I have just got a 9 week old bitch and would like advice on two aspects please.
Firstly she has developed a tendancy to continually bite my 13 year old sons feet. We have tried all the methods that we have been told to use, i.e. a firm NO while holding her down until she stops struggling, but she immediately carries on from where she left off. We have also tried containing her in the kitchen (we do not have a cage) using a baby gate so she is not totally isolated, but then she gets very agitated and loud. When she does go quiet and we let her out she starts the biting again, please no suggestions of getting rid of my son. She has also started to growl and bark trying to gain attention without displaying any threatening tendancies, is this normal?.

Secondly I would like help regarding her diet. She will not eat dried complete foods such as Pedigree Puppy Advance or Eukanuba (dry or soaked in water or gravy). She will eat a small amount of James Wellbeloved Turkey and Rice Kibble. At the moment the wife is panicking and feeding her sachets and tinned puppy food with dry food mixed in, which she leaves in the bowl. I have been reading about the BARF diet (Bones And Raw Food) and any comments would be appreciated.

All comments would be greatly wellcomed, my email is :- jwp9652@aol.com.

Many thanks

Jim Phillips

Hi Jim

If you use the SEARCH button at the top of this page ..type in BARF you will get a large selection of comments from the past few discussions about the BARF diet ...people seem to be either heavily pro or heavily anti it :)

If you then put BITING into the search you will find there have been several discussions on this subject too , a lot of folk have this problem with new pups (myself included) :)

Good Luck!

Melody

Firstly you are right in using a babygate so she learns to be 'alone' but not alone. You are also right in making sure she is quiet before letting her out. Any noise (barking and growling) should be ignored with NO reaction from you even eye contact!
I wouldn't pin her down as this is a very confrontational way of control and when she gets bigger is not a method you would be able to use on her. If she continues to bite and none of the usual methods occur then you can use a distraction 'failure' signal. Use your car keys and throw them down on the ground near her or behind her everytime she bites. When she stops then praise her for leaving. This must be consistantly done EVERY time she bites. Alternatively smear your sons feet in vick the chest rub. I havent met a dog that likes it yet!

JIm

From what you've said - you can only have had this pup for about a week and yet you have tried so many diffferent types of food already. It is quite usual for a puppy to go off it's food for the first few days in a new home. The breeder should have warned you of this. Go back to what the breeder was feeding and stick with it for a while. Put only small amounts down - four times a day - follow the diet sheet the breeder should have given you. Remove the bowl after 15 minutes. She'll soon get the message to eat or go hungry. Changing the food simply makes them fussy.The breeder should also have given you a supply of food for the first few days/week or so. It's not wise to start changing their food when they move to their new home as they are having to deal with so many new things.

Good luck with your puppy- they are a handful. hth

Pam n the boys