Failing with my Scottie - miserably!!!!

(Sorry - think this is more therapy than question)

I wanted a dog for so long, and finally when I began working part-time my hubby agreed. I have never had a dog before but we got a Scottish Terrier puppy at 9 weeks old and brought him home and he very quickly became the love of my life. He is now 10 months old and is totally house trained, but that is about all he can do.

I am not one of these women who love their dogs like dollies and cuddle and kiss them all the time, or let them sleep on my bed or anything. I thought I had been pretty strict to a point. He has always slept in the kitchen since the first night we brought him home. He is fine being left, he doesnt demolish things when I am at work, or eat through anything - he seems to just sleep (8.30am - 11.30am 3 days a week). In the beginning I planned to start the training on a regular basis as recommended by all the books, but he seemed to be doing so well, I wrongly thought he didnt need it. He will sit when told but not if there is anyone or anything happening around him. He still bites and it is getting worse. I am constantly covered in bruises and bites. We have tried putting him out the room when he does it but that doesnt make a difference. People keep saying ignore him - but you cant - he is jumping up and still biting. We have tried putting him on a lead and holding him down but nothing seems to work. He has got quite a severe bite now and we dont visit anyone or let any young children around him but he seems to be fine with other people - its just me. We were walking him loads but he has a problem with his legs, so vet has told us to limit walks and only on lead walks, so I know he needs to burn off energy but I am not allowed to let him for next few months. I try to do training in house with him but as soon as I try and interact with him he gets all excited and starts biting again.

I just feel like it is me and I cant do anything right for him. He is pretty much the same with my husband but he works full time so doesnt see him as much, so doesnt think it is that big a problem.

Anyone else suffer with this and get there eventually?

Aw, he sounds rather sweet but perhaps a bit of a handful!

Try this website for info on biting, and also check out their local dog trainers - these are good trainers and a local one ay be able to come out to your home and help you!

http://www.apdt.co.uk/dog_training_tips.asp

http://www.apdt.co.uk/local_dog_trainers.asp

Wys
x

Hi - first, don`t panic If you`ve managed to house train him you can do other stuff too. Have you tried puppy classes at all? And have you got a Puppy training book?
Can I ask what you`re feeding him? And is he allowed to play?

Do you let out a yelp when he bites you to let him know he has hurt you? Do you turn your back on him / ignore him when he bites you? How else do you react other than what you have said?

If you don't mind me asking, what is wrong with his legs?

We didnt think he needed classes at first then we decided he definitely did, so I started phoning local training schools and they said after 16 weeks he wouldnt be accepted as he was too old and set in his ways.

I kept trying and found one 3 weeks ago and signed up for the six week course whcih was supposed to start last Saturday but it was postponed due to weather, so supposed to start this week.

I am just so worried that I am have such a crisis that he might play up with other dogs, cos he isnt very used to lots of other dogs, and I am not sure 6 1hr sessions will be enough to give me the confidence to work with him.

He gets to play in the back garden with his ball, but when I go out and try and throw the ball for him he gets so excited he ends up leaving the ball and biting me. He has a Nylabone that he will sit and chew for ages but again, after a while he gets excited then jumps up on me again.

We were feeding him Bakers, but changed to James Wellbeloved because people said that I should stick to natural foods to avoid hyperactivity. He has been on this for about 5 months now.

Rehoming him or anything along that lines is out of the question, because he is part of the family now, so I really do want solutions.

Thanks for links - I will go have a look just now.

x

I have been watching "Its me or the Dog" and I have tried letting out a high pitched noise when he bites, tried tin with pebbles in it, tried saying Oww loudly - he just doesnt seem to care. I have tried to turn my back on him, but he just chases round me jumping up and biting, so I cant get away from him.

I dont mind at all - he has Ulnar Deviation. The two bones in his leg are growing at different rates, so they are pulling at his joints constantly. He is on Joint Supplements, and when he begins limping we have him on Anti Inflammatories. The Vet advised he was too old to operate but that by 14 months he will have stopped growing so he wont suffer from that particular problem - but he will get arthritis. I am constantly worried he is in pain and that is why he is biting, but the vet says if he was in pain he would make a lot of noise about it or we would see him wincing - which he doesnt do.

Nonsense!! We have people bringing older dogs (in terms of 5/6/7/8 year olds) to training and they do just fine!

You'll be surprised at how going to a training class changes Dexter. At first, he'll probably have no concentration, bark at other dogs etc - this is ok, he has to learn to concentrate with distractions. Hopefully you'll be able to carry on attending classes after the 6 weeks is up.

When he jumps up - what do you do?

I tend to turn round, so they get my back, rather than areas to nip, like arms etc. I'll often walk off and start doing something else (folding washing, tidying up etc) and ignore them. My two have a bad habit of headbutting you if you don't pay attention - unfortunately, their heads are at groin height and are rather hard - ouch!!

It's crazy they wouldn't let you go to puppy classes as he was too old??? I took mine when he was 5 months old.

Your puppy has not learned bite inhibition and the best way to learn this is with other dogs. Do you have any friends with nice and calm dogs to arrange play-dates? Otherwise I'd suggest contacting the behaviourist.

I see you are in Aberdeen, i'm about 20 miles north east of you but i do have to come into the city for stock monthly, unfortunately ive just been in last week but if you'd like to meet up next time i'd happily bring one of my dogs along who's very friendly to see what his doggy social skills are like.
It would also be quite interesting to see if he jumps up at me or tries to bite me. Let me know if you'd like to meet up.

A training class is a great idea, and they are speaking rubbish about him being too old. Mia was about a year old and a nightmare with I first got her
I took her straight to classes
at the start we couldnt interact much in the class, just sat at the side rewarding her for being calm with the other dogs.

You have not failed him, he is at a difficult age and sounds a little headstrong with problems calming down and focusing.
If you can get some one to one help that would prob help you get a little confidence with him too. DIfficult to say over the internet but it dosent sound like he is aggressive just over aroused

What is he like when you put his food out, open the door to go out, on lead for walks??
The fact he only works for you when there are no distractions around isnt unusual, you kind of have to go back to basics for every new location until he gets the hang of working everywhere. So teach the sit in the living room, then move to the kitchen then all over the house
Then move to the garden and start again, really high rewards and dont ask for too much