[Jynndu8709]

I need help!!

I have a 8wk. female dobie (Farrah) who plays really rough when around my moms smaller toy poodle. I have tried verbally correcting her but she constantly tries to "stalk" him then bite his back and face. Its becoming very irritating and I have even tried laying her on her side into submission and scolding her. She will listen for about a minute then goes straight back to biting. When I tell her "no" or "stop" She still thinks its a game and will try to chew on my hands. I dont want to physically correct her the wrong way but need some way to get through her little head that she is too rough. My mom is now afraid to bring her dog over.... and I feel horrible.

I have always owned golden retrievers and have read the overdoing negative training with dobermans (spanking, scaring, or being forceful) is not the way to correct and will cause aggression. I do my best to walk Farrah, take her to puppy parks, play with her, etc... but she is becoming very aggressive. PLEASE HELP!

 

[dobedream]

Welcome!
Here is a link to a thread that also contains multiple links with resources to deal with puppy biting:
https://www.google.com/url?q=http:/...ds-cse&usg=AFQjCNGsOJnDhhUleIJS8RBdNoc7FhGdow

Please read up on puppy behavior...this site is great for you to learn everything you need to know about raising a Doberman puppy.
And remember to post pictures!

 

[AlyssaN]

Have you done any research on positive dog training? In my experience it was the most effective way of dealing with poor behaviour. Additionally, putting a dog in submission is a fairly outdated training tool.

The Power of Positive Dog Training is a great book to start with. Even a google search should come up with great results. Start there!

And welcome to the forum!

 

[Jynndu8709]

another question

I also am able to take my pup to work with me. I feel this might have a negative effect later on due to separation anxiety. Did you crate your puppy at an early age and leave/work for a full day?? how did you handle the situation? Also, if anyone lives in an apartment how did you handle the whining to insure your neighbors did not get upset?? I am looking to buy a home but for the mean time have been in an apartment. I am worried to leave her all day as she will cry and upset the other tenants which might cause a bigger issue.

 

[workingk9s]

What research did you do on the breed prior to purchasing? What does your breeder have to say about these issues?

 

[Jynndu8709]

I actually purchased a book on the breed and read about personality, history, etc. I also spoke with friends and family who own/owned dobies.

The breeder I purchased the puppy from was not very helpful (to be honest) and the reason I took the puppy was because she was sick and the breeder could not afford the vet bill. She is healthy now and a wonderful little girl when we are home and relaxing... I just don't believe she ever learned the correct way to play with other puppies due to early separation and vet care.... and her tiny needle teeth can pack a punch.

 

[MeadowCat]

I would pick up a copy of this book right away: Puppy Start Right. It's one of the best books I've read on creating a great foundation for your pup. Lots of information on training and behavior, as well as health!

I would put your puppy on a dragline (a light leash), so you can redirect her when she gets too excited. You also want to stop rolling her and holding her down. All that does is teaches the puppy to be afraid of you.

 

[Jynndu8709]

Ive only rolled her 2x... just when it got waaaaaay out of hand and she was in the zone. But I went and bought kongs, rawhides, etc. to keep her busy and relaxed while I am working.

 

[AlyssaN]

No more rolling. No more "dominating/submission" action at all.

 

[Jynndu8709]

well like I said. Only did it twice... and it was for a reason, Im not one to just throw a dog around because I can.

And as I stated before.... she was hurting the other dog and needed to calm down. There was no yelling or pushing, just getting her attention to calm down.

But Ive taken all the comments as helpful tips and will continue to work with her so she will stay a happy, balanced dog.

 

[Shell81]

well like I said. Only did it twice... and it was for a reason,

All it takes is once sometimes to do damage that causes your dog to not trust you, begin to act aggressive around you etc...it's never a good idea.

If you need to calm her down from rough play remove her or your moms dog from the situation, give her a "time out"...no playing when she gets rough. If she can't behave the fun stops, but remember she is a little puppy. She won't learn this immediately, it will take patience and persistence and time.

My boy is 10 mths, and like a typical Dobe pup was a little landshark as a puppy, it took months of persistence, patience and consistent training to teach him bite inhibition (and then not to bite at all), and how to play gently.

You've been given great advice already on bite inhibition and other things, so I won't repeat it.

 

[WesDDS]

Basically, rolling your dog onto their back and pinning them is like your boss shoving you against a wall and putting a gun to your head. Will you attack them right then? Maybe. But mostly you'll just go silent in fear - then you'll either attack him next time he even looks at you funny or you'll leave. In doggy language, that action means "I will kill you;" it does NOT mean "you need to calm down." My current dog bit his foster parent in the face for doing such an action, and it took the third time he was rolled for him to fight back.

You have been given brilliant advice. Please get all notion of "dominance" or "alpha" from your mind. This is a sensitive breed - show her you can be a fair and reasonable parent and teacher and you will get respect in return.

 

[Natchez1]

I have a 8wk. female dobie

Welcome to mommyhood. Repeat the quoted line over and over when you get upset with her.

she constantly tries to "stalk" him

I in no way want this to come off as corse, thats not the intention behind my advice.

If you see her going into stalk mode, step in just as soon as you catch it, stay on top of her when the poodle is around, be a part of the game, ref. If you do that you can redirect before any bitting is done.

Its becoming very irritating and I have even tried laying her on her side into submission and scolding her.

Not sure if you seen this on a TV show or something, but as others have stated i wouldn't do it anymore. Heres why. You are expecting a 9 week old pup to know what punishment is, yep its a game to her and when you see her reacting like its a game you might very well step up the presure the next time trying to make your point, not good.

All she will learn from it is you can hold her down, for now. Do i think you did any damage ? NO. But leave all that hocus pokus stuff out of the learning process. Theres no fast fix for a puppy being a puppy, just step up and watch her like a hawk. And when she's good make sure you let her know how good she is and how proud you are of her.

Good Luck new Momma.

 

[jrh03]

We were dealing with the exact same issue here. The only solution is constant supervision. You just have to keep stepping in. In terms of redirection, I've found that getting them to tug on a toy together helps, but it can still quickly turn so, you have to watch them.

Spraying a good dose of bitter apple spray helped too. Didn't stop them, just toned things down a bit. For me its a boxer and a dobe, so not only does the dobe bite, the boxer doesn't notice enough to have a problem with it.

Short time outs help too. Eventually, they start to get the idea that biting = ref timing ou t the game.