# 7 month old Spoo nipping and humping small kids



## tortoise (Feb 5, 2012)

1. Put your dog on a leash.
2. Teach the kids they cannot run when the dog is loose.
3. Give your dog an outlet for this chasing "prey drive" by playing fetch and TUG with toys. When you play with a toy, make sure the toy is always moving away from your dog and mimic the darting movements of a rabbit running away from the dog. Remember there is no "suicide rabbit" - a rabbit never jumps into a dog's mouth so you should never stick a toy into your dog's face.
4. Your dog needs tons more STRUCTURED exercise. Running around with the kids does not count. Running around with the kids is a lesson in self-control.
5. Crating and muzzling will not teach your dog anything. They will "cap" the crive and make it more intense and problematic when it is uncrated/unmuzzled.


6. The good news... dogs with drive to play are easy to train! You have some work to focus her drive on a toy versus a running kid. But it sounds like you've got a good dog that needs some structure, exercise, and some fast,fun training. Check out Mike Ellis dog training DVDs. The style of training should but very fun for your dog.


****If correction in trainin makes you squeamish, move on to #8****
7. If I was right there when it happened * *I** would give a strong correction to **my** dog if he tried anything like that with my 5 year old son. If you're 3 seconds to late, you missed your chance. It requires impeccable timing, but it can STOP the behavior permanently. 


8. My son has to ask for permission to play with my dog. If it's OK, I'll give him something very specific to do, like play tug with a specific toy. I worked with them together from the start so they play productively together. There's no running around and chasing here. My son would get a time-out, or a "you can't touch or talk to my dog for X days" for innappropriate play. He is learning respect for animals.


Laptop battery dying - I'll come back with more on the pee-ing.


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## fjm (Jun 4, 2010)

Good advice from Tortoise, although I would, as she says, be very, very careful about using punishment and correction unless you really know what you are doing. And I absolutely agree about muzzling and crating being pointless - they teach her nothing, and increase her frustration.

Firstly, dogs - especially puppies - and children should be supervised AT ALL TIMES. Your children are too young to always remember to control their behaviour around the pup, so the responsibility for making sure no one gets hurt is down to you. They can certainly learn better, safer ways of playing with the dog, but all interactions still need to be supervised.

How long have you had the dog? Pups really need to learn to control their biting behaviour while they are still tiny, but you can certainly work on it now, especially as it sounds as if she has pretty good bite inhibition already. Set the rules for both the children and the dog - no running, chasing, flapping, squealing around the dog. Any biting = game over, and a time out for both parties. Teach your children how to stand like a tree, with arms tucked in close to the body, until the pup calms down. If she bites at you or another adult, squeal, and turn away - game over. There are lots of good games the children can play with her - mind games like find the treat under a cup, or hunt the treat, or calm hide and seek where one child hides and the other sends the pup to find her; tug games with a long toy so that teeth come nowhere near hands, fetch, training games - the children will probably find it hard at first not playing chase and rough and tumble, but will quickly adapt. At the moment it sounds as if she is playing with them as if they were puppies, and biting and humping them as if they were pups. They need to stop revving her up, and start helping her to calm down!

Make sure she has plenty of exercise and fun games that do not involve chasing and biting at people - especially during the day when the children are not around - so that she is not full of pent up energy when they get home. 

On the peeing and pooing - could she be coming into season? It is early for a large dog, but mild cystitis often accompanies a season. Adolescence is also a key time for forgetting housetraining. If there is no physical problem - like a season, or an infection - I would go back to basics for a while. Keep your daughter's bedroom door shut - or confine the dog in another area if your daughter keeps leaving it open. Take your pup out very regularly and frequently, and praise and reward her for performing. And avoid giving her lots of attention - even angry attention - if she does it on the bed - I read of one dog who developed a habit of peeing on his owner's bed, because it resulted in a highly invigorating game of chase around the house


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## Countryboy (May 16, 2011)

Spud was a humper. Fortunately, he also knew "Leave it!" 

That worked . . even from a distance.


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## tortoise (Feb 5, 2012)

A re-read, and I just have to say "keep your dog on a leash".

My puppy is 5 months old. He is #32 of dogs I have had in my house for training. I'm not new to this.


We keep bedroom and bathroom doors closed.
Dogs are not allowed in my son's room and he helps enforce the rule. He will not let them come in his room.
Dogs are not allowed in the kitchen or dining room alone or during cooking/eating/cleaning.
Puppies or un-housetrained dogs are with me at all times or in a down-stay near me. If I can't trust the dog's training, then it is on a leash.
Puppies or un-housetrained dogs are given food and water on a strict schedule and walked to go potty.
Dogs get structured play and training every day.
Dogs are crate trained to love the crate - I feed them int he crate until they love it. Puppies get crated at least once a week during the day for maintenance training. (I bring my puppy to work often.) I crate my puppy at night because he gets pukey/pooey sometimes. 

