Dog to English Translator

[Morden]

Five weeks seems so young to leave the litter. Probably the mom would have started the training on nipping if he had stayed (since they have such freakishly sharp teeth). I know we did a lot of work with the word Gentle and a treat when our dog was a pup.

[apostrophe]

These are trying times for dog owners. Sympathy!

I agree that this is a serious issue and will also stress that, as you probably already know, some dogs react well to negative reinforcement at first and then begin to really push back in a way that can become dangerous. Cue Dog Whisperer fails.

It sounds to me like your daughter finds negative reinforcement unacceptable, so hiring a positive reinforcement trainer is the way to go. You can google for those and look for trainers who have videos (in my experience these are usually behind a paywall) and will do Skype sessions. The positive reinforcement trainer should be able to help with muzzle training, which might be a good idea for the ear cleaning. Until then, I agree with the other poster who suggested trying to get a house call from a vet. Or, identify the dog's highest value treat and try those with the towel method to buy you some time.

Good luck.

[AmLitHist]

Thanks all.  Yes, 5 weeks really is young; his mama stopped making milk when he was 2 weeks, and Kid got him when he was about 5 1/2 weeks.  I keep telling her that's part of the problem, too:  Mom and Dad dog wouldn't have put up with the biting, and the siblings would have given it right back to him, too.

We're looking for training, but right now, no classes or individuals or taking anyone.  The quest continues......

[apostrophe]

You haven't had any luck with online training?

[clean]

You haven't had any luck with online training?

Does the puppy have the attention span to watch the online training videos?

[nebo113]

You haven't had any luck with online training?

Does the puppy have the attention span to watch the online training videos?

My year old canine will listen attentively to bird calls.

[clean]

My year old canine will listen attentively to bird calls.

Hmmm... I wonder what the birds are trying to train him/her to do?

[mamselle]

Is it a lab, a "yaller hound," or a retriever?

Those are  bird dogs, bred in the bone.

They arrive at birth, listening for birds, I think...

M.

[nebo113]

Is it a lab, a "yaller hound," or a retriever?

Those are  bird dogs, bred in the bone.

They arrive at birth, listening for birds, I think...

M.

More beagle/chihuahua, I think, with maybe some pug thrown in for good measure.  He's only a bit over a year old, and may have spent most of that time crated (just a guess) so the natural world may be new and unusual for him.

[mamselle]

Oh, he sounds cute!

Friends have a pug-chihuahua mix, named Elvis, for whom I house-sit sometimes.

Yes, if he was created, it's probably his puppy-curiosity getting the better of him.

Elvis goes mad for birds and squirrels he can't reach, starts running along the ground under whatever wires the squirrels are running on above, or tries to take off with the birds he finds in front of him (fortunately, he's always leashed).

He's nine-going-on two-years-old, I sometimes think....

M.

[nebo113]

Oh, he sounds cute!

Friends have a pug-chihuahua mix, named Elvis, for whom I house-sit sometimes.

Yes, if he was created, it's probably his puppy-curiosity getting the better of him.

Elvis goes mad for birds and squirrels he can't reach, starts running along the ground under whatever wires the squirrels are running on above, or tries to take off with the birds he finds in front of him (fortunately, he's always leashed).

He's nine-going-on two-years-old, I sometimes think....

M.

Oh dear.....  I am trying to work with Henri on calming down......nine years from now,,,,,oh dear me.

[nebo113]

20 pounds of wet dog shivering on my lap.  Hates rain so we had to stand outside for 10 minutes to get him to pee.  Peals of thunder frightened him.  Very subdued.

[AmLitHist]

Pup is doing much better with the biting, after a couple of intense days of training.

Daughter rewarded him yesterday morning with an indoor Easter egg hunt (well, treats and favorite toys hidden around the apartment). He had a big time!

[nebo113]

Pup is doing much better with the biting, after a couple of intense days of training.

Daughter rewarded him yesterday morning with an indoor Easter egg hunt (well, treats and favorite toys hidden around the apartment). He had a big time!

Smiling....

[bibliothecula]

Dog friends, help me out. My friend adopted a young male dog about 6 months ago. He is mostly well-behaved, but...he's a biter. He's bitten both my friend and her mom, who lives with my friend and has dementia, several times. The bites have broken the skin in a couple of instances; the mom refuses to leave the house for anything, including medical care, so they've been treating her bite with hydrogen peroxide and antibacterial cream and bandages. My friend is a pianist who relies on her hands for her work, and she also has students in the house. At first she thought the dog's biting only occurred when someone pet him in a certain spot, but now it has become more frequent and random. The vet has not found anything in the dog that could be causing him pain at the bite-triggering spot. My friend is unwilling to bring in a trainer, probably mostly because of cost, but also because of Covid-19. 

For me, the solution is obvious: he needs to be euthanized. But how can I convince my friend of this?