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So the bf got the most gorgeous curly haired black cocker pup who has attached himself to me. I'm really a cat person, the one dog I did have came to me as an adult and was already fully trained.
The baby is about four months right now and he's progressing but there are still some things that are problems. I've read up on training methods and he's caught on, just in the wrong way.
For instance, I read that a squirt gun can come in handy to discourage biting. Well, he likes the thing so much that the little son of a gun will come over and bite me and then run to where I keep the squirt gun looking for it.
When he really gets into it I've tried the high pitched yip, tapping on the nose, crying, growling and all he'll do is dive towards my face with his nose and then resume puppy biting.
It also said when they miss their inside pad you shouldn't scold them but immediately take them outside to go. Well, I haven't been able to teach him to bark to go out yet but do let him out whenever he stands at the door. He has decided a sure way to get out quickly is to pee a little bit on the rug and then run immediately for the door.
Kind of feel like he's trying to train me. Any suggestions?
hahahaha yep hes got you trained! Add Vinager to that water bottle! That will change his liking it! Read his Body language! You Know hes going to pee on the rug THEN go to the door...so when he goes toward the rug grab him & instantly take him out side! When he does it out side PRAISE him!
It is great that your puppy is young and going through this...it will be much easier to train out...than if it were an older dog. Here are three, one you are already doing but if you add the other two, you will be not only ahead of the game but stop this pup in it's tracks! I personally like the walk away method and will explain more when we get to it!
1. Yelp When Puppy Bites
When a young puppy bites his mother during nursing or bites another puppy with too much pressure during playtime the result is a high pitched yelp. If you are playing with your puppy, or he is exploring and bites, make a high pitched sound that sounds like you are in pain. The puppy should back off and seem concerned. If the puppy continues to bite after you have yelped, stop the playtime immediately and walk away. Your puppy will begin to associate biting with no attention from you and bite less. With proper training, puppies grow out of mouthing when they are done teething (usually between six months and one year of age). The "walk away" must be timed correctly for the pup to get it. As the offense occurs, and the mom or litter-mates walked away you bet the pup "got it." It's no fun being left alone and will only take a time or two of you doing this for the pup to understand what is happening. Even "IF" it takes longer, DO NOT give up, this method works and it works very well!
2. Use a Bite Deterrent
Products such as Bitter Apple Spray can be applied to your hands during playtime. These sprays are harmless to your pet and taste terrible, deterring them from biting or mouthing. Bitter Apple and other pet safe bite and chew deterrents can be found at your local pet store. (Including Wal-Mart and Target)
3. Provide Proper Chew Toys
Teething puppies often mouth or bite because teething is causing them discomfort. Provide your dog with safe, durable toys to chew on. Find toys specifically made for puppies and, as always, only allow your puppy to play with toys under your supervision to prevent choking. This is probably the one over looked the most, having a chew toy accessible at all time. Even if they are not chewing on you, you must watch a puppy like a toddler and when they put anything unacceptable in their mouth, you give them a firm, "NO" and had them a chew toy.
It teaches them what they can and cannot chew...AND never ever give them an old shoe to chew. They cannot tell the the difference between an old shoe and a new shoe...a Wal-Mart brand or an expensive Italian brand...I think you get my point
Ice cubes and carrots also make good chew "toys", especially for those dogs who can take a black Kong and rip it into half a dozen chunks in under an hour. I got tired of spending $$$ on Kongs that my chocolate lab demolished in nothing flat.
You've got a smart boy there! That's good, but it can be challenging too, it keeps you on your toes.
I agree with the walk-away thing for biting. He sees it as a game but if he bites and the game's over immediately, it won't seem like fun any more.
Have you tried hanging a little bell at his nose level by the door? Ring it every time he goes outside, and he will learn to ring it himself as a signal.
step 1 if nipping starts is to replace not nippable item with something they can bite...rope, chewy toy ect...simple NO when teeth hit flesh or clothes and replace with a Yes item...if puppy isnt interested and stil wants to bite, ALL FUN STOPS...immediatly. stand up, cross your arms and turn your back or even slowly walk away.
hes smart and will very quickly learn that teeth on people = end of the fun!
