He bit me!

[emma]

Well I got my puppy on Friday after waiting several months. He has been fantastic until today. He is really starting to test me. We were playing outside on a leash. He was confident around another dog and very gentle with the neighborhood children. BUT, on the way back he started gnawing on his leash and refused to budge. He does this frequently. So I try to take the leash and move it so I have it over his head and he can't gnaw on it. Well, he swung his head around and bit me on the leg! HARD! This was definitely not play and not an accident. I have scheduled an appointment with a trainer. But I was wondering if anyone else had a similar experience?

I tried to do everything right. I got him from a great breeder (the president of the local breed club) and she had him assessed by a professional handler who said he was great. I'm so sad - I don't want a mean puppy.

[MissGambler'sMommy]

I will let others on here who are more of an expert than I am to help you with this matter, but allow me to say this, do not let your dog feed off of your emotions, which came through loud and clear in your post. I have a three year old that has run the show from minute one, and I have only just got to the point where I could even touch her food bowl. This was with help from members here, so there is help on here for you. But I can't stress enough to not let this get to you and ruin your relationship with your puppy. I am slowly coming to see that you can work on any problem, don't ignore it and hope that it just goes away.

[Cardiguy]

I hope you let him know as soon as it happened that the bite was totally unacceptible. I would have immediately grabbed his scruff, stared in his eyes with a cold long stare and said no in as stern a voice as possible. Hopefully you did not let it pass without immediate action.

[emma]

No I just looked at him in shock and turned my back so I wouldn't hit him. I was so angry I had to calm down. Then I turned around and said "NO!" I'm sure that is not right, but this is my first dog ever and as much as I tried to prepare, I wasn't prepared for that! Until then, I could/can do anything with him, pick him up, move my fingers all around his bowl while he's eating, etc. It might be more helpful Cardiguy to state any advice about what I could do next time rather than what you hope I did or what you would have done.

[glencorgi]

How old is the puppy? He has been home long enough to begin testing the waters as to what he is and isn't going to be able to get away with, so grab your backbone and learn to be one in charge. The Nothing In Life Is Free training is a good place to start.

http://k9deb.com/nilif.htm
http://www.dogpatch.org/obed/obpage2.cfm

One of the first things I'll suggest is to lower your expectations on what he is reliable at and what he isn't - he's just home, getting used to you, and most likely a baby. The leash is a good example. He isn't leash trained yet and he is seeing the leash as a toy from time to time (he has to learn what are toys and which things aren't). That's not saying you haven't done well, just at this point, remember his little brain is taking in a lot of adjustments and he's figuring out a lot of stuff and only bits and pieces are sticking just yet.

Okay, next time he "tries" something like this - pick the little snot up (and I mean little snot in an endearing way as that what he is being at the moment and I also use this term with my own when they get out of line), and give him a loud, stern EXCUSE ME??? I DON'T THINK SO!!!! (You can also threaten to pull his teeth and other mutterings and utterances. ) I would also continue playing in his food bowl, practice give it/take it with toys, do some hand feeding, play with his feet, and hold him like a baby in your arms on his back for tummy rubs. Stay strong and in charge.

Debbie

[Michael Romanos]

Your reaction directed at your pup was too late. It needs to be said within five seconds of an 'incident' otherwise it is useless and confusing to a dog.
A puppy takes time to adjust to a leash. Some pups needs several days and even weeks. To your pup, the leash and collar may have seemed like food - especially if they are made of leather, either that or a given toy (as Debbie pointed out), so dogs - especially new puppies can be singularly self-protective of food given them and they can 'lash' out when if a little older, a little more trusting of their owner/s and handlers and vastly more mature, this would not be the case. Another thing, even a puppy can bite through your skin - that he did not meant that he did not bite as hard or as violently as he could - young puppies don't always realise the strength of their bite and jaws - so perhaps he wasn't as angry as you think.
When he bites you again with a bite that can be considered unplayful, tell him firmly no immediately then try the same act again that may have caused him to use his teeth and if this time his reaction is more tolerant, praise and reward him.

Getting a puppy from a president or whatever is no guarantee of anything. What is less of a chance of getting a Corgi with a poor temperament is the sound temperament of the puppies parents and grandparents.

[Checkers]

You have recieved some excellent advice already, especially from Debbie (glencorgi). Let me just say though that you did two things VERY right. Firstly, you have contacted a trainer that can hopefully help you work through this. Secondly, you acknowledged on the spot that you were too reactive and emotional at that moment to deal with the situtation in a calm manner. That is a HUGE deal... many people just react out of their emotions and end up hurting their dogs trust. Good job. Next time you will be a little more prepared and can calmly address the situation in the manners you are learning here.

-Cheryl

[corgimom]

emma

It might be more helpful Cardiguy to state any advice about what I could do next time rather than what you hope I did or what you would have done.

