Hi,

Our puppy (4 month old Akita bitch) has started, what I would call, protest biting.  She will play bite as all puppies and that's fine we're working on that but recently she has started biting as a protest to things.  For example, she has started jumping on the furniture, which is not allowed because we don't want her jumping down, as she's a large breed, when you lift her down she will bite at your hands.  Also we have an area of the garden with a small net fence around that she isn't allowed in, when she jumps in there we take her back out and she's put in the run so the games in the garden end, when you put the lead on to take her back she'll bite at you.  Under normal circumstances she has no issues such as biting when you hold her collar, put the lead etc it's purely when you're stopping her from doing something she wants to. 

The other interesting (and fortunate) element to this is that when protest biting she currently demonstrates excellent bite inhibition, far better than playing where she can get carried away but that's ok.  The main concern is that she does seem to be getting worse with it, but I'm currently assuming that as it never gets her anywhere she'll grow out of it, any thoughts or advice would be most appreciated however.

Regards

CJG

You could consider using a 'house line' on her so you can move her without having to get too physical with her (which she may well consider as being too 'full on'), This is simply a length of line aobut 9" long, like a lead, but without a handle (which could get caught up on things in the house/garden).  Good luck with her, you've obviously made good progress with her so far :)

Would say that whilst she is small enough for you to handle you do so as much as possible, handle her feet, her tail, her ears and mouth, groom her, mover her from here to there and back again and accept no complaint. Keep a collar on her so you can move her without getting bitten and ignore her efforts to do so. Do it as many times a day as you can manage, just one thing at a time but inflict your will on her and stand no truck. Never shout or hit her, just make sure she does as you wish even if you have to use your weight and her collar to do it. Once she is where you wish her praise her, if when you are handling her, she relaxes, praise her.

Hi both,

Thanks for the responses:

Digger: Thanks, we do use a house lead with her but don't tend to leave it on in the garden or outside generally just in case, also we have to lift her out of the garden area.  A house lead is definitely an excellent idea, trying to lead a dog by the collar somewhere they don't want to go is a right pain.

Jackie H: Thanks, we do handle and groom every day you're absolutely right.  From when we first got her we used to carry her around a couple of times a day to see people/cars etc until she had her inoculations and have built up the grooming/handling from the start (my god she was a nightmare to begin with !!! ;-) ).  Her protesting never ever gets her anywhere at all and we will never back down on that sort of thing and will hold her longer if we have to until she stops playing up.  We do use lots of praise treats etc for good behaviour and she's currently doing the bronze Good Canine Citizen course which includes handling and grooming and she's pretty good.

Hopefully we're on the right lines then, we just need to stick with it.

Thanks again for your responses

Regards

CJG

Something you could also do when moving her from one place to the next is to offer her a tasty treat as and when you take the collar or house lead. In time she will start to think more about the treat than about you moving her - but it does have to be a top treat and not just a boring biscuit. Also if possible, try to get her to follow your hand (f necessary with a piece of liver in or something) as she can then start to choose to make the right decision.

I suspect she is going through a "phase" - be calm, confident and upbeat and you will get through it <g>

Lindsay

Hi Lindsay,

Thanks for the reply, the treat approach does work with her but has a couple of unwanted elements.  When she first started to put her paws on the sofa we used treats to make her get off and it worked well, so well that she used to run in put her front legs on the sofa and look at you in a "where's my treat" way so we had to stop.  The other downside is that even with a top treat (liver or chicken generally do the business) she will consider her options, "I could get down and have that but I've just eaten a bit of a pigs ear and being up here is fun so I'm ok for the moment" attitude.  The other thing I guess is that she's generally no problem to handle lead around etc it's just with the unwanted stuff and I'd rather that she understood it was unacceptable in that the fun stops than perhaps (bearing in mind the sofa thing) thinking it's the start of a lets get a nice treat game.

I think (and hope ;-) ) that you're right about the phase thing, she's also in full blow gloves off teething at the moment and it certainly looks uncomfortable but still have to stay on top of it.

These dogs are too smart for their own good I swear !!!! ;-)

Regards

CJG

PS, to anyone who doesn't want their dogs on the sofa, never ever ... ever ... ever and I mean ever ... let your relatives over xmas get the dog up on their knee, 'cause they go home and the nightmare begins.  The revenge for us however is that she will be allowed up on the sofa if she wants as an adult (it's simply the jumping down we're banning at the moment) and then she can sit on their knee and see if that's fun !!! ;-)

Hi CJG

Congratualations, you have an intelligent girl - she's backchaining when she runs to put her legs on the sofa..... I would do as (was it Digger?) suggested then and use the house line and even gently pull her off but reward her when she is off, whether or not you have to pull her :) Eventually she will realise there really is no other option and will start to respond but all family members must do the same and keep the consistency ;).

Aye, they are smart these dogs ;)

Lindsay

Hi Lindsay,

Thanks for the reply, tell me about it on the intelligence front, when training she will often try and run through things you might want her to do (lie down, sit, go to her bed etc) before actually listening !! ;-).  We're also tending to stay close and when she goes to jump on there telling her no which is working fairly well ... if you're close and not so well if you're not.  I think you're absolutely right about her realising there is no option just need to keep up the effort, I think it's a rarely stated fact that a lot of dog training (to stop them doing things you don't want) is sort of .. well .. annoying the dog into stopping ;-), there's no point in getting up there, this lot will just get me down again.

They are indeed !!

Regards

CJG

These Akitas do a really good imitation of having no brain, but they are extremely clever :D . We had a real battle with our boy when he decided the bed was a wonderful place for an Akita. Now ... he would never dream of going on the bed.
Funny thing tho', if we go out in the evening somebody not only sleeps on the bed, but in it. Can't be the Akita because he's always at the front door, where we left him :D :D :D

Hi Anwen,

You're so right, it's that look that could mean "I don't understand" but actually means "Why exactly is it I should do that?" ;-)

Go on then, ruin my day by telling me how old your Akita was before you trusted him to have the run of the house, 'cause at the moment that day seems soooooo far away for us ;-)

Regards

CJG

Errrr ... are you sure you want to know? :D Well ....... he's 6 now, can't remember if it was last week or the week before we thought we'd try him in the house again :D :D :D
Seriously, he started off as a house dog, but after the episode of the feather pillow (don't ask!), he was banned from the house when we weren't there for quite a few months. Think we started again gradually, making sure there was nothing he could ruin & once he grew up & developed a brain we started leaving him more & more (making sure the bedroom doors & living room doors were firmly shut
Now he's 99.9% trustworthy (he did empty the pedal bin on Saturday night).

Hi Anwen,

;-), thanks for the reply that makes me feel a bit better (the first bit anyway ;-)

I won't ask, I'll just imagine a big Akita-Goose type creature for the pillow thing ;-)

Regards

CJG

Close :D . Rather imagine a normal bedroom suddenly transformed into an Arctic snowscene!
Just read your original post again. Our boy also likes to lead me around by the wrist, usually when I've just come in the driveway, (jaws ever so gently clamped). He quite often takes me to OH as if to say "Look what I found". Quite endearing to those who know him - alarming for those who don't! I believe quite a few Akitas have the trait.