devonrexcatz

Let us know how you get on Belinda, Jane is lovely and very experienced when it comes to dealing with aggression. I'm positive she will be able to help you Hi huski I'm sure she can help us...I can't wait to hear from her. Belinda

Hi everyone I have emailed Jane Harper...just waiting for her reply. Thankyou Belinda

I will have to have a look for her mobile number when I get home but her email address is [email protected] Hi Huski Thankyou for Jane's email address. I will email her now. Cheers Belinda

Thanks Seita Huski has posted her email address Belinda

Belinda, it's not only what we think that matters here, but what Justin thinks. For all we know (and this is where Jane comes in) he's saying.. "well I told Belinda what she was doing wasn't acceptable and warned her to stop and she attacked me!" I don't doubt for a moment that you love Justin.. your efforts to resolve this issue are testament to that. Jane's helped a lot of DOLers.. lets us know how you get on. 6 week old pups don't create much of a threat to small children. For all we know he's been roughly handled by them and that was the start of it. I would suggest a vet check up and a chiro visit to rule out any physical issues but no doubt Jane will cover that. Hi poodlefan I have just had a crying session; I bought Justin into my room to be with me while I posted my Ebay items onto the net. I heard some paper being ripped; it must have been instantaneous and I don't know how I didn't see it but he has managed to pull out another of my antique books and he has chewed it. This room is full of his toys and he was happily playing with them previously but just like that, he had grabbed a book. I have put him outside; I am so upset. Justin has been vet checked at various times re his vaccinations and before his de-sexing operation. We visit the vet quite often in this house and know them very well now after all these years. He is physically A1. Yes I will need Jane's number...I have just noticed that another member has given me her email address so I will email her for her number. Thankyou for your ongoing support. Thanks Belinda

Hi poodlefan I have never thought Justin was defending himself from me...he has been told a lot of firm 'no's' up till now but nothing that I can see as warranting his erratic behaviour. Justin came to us at 6 weeks of age and from day 1 was a biter. The breeder I bought Justin from had small children and she told me the puppies spent a lot of time with them. Perhaps it all began there; I don't know; he has never recieved harsh treatment from me that's for sure. We have 4 rescue cats in this home; we love animals and treat them with respect. I will call Jane Harper. Thankyou for recommending her. Cheers Belinda

Hi everyone Thanks for the input from you all regarding this very serious problem. It seems there are different methods on how to deal with biting and from what I've learned, even a qualified behaviouist can get it wrong. At present I am doing the scruffing; not always successful as he retaliates in different ways but there has been a wee improvement in his knowing what I will and will not tollerate...his counter-attacking at times nevertheless tells me he knows I don't approve of his actions but he'll push the boundaries anyway. The question is then, how tough do I have to be on him? I am waiting to hear back from a dog trainer at Wagtails, Sumner Park. This training group has been recommended, is close by and is within our financial capabilities. I am very keen to get Justin into training as soon as possible...one, so I know how to handle him in the future and two, so he has the interaction with someone who will not take his rubbish. Justin is a challenge now but I'm looking forward to reaping the benefits of training and proper socialisation. I really thought this pup would be a cinch...I had done so much research before I got him I almost felt I was the 'dog whisperer' himself...how wrong one can be. Oh well, small steps Belinda

Try this on the wrong dog and you'll be on the receiving end of a very serious bite. What works on a dog of one temperament doesn't automatically work on another. A serious resource guarder would be provoked by such actions. I'd never ever behave in a way that deliberatley provoked a dog to to bite me. Ever. Hi poodlefan What is your method for a biter? Belinda

Hi kiwikitten Justin does mouth me but if I get angry with him for something naughty he has done the lips go up and he bares his teeth to bite and sometimes he does bite. He has plenty of toys which he plays with and chews on...he loves every toy he has to the point that many of them have been demolished and binned. I like the poke idea. With poking and scruffing I may have some impact. Cheers Belinda

Hi *caro Justin gets lots of praise and plenty and pats and cuddles from me. My grandson loves him and likes to pat him but patting him is restricted now...my daugher isn't as forthcoming but she's getting better. My room used to be Justin's haven but he quicky learned how to chew things up in there; now he is ouside a lot if others are at home or inside with me when we're alone. Mind you, now he is restricted more to the yard he has started stripping the trees and digging holes. I feel I have been a good dog owner in the past but Justin is just a bit beyond my experience. Nevertheless he shows promising signs so I have a lot of hope. Cheers Belinda