ive never found yelping to work quite honestly, dogs arnt stupid they know were not dogs so trying to mimic them just makes them think were idiots...(ive worked with enough to find this a general running rule lol) stopping the game however hits them right on a primal level.."i liked that game, but when i did this, this is what happend and i dont like that result"
ive never found squirt bottles to be of much use either...simply ignoring them or putting them in a time out however...oh boy does that seem to work.
for the potty issues, i dont think hes peeing on the rug to spite you or tell you he wants out, simply that hes not giving you the signals YOU want to see and its confusing him...desperation is desperation.
instead of trying to get him to bark at the door watch him closely, your looking for snifing and circling, standing neer the door ect...it could be incredibly subtle but its your job to look for them and interperate his cues.
given he sounds quite bright (most cockers are incredibly eager to please!) id invest in some bells on a rope to hang from the door and train him to use those to let you know.
take him out on a schedual, if you notice his accidents seem to be eery say 3 hours...take him out eveyr 2 1/2 and praise like crazy when he goes outside...
with the bells each time you go to take him out touch the bell, do that a few times so he asociates the bell ring with the door opening...then start making him touch the bell wiht his nose or paw and every time he does reward and take him out, at first i woudl treat AND take him out untillhes rining it on his own regularly (and hell o it alot when he realizes he gets a treat for it lol) but once hes got the hang of ringing it start to phase out the treats and JUST take him out when it rings, and treat every 3 times then every 5 then every 20 ect...wean out the treats but continue to take him out when he rings the bell...even if he does it just to go out and play...reliable behaviour with a reliable result is what hes looking for....
if i do this then this happens...
if you find him start to ring the bell to go out to play or check for squirrels start adding a little reward when he goes out to go potty again, he only gets the treat if he rings the bells and goes potty...
i would also ditch the potty pads completly...ive never met a cocker who needed them...and found them just confusing...
our chihuahuas have potty pads...(better when theres feet of snow on the ground lol) but our cocker simply REFUSES to use them...and i find when trying to reliably train housebreaking bheaviours they tend to send mixed signals to most breeds.
also, contrary to popular belife i wouldnt sweep in there and grab him nd sweep him away...(or yell or anything), at 4 months hes old enough to stop mid stream so instead of grabbing a sharp Ah-AH or NO it should startle him enough to stop, then in a happy tone get him to follow you outside where he can continue on his own terms...
ive found sweping them up to lead to submissive urination issues in sensitive dogs...you come in loom over them grab them mid pee and the bladder cant handle it, the dog tends to forever worry then that people are gonna swoop in from above lol.
if he is caught mid stream and a sharp sound doesnt distract him to stopping, simply call him then gently pick him up and take him out but only do this in absolute "hes not stopping" kind of situations (and it sounds like hes 100% capable of stopping mid pee lol), for the most part though id try to avoid the pick up and take out method as it just teaches him that peeing on the rug is ok and results in you taking him outside...action and result...i pee here i go outside...
as opposed to pee here and they make that loud sound.
dogs attatch the immediate reaction to an action...so the taking him out After the ahah...isnt attatched to the peeing on the rug part.
just like if a dog eats form the trash, the imediate reaction to the action is the reward of something yummy...you come home and scold them they dont attach the scolding to the trash eating becuase that wasnt the immediate result...
cockers arnt given neer enough credit, hes an inteligent boy with a strong desire to please and i think hes just got his signals a little mismatched right now.
Here's the little cutie. I like the idea of the bell at the door. He's pretty quick to catch on and think he'd find it great fun. I'll try it without the pee pads once more. It will be a relief not having him prance around with them in his mouth when he gets frisky.
I've done the pushing him away and time outs for biting and that has worked though very temporarily. This may be the hardest for him so now that I know it works will keep it up till he gives up on it.
He will be a wonderful dog when all is accomplished. Thanks for the help.
Here's the little cutie. I like the idea of the bell at the door. He's pretty quick to catch on and think he'd find it great fun. I'll try it without the pee pads once more. It will be a relief not having him prance around with them in his mouth when he gets frisky.
I've done the pushing him away and time outs for biting and that has worked though very temporarily. This may be the hardest for him so now that I know it works will keep it up till he gives up on it.
He will be a wonderful dog when all is accomplished. Thanks for the help.
I've actually heard of putting butter on your hands to decrease nipping and puppy chewing. Also, hand feed all the time -- worked very well with my lab.
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Biting issues...
-- but your bf's dog sounds flippin' adorable. 
