Quote: westy bell

One of the most frustrating things about her is that you can't even pet her without her trying to bite or paw at you. Even if I make her sit, when I go to pet her she just tries to bite my hand. So none of us can show her ANY affection cause she can't accept it without trying to bite. I mean it's pretty bad when you can't even pet your dog. The only time you can pet her without her tripping out with excitement and trying to bite is when she's super tired or when she's lying down on the passenger's seat in the vehicle. It's just so frustrating, she's so hyper all the time that even just to go into the kitchen with her we have to make her go on her bed and sit, that she'll do, but then when you want to pet her and tell her good girl she tries to bite. It's just so frustrating!!!

How did you redirect her when she was a puppy and mouthed/bit you?



eta
"The only time you can pet her without her tripping out with excitement and trying to bite is when she's super tired"

Direct tie to a superabundance of energy piled up in the pup and driving her nuts.

I really can't emphasize this too much. You are going to see unanimous agreement on this point.

There's more to it (the pawing and basically demanding play, attention, etc.), of course, but the excess energy is so huge that you're starting off at a disadvantage in every area.

Playpen, LOL, my little girl has been crawling out of playpens and cribs since she was 15 months old.

I have a stroller and have taken the dog at the same time, but only up to the bus stop to get my son. Tessa is just SO STRONG that my arms and fingers get sore trying to control her while pushing a stroller at the same time. Heck even when I don't have a stroller, I gotta switch hands/arms several times during the 30-45 min walk cause it kills my arm having to keep correcting her.

Anyway, I do realize that she probably wouldn't be so overly energetic/hyper if she got more exercise.

 Quote: Westy Bell

... Anyway, I do realize that she probably wouldn't be so overly energetic/hyper if she got more exercise.

I'm not sure I've really been 100% clear. The amount of exercise this young dog is getting isn't enough for my senior Pug couch-potato. He gets what you describe times two, and at a very fast pace. The other dogs (and not exuberant hyper pups! I'm talking middle-aged dogs) probably get three times that if I include yard-play and active training sessions.

Right now (and I'm aware that it's not in any way deliberate), the dog is very under-exercised; she can't help the fact that she's jumpy, hyper, excited.



How did you re-direct the nipping/mouthing/biting when the dog was a young pup?

 Quote: connie sutherland

How did you re-direct the nipping/mouthing/biting when the dog was a young pup?

We're STILL working on that, she gets scolded, told "NO BITE" and if she's on her leash she gets a quick jerk and told "NO BITE". It's been an ongoing thing since we got her at 3 months old. If I am trying to pet her and all she wants to do is nip at me I will tell her "NO" and "NO BITE" up to three times and if she still won't let me pet her without trying to bite me then I just walk away and ignore her. Is there something else I should be doing?

 Quote: Westy Bell

Tessa is just SO STRONG that my arms and fingers get sore trying to control her while pushing a stroller at the same time.

This tells me she is not obedience trained.

Have you considered a prong collar?

http://leerburg.com/fit-prong.htm

I almost hate to recommend it, but I think it could be a beneficial training tool for you and Tessa IF you use it properly.

You are basically describing an untrained, high energy dog who is looking for an outlet for that pent up frustration. Add poor bite inhibition and you have a real problem, especially because you have small children.

Instead of physically correcting your dog, try a verbal correction and redirect her behavior into something positive. For example, my pup was a leaping kangaroo this morning when my hubby got home from work. Sure was nice to grab a treat (always available around the house) and turn that energy into a quick obedience session. In my experience, if I am to physically grab my pup, he responds by getting more excited and more mouthy, though this has diminished greatly with age and maturity!

The solution is very clear...start working on teaching her basic obedience and more exercise.

I do use a prong collar and she has gotten better, don't get me wrong, but she's still got a ways to go since my arm does get sore during the walk. I have a friend who has a Pit Bull as well and they are just very strong dogs, the prong collar has to be high up on her neck or it doesn't even phase her. Most times she does just get verbal correction cause she is mostly in the kitchen with no leash on but like I said, even after three verbal scoldings she still insists on trying to bite me when I try to pet her.

I am not sure why I keep being told about obedience training, I thought that is what I have been doing? We have been training her since we got her. She knows sit, down, wait, stay, hup, leave it, off, etc. She listens pretty well to those commands, we are just having problems with her interaction with the kids and accepting affection without trying to bite, those are the main ones, plus her separation anxiety and just basically being so hyper and over-excitable. She is learning to heel but it takes a strong correction to get her back by my leg cause the prong collar usually slides down closer to her chest, so I don't think she feels it much. Plus seeing as how she wounds herself trying to get out, in other words she tolerates a lot of pain, just like a typical Pit Bull.

I second the recommendation for a prong collar for walks.

And keep a supply of tug toys (rope, knotted rag, stuffed sock) everywhere, including on your person. When she tries to mouth hands, give her something appropriate to chew (and interact with you). She's trying to engage with you in the onl way she knows how--so turn it into an interaction that's satisfying for her and you. Tugging also might help release some pent up energy.

I am steering away from the tugging game because of everything I've read on the internet about making sure I establish myself as pack leader, apparently tugging wars are detrimental to establishing that I am pack leader.

 Quote: Westy Bell

I am steering away from the tugging game because of everything I've read on the internet about making sure I establish myself as pack leader, apparently tugging wars are detrimental to establishing that I am pack leader.

BS, tug games are great games to bond with and use as training device

Got it from here, Establishing and Keeping Alpha position: http://www.dogbreedinfo.com/topdogrules.htm

Which is what I am trying to establish right now. Personally I think it probably depends on the dog, I didn't have to refrain from playing tug-o-war with my previous dog because she was not a dominant dog. I still think that Tessa is pretty dominant based on her behaviors compared to all the other pups in her litter and some behaviors she has shown since she's been with us, so I'd rather err on the safe side and not engage in tug-o-war with her just yet, at least not until I feel that she understands 100% that I am the alpha dog.