Hoping someone can give me some advice. Cassie is a 7 month old  Norfolk x and we all love her dearly. Problem is she changes like the wind for no reason. One minute you'll be stroking her belly and suddenly shes biting and growling at you. She jumped up and bit my 3 year olds face yesterday while he was siting on the floor watching tv again this was totally unprovoked. Luckily she didn't draw blood but I just wondered how long we can keep saying that shes only a pup and will grow out of it. We did/still do  all the usual, yelping, time outs, crating etc when she bites but the bites tend to be getting more frequent and when we yelp or turn our back on her to ignore her she just growls and bares her teeth in a pretty agressive manner and sometimes even lunges forward at you.. She does it to everyone. People laugh when I tell them cos she is only a small dog but it worries me that if this goes uncheked because small or not she could still hurt a child.

Is she getting a correct diet re frequency and amount?  I've come across several pups who appear to be like this who aren't getting the correct number or amount of meals per day..

Thanks Digger. Yes, she has James wellbeloved (the only thing she'll eat). We leave it out all day for her as advised by the vet. Because she's a small dog the vet said that she would probably prefer to graze all day rather than have set meals. This is not a problem for us and Cassie seems quite happy with the arrangement.

my sister in laws dog is like this bites the kids (4 and 3)growls barks at them or her and he is allowed to get food when ever.
Perhaps she needs to earn her food which means respecting you and doing some traing, Don't crate her for being naughty a crate she be her space to wonder in and out of when she feels the need her to keep her sfae whilst you are out or doing housework.
Try some traing and tricks maybe she is bored.
Just a thought is when i go to my sister in laws and do things with her dog he is fine he has nver showed his to or bite whilst i have been there.

Cordelia

my 12 week old Gordon Setter has been a pain - literally!! - with play biting, we've tried the No, Ouch etc, none of it worked, but we do seem to be getting a slow but sure response to holding his muzzle shut when he tries to bite, re-inforcing it with a firm "No" - not holding him tight enough to hurt, but just as his mother would have when he was smaller. Its taking a while, but he is still very young. The main problem we have now is stopping him form eating the soil out of pot plants that are on the floor!! ( ones that are too large to raise up anywhere else ) - anyone any ideas????

It does in my experience take up to 20 weeks for pups to stop almost all play biting. A lot depends on the dog and the whole household too, and a sensitive pup will have stopped much earlier, but most are very significantly better by this age. So for a 12 week pup to still be "at it" is fairly normal i reckon :)

RE the terrier, i think that with kids in the house you do need professional help really..... are they gentle with her? It's just that if she is picked up a lot or "pestered" (very normal for most children after all ;) ) she may be fed up and telling people to back off. But without being there it is hard to say for sure because it is very important to see owner reaction with the dog.

I would also suggest a vet check up in case she is in pain anywhere, just so that can be ruled out. The vet could refer you to a reputable behaviourist.

Lindsay

At 7 months she should be out of biting by now. I agree have her health checked to make sure all is good. Take away all food and schedule feed her this way she no's the food comes from you and not the floor, make her do something before you feed her like sit, lay down, speek ect...this way she is working for her food. Even have your child feed her at feeding times. Drill her on basic obedience and also have your child tell her to sit, or at least treat her when she does as she is asked, if she doesn't sit when you tell her the first time make her then treat only tell her once. Don't allow her on furniture for awhile till you see a change in her behaviour (if she gets moody when you tell her off and will growl or snap keep her on a leash this way you can tell her and if she doesn't move you can pull her down with the leash at a safe distance while saying off at the same time and always praise her for being good), also only pet her when you want not when she wants you to. Take away all toys and give them to her when you want to not when she wants a chew. Basically show her that you are in charge and not her so she no's her place in your home.

I definately would not go for her biting my child no matter how small she is she can still do alot of damage, never never leave a dog (any dog) unattended with children any thing can happen.

Good luck and I hope some of this can help :)

Debs
My Gordon bitch is 11mths old and we have been through the same trials and tribulations of 'play' biting! A consistent refusal to be used as a teething device and the provision of plenty of chewy toys has seemed to work - at last  :)
As for your plants, did nobody tell you that Gordons have a particular talent for gardening?!  :D
Great to hear from someone else owned by a Gordon..............
Sandy

Hi Sandy!

laughed at your wording " someone else owned by a Gordon"!!!! am trying to make it the other way round though!!!! have solved the soil problem - liberal sprinkling of ground white pepper - was hilarious the first time he went for his habitual chomp!!! has stopped him though, shame we cant do the same with our hands and feet!
He has just had his first "public appearance" - boy did he enjoy himself! but if I get asked many more times if he's been crossed with a doberman I'll scream - I even was asked if he was a Rotty the other day at the vets ( not by the staff I hasten to add!! ) mind you, it is nice to have a more unusual dog, such a handsome lad!!! have you found your bitch easy to train? am amazed how quick he has learnt things, am looking to take him to classes in the new year though, for socialisation as much as anything. Anyhow - good luck with your girl!

Cassie needs to know she is not the boss.  She should not be aggressive - she is at the age where many dogs start to test their position in the pack.  If she's been treated as a "small dog" and babied or let away with things you would never tolerate in a big dog, chances are she's convinced herself she's in charge.

If you can find a qualified behaviourist I would seek their advice in working with Cassie.

Stacey

Thanks to everyone for replying,

I think that possibley one of the main problems is as a few of you have said, we have babied her quite a bit. She was allowed on the sofa and I was even making the children move so she could get comfortable (I know, I know). Anyway I pulled myself up on this sort of things a couple of weeks ago and she now knows she's not allowed on the sofas anymore and she's actually being very good. Although I caught her out yesterday when I came in form the shops and she was snuggled up in the cushions. She moved pretty sharpish when I came in though. We do need to train her more although it is the children that do regular sit, stand, speak etc with her and not me.

Anyway thanks again for all your replies and I think Cassie & my children need to realise I'm in charge. (chance will be a fine thing) ;)

hi Debbie that sounds just like my house I think hell will freeze over befor my lot realise I am in charge LOL

We're supposed to be in charge