I am on the verge of giving up my dog for adoption
 

My dog is untrainable. I know everyone saids no dog is untrainable but trust me my dog is. Nothing works and I'm getting impatient. He's at the point of biting ALOT. I can't take it anymore as we all bleed and hurt from it. When he has sown thing in his mouth and we try to take it out or try to let him drop it on his own which will take up to 10 mins, he will bite us really hard and growl and squirm away. As I'm walking he bites my shoes and growls as I try to walk away. Sometimes I stand there and ignore him so he knows he's not getting any good attention from it. But that hurts too as he's biting my foot. If he's behind us he bites our ankles hard. Sometimes he just bites us for fun and as I said I can't take it anymore. I don't have the patience and it's so stressful as I have classes to worry about too. I literally can't have him with anyone because of his bad behaviors. I'm not seriously considering giving him up because I'll forever regret it but I just can't anymore and I don't know what to do. I don't know if I should go to training classes or not and how much are they? I need advice that will actually help me. And I know I'm not the only dog owner that gets annoyed and frustrated. I'm trying.

People will strongly disagree with me, but I got Cookie to stop biting around 16 weeks by doing the alpha roll. E.g., after she'd bite, putting her on her back in a submissive position and not letting her move until she stopped trying to bite. Nothing else worked. I didn't do it violently (as Cookie is about my best friend in the world!), I just did it slowly and calmly and told her NO in a forceful (not loud though) voice. She was never anywhere near as bad as what you're describing, but she was trying to test boundaries and had to learn she wasn't in charge. I found the yelping suggestions to not work at all for me, the ignoring didn't work either. Though I saw in the other thread you got your pup at 6 weeks, so he wasn't properly trained by his mother. In my case it was important to establish that I am the alpha and not Cookie. Good luck and don't give up.

Your pup also needs toys he can chew on and shake the crap out of. Puppies are like pendulums bouncing between limitless energy and just being crapped out and napping.

But it's also important to have lots of quality time for bonding. I felt like training with snacks really helped build a bond. I'd teach Cookie to speak, to sit, to crawl, to put left hand up, right hand up, and so on, with small treats and lots of positive encouragement. Playing with Cookie and her toys was a must for building a relationship when I first got her. And of course lots of continued playtime still!

Hi! I am SO glad I saw this post! I have a 17 week old female and her name is Roxie. She also bites, hands, feet, heels, etc. I am really anxious to try this technique that you talked about! Thank you!

I have to caution Cookie was nowhere near as bad as the pup in the first post sounds; she came to me as a real love bug at 14.5 weeks (Cookie's breeder is awesome and gave her lots of attention before I got her, so Cookie was really loving and confident around me from the beginning), but at that age they just want to nip at things. But alpha roll is the only thing that stopped it for me. I only had to do it maybe five times and the painful bites stopped.

You did not say how old he is. If he simple enough for a basic obedience class then I would strongly recommend that.

I also agree with a distraction chewy toy if that can help.

Good luck to you!

Does the pup get left for long periods of time?

It looks like he is about 16-17 weeks from this other post.

http://www.yorkietalk.com/forums/gen...ed-advice.html

No, I'm always home but since it's summer practically I'll be home and if I'm ever out I'll take him out. he's 16 weeks and is 17 weeks by tomorrow.

I just tried that because he had paper in his mouth and when I tried even petting him he bit me. This is right now. I'm bleeding now.

Did you invest anything in books on how to properly train your pup, what to expect from him at any given age, how to correct unacceptable behavior, what should even be CONSIDERED bad behavior at any given age, etc???? You have to know what to expect from your puppy at any given age....I can not remember but seems to me you got this baby at a young age....I apologize right now if I have you confused with someone else.....how old was the puppy when you got it?? THAT is probably the regrettable primary cause of this unfortunate situation. If this is a baby that is 12 weeks old or younger, this is normal behavior for a young puppy that has been deprived of maternal teaching and discipline. You are going to have to get schooled on the proper, effective, and acceptable methods of training this baby. You would both benefit from classes in doggie behavior and training. Get books, GOOD, valid books, that you can learn from.

