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I'm worried about her playing with other dogs. She has a habit of biting their ears or the loose skin under their neck and does not let go! A lot of times she will even hold on and shake her head back and forth. The older dogs are well trained and won't bite her back, so she's not learning that it's not okay. How do I break this habit while she's still a baby so that she doesn't hurt other dogs when she gets older?
We also have a cat, so I'm worried that if she plays that rough with other dogs she will start playing rough with the cat. When the cat is around I try to distract the puppy so she doesn't find anything interesting about the cat.
By New Pup from WI
By
03/07/2011
Ditto every thing KansasCindy said. I will add don't be too worried, puppies often play rougher with each other than we would expect. They are establishing the pecking order. I rememer how alarmed I was when my puppy met his cousins. I thought my puppy was going to become a snack. My sister had to assure me several times that it was OKAY. If your puppy goes too hard after an older larger dog, when that dog has had enough it will let your puppy know.
By
03/06/2011
Hello to you and your new pup! Please look into obedience classes through a local branch of the American Kennel Club. A good club will accept any breed, mix or mutt and you don't have to have any intentions of breeding or showing to enroll your pet. Classes are generally once a week for eight weeks and not "passing" the first time offers no shame: It takes a perfect 10 out of 10 for certification and sometimes a dog just needs a bit more study time! :-)
I always suggest obedience classes as the best way to socialize every dog of any age for two simple reasons: First of all, the class teaches the dog to mind you, and teaches you, the owner, how to be the "alpha" dog in a kind and calm manner, in most any general circumstance.
Second, these lessons, in turn, will allow the "alpha" (you, the owner) to correct your dog in circumstances where he or she might be inadvertently crossing the line of civil, fun and fair play.
In other words, when the pup gets to chewing on another pup's ear, your simple command of "leave it" (and his/her ability to mind you immediately) will cause the dog to change his behavior, quickly. It's a win-win-win situation for human, canine and other canine or human nearly every time!
I'm a lifetime pet parent (alpha) and am currently raising two huge breed dogs and can't say enough about the positive impact of obedience training for our canine friends. The cost of the class is usually minimal (most fees merely cover the cost of the AKC club to sponsor the class). Please look into this.
Wishing you and your dog a long and happy friendship!
I have a 12 week old Pitbull and I took him to my dad's house to play with his three dogs. He bit one of them on the neck and would not let go.
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