Peggy just tried to bite us, advice please.

ian1969uk · 09-03-2010, 02:43 PM

Peggy just got hold of a small cat toy that we had put away but a cat brough out. She had it in her mouth and looked like she was going to swallow it, so we tried to get it out of her mouth.

She growled and then tried to bite my wife's hand and then my hand. I managed to distract her onto something else and she then dropped the cat toy. My wife is really upset that she would do this and I wondered if any of you had experienced this or had any advice on how to deal with it.

Thank you.

ian1969uk · 09-03-2010, 03:01 PM

She has really hurt my wife, who is now unsure if she can trust her. I don't know what to do, she is here in floods of tears that this could happen and is unsure if we can keep her.

Help!

kathiam · 09-03-2010, 03:34 PM

Ok first off tell your wife to take a deep breath. I know it is upsetting when your beloved pet does something unexpected but whatever it is you will work through it. I am sure whether someone here provides advice, or you end up having to go to a trainer you will get to the bottom of the issue. First off I think a little more information is in order before others can offer advice.

Have you tried taking other things from her mouth before? I am just wondering if this is the first time you have tried removing something from her mouth, or if you have done it before without incident? Have you ever tried taking any food away from her while she is eating to know if she has a food aggression or not? What kind of toy was it, did it have catnip on it at all?

My mother-in-law used to have a dog that would growl and bite if you tried to take anything from her mouth, or if he touched her paws, tail, or ears. Of course when I met her she was already a 10 year old dog so pretty set in her ways and unwilling to reverse the behavior. Usually though with a younger dog if you can find the root cause for the behavior you can work to correct it, but the key is determining the trigger that causes the aggression.

ian1969uk · 09-03-2010, 03:49 PM

We have taken other things from her eg stones, leaves etc without issue. She might try and clamp her jaws shut to keep whatever it is, but she hasn't tried to bite.

They were catnip toys, is that significant?

Thanks for your post.

deardaisy · 09-03-2010, 03:56 PM

Tell your wife it will be okay as Peggy is new to the family and is still adjusting to her 'role' in it. The day we brought Seamus home, my boyfriend went and picked him up as I was still at work. Before I got home he informed me that he was biting and growling at him (bit his leg fairly hard). He left for work before I returned home. Feeling terrible that this pup was completely out of his comfort zone I rushed home as fast as I could to get to him. He was sweet with me. At first.
Soon after he squatted to pee (one the rug!) so I grabbed him, as I had read to do to bring him outside so he would learn. He FREAKED out! Like growling and trying to bite me pretty furiously. He wouldn't let me get a leash on him. I had to figure out how to get him outside, to see if he had to go to the bathroom more, all the while he was trying to attack me. Of course I'm home alone, freaking out that I'm by myself with this vicious dog, not realizing puppies could be like this. I got him outside, called the shelter, all the while Seamus is freaking out about being on a leash. So I'm panicked on the phone. I want a sweet, gentle pup, not this scary angry dog. All in the the dog expert at the shelter in forms me that it's probably because he's scared, and that if I wanted I could take him back for a more docile first puppy.
I kept him and dealt with his ferociousness, which as it was that day, didn't last too long. I lived with really bad anxiety towards him for a few days.
However, after thing he began doing it with objects he found that he should have--like your kitty toy. For the most part it was garbage outside, which he really shouldn't have. At this point my boyfriend told me a story, about a pitt bull, who you had to greet (for the first time) by gently, but sternly, laying his head on the ground to assert your dominance over him. As soon as this happened, the dog was a sweet as could be. So I faced my fear and starting doing this with Seamus-showing him that we, the humans were the dominate ones, the 'pack leaders'. I think once he learned his roll, his aggressiveness stopped.
Only recently, maybe a couple months ago, we gave him a marrow bone to chew on. When my boyfriend tried to take it from him, just to move it into his crate, so he wouldn't get bone yuck all over the place, he growled at him. BF gave him a few stern no's and he was okay.
I COMPLETELY sympathize with your wife, as I have literally been there-and alone. Let Peggy know that that her behavior will not be tolerated in your home. She should learn.

deardaisy · 09-03-2010, 04:00 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ian1969uk

They were catnip toys, is that significant?