As a breeder for many years, it became very evident to me that incorrigible dogs and children are BOTH products of early parental training that they have been deprived of. Puppies that have been deprived of maternal training by their mommas, will show "misbehavior" in a variety of misadventures....when you get a baby before momma has the opportunity to teach proper behavior, then it is thrust upon you to provide the baby with that corrective behavior. In order to do that effectively, you MUST know what behavior is expected and is acceptable at any given age. Have you read any acceptable books on expected behaviors considered normal at any given age? Have you read any books on training or behavior modification for your baby? You can not eradicate specific NORMAL behaviors.....you must modify NORMAL behavior at any particular age so the baby develops age appropriate behavior that is acceptable.

Professional training for both you and the baby is warranted. Well behaved dogs dont just happen....they have been modified by mommas or by trainers, or both. I think you both need professional behaviorists....you would benefit from a professional telling you that this baby's behavior is age appropriate or what needs to be done to correct it.....get the help you need....dont write this baby off as incorrigible.....if you purchased this baby before it was 12-14 weeks old, the person you bought this baby from is responsible for the deprivation in behavior learning that it never got from momma....dont blame this precious little darling, blame the person that tore it from its momma before it could be properly trained. Now, YOU must make up for the inadequate training. PATIENCE and persistance from YOU will get the best results.

:thumbup::thumbup::thumbup:
The fact you got this baby at 6 weeks old is the reason you are having all these issues....your baby has not had a momma to teach it how to behave. Yorkiefan has posted appropriate behavior techniques, especially for a 16 week old baby. Her technique is appropriate....that is exactly what a momma dog does to her babies....

try to look for cgc trainer. they'll help you and your pup alot

You also need to keep in mind that 16 weeks is in the middle of the age of teething. Their teeth and gums are sensitive, and biting and chewing relieves that. You can expect some biting at this age. I'm not a fan of the "alpha roll." That's a Cesar Millan thing, and his techniques are controversial at best. Our Bella was a biter at that age, and we taught her bite inhibition by saying "ouch" when she bit fingers, turned away, and gave her a soft rubbery Nylabone to chew on instead. She eventually got through the teething stage and is no longer a biter. Maybe you just need a little more time.

On the other hand, if you got your dog at 6 weeks, I agree with the others that the dog missed some important training from its mother. Maybe the "alpha roll" will be effective, or maybe the stage that it's effective is already past. I will defer to others who have experience working with dogs that were taken from their mothers at too young an age.

Hi I'm sorry you are having such a bad time of it. I am not a fan of the puppy stage but to get to the good stuff we have to move through it. I have to yorkies Bella is 3 and Lily is about 7 months there puppy stages were night and day different. Bella was an angel I now know LOL Lily has been a hand full. Same breeder Bella was 12 weeks when she came home and Lily was 13.

Lily bit with almost anger not a happy play bite. So I started holding her mouth closed not so hard so she couldn't breath but firm and said No Bite also firm and held it till she's calmed. Try not to be angry, stay calm. I did this every time she started to bite.

That helped the problem a great deal. Even now if her hair gets pulled in grooming her first action is to bite but most times she stops her self and I will say No Bite. She is still a puppy and I long for the adult stage LOL I now know Lilys teething stage has been painful for her with Bella we hardly know she was teething. So lots of things to chew on at any given time I have 4 or 5 different chewy thing in the cupboard for her to chew on as well as a pile of toys.

I hope this helps a bit if nothing else just to know your not alone and Its ok not to like the puppy stage but we do have to get through it LOL

Yes to all the above! Get a good book to read to learn more.
Do your research and find a good trainer to teach you how to properly train your puppy. It'll be well worth it - you can't skimp out on these kind of costs. Call up a few trainers and ask what their experience is and how much they charge if you want to know the costs.
Don't give up!!

How old was he when you got him, if under 12 weeks, he didn't spend the necessary time with mom to learn inhibition of the biting reflex. It's really important they learn this and the bark should always be bigger than the bite. I think you should probably get some training, however, like many have said biting is normal at this age, they are teething, you just want to make sure they are biting full force. Give plenty of chew toys.

