we have a 3 month old Corgi pup. He is nipping and biting like mad. He goes for our fingers, heels, shirt, etc. Tonite he was grabbing at my fingers and doing a growl. Not sure if it is a play growl or an agression growl. He does the same kind of growl when he is playing with his toys and jumping around them.
I have had him 2 weeks, and it is a real problem.
I have a 5 year old child who is afraid of him now because of the nips. I have many band aids on my hands. Should I give him back to the breeder or is there hope?

Use the "search" button at the top of the page, and read Ed Frawley's articles. Someone asks this every other day.

Also be aware that Corgis are a growly breed when they play. We own a 6 year old female and my parents own a 5 year old male. They are constantly growling during play, even when chasing and pouncing on a ball, so much so that it was easy to teach Morgi the Corgi to "growl" on command.

BUT the nipping is a universal puppy behavior, take Simon's advice and do some searching on this board and the website.

It never ceases to amaze me at the number of people taking on the responsibility of owning a dog "pup" and then when they display perfectly normal puppy behavior they "people such as yourself" are ready to dump the dog! If your at your witts end after having this pup for only two weeks then I feel sorry for the dog. You do not have any business owning one. Bringing a pup or dog into your home takes a firm and lifelong committment by us "humans!" I'm beginning to believe that people should be "evaluated and screened" for lack of a better word, before they have a right to own a pup, dog, and then turn around and just say "I'm at my witts end" and send the poor dog off to an even more uncertain future.

Glenn

 Quote:

Originally posted by Lisa Melnick:

I have a 5 year old child who is afraid of him now because of the nips. I have many band aids on my hands. Should I give him back to the breeder or is there hope?

I'm just curious....where did you get this dog?? Because your frustration sounds to me like you saw a Corgi and wanted one, so you went to the local pet store and bought one. Frustration brought out by lack of knowledge about any dog. Not to be mean, but I thought you were joking when you asked "Should I give him back to the breeder or is there hope?" Did you even talk to the breeder when you bought the puppy? Dogs are for life just like kids. Many people have found their animals to be completely useless until they save their lives, alert them to a fire, or a siezure, or intruder, then they are worth their weight in gold ten times over....I always found that to be selfish. I always saw the good and potential in my female. My ex who wasn't even training the dog suggested we "send her back, I don't care if we lose the money". Over my dead body!! I loved my dog even when she was Captain A$$ and peed in the house just because, or when I gave her a correction in the house that left my elbow with the most god awful bruise for weeks from cracking it on the corner of the dining room wall.

Anyway, I just thought it was a joke....

Lisa,
Did your child know what was acceptable behavior in your house 2 weeks after you brought him/her home?

You've had a puppy (A PUPPY!) for 2 weeks and are frustrated he doesn't understand that biting is not acceptable so you are considering giving it back??? Okay, so you've had your kid for 5 years, if he/she does something wrong, would you give him away? He should know better because he's been around longer, right?

See where I'm going with this? You have a newborn child (aka "puppy") in your house that is exhibiting normal puppy behavior. Give the little guy a chance! Have you looked at how swollen the pups teeth and gums are? It's most likely teething and chewing, biting and groaning/growling eases that pain. Would you have given your child away when their teething and crying made them miserable?

If you don't want the hassle of having to be patient and teaching your puppy how to be an acceptable family pet (they aren't born knowing this!), PLEASE give him to someone who will give him the love, guidance and patience he deserves!

Lisa,

It can get really frustrating when a pup is chewing you up on a daily basis. If you look at some of the older posts you'll see that it is a common problem. You should also see from the posts though that it will get better in the next few months. I have a 4 month old GSD that was driving my wife and I nuts for the first few weeks. My 4 and 5 year old kids won't come near her unless I'm holding her because they are afraid of being chewed on. She has been getting better though. At first she bit hard but her control is much better now and she rarely hurts anyone. She is slowly learning to control her biting. So I would say hang in there and it will pass although you may have another month or two to put up with it.

Also I notice that this was your first post on the board. As a new poster I would suggest that you ignore the rants and concentrate on the posts that actually have something constructive to say. There will always be a certain number of people more interested in their own agenda than actually helping you out. Good luck with your puppy.

Jim Rice

What a coincidence, I just got my "Dog Fancy" magazine, the wife ordered it, no really, I didn't, honest <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/laugh.gif" alt="" />

(hit the wrong button, didn't finish last post)
Anyway, The Annual Puppy Issue of Dog fancy is out. Give it a read and read Ed's articals on this. He's got a DVD, Your Puppy, From 8 Weeks to 8 Months. good luck and your Corgi will be a pure joy once you get the training done. I think a common mistake is that people think a little dog requires little training. If I remember correctly, a Corgi is a working dog, so you are going to have to find a job for it.

Thanks for the info. And to those of you who criticized my frustration, I have had many dogs in my life. I have owned many breeds including a chow chow, which is considering a tough breed to own, and never encountered this type of problem. I got my corgi from a breeder, after researching many months and checking references.
I did not do the pet store thing. I am an intelligent individual and know how to do things correctly.
I had a professional breeder to my home today, and she has given me some tips on what to do too.