My Aussie Pup wont stop biting me, dogs & MY BABY! I,ve tried everything what should I do??!?

Question

My pup is approximatly 11 wks old. I ,ve tried using bitter spray. He likes It! I tried giving him a little bop, I 've used strong firm voices, I tell em NO and move him away,Ignored him, Ive even put him in time out. And he has PLENTY of toys of all varieties. I Dont know what to do if he doesn't stop I can't keep him. I cant put my baby in harms way! Please HElp??!!??

*Yes, Australian Shepherd
* I Never let the pup near the baby if im not sitting right next 2 them!and he only gets close cuz I want them 2 co-exist my baby luvs to just the dog and th pup always kisses 1st.
* Also I own an aussie already and she barely had a biting habbit. She is wonderful.
*And the dog he bites is mine she just sits there or gets up and walks away. Occassionally she"ll play w/ him

Answer 1

Aussies are generally very mouthy breeds (they like to use their mouth). I would take and grab his muzzle very firmly and hold it tight until he cries. It sounds mean, but it usually works. I have had 2 Belgian Malinois (also a mouthy breed) that were both the same as you Aussie as pups and this has worked for both of them, but it takes time. You can also try giving him a pretty hard smack on the head (not hard enough to do damage) and screaming no when he bites. My dogs' behaviorist told me that I could do that also, if the other way wasn't working.

I hope that this helps, and Good Luck!

Answer 2

I think if you allow a puppy to mouth you at all then you are telling it that mouthing you is ok and it will when it is older too-but do you really want your adult dog to mouth you? so if you teach pup that it is never ok to put his teeth on you then he shouldn't be very likely to nip you hard as an adult. so If it were me I wouldn't allow any teeth on skin but I would, make the punishment fit the crime which in effect is teaching bite inhibition, pup bites hard, owner leaves room, pup mouths, owner stops play- turns around from dog and ignores them but stays in room, pup accidentally touches your skin, owner takes hand away. Remember that the idea is to show pup that biting doesn't work, in fact it makes fun stuff and attention stop so as long as its not rewarded in any way it will die out as a behavior And when you play it's with a toy not your hand or arm. And add games that teaches as well. To me there is no such thing as to early for some training. So many games can teach. And a good exercise daily won't hurt it. Dog should work a bit, it makes for a physically as well as mentally healthy dog Be patient but consistent. You can have fun and train your dog (pup) as you go along in many ways. It shouldn't take as long as you may think if your consistent in your ways. And you'll have a good dog that you will love even more. Your more than welcome to mail me

Answer 3

A dog can be a beautiful member of a family (or addition to), but not if it EATS the members. That can't be a good thing. The pup will probably adjust eventually playing second fiddle to the other baby of the household...hmmm.. but no, I digress, put it up for adoption (the dog, not the baby) asap. And try to keep the 2 apart in the meantime (just in case..). The only other option I can think of is Dog School - but it is, or can be, brutally cruel to a dog. You REALLY have to be sure about where you bring your pup for that.

Answer 4

your puppy is teething. and it is a breed that requires a JOB from an early age. you are doing the right things, by ignoring him after stating no in a firm voice, but this begs the following questions:

1) do you really want to have an aussie with a baby? aussies are really strong herders, and are often nippy dogs due to that even into adult hood. it's not the ideal breed for families who dont live on farms, as aussies who get bored can/will begin to herd and nip their humans instead.

2) is your pup getting enough exercise? i cant tell from your question whether he is biting your other dogs, or stranger's dogs... in either case, it's a problem. if it's your own dogs, they'll teach him soon enough who's boss. and it's most likely that strange dogs will do the same. but that's not an ideal solution, considering that behavior tolerable in a puppy soon becomes menacing and litigious in adult dogs.

3) excuse the pun, but have you perhaps bitten off more than you can chew in this case? not certain of the nature of how you chose or came across this dog, but it could be possible that you are just stretched too thin with a puppy and a baby?

try giving him a cold carrot to chew on. it always did the trick for my chessie who was nicknamed "Nipper Bob" for chewing on everything and everyone, even plotting his devious acts in advance... do you have a kong filled with peanut butter? have you made sweet potato rings for him? aussies like to work, so don't assume that regular puppy toys will do the trick. aussies need JOBS. teach him to fetch canned food for you. teach him how to bring you baby's bag. boss him around regularly (you'll have to constantly ask him to perform "tricks" like sit, stay, balance treat on nose, down stay, etc...) and most of all, remember that a TIRED DOG IS A GOOD DOG.

remember that it's ok to admit that having a puppy is just too much. the safety of your family comes first, and you can always try down the line with a more mature dog of a better suited breed. i disagree with those who might claim that aussies are great family dogs. they require a lot of work, a lot of time, and a lot of training.

if you truly want to keep this dog, enroll it in obedience school immediately, find an agility training class as it completes its obedience training, and prepare yourself for the long haul. this is normal puppy behavior, but that doesnt mean that you have to put up with normal puppy behavior when you are trying to take care of a baby at the same time.

also, you should never hit a dog. dogs don't learn by hitting. you are doing the right things as you listed above, but it will take time and patience for the pup to learn appropriate behavior.