You never taught your puppy bite inhibition - he was taken away from his litter WAY too early and now you see why it is better to leave them to learn about biting and manners from other dogs. Wrong breed for early separation. crack down on him, get tough and take away the treats. You need to get him used to handling, bite inhibition, manners and respect. Time for boot camp on this dog. Not only have you over babied him but he does not get the right punishment to fit the crime - If your grandson went and punched another child in the face would you simply go 'no' .... As soon as he makes his move to bite grab him by the scruff swiftly, hold him and GRRRR NO as loud as you can. Hold him until he submits and calms down JUST like his mother would of between 5-8 weeks of age - and he will squeal, wriggle, scream, fuss, sook but you have had children and you should know what a tantrum looks like :p dogs will throw tantrums as good as the most spoiled toddler and that is how your dog is behaving. You keep hold until that tantrum is over and then ignore him for a while. Its now your job to teach him to become a dog. Teach him it is BEYOND unacceptable to even think about this behavior or he will become another one of those dogs at the vet that 'just bit the child and we dont know why' get a realistic trainer that will teach the dog right from wrong not treat it within an inch of its life. Manners are an intrinsic part of the dogs life and real leadership doesnt require a pocket full of treats at all times. There are things that are just never ever done by a dog. Hi Nekhbet Thanks for your post. Well I've been tougher on Justin and he doesn't like it one bit. He goes to grab my wrist when I scruff his neck and oftentimes he makes contact with me. He has a roll-over-onto-his-back-trick whereby he tries to twist my hand from the scruff of his neck. Maybe he is not really thinking about tactics, but it seems like it to me. I was chastising him in my room the other night for jumping up to my bed (not on it) and trying to tear away the book in my hand. After I had dealt with him he ran around my room, jumped up to the other side of the bed and bit my cat....as regards to my grandson, I have negated contact between the two till this problem is sorted out. We were very reluctant to take Justin on at 6 weeks but that's what the breeder wanted and if ever I were to be put in this situation in the future I would leave it a lot longer. My last Dachie came to me at 10 weeks and I didn't have a problem with him regards the family (he wasn't keen on kids though). He was just a gentle guy who knew what was what within the household. I knew the breeder personally and she did not let those pups get away with anything. Her dogs were always so well behaved. I have enquired about a couple of the trainers recommended here...I am just waiting to hear back from Tabitha at Sumner Park. I have no doubt that we will end up with great result in time; in so many ways he aims to please because he trains so easily regards walking, sitting, fetching etc. I know he can be a nice dog Cheers Belinda

Hi there lizandel Thankyou re: his name. When I told my daughter I was calling our new puppy Justin she just about had a fit but after 6 months we couldn't see him as anyone else. Yes I know all about those strong-willed Dachie natures as my last one was very much so; but not like Justin; Brandon was a gentle dog; although he did not like children I feel that this was his only vice (oh plus he was lousy to walk on the lead). But Justin is just an utter ratbag when he wants to be... Justin is a standard short-haired black and tan. He is a beautiful boy; there is no doubt about it. Strange, I have tried to post photos of him onto this site before without success but I will give it another go today. I think my pics have been too large. Cheers Belinda

Thankyou taffydog...wow, I am so overwhelmed by all the support form so many kind people. I will check out the website. Yes Sumner Park is close and my younger daughter lives there! Cheers Belinda

Hi Seita Thankyou for your support. I have responded to a member who takes her pup to classes near to me so I may try Justin there. She has been having success with this group so it is promising. There is also a book which has been recommended so I'll get stuck into that for an insight into my pup's thinking. Regardless, I would be grateful to have Jane Harper's contact details... Kind Regards Belinda

i doubt whether a 6 mth old pup has all these thoughts running thru his head. he is doing all these things, because he has not learnt the rules! Whatever methods you are using haven't been taken on board by him- hence the need for a professional's help . You are right- you have set patterns.. and as he is still a youngster, new ones shouldn't be too difficult to install! Chastising doesn't work- as you have found out....and it's hard work . Setting rules, and working on perfecting the dog's understanding of them is a better use of energy in the long run I agree...when I wrote that I thought surely he is not all that knowing, but believe me, he 'appears' to know. Thanks for reassuring me that new behaviours can be learned. I certainly want this to happen before my daughter says Justin has to go.

