Need Some Help!!!

[Petros]

Hi to All.
I am new to this web site, and also to the irish setter world.
I got my irish setter pup last weekend, it is a lovely dog. I have never owned a dog before so i have no knowledge of what I am doing except from what i read online and books.

I understand the setters are not paticulary aggressive dogs, but my puppy is bitting, niping, growling, barking sometimes if I ignore him. he is only 9weeks and few days old.

I have fenced part of the deck where he can run play with the toys and have some space of his own where his crate is. I also use that space to play with him but when he starts mouthing i stand up, stop playing , get out of the play area and ignore him for a while.
I seems to work for a while but not always, sometimes when we walk or stand stright up he starts jumping on us and biting on our upper legs and starts pulling on our clothes, if i try to move/push him of he may growl even more and jump and bite again. This is a bit hard to avoid because then he is not feced that I can just jump over and ignore him.
This usually happens when he is excited. It happens when we pick him up or stroke him but not as much. more when he is playing.

I am trying to do the "Yelp" as the litter mates do, also then he strikes again.

Any ideas? Non violent ones? has this happend with most of your pups? is it usual? how long does it take for the pup to over come this sorts of behaviours? what should I do?

other than that, it is hard to get him started in training, he is constantly excited about something, or if not that, he just lies down and the only training lasts for maybe 1 minute after he goes away.

I would be very thankful for any advice...

[Dee Rance]

A good book to read is Cesar Milan he uses, psychology, not training. All puppies will 'try it on' but they are only little, could you imagine what it would be like if he is fully grown..what is he like with his food?? is he aggressive with food???
I have found if they are jumping up just stand and become as big as possible, and walk towards them, he will probably sit down, then give praise, ignoring him won't do much, he doesn't understand 'time out'
Try Cesar. It is very informative...

[Petros]

Hi Dee thanks for that...
I found a book from Cesar Milan in the library, I am still waiting for it as they havent made it availiable. it is called "how to raise the perfect dog, from puppyhood and beyond"

He is ok with food, he doesnt each very often so i live the food though-out the day so that he can it when he wants, he doesnt get aggressive or angry with such things as food or toys, he is very playfull with them.

[Catherine Carter]

I would advise you to get as much advice as possible from his breeder. You should have been given a booklet on how to care for your Irish Setter ( we have one in the UK from the ISBC which I give to any new puppy owner), also a diet sheet. You should not leave food around for him to eat when he wants, but instead feed him 4 meals a day at regular intervals. He will need to play (might seems a bit rough at times but I am sure he will calm down quickly) and go out often and then a lot of sleep too. Dogs like to have a routine. Please ring the breeder who will be able to help I am sure. I hope this helps a little for now until you have spoken to the breeder.

[Sue and Cash]

I so remember the nippy stage. It was impossible for us to even walk through the room without a puppy dragging along holding onto our robes, jeans or whatever else his mouth could grab. He ran into rooms with his mouth open just waiting to grab onto anything it could. I am going to start with a new puppy in January and I am not looking forward to that part of it again! But it does pass. Once they get their adult teeth, it was like it waned overnight. My son used to have to sit up on the top of the sofa back in order to stay away from the fang monster. Once he got big enough to jump up on the couch he couldn't hide from him anymore. And actually we now laugh about it. At the time though I recall it was painful and we all had arms and legs that were scratched and nipped up. Firmness, consistency and time. That are the three things I can offer to help. Time being the best one. They grow up and it all becomes a fond memory.