The cat nip could make them into something she REALLY loves, and doesn't want anyone to take it from her. That's what was happening with Seamus. He was LOVING the garbage he found outside. You could easily take his own toys away from him, and could go near his food no problem. Even when sticks were new to him, he allowed me to take them from him. It was the 'special' things he didn't want you near. For example, an empty cigarette carton, and a fruit snack wrapper.

kathiam · 09-03-2010, 04:24 PM

Please note that I am no expert, infact this is "my" first puppy, though I have been around dogs all my life. It could very well be that she likes the smell/taste of catnip as I have seen other dogs go wild for the stuff.

I don't know if you are aware of these two facts, and keep in mind I am only telling you this should a problem arise where you or your wife find yourself in trouble. There is a V under you dogs muzzle, when petting her you might want to feel for it. There is a pressure point there that when pressed against will cause her to open her jaw. Second if you hold down their tongue against the bottom of their jaw they can't bite down. Not sure if you knew that already, and obviously those would only be used in extremes cases (which hopefully you'll never have to see) but it's still good to know.

I have had to do both before with Lily because she liked to bite and not let go. We still have problems with her biting us occasionally though now it's just nipping instead of the actual clamp we used to get before. From what both my vet and the trainer have told me the key is consistancy, make sure that everyone who comes in contact with your pet handles the issue in the same way. That was part of the problem in my house was that me, my husband, and my mother-in-law were all trying to correct her biting in different ways.

Now I have had problems with Lily getting things she isn't supposed to. I have been working with her on the leave-it command. When we are on walks I will say leave it and pull her away. When she steps away without having to be pulled I will give her a treat. Of course it is hit and miss, she hasn't been consistently leaving stuff but she is getting better at it.

Perhaps if you haven't already you could work with her on the drop it or leave it command with things she isn't quite so crazy about until she gets used to the command. Then as you get more comfortable perhaps you could take something that is larger then she could possibly swallow and rub catnip on it. Then you can work with her on the drop it/leave it command with catnip while being sure she can't swallow the item if it does come to you needing to take it from her.

djdakine · 09-03-2010, 04:37 PM

I'm certain she'll learn/grow out of it. She use to growl a lot if we try to take things away from her. Now it's more of a whine, then a growl if the whine didn't work.

I've been nipped many times, 3x blood, my gf 1x blood. 1st time for me was taking her fav toy away, #2 trying to stop her eating her poop, #3 trying to put her on a time-out. my gf was from putting her on a time out. We know she's teething so try to give her a little leeway if it's playful nipping. But if we feel its aggressive, or she's only doing it to get attention..she goes on a time out. If she growls - time out. If she whines - we just ignore it. I think today is exactly 1 month since we've had her. She rarely growls, whines a lot still though. I'm able to play with her food (take some to feed by hand, or put into a kong). If she gets aggressive, just saying time-out or do you want to bite me...she stops. We're able to put our hands in front of her, and she'll just look away.

Is peggy getting an outlet for that puppy energy? She was a handful before the vet gave us the ok to take her out. On dog park days, she's an Angel. regular dog walk days, she's ok. On a day where there's no dog park, dog walk, or we're just exhausted to play...she's the devil!

djdakine · 09-03-2010, 04:39 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kathiam

There is a V under you dogs muzzle, when petting her you might want to feel for it. There is a pressure point there that when pressed against will cause her to open her jaw. Second if you hold down their tongue against the bottom of their jaw they can't bite down..

thanks kathiam! did not know that!

ian1969uk · 09-03-2010, 04:42 PM

We can't take her out yet as she is awaiting her second vaccination, and that's probably one of the issues.