Thanks for the input everyone. We live at Forest Lake in Brisbane, 4078. To answer Stitch, Justin is definitely not allowed on furniture or on my bed...he sleeps under my bed though. He wants to get onto the furniture because he knows it's not allowed, I'm sure. He attacks the cats because he knows it's not allowed. It's a continual pattern and I can just see him waiting for us to chastise him. It's a funny thing that we were so tuned in to getting a new puppy and had had so many strategies in place to have him as an amiable and lovable member of our family. We knew about pack leaders and how NOT to let the family dog become one. I just don't know where we went wrong. I do apply "tough love" when needed but he just smirks at me I'm sure. Thankyou Belinda

Hi everyone I have only posted one reply on this forum but have read every topic with interest. So now it's my turn to ask for advice. I have a 6 month old male (now desexed) Dachshund puppy named Justin. I have had him since he was 6 weeks old. He is the second Dachie I've owned: my last boy died over a year ago aged 14. The most worrisome problem with Justin is that he insists on biting everything (including us), and baring his teeth; he's become frightening at times and has jumped up to my 2 year old grandson's face and nipped at him a few times. He even has a go at me occasionally. When he does this I put him on his lead and say NO! I think it's becoming a bit of a joke with Justin; he doesn't seem to be perturbed at all. I know my grandson has caused Justin grief at times being a 2 year old, but we have tried, and am still teaching him, that pets are to be treated with respect and kindness. It seems to be a battle of wills between the two of them at times. Justin also becomes fanatical when I am out of his sight so much so that he howls and barks till he can see me again. If he is outside in the sun and he knows I am inside he is fine, but if I leave the house to go shopping or go to work, he carries on. If I show him the citronella collar he stops barking but I don't leave it on him when I leave the house. I am told he cries and barks when I'm away. He used to be in my room behind a baby barrier during the day for certain periods so he could see me but started ripping my things to bits; 2 1st edition antique books, my clock and my sheets from the bed to name a few things. He has many play toys and I interact with him A LOT. I came home one day from shopping and he had pulled the whole outside screen door off its hinges; he has ripped the screen to shreds. He jumps on the furniture and terrorises the cats when inside so now when he is inside, which is quite regularly, I put him on a lead with his bed close by. When I arrive home he is so excited he pees himself. He loves walks and gets many of them although he has stitches from being desexed and can not walk for another few days. I only work casually so we are together for long periods each day. I am at desperation point. I live with my daughter and my grandson plus 4 indoor cats. Justin has a sweet nature most of the time but I feel he wants total control over us. He sleeps under my bed at night in a non-chewable bed and is a perfect angel then but when the sun rises and the family gets up Justin becomes a Hyde dog. My daughter says I am too soft with him but I don't think I am. I watch the Dog Whisperer and have spent hours on the internet researching these problems. Do we need the input of a dog trainer for Justin? My last Dachie was nothing like this but then my grandson wasn't in the equation then either. Any ideas? Thankyou Belinda

Hi My first Dachshund loved to bark...I also had a complaint and bought a citronella barking collar. He was pretty shocked the first time it sprayed at him but it was an instant cure. When he saw the collar coming he would stop barking so I didn't really need to use it. My second Dachshund also requires the collar...he is a bit more consistent but we are at the stage where just a peep at the collar stops the barking. For the affects they have had on my dogs and the peace we now have I must say I swear by them. My brother had a barking Kelpie...the collar did not work on her...she just treated it like a toy and tried to play with the spray. Good luck

Hi Z I sympathise...our Justin has been biting since we bought him home at nearly 7 weeks old. Of course I realise now, from reading several forums, that he was taken from his litter way too young; as a consequence he still suffers from separation anxiety, is a pain to house train and bites consistently because of either excitement or as a form of play (that is totally on his terms). He attacks all of our feet; he has my 2 yr old grandson in tears because he can reach his face and nip at him. I have puncture marks in my hands and ankles... He has more toys than my grandson but he prefers our feet to tear at. The good news is that time and training are true blessings...our boy is now 17 weeks old and his behaviours that were turning this house upside-down, are now dwindling in frequency. I can honestly say the constant "NO"s and putting him on a lead just out of our reach when he is naughty are slowly paying off. It is sinking in as to what's right and wrong. The biting has not ceased totally but he's getting better. He has also had his last vaccination so he gets 2 walks a day and the exercise has done his psyche the world of good. Justin is the second dachshund I have owned...my last boy Brandon died last year at age 14. It is often said that dachshunds are hard to train because of their stubbornness and I would have agreed because of my experience with Brandon who did not seem to want to listen. But after spending the last 3 months with Justin whom I would have considered a complete disaster, I can honestly say that persistent training and setting boundaries mixed with a ton of love, play and cuddles can create a dog you can be a joy to own. I hope this helps. Good luck devonrexcatz