Lots of great advice above.

The hardest part of training a puppy is not showing any frustration or anxiety. Your puppy will react to the negativity, usually by being more out of control.

The second hardest part of training is patience and consistency. Results rarely happen overnight.

Is he getting enough activity during the day? Bored puppies with pent up energy tend to act out more.

Does he have a daily routine with you? Try to do things at about the same time each day. Talk to him while you go about your routine. Max used to follow me around cleaning house, doing the mundane things of life, "Let's do laundry . . . " and so on.

Avoid having to remove things from his mouth by keeping your home puppy proof. Keep the things he shouldn't have out of reach. At the same time, work on training for "drop it" and "leave it."

When he goes into super biting mode, calmly say "no bite" and put him in an xpen and ignore him for a bit.

Yeah they really do grow out of that biting phase. Well, at least Cookie did. But she was an ankle biter too, though not a hard biter. Has your pup gotten his shots so that it's safe for him to go outside? If you have a fenced yard maybe try to get him lots of outside time to chase squirrels, birds, lizards, and the like. Yorkies are very high energy puppies. Have you tried leash training him yet so you can take him on walks? (assuming he has all his shots) It sounds like it will be hard as hell at first, I'm sure he'll try to bite the crap out of you the first few times you put a halter and leash on. But it could be a way to teach a bit of discipline while still doing something he should find really enjoyable, and it could help him bond more to you. Teaching tricks might really help too.

This baby was only 6 weeks old...that isnt even legal in some/most states! This unfortunate little soul had NO input or training or emotional support from momma.....so sad..........and now, owner is discouraged or confused about this unfortunate little soul's behavior issues.....issues that will be present at some degree or level, for the life of that baby, showing up as insecurity or fearfullness as an adult....excessive barking....cowering....overactivity.....

I am in Texas as well. Pm me and maybe I can help. I have train dogs for 35 years

Wow - that's so cool! Did you do the training for your service dog(s) too?

Yes, I tell folks "Little Mister" (Mario) was home schooled LOL. He was the only one of the three home schooled pups in our CGC test to pass their tests.

That's awesome!! Congrats! You're so talented! I love looking into training techniques, but definitely don't have 35 years experience :p . Would you mind if I bug you on the one thing I cannot correct? :rolleyes:

Scottie freaks out during walks and, depending on his mood, will bark/growl at any person who looks at him (because they think he's cute) and most dogs who walk towards us on the same sidewalk. I've tried giving him treats when he walks by without a sound, teaching him "leave it", but...it's not really working. Should I just continue and be more persistent? I've had to consistently avoid people and dogs whenever we're out for a walk and I don't have treats on me.

I feel so bad for people who just wanna look at him and tell me he's so cute. And then he snaps. So many people/kids wanna just say hi and I have to tell them to leave us alone :(

I try to socialize him often and we go to small dog meets every month. Off leash, he's friendly - no growling, no snapping, no barking. But on the leash, there's no way he's willing to politely greet another dog. What gives?

:yeahthat: :)

Maggie is 6 now and it's hard to remember, but she did try to bite too. I had to tell at my family so they would tell her no because they thought it was cute. She didn't bite hard.

We took her to petsmart training. I forget the price but you could call. They have puppy classes. Not sure if they specifically address biting, but you could start there by talking to them.

Maggie "growled" too. Took,us a while to figure out is was a play growl. It sound like a real one. The trainer can tell you how,to "read" the dogs body language to,figure out if it's play or aggression. She still does it when we play and when she is "killing" her toys by shaking them.

She also,still sort of nips at our heel when we tell her it's snack time. She follows us into the kitchen and her little head is literally at our heels as though she is nudging us along.

For her biting we just said no firmly and stopped playing. Can't remember if we tapped her nose or mouth with the NO. She got to a point where she knew she could grab hubby's And sons hands, but didn't do it to me.

She never ever drew blood. That's the part I'm not sure if it's normal. Stop at petsmart, they might help. Also, be sure she gets her shots so she doesn't catch anything from the other dogs. You could also ask your vet for tips and whether the behavior is normal,or extra aggressive.

