Expert: Delores Beck - 3/20/2011

Question
my cocker spaniel puppy is 10 weeks old, we have had her for a week, the first couple of days she was very placid, a bit bitey (teething), but we expected that. The problem is that the biting is now constant and she searches out parts of you to bite, but worst of all is that if you try to stop her doing something she must nt she will growl and snap as well. We had given her a toy that she shakes madly and makes angry growling noises at but have now taken that away, i will follow your advice for the biting, does it follow through to the snarling and snapping too?otherwise she is adorable and is learning already to come and sit. She does try to bite your feet as she runs alongside you outside. thank you

Answer
First of all, at 10 weeks she shouldn't be taken out on walks except to play in the backyard
or taken out on leash to begin housebreaking.  And what type of toy?  It's perfectly okay for her to shake/growl at her toy as long as you can take it away without a problem.

The biting/growling is how puppies play and establish dominance in their pack.  But she needs to learn NOW there is no dominance over humans.  The growling is more important than the biting.

The next time she growls at you - get down on her level and calmly but firmly say NO while staring into her eyes.  Do not lose eye contact and be as still as you can.  Continue saying NO until she breaks eye contact and turns away.  You just won.

Keep your voice quiet but a bit threatening (think Clint Eastwood :) - no yelling or scolding.
Do this consistently and this behavior will be gone in a week.

I'm treating the biting separately because it's simply puppy behavior.  Get one of those plastic spray bottles from the supermarket.  Fill with water and put on "spray/mist" - you don't want a hard stream of water.

When she bites calmly say NO and spritz her in the face.  No further conversation.  The lesson is "you do THAT and THIS happens".  (Remember, you only want a light mist of water).

Try these tactics and let me know what happens.

To understand why the eye contact is so important - it's what the alpha leader in a pack would do to her.  First there'd be a low, warning growl (No) - and then the threatening "stare"
while being physically very still.  Most puppies will back off quickly.