I think that would solve your problems except the excitement peeing. Dogs do well with structure, especially dogs that are nervous or excitable.


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## Poodle Head (Sep 12, 2011)

You have some great advice so far. I just wanted to note what fjm said about the peeing


> could she be coming into season? It is early for a large dog, but mild cystitis often accompanies a season.


My spoo was 7 months when she went into heat, and she was housebroken for months - all of a sudden she would jump on the couch (of all places) and wee. She ahd about 3 accidents before she started a noticable heat. We had no idea what was going on with her until then. 
She does sound like a good dog, but with high energy (mine's like that too). I'm sure with a little more training you'll have a GREAT dog. Best of luck!


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## sweet viola (Dec 9, 2011)

thank you all so much.

I wonder if one of our challenges might be that my 7 year old son is autistic (and just a 7 yr old boy lol) and so he isn't "roguh housing" with her as much as running as fast as he can, and then she chases him like a cheetah (and the prey drive light is going on in my head right now.....:alberteinstein It does provide some challenges with his impulse control and how much he loves her and loves when she is "wild" and leaping, but obviously that isn't good.

She doesn't always listen when I tell her "no bite" so I have instructed the kids that they have permission to pop her on the muzzle if she is too far for me to step in. Of course, my son never remembers, just screams when she bites too much. She was going after a piece of chalk in his hand today while he was bending over and she accidentally caught his cheek. It was an accident totally-she never goes after their faces.

I am definitely her "favorite" and separation from me seems to be the biggest trigger.

I was hoping that this behavior would ease up as she got older, but it is DEFINITELY staying consistent. 

I have had her since about 8.5 weeks old.

So, since she also pulls on the leash (btw thatnk you all for not making me feel like a fool or a bad puppy parent, this is my first spoo and somethings I am learning the hard way) should I keep her on a leash with a choker or should I get one of those poky ones that Cesar Milan sometimes uses? (I know his techniques are controversial here, I don't want to debate that right now please :angel2 I tried a harness, thinking that it would make her easier to control. It DOES make it easier to grab her for the cage

Feeding in the cage: Should I give her food and water in her cage until she gets used to it? What do you do when they get hungry and go after the garbage can b/c they won't go into the cage?


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## tortoise (Feb 5, 2012)

I don't do water in the cage because it's messy.

I feed in the crate. 10 minutes down and take it away.

I am well-trained to keep garbage in cabinets or behind closed doors. :lol:

It's not likely because you're having housetraining problems with #1 and #2, but maybe she has a urinary tract or bladder infection that is making control more difficult?

Try this first. When she pulls on the leash, STOP. And wait until she gets bored and sits, then count to 10. (well that's how I taught my 5 yr old 'cause he would start walking too soon). Then tell her "yes" and start walking again. Don't expect to go far at first and this doesn't count as exercise. But it will teach her to respect you and the leash, no correction needed.

I am not against using correction, BUT you haven't taught your dog the correct behavior. Adding correction can do some serious damage if you're not a pro. Try the positive training first. The worst thing that can happen is your dog is fat and naughty! Long-term, big-picture, corrections now can hurt.

CHILDREN SHOULD NEVER CORRECT A DOG WITH THEIR HANDS! Especially not one with self-control challenges or under 5!

Teach your kids to "stand like a tree", perfectly still. If she hurts them they should "sit like a rock", in a fetal position. When they aren't interacting with them, she will stop.


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## PaddleAddict (Feb 9, 2010)

Has this dog received any training? It sounds like you need a good dog trainer, either individual or in a group setting. Dogs don't magically learn how to act the way we want them to--you must train them. And your do is entering a very challengin period of time, adolescence. I would find a trainer right away who can teach YOU how to teach the dog and how to enforce proper behavior between the dog and your children.

The dog being allowed to run around with the children is a recipe for disaster. I think you need to reevaluate what you are allowing to occur in your home. You are setting this dog up for failure. She WILL hurt one of your children if you don't change the way they allowed to interact. It's only a matter of time.


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## sweet viola (Dec 9, 2011)

thanks again for all the help. I think that getting "professional" help is a great idea-I want her to be a good dog, and I want to be a good dog owner. My family loves her, but I am at my wits end. 

Do you recommend the Pet Supermarket place that does training classes?


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## PaddleAddict (Feb 9, 2010)

sweet viola said:


> Do you recommend the Pet Supermarket place that does training classes?