09-03-2010, 02:43 PM	#1 (permalink)
ian1969uk Member Join Date: Aug 2010 Posts: 90	Peggy just tried to bite us, advice please. Peggy just got hold of a small cat toy that we had put away but a cat brough out. She had it in her mouth and looked like she was going to swallow it, so we tried to get it out of her mouth. She growled and then tried to bite my wife's hand and then my hand. I managed to distract her onto something else and she then dropped the cat toy. My wife is really upset that she would do this and I wondered if any of you had experienced this or had any advice on how to deal with it. Thank you.

09-03-2010, 03:34 PM	#3 (permalink)
kathiam Senior Member Join Date: Jun 2010 Posts: 450	Ok first off tell your wife to take a deep breath. I know it is upsetting when your beloved pet does something unexpected but whatever it is you will work through it. I am sure whether someone here provides advice, or you end up having to go to a trainer you will get to the bottom of the issue. First off I think a little more information is in order before others can offer advice. Have you tried taking other things from her mouth before? I am just wondering if this is the first time you have tried removing something from her mouth, or if you have done it before without incident? Have you ever tried taking any food away from her while she is eating to know if she has a food aggression or not? What kind of toy was it, did it have catnip on it at all? My mother-in-law used to have a dog that would growl and bite if you tried to take anything from her mouth, or if he touched her paws, tail, or ears. Of course when I met her she was already a 10 year old dog so pretty set in her ways and unwilling to reverse the behavior. Usually though with a younger dog if you can find the root cause for the behavior you can work to correct it, but the key is determining the trigger that causes the aggression. __________________ Last edited by kathiam; 09-03-2010 at 03:36 PM.

09-03-2010, 03:56 PM	#5 (permalink)
deardaisy Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2010 Location: Vermont Posts: 129	Tell your wife it will be okay as Peggy is new to the family and is still adjusting to her 'role' in it. The day we brought Seamus home, my boyfriend went and picked him up as I was still at work. Before I got home he informed me that he was biting and growling at him (bit his leg fairly hard). He left for work before I returned home. Feeling terrible that this pup was completely out of his comfort zone I rushed home as fast as I could to get to him. He was sweet with me. At first. Soon after he squatted to pee (one the rug!) so I grabbed him, as I had read to do to bring him outside so he would learn. He FREAKED out! Like growling and trying to bite me pretty furiously. He wouldn't let me get a leash on him. I had to figure out how to get him outside, to see if he had to go to the bathroom more, all the while he was trying to attack me. Of course I'm home alone, freaking out that I'm by myself with this vicious dog, not realizing puppies could be like this. I got him outside, called the shelter, all the while Seamus is freaking out about being on a leash. So I'm panicked on the phone. I want a sweet, gentle pup, not this scary angry dog. All in the the dog expert at the shelter in forms me that it's probably because he's scared, and that if I wanted I could take him back for a more docile first puppy. I kept him and dealt with his ferociousness, which as it was that day, didn't last too long. I lived with really bad anxiety towards him for a few days. However, after thing he began doing it with objects he found that he should have--like your kitty toy. For the most part it was garbage outside, which he really shouldn't have. At this point my boyfriend told me a story, about a pitt bull, who you had to greet (for the first time) by gently, but sternly, laying his head on the ground to assert your dominance over him. As soon as this happened, the dog was a sweet as could be. So I faced my fear and starting doing this with Seamus-showing him that we, the humans were the dominate ones, the 'pack leaders'. I think once he learned his roll, his aggressiveness stopped. Only recently, maybe a couple months ago, we gave him a marrow bone to chew on. When my boyfriend tried to take it from him, just to move it into his crate, so he wouldn't get bone yuck all over the place, he growled at him. BF gave him a few stern no's and he was okay. I COMPLETELY sympathize with your wife, as I have literally been there-and alone. Let Peggy know that that her behavior will not be tolerated in your home. She should learn. __________________ Seamus <3

