 New Mal puppy—biting
#407331 - 02/04/2019 11:52 AM |
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I have a wonderful new 9 week old (and change) Mal puppy. Intelligent, bold, high drive a great pup overall. She will be a pet, however, she will compete in Schutzhund and do protection work.
She does, like most Mals I’ve heard, love to bite. My hands, my shorts, backs of my legs, anything into which she can sink her needle-like puppy teeth.
I haven’t corrected her and have refrained because I don’t want to adversely affect her drive or her future bite work. I try exchanging my flesh or clothing for toys or other things she likes to bite, with varying degrees of success.
Any suggestions other than that type of redirection?
P.S. Please refrain from the “welcome to the world of Mal puppies”. I knew what I was getting into. Just looking for some helpful suggestions. I’m sure many members have gone through this same experience.
Mahalo in advance.
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Kelly wrote 02/04/2019 01:58 PM
Re: New Mal puppy—biting
[Re: Eric Sacks ]
#407332 - 02/04/2019 01:58 PM |
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When you redirect with a toy, you need to make the toy fun - more fun than biting on you is. Just giving a Mal pup a tug will do nothing to curb the biting- you need to tug or make the toy move.
Also, make sure that you rotate the toys so that the pup doesn’t get bored.
The main thing is to be consistent: redirect, redirect, redirect. I kept tugs all over the house so that no matter where I was at when the puppy started chewing on me - or might be thinking about chewing on me- I had something to redirect with at all times. She is going to get you, and it is going to hurt. That is the nature of the beast.
Start on marker training right away - keep her brain engaged!
I highly recommend Michael Ellis’ Puppy raising dvd as well.
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Re: New Mal puppy—biting
[Re: Kelly ]
#407333 - 02/04/2019 03:55 PM |
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Thank you Kelly,
I do all you have suggested. I too have toys all over the house. I use cut ginger stalks (which grow in my yard) outside . She loves those. We play various forms of tug (as Michael Ellis describes) several times a day. I will keep it up. I am encouraged by your suggestion that she will out grow it.
I began marker training the day she arrived. We train multiple times each day for a maximum of about 3 min per session. I have the Michael Ellis DVD Raising your Puppy along with 6 other of his videos and about the same number of Ed's DVD's on puppies and working dogs. I study them all.
One thing I've noticed is that she tends to get very "bite-y" when she's tired. Am I correctly making the correlation between her biting me and needing nap? Have you found that with your Mals?
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Re: New Mal puppy—biting
[Re: Eric Sacks ]
#407349 - 02/07/2019 10:53 AM |
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Ditto on the "she will get you" but she will grow out of it. Just hang in there and keep up the stuff Kelly mentioned. Mine is a GSD but I had a similar experience; for quite a few weeks the redirection didn't seem like it was sinking in at all, but now (at 2 years) the biting is a thing of the past and I can see those early lessons bearing fruit.
Best of luck and hope you can wear thick clothing in your climate lol.
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Re: New Mal puppy—biting
[Re: Eric Sacks ]
#407404 - 03/04/2019 10:17 AM |
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I began marker training the day she arrived
you shouldn't have started the training the first day she arrived. the problem is if most of the interactions you are having with the puppy are play sessions, you are becoming a stimulus for excitement!
while this way of raising a dog works for low to medium drive dogs, it's really a bad idea if you have a high drive dog.
anybody here who ever raised high driven dogs will tell you the same thing!
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Re: New Mal puppy—biting
[Re: Paul Parrel ]
#407408 - 03/05/2019 08:42 PM |
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I got her when she was 9 weeks old. I see your point. Marker training is far from my only interaction with her. I don’t see the marker training as a problem, but I’m willing to be convinced otherwise. All I have studied and everyone I have talked with advise to begin marker training with her. Please explain why it wasn’t a good idea.
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Re: New Mal puppy—biting
[Re: Paul Parrel ]
#407411 - 03/05/2019 11:27 PM |
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I began marker training the day she arrived
you shouldn't have started the training the first day she arrived. the problem is if most of the interactions you are having with the puppy are play sessions, you are becoming a stimulus for excitement!
while this way of raising a dog works for low to medium drive dogs, it's really a bad idea if you have a high drive dog.
anybody here who ever raised high driven dogs will tell you the same thing!
Paul, you don't seem to grasp how marker training works.
I've trained dogs since the mid 1950s and got into marker training about 16 yrs ago.
ABSOLUTELY start with a puppy asap when training with markers.
My now passed GSD was trained ONLY with markers and he was SAR trained in live find, HRD, boat work and article search. In addition he was titled to a BH, SCH III, AKC CD, CDX, HT, ATTS TT, and had his AKC CGC.
I started his training when I got him at 6wks old and by the time he was 12 wks old he was solid with his sit, down, come and stay. All with short duration of course.
Marker training WHEN DONE CORRECTLY is absolutely fun for a puppy because it's a rewardable GAME, plain and simple.
As to a "being a bad idea if you have a really high drive dog" I can only say WOW!
That is absolutely the best dog to start with BECAUSE of that drive.
Please spend a day or two going over the Leerburg videos with Michael Ellis on YouTube.
They just might amaze you and hopefully teach you something 
old dogs LOVE to learn new tricks |
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Re: New Mal puppy—biting
[Re: Eric Sacks ]
#407415 - 03/06/2019 11:03 AM |
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I know about marker training(and practice it)
I was just trying to suggest to you something that works for this type of dogs, but you seem to have it all figured out.
so I will stop there then.
by the way, ask M.E himself, he will tell you the same thing when it comes to raising high drive dogs.
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Re: New Mal puppy—biting
[Re: Eric Sacks ]
#407418 - 03/06/2019 11:24 PM |
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I've owned many high drive dogs including Mals and half a dozen different terrier breeds.
I also have many of the Ellis videos and If it's on one of those videos I missed it.
The less driven dog needs more work simply because it takes more to get the dog's interest up be it for food, toy or a bite in the case of a do involved in bite sport
I started one of my grandkids using markers with the very first puppy or dog she ever trained.
She was about 13 at the time and her puppy was an 8 week old Pom x Pap that was as high drive as any terrier I ever owned.
Within the next 8 weeks the pup had all the basics down solid.
Again, with limited duration/distance/distraction because of the pups age.
I will continue to say that starting early with a pup is a great way to start.
I say that with confidence and experience.
Of course your free to disagree as is any one here on LB.
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Re: New Mal puppy—biting
[Re: Eric Sacks ]
#407419 - 03/07/2019 01:15 AM |
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Paul please realize that I'm not trying to argue with you but it's very important that information given on the forum is as accurate as possible.
With experience we ALL adjust methods to fit our personality and the individual dog we each are working with but there has to be a common beginning to what Michael Ellis teaches.
Find this short introduction to one of the Ellis videos and it involves Cindy Training Endy - Our New 8 Week Old Puppy from Michael Ellis.
Quote: "You will see the beginning of Michael Elli's program on training puppies".
Thanks
Bob
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