My girl is a sweetie. Has never been aggressive to any human and thinks she's tough around big dogs. Don't know what we did to make her so sweet and we probably will never get another dog because I don't know if it's how they are raised, or how they are born that determines their temperament.

From my reading, and I have had a few dogs that fall into this category, some dogs have a hard time with abstract thinking when it comes to training. For example, a dog may sit on command 100% of the time at home, but look at you like you grew a third eye when you command them to sit elsewhere. They have to be taught sit at every location you expect them to sit. They will not generalize that term into any location other than where they were taught it.

To limit the need for abstract thinking, I try to use specific terms for specific behaviours. Such as, I use "leave it" exclusively for objects on the ground only, not for people. For Mario, I tell him "quiet" instead if he is whining or barking for attention. If he is behaving protectively at home, I tell him to "stand down" let Bailey handle it (Bailey is our outside protective doggie). Mario is not permitted to be vocal or protective outside our property at all, so keep that in mind.

The method of training is what you are already doing from what I read. Praise and reward every single time for good behaviour and you can either ignore bad behaviour or firmly state no (depending on your training philosophy). The duration between the good behaviour and the reward needs to be very short at first, then lengthen over time with success. If Scottie is quiet for 10-20 seconds after the command, reward and praise, then build from there by slowly increasing your expectations.

A scenario could look like this. Someone approaches, you reassure Scottie. If he is quiet, you praise and treat. If he is not quiet, you command quiet, then praise and treat if he is quiet for the expected time frame. In this type of scenario if Scottie were not quiet, I would tend to go with a firm, calm "No Scottie, quiet" and then praise and treat if he is. I usually warn someone if a primary goal during our discussion is to train my dog so they do not view my actions as rude.

Knowing why Scottie is barking can help, but is not a requirement. Is he being protective or is he upset/afraid? If you believe he is afraid or anxious, you might try picking Scottie up to greet others for a while. When you see someone approach, and before Scottie becomes upset, pick him up and reassure him. You greet the person and give treats when Scottie is quiet. As he improves, you may try just kneeling to pet him as the reassurance, then slowly allow him to remain on the ground.

It is a long road full of consistency and patience.

Mayzoo, thanks for this! Really appreciate it! :)

I've also read and understand about the need for training indoors and out and in different environments.

We've been working on praise and reward whenever he's quiet after seeing a dog during walks. It's a very quick switch from quiet to full on defence/barking/crazy mode. I see it happen each time: he's walking, he sees a dog, he's freaking about what to do, then there's no solution but to bark aggressively. Not completely certain, but I believe he's fearful of all dogs on leashes, big or small. He's always been a fearful little one - it took over a year for him to gain enough trust to not be afraid of fiance's dad, even after seeing him all the time.

I've worked to calm him down with treats whenever we see dogs. It works for a day and then he forgets. Maybe the issue is that it's become so ingrained in his mind, it's taking a much longer time to correct it. This started over a year ago and last summer I started trying to correct it with treats. And then of course, winter rolled around last year, and I couldn't train him in the rain, so it got worse from Sept to March.

It used to be the case where if I see him starting to go crazy, I'd pick him up, and he'd be okay and calm. Now, however, even when I hold him, he's barking in his "freakout zone" and can't hear or see me. I don't have a choice now but to pick him up and cover his eyes!

I've done so much reading on training and I understand the methods to correcting behaviours, but I just can't help to wonder if it has been something subtle I've been doing to cause him to be this way :( . The praise and treat, the acting confident and calm, the quick tugs on the leash to try to get him to snap out of it - I've tried it all. Yet, I know it's still my fault somehow. No other dogs are like this on the streets. I get so envious of seeing dogs who wag their tails and are friendly when greeting people and other dogs. I considered going to a trainer, but I'm almost certain they'll be training me on what I already know.

I guess I'm just venting about my struggles. I'm sure I just need more consistency and patience (which I'm always preaching to others). It's just much harder when it's my own issue to deal with. With the number of dogs in my neighborhood, it's so stressful. To be very consistent and train with treats during each walk, he'd be sure to get a stomachache! haha.. :confused: