth so you might want to try something softer for her. There are puppy safe flavored bones out there. Go to the pet stores, NOT WAL-MART. Its has to be something mild enough for her to digest.
Reply:You are doing the right thing you could use a rolled up news paper and tap her with that. You have to watch her every time she is around the furnish er don't leave her alone around the furnish er.Good Luck
Reply:Oh.....yes.... I do know what you are talking about. 14 years ago I had the same problem with our Golden. I became desperate and asked the advise of many dog breeders. They all had different ideas for me. But what worked was liquid gold furniture polish on the wood furniture. Big chunks of ice for outdoors to chew on and ice cubes for indoors. Just like babies , the cold numbs the gums.

For my ankles and hands .... every time a little tooth hit me I cried out like a puppy that was hurt. Do this only at the time that she hurts or almost hurt you, because they sure can catch on when your just playing around. If you aren't convincing they won't take it serious that they hurt you and come back even harder.

I hope this helps, good luck.
Reply:Ok there's this stuff you can buy called Bitter Apple. It's a spray that doesn't harm your dog in any way, just tastes bad enough for them to stop biting things. What you do is buy some, spray it on the unacceptable chewing spots she loves to chew on the most, and hopefully she stops! the same thing happened to my puppy when she was little and Bitter Apple really helped! you can buy it at your vet's office probably. Good Luck!

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