bit by my puppy! (terrier, bite, clean, vet)

[pammybear]

We have a 12 wk dachsund mix female who we got free from a family and we got her all her shots and she was just spayed last week. We started a 5 wk puppy preschool yesterday ---we meet for one hour a week for 5 wks. Today the puppy (named Brownie) came inside and played around the living room then jumped up into my lap and I began petting her and scratching her ears. She was very wiggly and wouldn't settle down then just turned around and bit me in the face. I have two punctures from the teeth along my jaw line and it bled but stopped with some pressure then dh cleaned it up really well. When it happened I yelled NO! and pushed her off my lap then put her in her crate for the night (this is where she sleeps anyway ) she had already been fed so I know she wasn't hungry and I just don't know if this will get better. We have young children and for now I pretty much have to keep the puppy and them apart because they are afraid when she jumps up on them--and now I am worried that she will bite them too---we are just beginning to learn how to train her but the biting today was a little much. How do you know if a certain puppy is just not going to be compatible with your family especially when it's a mix that you're not sure of? Did this happen to anyone else and did it get better with the puppy class? I am going to call the trainer/teacher tomorrow and tell him what happened since we don't have class until Saturday.............

Pam

[Katie1]

You did right by correcting her. She just a puppy but if let go she could turn into an adult bitter. All puppies bite. Let your trainer show you how to correct her. But mostly be firm & make sure Nobody in the familly lets her nip/bite with out correcting her. I am sure she will catch on. Also you should have her ears checked for sores & infection. Perhaps the people you got her from pulled her ears...that to will take time for her to get over...start by gently touching her ears & work up to rubbing them [basicly normal petting]

How old are your kids & why are you keeping them apart...not clear on that part???

[Honeycrisp]

12 wk old puppies have sharp puppy teeth and tend to playbite a lot, no doubt she'll be doing it often (those puppy teeth will hurt for months, much like babies) but of course you want to discourage it, would just keep your face away from her face, esp. when she's overexcited and a bit unpredictable, and give her a chew toy or bone to distract her. Sure it will get better, in time, it won't happen overnite though. Not sure how old your children are but they should never be left alone w/ her (or any dog or pup) and they need to give her her space esp. if she's feeling overly frisky. I think most of us have gotten nipped by puppies when they were rambunctious at one time or another (at least) - eventually she'll be wanting to bite your shoes, sneakers, shoelaces, hands etc - kids high-pitched squeals may provoke her too - but she needs to know it's not acceptable. Not sure if I would have put her in her crate as you don't want her to associate it w/ punishment - maybe giving her a loud "No!" and a 5-10 minute time-out in your gated kitchen or gated bathroom (don't shut the door, she'll feel way too closed in, at least w/ a babygate, she'll be able to see out). Any puppy will playbite, be it a purebred or a mix, one can't generalize, a lot is dependent on how they're raised, positive training (nothing harsh, you dont want a nervous pup) and some behavior is also in the lines (from the parents etc).

Puppy classes can be wonderful and very helpful but it's something you have to be consistent about and will be ongoing, more than 5 weeks. Your children will learn that if they're calm w/ her, she'll likely be calm w/ them.

Anyway, hope you're feeling better now, I'm sure it was painful. Best of luck w/ your new puppy, it'll take time and patience but I think you have a perfectly normal puppy who will improve over time. Hang in there.

PS I could be reading too much into it but if this was the first time (?) she was inside, that c/h contributed to her general excitement too. They really want to be a part of the family and living inside is key to bonding etc (again, I could be totally off base, just disregard if I am).

[World Citizen]

It just sounds like an overly excited puppy that nipped you with her teeth.
You shouldn't feel like your new puppy is a mean or a bad dog because that happened... that kind of thing is expected to happen...

I don't know from your post but are you a first time dog owner?

