Two weeks and counting- no bite!

Share your experience and tell us how using positive reinforcement training methods has changed yours and your dogs' lives.

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Sanna
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Location: Stevenage, UK
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Two weeks and counting- no bite!

Post by Sanna »

We seem to have really turned a corner with Precious in the last few weeks- we've now gone just over 2 weeks (that's 42 walks as he gets 3 short walks a day!!) with NOT ONE TANTRUM :D :D :D
I don't even quite know how it happened, it was literally like the penny just dropped one day and he went from a crazed biting machine on a pogo stick to a big daft non- bitey puppy! I'm so surprised by the sudden change that I'm still expecting him to go back to his old ways any moment... but boy is it nice to be able to just enjoy our walks and just have fun together! We've been able to take him to a couple of new places (not busy places, but still)- and the other day I was even able to run with him for the first time :D only about 20 metres but for us that's massive, as any type of fast movement before would just turn into relentless jumping and biting. We've also seen and greeted quite a few dogs, and been able to carry on as normal after!
He will still occasionally try to grab an arm or leg in the house if he wants attention, but even then it's much softer so doesn't really hurt anymore.
He has taken to pawing for attention, jumping up more, or running up behind me and hurtling himself into my legs to knock me over, but there's no teeth involved so I don't even care right now :lol: we can definitely work on that!
I think in addition to redirection and time-outs, what helped him 'get it' was that I started using 'leave it' quite recently when I saw he was going for me- we've worked hard on that command for 6 months so he was able to understand it even when hyped up a bit (it definitely wouldn't have worked when he was younger!). Then a reward and I'd ask for a sit or down and reward that massively.
Just thought I'd share so others struggling with the same thing can see that it will indeed pass.. Precious is 8 1/2 months old now so it's been a very long and painful process :lol: and I'm sure we're not out of the woods completely yet- but right now there's a big bright light at the end of the tunnel ;)
JudyN
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Re: Two weeks and counting- no bite!

Post by JudyN »

That's lovely - he sounds as if he's learning to control himself, which is vital :D

I don't know if you will ever be able to say he has grown out of it completely - after one long walk through sand dunes on our holiday (sandy slopes have always been a trigger), Jasper suddenly crouched down, spun round, and launched himself at OH, doing the snarly bitey 'I want to kill you' thing that is so embarrassing when everyone turns and stares at this vicious killing machine :oops:

We were gobsmacked as he hasn't done that for so long, but the triggers were there, and he would have been more unsettled being away from home. He was fine for the rest of the holiday.
Jasper, lurcher, born December 2009
Sanna
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Joined: Mon Jan 07, 2013 4:02 am
Location: Stevenage, UK
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Re: Two weeks and counting- no bite!

Post by Sanna »

It's funny, it all changed the same week he started cocking his leg (quite late at 8 1/2 months isn't it?) No idea if the two are connected but I found it quite interesting.
I'm sure you're right in that certain things will probably trigger him for quite some time to come- I'd imagine a sand dune would def get him excited :lol: steep downhill slopes certainly do. But it's amazing to see him be able to handle a lot of things that were guaranteed to set him off just a few weeks ago :D I've even been able to bring a ball and play with him on walks this last week, and when he gets excited he's just been racing around me in circles and staying focused on the ball, rather than launching himself at me trying to tear my limbs off.. And he's been on two short trips to the town centre, with no incidents whatsoever. But I'm keeping everything short and sweet, trying to avoid too much stimulation and set backs.

His recall has gone completely out the window though, but hey.. I've ordered a 30 metre long lead for him, let's see if I can avoid completely tying myself up in it :lol:

Loved the photos of Jasper on holiday, looks like you guys had a lovely time! And thanks again for all the advise and encouragement so far ;)
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