Expert: Delores Beck - 5/20/2009

Question
QUESTION: We have a four month old Cocker puppy.He constantly bites (hard) and attacks our legs when we walk him. We try to yell "no bite" and stop walking for a second. The scolding makes him very irritated and aggressive and we eventually have to put him in the kennel until he calms down.Sometimes he can get very irritated and will jump and snap at us. I would very much like to end this behavior without being too physical.I am open to suggestions.

ANSWER: First of all, never yell.  It just puts more "excitement" in the room and it's ineffective.

The first thing I'd try is the old water trick.  Carry a plastic spray bottle filled with water (most supermarkets have these).
Make sure it's on "spray or mist"..not a hard stream of water.

When he attacks your legs, calmly but firmly say NO and spritz him in the face.  No yelling - no chat - just NO and spritz and carry on.

I have a few other tactics to stop a specific behavior but try that one first.

And this really needs to be addressed and corrected NOW.  Hopefully you are training and/or taking him to classes?

I'd also like to know how much exercise he gets - what type of lead you're using - and what commands he knows?  Does this ONLY happen on walks?
Delores

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: We work with him constantly but no formal class. We walk him several times daily and play in the yard. We have a short (4') and a long ( 20') lead depending on where we take him. He will sit,stay,shake. He takes commands very well. He is trained not to enter the house or a room until we give him a sign.He retrieves snd seems to even be able to "eliminate" if we promt him too. I ask about the biting because it seems to be more aggression than puppy bite. I think the water bottle may be an excellent idea! Right now, just the sight of a pizza box (loud noise) calms him down but that is too big to tote around with us.(haha)Oh,and yes, only when we walk on the leg biting. The nipping can happen just about any time and is normally brought on by scolding but I think you may have answered that one in your first response.

Answer
All good !  And the walks need to add up to at least an hour a day.
That's minimum.

It's not really "aggression".  But it needs to stop NOW !!!

Try the water trick and let me know.  If a loud noise chills him out then we'll use that.

And no "scolding"...calm authority is what dogs respond to.  (And a little unpleasant consequence :)
Delores