[kelly3120]

nice correction ...a dog would've pushed her away as well and left the room! They don't know the boundaries until you tell them.
second she is a 12 week old puppy! She didn't mean to hurt you and isn't a danger to your kids! If it happens again say "no!" and push her away and then once she is calm give her a toy to play w/ and chew on and praise her.
everyone is giving you great advice.
I'm w/ Katie, find out some history! We thought ours was a hyper mess when we got him but it turns out he was a abuse case and just didn't know if we would hit or pet him.
We gave treats while we pet him, which taught him calm behavior is AWESOME!

[pammybear]

Thanks for all your answers! yes we are first time dog owners! It's the same ol story, 8 yr old wants a puppy, dh finds puppy from co-workers and brings it home in a shoe box! We've had her since she was about 7 wks. My other kids are 2 yr old twins and they are afraid of her jumping (we had her nails trimmed but it still scratches a bit plus like the p/p said, their high squeals just make the puppy more excitable so for now, I don't let them play together--with my 8 yr old yes but not the twins. I never leave the puppy alone with the twins--she/Brownie always is in another room with someone else or outside in a fenced in back yard. I'm wondering too if she is still traumatized from the spaying--she spent one night away from us..... Yes, we definately need more training and more chew toys! I will do what you suggest and just wait until she calms down before attempting to pet her (with my face away!) We really do want this to work. Oh we think she is a dachsund/terrier mix --the owner said they were dachsund/Corgi but the vet and trainer say no way--legs are too long and she already weighs 11 lbs! Thanks for all your advice!

Pam

[ljd1010]

Good advice from all the above posters! A 12 week old puppy WILL bite - playful, normal puppy antics. You did the right thing by correcting the behavior. The pup's biting does not mean she will be an aggessive dog. Our last dog did the same thing as a pup; we trained her and she evolved inot the most gentle docile dog ever! Be patient, be firm, continue correcting her and I'm sure she will turn out to be a wonderful family pet!

[vemureaux]

First of all, you're pup is still very much a baby. You didn't get a bad pup, it just doesn't know any better. Puppy classes will help, but keep in mind that the purpose of obedience classes is to train YOU how to train the dog properly and effectively. You don't just go for an hour a week and magically walk out with a well-mannered dog. Anything you learn should be practiced and reinforced at home repeatedly. Keep training sessions short and fun, but frequent (2 minutes at a time, 5 times a day or more). Sneak in training sessions during tv commercial, while waiting for your bread to toast, before feeding her, etc. Remember, keep it short and sweet.

The crate:
I think you reacted fine except I agree with what Honeycrisp said regarding not associating the crate with punishment. The crate should be kept a happy, safe place that she's eager to return to. If you sense that the puppy is getting too excited or you're getting too frustrated and need a break, pick up the pup, and say in an happy sing-song voice "You get the crate prize!!" and place her in the crate with a treat and a toy. This way, you're not punishing the pup for being in the crate and it's still a positive thing. And remember, completely ignore any whining/barking etc while in the crate (no hushing, no eye contact, no pitying, and absolutely don't let the pup out). Only pay attention or let the dog out when calm and quiet. Otherwise you teach the pup that if he whines and barks loud enough or long enough, he'll get his way. And never make a big deal of getting out of the crate (be aloof for a minute or two after she's let out before you shower her with attention).

Regarding the biting:
Puppies are naturally mouthy, that's how they explore and interact with the world. And especially when excited during play, they can nip and those sharp puppy teeth can be quite painful. I've had my pup play-bite at my face, and actually get my chin once (similar situation as yours, but no blood).

I personally take a two step approach: first teach bite inhibition, then teach no teeth on humans, ever.
(1) Bite inhibition: I allow gentle mouthing on my hands during play, but at any time I feel enouch pressure to feel pain/discomfort, I yelp OUCH!, quit all play and stand up, look the other way, make no eye contact, and pretend I was mortally wounded, and count slowly to 15 in my head. Resume play (I usually re-engage the pup by making eye contact, and excitedly saying "where did this good puppy come from?" or something like that and getting her to come to me for more play). If the pup mouths too hard a second time, go through the whole OUCH! process again, except this time, play session is over. Leave and pup and mind your business for a while (a few minutes) without paying attention to the pup. The point is to get the puppy to think "I bite too hard = lose a playmate". The key to this is to be playing in a safe place (confined open area, e.g. kitchen with a baby gate or an exercise pen in the living room) where you can safely just up and leave the pup. I personally wouldn't push the pup, because even a shove is physical interaction and can be interpreted as play, and can sometimes further excite a pup. Just get up (she'll fall out of your lap) and stand still, or walk away.