I think what Cardiguy

[corgimom]

Originally posted by emma
It might be more helpful Cardiguy to state any advice about what I could do next time rather than what you hope I did or what you would have done.

I think what Cardiguy

[corgimom]

originally posted byemma
It might be more helpful Cardiguy to state any advice about what I could do next time rather than what you hope I did or what you would have done.

I think what Cardiguy

[kkaffrine]

Emma, I had a similar situation happen just the other day. My 5-month old girl attempted to bite me. Since we got her mid-September, she has always allowed me to put my fingers in and around her food bowl. She will bring me her bones and snacks for me to hold while she chews on them (I know, she is spoiled). When she finds something that she is not allowed to have such as socks or a slipper, she knows she should not be playing with them and does not give those up to me as easily. Over the weekend, she started bringing inside items such as sticks and those sticky ball things. When we come inside from going potty or a walk, she is told to 'wait' until we undo the leash. This time she had in her mouth a sticky ball thing. I told her to 'wait' as I was trying to undo the leash. She thought I was going for her sticky ball. She snapped at me. It startled me but i tried to remain calm. I grabbed her calmly but firmly and was able to take the item she brought inside. I gave her a loud and firm NO. I know she is testing the waters to see how far she can take things. I agree with the others. Try to remain calm, let her know that the behavior is not acceptable. I had problems with her rough play biting and had to result to negative reinforcement. She is a bit more hard headed than any other dog I have had. I don't think you have a 'mean puppy'. I have to remind myself that she is a baby and I will have to be persistant with the training.

katherine

[Chip's Mom]

I have been giving My pawsitively perfect Chip a chewy bone every evening lately and he will lay in his crate for a couple of hours and chew on it. When bedtime comes, I trade his bone for a cookie and put the bone up for the next night. Last night he traded bones with Maybelle (not sure how this happened) and he took the bone and went under the bed. He does this with things that he steals. Anyway, when bedtime came, I go in with cookie in hand to get his bone and he is under the bed in the middle with his back to me and I can't reach him or his bone so I am struggling to reach and he turned around and "placed" his teeth on my hand. No pressure and it didn't hurt. All I could do was flutter my fingers in his face and tell him no and took the bone. We will see what happens tonight. Chip isn't a biter so I don't know what that was all about and I take his bone away from him several times every evening to make sure there is no pieces that he can swallow and then give it back to him without any problems. Maybe he thought I was Maybelle fumbling around.

[emma]

Thank you all so much for your words of encouragement and advice. After "the incident" I put Oliver in his X-pen and ignored him for a long time. He was so upset all night he was extra gentle with me. He really is sweet. He loves to rock in my arms. I've taught him how to sit already and make him do so for everything. I can't wait until the trainer comes so I can learn more. I am excited to have someone show me how to do things.

Its funny. When I first started teaching kindergarten several years ago, I thought I was doing everything right but my students walked all over me. It didn't take long for me to realize I wasn't about to let a five year old be in charge, so I found my "voice". Now I just have to give a look or change my tone in such a way that lets my students know that I mean business. Now I always have the calmest most well-behaved classes. I guess I have to find my voice with Oliver and take the same attitude. I'm not about to let a 6lb. furball run the show!

I'll let you know how things go with the trainer!

[glencorgi]

Originally Posted by emma

Thank you all so much for your words of encouragement and advice. After "the incident" I put Oliver in his X-pen and ignored him for a long time. He was so upset all night he was extra gentle with me.

Okay, Oliver had no idea or made no connection that he was in the x-pen because you were upset because he bit you. He probably picked up on your emotions, but he had no clue as to he was cause of them. Dogs just don't think that way.

Its funny. When I first started teaching kindergarten several years ago, I thought I was doing everything right but my students walked all over me. It didn't take long for me to realize I wasn't about to let a five year old be in charge, so I found my "voice". Now I just have to give a look or change my tone in such a way that lets my students know that I mean business. Now I always have the calmest most well-behaved classes. I guess I have to find my voice with Oliver and take the same attitude. I'm not about to let a 6lb. furball run the show!

You've just had your corgi owning epiphany!

I also want to encourage you to not forget about Oliver's breeder as a resource - anything you ask here, you should also be able to ask him/her. And Breeders, believe it or not, do want to hear about these kind of things and are there to help.

Debbie

[Jespah]

Good advice from all here as usual. I didn't see how old Oliver is. Puppy kindergarten at the appropriate age will benefit him greatly for the training basics and the socialization with other dogs. Well stimulated, tired dogs tend to get into less trouble. I also found when I was a first dog owner that the training helped me learn as much as it did my dog. A lot of puppy behaviors aren't breed specific and you'll be able to network and get support from others who are in the same situation as you.