Springer Biting

[skycat 6,174]

fay: sometimes you get a pup that seems to be genetically way too defensive/aggressive: it is something they are born with. I've had a couple of pups like that: Schucky, one of my Airedale lurchers, drew blood for no reason at all until she was around 10 weeks old. She didn't know how to inhibit her bite: brain wiring not correctly installed? LOL She did calm down and grew up to be very submissive to me, very bonded to me. I never hit her for it, just laughed and held her while she growled and snapped like a demon. It was truly something she couldn't help at the time. This was never over food, but then again, I never try and interfere when pups are feeding: just leave them to it, though I do pick them up a little just to move them around and get them used to me being a non-threatening presence when they are feeding.

There is a fine line to walk on how to react to a pup that growls or snaps and you have to balance accepting that the pup is having to learn how to respond to you and refusing to allow it to boss you. I don't think there is anything wrong in correcting a pup gently so long as you give it plenty of positive physical contact at other times. I always cuddle pups a lot, let them sit on my knee, lick my face and generally make a fuss of them. At the same time I don't allow biting, but I do this by either growling horribly at them, which puts them in the correct place in the pack, or laughing at them and jollying them out of it: it all depends on the situation and the temperament of the pup.

[Casso 1,261]

When we react to pups and we usually do by trying to install fear , the reasoning seems to be if the pup fears us they will also respect us, the problem there is we will keep having to reinforce the fear by louder shouting and harsher discipline and the reason for this is that the dog has learned to tune us out in moments of excitement ,

 

For a dog to be able to feels us, as in for our voice to be able to resonate to somewhere inside the dog in excited moments as when hunting etc, he has to be attracted to us and a dog can't be attracted to us if our commands are fear based,

 

Manage manage manage a pup until it is well past it's oral driven stage where it compelled to connect with the world with more vigour than most owners can comfortable handle, you don't need to subdue ,discipline , growl at or beat any pup for fear that it will grow up to be a lunatic , it just don't work like that contrary to popular belief ,

 

One of the most important things learnt about dogs is the more confident a dog is around you the more he will do for you, its that simple but to be on the same wavelength the dog has to tune you in and that starts straight out of the crib so no matter what a pup does for the first 6 7 months I bite my tongue and manage as best I can at the same time having long solitary walks together, the oral stages passes and I'm still the good guy having never given the pup any excuse to fear me ,now he/she starts tuning me in , we are now on a level playing field, I am not the form of highest resistance and when the pup is energised I'm as accessible as I always was,

too many folks leaning on Respect as an answer to dog issues where Trust should be a key ingredient in a true working relationship.

 

Trust can be felt in the heart , it resonates, submission as in the dominance pack theory thinking is an instinct (fear based) it knocks a dog off balance because it feel threatened,

Edited May 14, 2014 by Casso

[Casso 1,261]

Is this pup been kept in the house? and if she is any issues with house breaking ?

[lurcherman 887 13,289]

Scruff and pin

[slipper 116]

Another one for you, I, ve just taken a bone off my spaniel bitch who is 9 months old, I have been building a bond between us which is important everything is going great but she just went to bite shown her teeth etc. Took the bone off her as I was going to give her a fresh one. I scruffed her then shouted no, I am really surprised she has never done anything aggressive before

[slipper 116]

Forgot to ask did I do wrong? I don't want to break the bond but I can't let her get away with biting surely?

[skycat 6,174]

Another one for you, I, ve just taken a bone off my spaniel bitch who is 9 months old, I have been building a bond between us which is important everything is going great but she just went to bite shown her teeth etc. Took the bone off her as I was going to give her a fresh one. I scruffed her then shouted no, I am really surprised she has never done anything aggressive before

Food is the most important resource for a dog, so even the most mild mannered and submissive animal may react defensively/possessively towards a bone. Add the fact of her age where she may be 'hormonal', possibly on the run up to her first season, or maybe even that you took her by surprise ... Personally I'd have offered the new bone first, made her sit, give her the new bone, before taking the old one away. If the old bone was one which she had had for a while, treasured even, she saw it as her's. Bones especially are funny things, and I believe that they represent a dog's attempts to control it's own life, be it ever so little. Dogs are at our beck and call, at our mercy, all of the time. When they finally get something they can call their own, something that is both food and a possession, they can behave more like a wild animal than a domestic dog.

