i have a 3-month old hyperactive male dalmatian who is in a big-time biting and teething stage. i need help!?!

Question

i get very annoyed and my anger and irritation turns on him. i love him loads but his behaviour of biting people and tearing things apart really angers me. i smack him on his nose and sternly tell him "NO" but that appears to last only for a short while. then once again he is back to his 'mad' behaviour. i have given him chewy sticks made of hide as well as some soft rubber objects. but he prefers in biting off my footwear, mattreses, clothes etc.

what should i do? i shall be grateful if someone can advise on how to calm him down.

(he refuses to walk on a leash. i cant make him walk without a leash as we have too many cars/bikers and streetdogs in our town.)

Answer 1

Register him in obedience classes and have patience - He's going through absolutely normal Puppyhood! He's only 3 months old! Training will help him grow into a well-behaved dog.

Answer 2

sounds like teething. My son is almost 6 months old and has been doing the same thing since about 3 months old. My neice did the same thing. Had the swollen gums at 3 months old but didnt pop the first tooth through til the week before her 1st birhtday so teething can be a very long and tiring process. I wouldnt be concerned about it but if she has a check up on monday i would say something to the dr about what you can do for the crying. My pediatrician said not to do the oragel though cause there saliva washes it off almost instantly so it is a waste of money but if you want to try that then do that. If not try some tylenol for the pain. That may help for a little bit

Answer 3

I had a good friend who had a dalmation and unfortunately although they are beautiful and popular, they are extremely hyper dogs by nature. They were bred to run and run a LOT. First thing is get a water bottle and some shake toys, set them around the areas he likes to chew, set him up with a basket that has the toys he is allowed to chew. REWARD him when he goes to that basket. Correct with a water bottle or something loud when he is going somewhere he shouldn't. He needs a crate, and when he is with you start him with a small pinch collar, this will teach him that he has to have a leash on and that he has to obey you and not pull when he is walking with you, even in the house. If you cannot pay attention to him in the house, then he needs to be in his crate. It's not cruel it keeps him safe and you sane. He will also need puppy training probably in a couple of months, to teach him manners and socialization, but he is going to have lots of energy for many years to come. Although these dogs are extremely popular, unless you have the time and space to house them they are not great companions as puppies which lasts about three years. You may have to go to a special behaviourist if all else does not work. Also don't take him to a dog park until he has all of his shots current, but this is a great way to exercise him as well.

Answer 4

When he is chewing on something inappropriate; take it from him (don't hit him) and trade him for a toy he IS allowed to chew on. That way he associates the chewing urge with the proper items. I really used the heck out of Bitter Apple (a product you can buy at pet stores). It tastes bad and you spray it on your shoes, furniture, etc. to discourage chewing.
As far as calming him down...you just have to exercise him. He is a Dalmation pup full of lots of energy who will not even begin to calm down until he is 1 1/2 to 2 years old. A tired dog will be calm!
Try walking him on leash in your house first (where he will be more comfortable). It is hard to leash train a puppy. Take it slow; a few minutes at a time and work up to longer periods.
Good luck, puppies are stressful, but fun!!

Answer 5

Oh dear. My advice would be to stop hitting him on the nose. Squirt him with a squirt bottle and tell him no. They sell specialized rubber toys at the pet store. I'm not sure if that's what you have or not, but those have worked for our dogs. Also, try locking him in a play pen. Not a cage, just like a pen that you see in Rugrats (not a very good example, but it's all I can think of!). Put the bones and things you have for him in there for a few hours a day to give you a break from having to worry about watching him throughout his teething stage.

Answer 6

First of all, have this dog thoroughly checked out by a vet. Dalmatians are well-known for being deaf. Therefore, anything you're telling him, he's not hearing you, anyway. Next, depending upon the vet's advice as to whether he's deaf or not, ask your vet if he/she can recommend a good dog obedience trainer----this is especially important if he is deaf. You will need to use hand signs with him in training rather than yelling at him. In the meantime, you may want to pick up a couple of they are actually for dog teeth cleaning, and I don't know the name of them, but at your local pet supply store, they'll know--they are green, bone-shaped, look like hard rubber chewable things. Most dogs will spend hours on these. They may be made by Greenies. Good luck with this guy.

Answer 7

Here is a couple of things to try:
1. Obedience classes (call your local SPCA)
2. KONG toys - they can be stuffed with treats, cheese, peanut butter, etc. and can be something useful for the dog to work on - try freezing it to help it be more of a challenge. The red ones are made of stronger plastic than the black for tough chewers.
3. Crate your dog when you are not home or when you have company.

Dalmations are aggressive dogs and should not be owned by people with small children. Dogs bite children to get them to calm down and bite harder to calm a child because that is how they calm their puppies.

Good luck with your dog! I hope you can hang in until he calms down, but bear in mind that it can take several years.

Answer 8

have a sharp/shepard mix. he jst turned 4 months. he is into chewing and eating everything in site. TEETHING big time. everyone has told me to exercise him as much as i can. tire him out and he'll stop the biting. I've tried all the flick in the nose, he jst thinks we are playing. to the sour apple sprays. he jst licks them.

try these tricks:
1. the KONG toys, stuff them with treats. Keeps them busy.
2. try yuck sparys to keep him from biting you, if this doesnt help, pet food express told me to use cayanne poweder. (that'll deter me from anything.)
3. when in the middle of play, or he does his little issue, stop what you are doing. walk away.
4. this is the hard one, pick up everything you hold dear and place them up higher and away from him. my dog got onto some expensive books and into the garbage cans. we have had to lift and place them on higher shelves and move the cans out of his site.

hope these suggestions help.

ps. i was reading a book, and the author said "puppies at this age do need to learn to bite down even though their little teeth hurt. they dont have the powerful jaws that later on will tear into flesh and cause much more damage. this is called learned biting or controlled biting." what he says is true. we've had our puppy for a month and from day one he's been biting hard and now he's been easing up. i have less mangled hands. lol ;P

Answer 9

I completely agree with one of the previous posts. This is absolutely normal behaviour. Don't give up. Go to garage sales to buy tons of cheap stuffed animals to chew up. Take him to training classes, Petsmart offers all levels. Keep working with him on the leash as well. I still have trouble getting my golden retriever to walk with me, instead of in front of me, but she doesn't drag me anymore. She is about to be two years old, and unfortunately, it's been a long two years. Training the larger dogs to sit when you greet them is probably the best way to keep him from going crazy and biting when they first walk in. Dalmations can be crazy dogs, but with the right training, they can be wonderful dogs. Good luck!!

Answer 10

Hyperactive dalmation is a oxymoron. It's like saying mini shrimp, or stinky poop. All dalmations are hyper, that's the breed. They will tear up everything you own unless you spend a lot of time playing and entertaing them. Take it from a former dalmation owner. Mine chewed up plumbing, electrical wires, trash cans, wood fence, trees, etc. There is no end to it. They just need a extreme amount of attention.