09-03-2010, 04:24 PM	#7 (permalink)
kathiam Senior Member Join Date: Jun 2010 Posts: 450	Please note that I am no expert, infact this is "my" first puppy, though I have been around dogs all my life. It could very well be that she likes the smell/taste of catnip as I have seen other dogs go wild for the stuff. I don't know if you are aware of these two facts, and keep in mind I am only telling you this should a problem arise where you or your wife find yourself in trouble. There is a V under you dogs muzzle, when petting her you might want to feel for it. There is a pressure point there that when pressed against will cause her to open her jaw. Second if you hold down their tongue against the bottom of their jaw they can't bite down. Not sure if you knew that already, and obviously those would only be used in extremes cases (which hopefully you'll never have to see) but it's still good to know. I have had to do both before with Lily because she liked to bite and not let go. We still have problems with her biting us occasionally though now it's just nipping instead of the actual clamp we used to get before. From what both my vet and the trainer have told me the key is consistancy, make sure that everyone who comes in contact with your pet handles the issue in the same way. That was part of the problem in my house was that me, my husband, and my mother-in-law were all trying to correct her biting in different ways. Now I have had problems with Lily getting things she isn't supposed to. I have been working with her on the leave-it command. When we are on walks I will say leave it and pull her away. When she steps away without having to be pulled I will give her a treat. Of course it is hit and miss, she hasn't been consistently leaving stuff but she is getting better at it. Perhaps if you haven't already you could work with her on the drop it or leave it command with things she isn't quite so crazy about until she gets used to the command. Then as you get more comfortable perhaps you could take something that is larger then she could possibly swallow and rub catnip on it. Then you can work with her on the drop it/leave it command with catnip while being sure she can't swallow the item if it does come to you needing to take it from her. __________________

09-03-2010, 03:01 PM	#2 (permalink)
ian1969uk Member Join Date: Aug 2010 Posts: 90	She has really hurt my wife, who is now unsure if she can trust her. I don't know what to do, she is here in floods of tears that this could happen and is unsure if we can keep her. Help!

09-03-2010, 03:49 PM	#4 (permalink)
ian1969uk Member Join Date: Aug 2010 Posts: 90	We have taken other things from her eg stones, leaves etc without issue. She might try and clamp her jaws shut to keep whatever it is, but she hasn't tried to bite. They were catnip toys, is that significant? Thanks for your post.

09-03-2010, 04:37 PM	#8 (permalink)
djdakine Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2010 Posts: 128	I'm certain she'll learn/grow out of it. She use to growl a lot if we try to take things away from her. Now it's more of a whine, then a growl if the whine didn't work. I've been nipped many times, 3x blood, my gf 1x blood. 1st time for me was taking her fav toy away, #2 trying to stop her eating her poop, #3 trying to put her on a time-out. my gf was from putting her on a time out. We know she's teething so try to give her a little leeway if it's playful nipping. But if we feel its aggressive, or she's only doing it to get attention..she goes on a time out. If she growls - time out. If she whines - we just ignore it. I think today is exactly 1 month since we've had her. She rarely growls, whines a lot still though. I'm able to play with her food (take some to feed by hand, or put into a kong). If she gets aggressive, just saying time-out or do you want to bite me...she stops. We're able to put our hands in front of her, and she'll just look away. Is peggy getting an outlet for that puppy energy? She was a handful before the vet gave us the ok to take her out. On dog park days, she's an Angel. regular dog walk days, she's ok. On a day where there's no dog park, dog walk, or we're just exhausted to play...she's the devil!

09-03-2010, 04:42 PM	#10 (permalink)
ian1969uk Member Join Date: Aug 2010 Posts: 90	We can't take her out yet as she is awaiting her second vaccination, and that's probably one of the issues.

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