Answer 5

Just so you know Aussies and pertty much all herding breeds are very very mothy when they are young. Once they hit about 10 to 12 weeks old until they're about 6-10 months old. or at least they can be very bad during this time. The reasons are their herding instinct kicks in around this time. Like all of the sudden one day they'll see something moving and realize oh i'm suppsoded to herd that. Only they don't understand why they're doing it. Or at least my latest puppy didn't ( she's a Border collie but they're basicly the same when it comes to herding) she would be playing with the other dogs and all the sudden start trying to herd them then she would stop shake her head and look at them like um.. what going on here. Anyway the other reason is teething your pup will probly chew constanly until it's about 8 months old.

Let's just asume that he anyway his herdng instincts have probley kicked in and he trying to herd you. He may not realize what she's doing like i said they don't totally get it for a while. or she she does get it and thinks that she told you to do something and you didn't "listen" to he so he thinks that he has to treat you like a sheep and bite or nip at you to make you listen. either way the best way to deal with this is to try to make time to start some basic training with her like teach her sit, stay,come, down and whatnot. he's going to need to know that anyway. It will give hima "job" which aussie's need and also help you get some control over him . Also when he bites you tell him no. And then let it go if he does it again tell him no louder and then ingore him. If he still chooses not to listen and trys it again gently tap him on the nose and tell him no loudly. i know it may sound mean to hit him but if you've ever wovles or a mother dog and her pups when the pups get on their mothers nerves she lets them know about it. and they can get down right nasty so since it not really all that smart to bite your puppy back i guess you could but personally that's where i draw the line :) anyway it may take while for your pup to get the message but eventually this will work. just try not to get tomad at your pup after all it is just a baby and probley doesn't realize that it's being mean.


You could also get one of those plastic play pens that are like a buch of baby gates all linked together and put your puppy in their with TONS of toys so it can paly in there when you don't have time to watch it, that way it can play and you can get something done or sleep whatever you need to do. You can also get metal playpens which actually might be a better idea since you have a puppy. you can get them at petsmart or online which is cheaper at places like ebay, jefferspet.com or my personaly fave ryanspet.com.

I hope that helps and good luck with your babies.
if you want more info from me feel f ree to contact me i'll be more than happy to help you any way i can.

Answer 6

Sounds like the dog might be teething. Check with your vet for possible health problems and advise.

If no problems are found, you might have to find a different home for this dog. The welfare of your child is the most important aspect that you need to consider. Do you really have the time to deal with both a baby and a dog that need attention?

Answer 7

If it's a shepherd, squeeze the muzzle and-I do this: get a wrapping paper roll (empty of course) and swat him/her with it. i have a blue heeler, completely different breed, but it works. Swat his muzzle only though and firmly tell him to stop! Shepherds and Heelers are smart breeds they'll pick up on it soon enough. And what is your baby doing around the puppy anyways?? they should never be within reach of one another if they aren't being heavily supervised.

Answer 8

Puppies and babies are not a good combination. I would suggest some beginner obedience classes, more vigorous exercise for your pup (Aussies are a working breed, he needs several hours of hard exercise a day to be happy and to burn off all that energy), and some alpha-dog conditioning.

http://sonic.net/~cdlcruz/GPCC/library/alpha.htm

Answer 9

Puppies nip and bite, it is part of the way they are. They eventually grow out of it if not encouraged. Aussies and heelers are known for being nippy dogs, they have alot of energy and need a job....it is their instinct to herd and nipping is part of what they will do when grown also....not being mean but as a means of "herding" you or kids.

Answer 10

your dog could be letting out that agression for many reasons. one reason could be that he is looking for attention, especially with a new baby in the house. believe it or not a dog can get its feelings hurt. i would try setting aside time to spend only with your dog. if you take him running or play with him for just a little while (@ least 30 minutes) every day it will let him get rid of some of that energy, establish you as his "master", and let him know that he is important to too