Maybe I'm being a little fanciful in saying this, but I always respect a dog's 'ownership' of a bone, and never try to take it away without offering something equally desirable first.

[slipper 116]

Thanks skycat I will take that on board, and see how it goes, hopefully it won't happen again she is very intelligent and learns very quickly, thanks again

[Casso 1,261]

Penny makes some good points about bones and how they effect dogs

Generally they allow a dog or pup to express fear and rage where no other avenue is available to do so it becomes a trigger for an emotional outburst,

If a dog doesn't love to bite then he needs to bite , something, he is programmed since they first evolved to vent anger , rage , excitement and social contact , orally

If we look at the protection world , handlers give pups focus for expression , start them off on small bite items , the pup can clearly identify how to express itself , when to express itself and through what means through its handler to express itself , it's all just an expression of energy

 

When we have a seasoned dog in whatever field of canine work you will find it's usually calm and grounded , it has identified its point of expression be it rabbit , bird, fox , sleeve or even man in the military world and all the niggles which usually occur with pet dogs just don't arise

 

Pups are usually overstimulated in or around the home and must find an avenue for venting itself , I've seen dogs that will guard shoes or other items as aggressively as it will a bone what's the sense in that , does it mean he is trying to establish his rank or try it on with its owner no it's a trigger item unconsciously chosen for expression

I dont take personally anything a pup does because I know down the road I am his avenue to everything , he may not be social when we start but through work he will make himself social to fit with me, every dog in any house becomes the equal and opposite to each other to live in a group because a dog wants harmony more than anything,

Once we get a pup out feeling the group connection through its form of the hunt all the bullshit stuff just falls away

Pack life is fractious (static) , group life causes flow (movement) and connection

[bird 10,013]

 

Another one for you, I, ve just taken a bone off my spaniel bitch who is 9 months old, I have been building a bond between us which is important everything is going great but she just went to bite shown her teeth etc. Took the bone off her as I was going to give her a fresh one. I scruffed her then shouted no, I am really surprised she has never done anything aggressive before

Food is the most important resource for a dog, so even the most mild mannered and submissive animal may react defensively/possessively towards a bone. Add the fact of her age where she may be 'hormonal', possibly on the run up to her first season, or maybe even that you took her by surprise ... Personally I'd have offered the new bone first, made her sit, give her the new bone, before taking the old one away. If the old bone was one which she had had for a while, treasured even, she saw it as her's. Bones especially are funny things, and I believe that they represent a dog's attempts to control it's own life, be it ever so little. Dogs are at our beck and call, at our mercy, all of the time. When they finally get something they can call their own, something that is both food and a possession, they can behave more like a wild animal than a domestic dog.

Maybe I'm being a little fanciful in saying this, but I always respect a dog's 'ownership' of a bone, and never try to take it away without offering something equally desirable first.

 

spot on penny , prob the best thing you written , don't always agree with your stuff, but this 100% .Ive never understood why people want to take a bone of a dog, or fook about with its dinner when its eating.I know there animals, not humans but if I was starting eat my nice sunday dinner ,and somebody wanted to take it back off me, I deff (wouldn't) be happy . My dogs are kennel dogs 24/7 , they do come in maybe 1 hour a day but that's it. When I give them beef bones (neck) which they love, call them to me offer the bone which they take out of my hand, then go back into there each kennels.Idont ever think about taking the bone of them, I leave them in peace and that's how it should be.I don't need this macho crap I the Alfa male , they bloody well know that ive only got to raise my voice and they shit there selves , very sensitive dogs, but I let them be dogs . What happened people have dogs in there houses and a lot of times there will be kids there, and a 3 year old child don't know to give a dog space when it eating or got a bone, and this where the prob is. I don't know why they carnt put the dog outside for 3-4 hours its its food or bone , and keep the kids away for that time.? Iwas brought up with dogs (bull breeds) as a kid and as were out side in kennel+runs and only time our loose if my old man was with us as kids.

[slipper 116]

Like I said I took the bone off her to give her a fresh one I never interfere when she is eating thanks for info peeps

[mushroom 13,422]

Right here's what you do...... Fray a wire, plug it in. Place the dog so it is standing in a bowl of water no deeper than an inch. Then take said frayed wire and fry the cnut! If this doesn't resolve the problem throw the wee fuucker off a motorway bridge hope this helps!

[slipper 116]

Ok I will do that back in a minute