Cosmolo

Thats right PF- its not nice going to see 6-12 month old dogs where the children in the home are not terrified of the dog because it hurts them with 'mouthing'. I am yet to meet anyone who is really good at absolutely ignoring a pup who has their mouth wrapped around them- let alone a child, and yet so many people are told to do this or try to do this. :D

I too think its important to have a behaviour consult if you are going to foster regularly. Have you ever fostered another dog/ puppy before this one with Tequila?

What bite inhibition exercise are you meant to be doing 100 times a day?? Puppies should be taught not to put their mouth around a person ever. I have dogs here with excellent bite inhibition that have never ever been allowed to mouth people. IMO (and plenty will disagree) people are crappy teachers of bite inhibition because we would be so inconsistent- from one person to the next and depending on where the pup mouths you or what you're wearing. If i have a thick jumper on and pup mouths i will be able to tolerate more than bare skin. I will be able to tolerate more than a child or grandmother. So how is the message of when is 'too hard' consistent? Its not. Bite inhibition is best learned with littermates and then through appropriate socialisation with other puppies and dogs. If you have tried more than 2 things to stop a puppy mouthing and they have not worked, you need someone to show you what to do because regardless of what you've tried, it is either the wrong technique for the pup, the timing is poor or there is something else at play that needs to be addressed. Don't keep trying technique after technique because by the time you then seek help not only has the pup practiced the behaviour for longer but they will have also learned better evasion tactics which will make everything more difficult!

Sas, are the rabbit tugs on your site? I couldn't find them

Sometimes dogs do attack with little warning, without provocation. Some aggression is unexplainable and unpredictable- its not common but it does happen. Dog attacks can also be lightning fast- the definition of supervision should be considered too- how much supervision would actually prevent an attack with a fast moving aggressive dog?

Thanks Cynthia. But we may be going to the other breeder who will have different parents. i will just have to check to make sure i can post photos of the 'new' potential parents. Waiting is fine, just can't help the initial disappointment!

I have just found out that the outside bitch was not successfully mated The breeder sounds very disappointed, as are we- both that the litter didn't eventuate and as a result, no puppy for us. She sent a lovely email, saying very nice things about another breeder that we have made enquiries with, and their dogs as well as asking us to keep in touch. I am sure we will get a puppy from her at some stage, but not this time. We have made enquiries with regards to a planned mating by another breeder which we'd be really interested in but if that one does not eventuate, we will wait. I don't want to randomly choose a breeder just because they have puppies available- that would seem like throwing the last 6 months away.

If you need 20-30 people, i would suggest you aim to arrange 40 to take into account cancellations and no shows. When we came to Adelaide recently, half of the booked participants cancelled or didn't show.

Fantastic start- congratulations

Chuckandsteve- what kind of training have you done before? I think a few one on one sessions would be the best start for you so that you can be shown exactly how to start working on the issue in a controlled manner. The technique should be something that you can also use in practical situations but in the meantime as others have said, definitely keep moving rather than stopping. When the dog reacts at such a long distance its important that someone can see whats happening to ensure the technique is appropriate. I would hate for your little one to get into a fight while out on a walk because he was too close to another dog.

A good puppy school is very beneficial IMO but a bad one can do serious damage. Puppy pre schools should be run by qualified experienced people who have experience with puppies and adults alike. I think a trainer who has seen how many dogs develop from critical period to adulthood will have a better understanding of early warning signs and socialising during the critical period than one who has not. I hear horror stories about puppy school too. But i also hear horror stories about obedience schools and private trainers. Does this mean people shouldn't utilise any of these things? No- it means they should do some research and find a good quality one!

Agree with Poodlefans sentiments. Just wanted to add though that it doesn't mean you don't need to be assertive because you may well need to be (in combination with plenty of rewards). Being assertive is not about dominance, its about being clear, calm and confident. I saw a very feisty pup today who (although had been growling and snapping at the owner earlier) after a short time was enjoying handling and grooming more than ever before. As i said before the right advice will see you on a good path very quickly.

I think it depends on how obssessed you get I did a crazy amount of prac hours doing the on site course, loved every minute but would have struggled to have more than a bit of casual work.

It may be aggression or may be play. I don't think having the pup on her back will have any impact- especially if she struggles, squirms and then gets down. It is normal for pups to test the boundaries and knowing the best way to deal with it will set you on the right track quickly- unfortunately no one can tell online what the best way actually is as we can' see you, the pup or whats happening. Whereabouts are you located?

Can your vet recommend anyone you can see about the behaviour? or a veterinary behaviourist who is comfortable and experienced doing phone consultations?

It really depends as you need to do some supression first to stop the mouthing/ nipping and then start to utilise it in training as a reward. if your new instructor understands drive, ask them and they should be able to demonstrate it to you.

Thats a highly unusual comment to make. I would suggest that if your pup does have high prey drive, you learn to use it to your advantage now- it can make one hell of a difference to the things you want to teach/ train later on. And if the puppy school instructor does not have an understanding of such drive- you really should look at finding another puppy school, sooner rather than later IMO

Thanks everyone. SSM- i chose this breeder mainly because she has lovely dogs and because of the way the pup would be raised/ socialised in its early stages. We are not looking to compete or show BUT want a pup with plenty of drive and athleticism as he will get plenty of training! I have replied to the breeder asking for the bitch's breeders' details and will contact them and go from there.

Thanks Kirty- i think?!! :D

The latest update- Unfortunately the mating planned was not successful I was so excited when the bitch came into season and think i got my hopes up a little bit too early. So now i am faced with a choice- the breeders male dog has just mated successfully with an outside bitch who is expecting pups in late December. If there is a pup available and if the breeder deemed us suitable- we could go that way. Or should i look at current puppy listings? I don't think i really want to but i also don't know how long to wait- especially as we may wait another 6 months (which would be fine) but with everything that can go wrong, not eventuate etc between the plan for a litter and an actual litter ready to leave- i am not sure. What do you think? I am tempted to at least wait until December and see if its possible to get a pup from the litter the breeder has mentioned to me and then if that is not successful, start looking elsewhere.

Mine are separate only because Dexter has joint issues and can't play in the yard for even a few hours or he'll be cripple. That aside, i'd happily leave them alone together- 2 bull breeds and 2 ACD xs. In saying that- i do know of situations where dogs were left alone together that in hindsight should not have been and owners came home to a dead dog. If i was in any way uneasy or unsure, i would separate.

One carries it quite low and has naturally low tail carriage. She is a relaxed dog and doesn't wag her tail near as much as the other dogs normally- regardless of whether we're training or not. One is level with her spine and two are higher and wagging.

Fingers crossed for you Willow

He is not being aggressive even though it seems that way- he is just getting more and more aroused until he can't control himself anymore- puppies are not great at showing self control. First thing i would do is set him up on lead when he is interacting with the kids- as soon as he starts to use his mouth on them, you can use the lead to control or correct him and them stop and settle him before allowing further play. Don't forget high value rewards from you and the children for playing appropriately. Pups go though many different phases in the first 6 months and rule number one is to ensure you don't allow things to continue, hoping he will grow out of it- it doesn't happen for many dogs! What did your puppy school teacher say about the mouthing? I would not provide a toy immediately as this can be a reward for a pup. once you have corrected, calmed and settled, you can then provide a toy for him to chew so that he can use his mouth- just not on people!

PM Leopuppy or staff n toller on this forum- i think both of them would have great puppy schools in and around that area.