Although some trainers at those places are OK, it's my experience that they are often not the best. I did go there for a puppy kindergarten class because it was cheap and convenient, but our trainer told me she started out as a cashier and was "trained up" to be a dog trainer. i know they do that a lot in places like that. That is not really what you want for your situation. You will want a serious, experienced trainer who uses positive methods. You can look for someone who is cerrtified in one way or another. Your best bet might be to ask your neighbors or people you see out and about with well-behaved dogs and ask who their trainer is. You could also ask your vet or groomer for a recommendation.


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## sweet viola (Dec 9, 2011)

thanks again-I am setting us up with some classes locally with a training group-not at petsmart but an actual dog trainer. I think you guys helped push me over the edge to do what needs to be done.

Again, thank you and I will keep you guys posted


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## Poodle Head (Sep 12, 2011)

Great news - I'm looking forward to updates!


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## Arborgale (Dec 11, 2011)

If puppy is getting to places she should not, you need to treat her like you would a toddler. Babyproof the house and keep an eye on her 24-7, she's not ready for total independence yet. I know I need to reel in Rosie's (5 onths) reigns a bit also. They do make some baby gates that are easier for kids to get through. I agree with Tortise. Use a leash. I bought an inexpensive long line for romping out in the yard. You can hook it to something or just let it loose. If recall is not good it will be easier to enforce the recall by grabbing the leash. 

I also agree that the nipping is a serious problem that if left unchecked will end very badly for everyone. I am glad you are going to go to training classes. If the trainer is good you should do several sessions and make sure you do your homework. Our 1st mini did 2 6-8 week sessions and was the BEST at obedience. She knew lots of commands and tricks, but was also very trustworthy. 

I have been trying to break Rosie of pulling on the leash, which means lots of heeling exercises on a shorter leash. She knows when it is time to heel and looks at me smiling waiting for her tidbit of string cheese.  The pulling (or lack of) has gotten much better, but it is something that we have to work on consistently. 

I know how hard it is to train the kids. I have 3 who are old enough to know better, but sometimes they can't resist getting wild with Rosie. I find myself having to discipline them also. We have had the peeing in the kids bedrooms and even once on the bed. They know their doors have to be shut. It is a hard habit to remember, but it beats cleaning up a mess or having your underwear stolen! :scared:

Best of luck to you. You are a great poodle mom for trying to nip this in the bud now before it ends up a sad story. We've heard too many of those here. Please keep us posted on how the classes are going!


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## Fond of Poodles (Feb 1, 2011)

You've received excellent advice in regards to training.

I would recommend a vet visit though to rule out any urinary problems just to be sure. A urine sample is usually a quick test and can help rule out a health issue.

Good luck with training and keep us posted on her progress.


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## GlennBaxterFamily (Apr 28, 2011)

I have a son who is on the spectrum so I understand some but certainly not all of the difficulties that you face. 

I had to work proper dog interactions with my son because he was part of the "problem" and just working with the dog did not work. We worked very hard for years on proper body language, although this does not always stick and we have to constantly remind Jace about it. We also had to work very hard for years on proper interactions between Jace and the dog. We also sought out the help of a certified behaviorist to come to our home and help. In the end all of the hard work did pay off but I also do not allow Jace to be alone with any dog. Not because Jace is mean but because he is a spectrum kid and lessons do not always stick with him!

I have found with Jace that he does much better with smaller dogs than he does large breed dogs. We have two Shih Tzu/poodle mixes that are re-homes that adore him, and he adores them!

When my son was younger I made it very clear that my son was "mine" and the dog was not allowed near him without permission, period! Jace does not do well with a lot of noise or in a busy environment so training classes with him also did not work when he was younger.

We also taught "be a tree" and that helped a lot because with this dog any yelping or high pitched noises amped him up and did nothing to stop the behavior. We did a lot of work with this dog when he was a puppy and the first year was .. difficult! Now he is a service dog for another family member so training, the right training, _does_ work!


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## CT Girl (Nov 17, 2010)

Do you mean PetSmart? I would ask people with well behaved dogs or do some research on the Internet on a good dog trainer. You might also ask your vet. Please do not have your children physically correct the dog Tortoise is 100% right. I honestly don't think this is something you should be doing either as you don't sound experienced with dogs. Your dog sounds like she will be fine with training both her and your children. Right now you are almost training her to be mouthy (kids running and rough housing with the dog) but that will change as soon as you learn the ropes and a good trainer will help you do this. I would not recommend a prong collar for a poodle. I always fed my puppy in the crate - that helped him to get to enjoy being in it. Water can be messy so I would stick with food. You can get those metal clips and hang your stainless bowl. You can do this and soon she will be a great companion for the kids.


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## sweet viola (Dec 9, 2011)

no not petsmart, the local AKC training club-the do obedience, agility, everything, in small group classes. I am actually really excited to begin  May 8


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## CT Girl (Nov 17, 2010)

That is great. You will find that if you have a good instructor the classes are addicting. I consider it date night with Swizzle. We want to hear all about how she does.


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