[Dee Rance]

I have found recently that there are breeders around, that don't give any information on how to deal with puppies after they have changed homes, and some don't even give food to see the puppy over the transition from one home to another. This is something that makes me a little bit mad. When you charge a good price for your puppies the least you can do is to supply food for them and 'Driving Instructions' on how to bring them up, people don't have to take any notice of them, but they are there, all the same, and in this folder (in my case) it contains tips on what to look out for and ways of dealing with these problems, from feeding instructions to help with ailments etc. Just to hand a puppy over and take the money, and let the new owner 'wing it' is to me dreadful, my phone number and email address is also in the folder, so people can get hold of me whenever they want, at any time, if it is inconvenient I will phone them back as soon as I have finished with whatever it is that prevented me from speaking then and there, The food thing doesn't even cost you anything, if you feed a certain food they will usually let you have puppy packs, and these too have advice in them
I am hoping that the biting stage will be over soon, my boy is at that stage now, I have found the being big thing really does work with him, now he is in full teething mode he will soon stop when they are all here, the teeth that is. Good luck with your baby I am sure that you will work something out, there is a lot of advise here, take the best, and what works, and file the rest, for the next puppy...Ha Ha....;o))

[Petros]

Dee Im am happy the breeder is not one of those, she gave me food, crate that was not needed by her, some advice, what books to read, and we keep in contact all the time. Im hopping this thing is over soon, because its not fun at all. I have a nephew that is 2 years old, constantly supervise him when he is with the pup, but 2 year olds dont understand ("Dont go there, live him alone"). I cant take him out until he has all his vaccinations (for another 3 weeks)....

But what makes the pups not bite after they have grown the adult teeth? are the more mature or the pain they were in during the growth of the teeth?

[Dee Rance]

I am glad that you have a ''good breeder'' but your puppy sounds so typical, it is like children teething they have to bite on something and the toys are not so good as your hand and arm. I too have a two year old and a four year old here during the week days, and they are spending a lot of time on their bottoms, because Fin has jumped up at them and pushed them over, I am spending my days saying/yelling 'get down' 'leave it' 'no' etc etc you should find a change soon, I am hoping so anyway, it has been four years since I have had a puppy in the house and it really is hard going. We can compare notes as to who's puppy is 'improving' first.. and you can give me some tips....

[Petros]

hahaha. I am doing the same here, yelping, saying no, more often I try to open his jaw when he is biting on something and push the toy in so that he can carry on with the biting on the toy, coz if i through it he will just look at it and get back to chewing what ever he was chewing.

Funny thing is that when he bites and I yelp and take my hand away, he crouches down and jumps back at me to bite me again.

Still, its been only a week and a day. I'd have to see if there is any improvement and few days time or a week. Thou im gonna keep you posted.

[Teresa]

Well, this is the time when you all think i'm crazy, but....
The first time a pup tries to bit me, what i do is growl and bite them back! Not a bite that will hurt obviously, but a small grab of the ear or cheek! This always makes them really confused and makes them stop biting on that exect moment. The next time i just growl and stop playing and after a while they realise bitting humans is just wrong! I have raised or help raising 9 pupies in the last two years, all were "bitten" and none had bitting or grabing tendences. I point out again that this is not an actual bite, more like a grab, you can see bitches doing that to their puppies to correct behaviours, its aplying that same principle at a time dogs are not that used to human language...
It looks a little crazy, I know, but it is harmless and it is "dog language" so they get the concept right away!

[Dee Rance]

I have to say that I used to bite the bottle fed pony I had on the ear, and yes it is what its mother would do, I have the mother here of my new boy and she just winds him up, I don't know who is worse him or her????

[Petros]

he has had some crate training. At night he is in the crate and I take him out before he goes to sleep, then again at about midnight, and after that he wakes me up in 6am. He had few accidents in the first three days, after that he goes to the same place on the grass, even when he is outside by himself.

In the house I let him run very rarely, mostly in my room because some family members just panic if he bites and I tell them what to do but they are more stuborn than the dog is... so its like I have to train 4 dogs in stead of just one.

[Petros]

yep pup goes outside, he hasnt eliminated in the house for 3-4 days...

For the confidned area, it is pritty big, but he is not confined there all day, I let him out in the backyard where he runs digs, eats the garden etc....:)