# New Puppy Cooper



## angelas3 (Jul 19, 2011)

We got our new puppy Cooper 16th July and he was 9 1/2 weeks old. Our kids were so excited to be finaly getting a puppy, Lee is 10 and Caitlin is 7.

I have read plenty of information about viszla's but wasn't expecting the nipping to be so bad!!!! He grabs on to our legs when we try to walk away from him and takes a proper grab of your clothes and sometimes your legs! My son is quite good and standing his groung and using the commands we have been advised to " no leave". My daughter on the other hand doesn't she has here arms flapping every where so he is the jumping up to her, for this we use the word off which we are also using when he tries to jump on the sofa. 

He also growls when we try to release his mouth ( not sure if i should be doing this when he growls ) we try distracting him with toys and sometimes it works and sometimes not.

We have a crate and are using this as a bit of time out for us all. I leave him until he has stopped barking then let him out and he just starts all over again.

We've also tried having him out in the garden chasing balls to let him run of some of the energy but it doesn't seem to help. He gets his second injecton on 26th July and will be starting classes hopefully soon after that.

Can anyone offer me some advice especially with the kids as I don't want them to be scared.


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## born36 (Jun 28, 2011)

My boy Mac is 11 weeks old and he is a nipper too. One thing that works is leaving the room counting to 30 and then coming back in. Often if he gets into a nipping mode this work really well as truning around or barking orders ofter just result in a bite from behind. Sometimes I have to repeat but he gets it eventually that biting equals no more play mates. It is good that you are doing time outs in the crate but make sure you are allowing him a proper time to rest. Mac won't stop and lay down on his own. Puppies at this age need 12-16 hours of sleep per 24 hours so if they get over tired they get crazy. Also he is going to be teething so get him some rawhide or bully sticks (pizzle sticks in the UK) to chew on. As far as the kids are concerned they will need work really hard to use calm voices. No giggles or high pitched laughing, waving arms or quick feet. No petting the puppy unless he is in a calm state. Good luck I am still right in the middle of it too but these tricks at least reduce it.


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## redrover (Mar 17, 2011)

Also, do be sure not to use the word until he is performing the behavior (at first). That is, don't say "Off" while he's jumping all over your daughter. Say off as he literally gets off of a person. Otherwise you will 'poison' the command and he will think the meaning of off is to jump all over people.

Agree with the above post about kids--they need to learn not to wave their arms or scream. It can be tough with little kids and puppies at the same time--they incite each other! 

He will eventually grow out of this. This is very much a puppy being a puppy thing. He's playing and practicing something that is important for him. Just keep patient, leave the room when it gets bad, read a few other threads about nipping, and make sure to give yourself a 'time-out' too (I gave myself lots of them!). I'm not sure if you're trying to grab his muzzle when he bites, but I did find that this sometimes makes it worse (hands flying around in front of the face are just so nippable!). Social isolation is not fun at all for puppies, so that 30 seconds or so of you being gone (or even just turned around with your back facing him) will be a huge motivator for him not to nip. Just make sure not to re-enter the room while he's barking or whining. I also always yelped "Ow!" when I got nipped (even if it was just the pant leg) and eventually Jasper learned the word "Ow!" and I could pre-empt a nip if necessary. I would say at about 3 to 3.5 months this behavior got much, much better with him.

This is an important time to learn bite inhibition. Make him believe that humans are the most fragile, wimpy, babyish creatures alive.


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## Linescreamer (Sep 28, 2010)

I would keep the kids away from the dog until he gets through teething. If he is calm then let him interact with them. If not, keep them away. When he nips you can spray him with the water bottle or use an air horn to divert his attention. This should be done by the person who isn't being nipped. The growling is unacceptable. The main thing here is that the adults always need to be present when he is out of his crate and the 7 year old is too young to help in the training so keep her out of it. The 10 year maybe of some help if he is calm and not afraid of this little puppy. This phase will last a month or two and then there will be other issues to deal with. Remember he is trying to train you - all the time!


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## angelas3 (Jul 19, 2011)

Thank you for the great advice, got bully sticks today and a cuddly toy ! and he has had great fun with both of them. He still has grabbed at trousers but it has been only once or twice and will stop when being asked "no leave" we have then given him lots of praise and gone back to his toys.

I think also that he's probably not been having enough sleep either as the kids are in and out of the house, doors banging and waking him when he has just settled.

I do agree with keeping my 7 year old away when he's over excited and will probably just let her come and see him when he's calm, keeping the time limited. My 10 year old he good if he does start to nip at him he will just leave and luckly is very keen to come back to him when he has calmed bown a bit.

I like the idea of walking out of the room for 30 seconds, will try this as well.


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## mswhipple (Mar 7, 2011)

Yes, you have been given some really good advice here! Cooper is just doing normal puppy stuff... Really!

As much as I love the sweet, little puppies, I also have no regrets about the fact that my last two dogs have been adopted as young adults. No peeing, no pooping, no nipping...  I've been through all that so many times before.


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## Newbie (May 15, 2011)

Our puppy is 11 weeks old - we've had him two weeks. This week the nipping has gotten really bad. When we're outside, he jumps and nips me. I have rips in 3 pair of slacks, and one blouse, plus a couple of old T-shirts. He thinks we're playing a game. I think I have made some mistakes, according to the above advice. I am screaming "Off" while he is actually on me and I have been waving my arms. I have started turning my back on him and walking away, but since we are outside, he still thinks I'm playing with him. This morning I was sitting down on the floor playing with him and he really nipped me hard (he really bit me, but I know he was just playing). I screamed because it really hurt me. He didn't seem to understand why I screamed. Then I left the room for 30 seconds and came back in, but I still had trouble. I AM SO FRUSTRATED, but, as others have said, this will pass. I just think I have made it worse by giving him the idea that we were playing. Besides this, he is so sweet. . .


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## redbirddog (Apr 23, 2010)

Just a suggestion:

Arm the kids with a squirt bottle of water. When the pup nips have them give him a qucik squirt in the face with an strong "NO." Then have them leave the room and not pay attention to him.

Have fun. This too will pass.

http://redbirddog.blogspot.com/2009/10/i-read-they-were-good-with-kids.html

Rod


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## datacan (May 15, 2011)

Yes, I like the squirt bottle idea by redbirddog , our V. is now 5 months and he play biting habit just about passed. His puppy teeth were just too sharp even though he never bit hard at all.
I noticed his permanent set of teeth are a lot kinder to human skin. We use the garden hose now.


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## angelas3 (Jul 19, 2011)

Thought it was time to give you an update on how its going with Cooper. His play biting is not nearly as bad, when I see him starting to get excited which can then lead to some SERIOUS nipping I have been taking him out in the garden to play with his ball, a game of fetch really helps to get that energy used up. He likes to chew on the ball instead of us

We have continued to say no and "ouch" and I think its starting to work.

He gets his last injection tomorrow and am really looking forward to getting him out for walks which I'm sure will help to.


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## Linescreamer (Sep 28, 2010)

A Nylabone should be his best friend. Copper is never created without his Nylabone.


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