(2) The second "no teeth" rule is imposed after she gets the hang of not biting too hard. You just step it up to where you do the OUCH! process EVERY time her teeth touch skin (or even tugs on your clothes). The goal is to make the pup think "Man, these humans are wimpy. I have to be super careful/gentle with my teeth."

The theory behind this two step appraoch is that the dog will be trained not to not mouth humans at all. But if and when an incident occurs where the dog does bite or nip (startled, kids rushing up to him, etc), he will have learned to not bite hard, and thus vastly reduce injury to the bitten and liability for the biter.

As for jumping:
Start instituting the "four paws on the floor" rule. If the dog jumps on you, ignore it. Don't push her off, don't yell at her, just be cold and still. Once she gives up (may take a while the first few times) and puts all paws on the floor, then praise and pet. Never give her any attention when all four paws are not on the floor (this includes jumping on you, jumping excitedly in the air, pawing for attention, etc). To reinforce this, have the dog sit (or down) each time she wants something (play, meals, treats, go out, etc). She'll start offering to sit for you in no time.

THE KEY IS PATIENCE AND CONSISTENCY!!
It won't happen overnight.
And make sure every family member (including kids) are all on the same page regarding discipline.

Definitely speak with your puppy class instructor. Most will give you some variation of the above.

[pammybear]

thanks again, I will definately try that! About the crate, we didn't put her in the crate until after dh had cleaned my bite so several minutes had passed and we just put her to bed a little early and even though I was mad, I didn't say anything. Our trainer did tell us that puppies don't understand mad anyway and it's a waste of time! We are very lucky she stays in her crate without complaining and has never ever had an accident in there from 9:00pm-7:00am ish every day. I do have hope! Thanks again,

Pam

[vemureaux]

Pam:
It sounds like you're on the right track. Brownie's such a cute name.

In case you haven't yet considered these, I wanted to give you some food for thought. Since you have two very young children:

1) Make sure you give your pup plenty of mental and physical activities (suitable to her age, of course) to burn all that puppy energy. A tired dog is a good dog. It'll help her be more relaxed in general, and that's especially important since Brownie will be living with young children.

2) Make sure the pup knows that you control the resources, and that she only gets things when you're generous enough to share. Kids will be kids and get into or grab the dog's food and toys. You don't want the dog to develop any agression over food or toys (resource agression). Your puppy class instructor should be able to teach you how to establish dominance and leadership, how to establish your kids as dominant over the puppy, preventing aggression issues, and other tips on how to raise a dog around children.

3) Do teach your children to give the dog space, and to not bother her while eating or sleeping. If the dog is in her crate, that's her special place (to nap or to get away from the kids if feeling overwhelmed). Make sure the kids don't play in there and respect the space.

4) This is a great opportunity to teach children how to interact with dogs/animals. Make sure they understand the difference between the family pet and unfamiliar dogs, and know how to properly approach and interact/play with one.

5) Touch/pet your dog everywhere. Touch her paws, grab her hind legs, open her mouth, tug her tail/ears (gently of course), etc. Treat and praise as you do this. You want the dog to be familiar with having hands all over her. This way, when your children do any of those things, your dog won't be startled or afraid. Vets and groomers will love you for it as well.

I don't mean to overwhelm you with things to do, but the earlier you start these things, the less trouble in the long run. Ok, off the soap box now.

Good luck with Brownie, and keep us posted on how things go.
In the meantime, pictures please!