Sweater struggle,biting

N

Newmommie

Member
Owned by
1 cocker
Perhaps this has already been discussed. Buttons will get on sofa for her sweater to be put on (seems eager),get it over her head,then dealing with the arm holes she wants to wiggle & nip at my hands. So far I've used the "shhh" and touch her neck with my fingers (lightly). She makes the whole process much harder by being a wiggly worm.

My question is how to teach her that nipping is a big no? She's not seriously biting,just nipping.....but I don't like this behavior.

Thanks
 
That's kind of like what happens here when I get out leashes... so excited. All going bonkers and stuff. She's mouthy -- you need to hold her muzzle shut, give her a no command and when she's good, give a reward, preferably FOOD. She'll learn
 
Well she does well being still for the leash attachment,I have arthritis & even with an easy to do plastic latch I still fumble. I will keep a treat handy from now on & clamp her little yapper too! Thanks
 
Great advice Linny!!!
I don't like sweaters, they don't seem to last long around here. I like jackets with velcro closings, a wide band around the tummy. They last for years, and keep the dogs warm. I have them in cotton and in fleece for my crew. You might consider one for your baby, it would be easier for you to put on with your arthritis.

I've attached a pix of Tunie in one of her cotton jackets.
 
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Gabby gets all excited like this when I'm ready to take him for a walk. I walk away from him sometimes--like we're not going. He'll settle down and approach me when he's ready.
 
It's the big dog that gets excited when he "knows" it's walktime. I've been researching some 100% organic cotton dog coats,occured to me I would never want an itchy sweater on my skin! She'll need a sweater for outside until her fur grows back,plus it's chilly here.

Got her a crate today. Right now she's sleeping like a sweetheart all curled up on her new softy blanket. She pulled the blanket out at first & proceeded to shake like mad. I'm sitting right next to her so hopefully she'll accept the crate.

Occurred to me I cannot trust her alone in the house....too many things she could hurt herself with. I've been stuck home all week! Enough,I need her safe so I can go somewhere ya know?

Tried letting her off leash today,that just about gave me a heart attack! She was fine at first,then she took off like a bullet & ran to places she's never been (such as the neighor's). Ignored my calling her. I had visions of flat dog in the road......won't do that again,& she needs her micro-chip 'fer sure!

After just 6 days she's grabbing at my heart bigtime. Who could resist that funny freckled face with the world's worst doggie hairdo?

By the way,she has gold eyes......can she actually be pure bred cocker? And I've read that cocker's have short hair on top their head. I tired every combination of mixed dogs possible & couldn't find one dog that looks like her! I did find out that some cocker's have hazel eyes.
 
just a little warning. Never let a cocker off leash if she's not in a fenced in area. They are scent hounds. Nose to the ground, sniffing out squirrel and wabbit and whatever. I have seen dogs bounce off of trees while they were tracking a scent. They don't know if the light is green or red (wink)
 
no, cockers should have hair on head, but nicely groomed into a pretty topknot.. we have many people here that have beautiful dogs with fabulous heads and good topknots. I prefer them myself, I don't like a flat headed cocker. I also don't like nekid beagle looking cockers.
 
Newmommie said:
Occurred to me I cannot trust her alone in the house....too many things she could hurt herself with. I've been stuck home all week! Enough,I need her safe so I can go somewhere ya know?
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You could probably board her at your vet. Ask your neighbors for a name of a good boarding kennel in your area.
 
I would never let any of mine off leash unless I was at a fenced dog park. I do have a doggy door here and my yard is completely fenced in. I know which of my dogs would bolt, and which would not.. but we live near a very busy street, and I don't want anything to happen to my babies.:naughty:
We also have a stream in our front yard, I don't want them in the stream because of the sludge at the bottom, it's hard to get off feet and legs.
 
Buttons did well in her new crate yesterday,she slept for awhile with me nearby. I've been wracking my brain trying to figure out how to fence a small area for her. Also wondering if she would dig under the fence to escape? The way she dug after a mole has me in awe....

She just went into her crate on her own,it's near my computer. Good for her!
 
I agree with the folks that have stated that you shouldn't let a Cocker off-leash in an un-fenced area. Some Cockers can be trained to come no matter what, but that takes time and commitment. I would never let a dog I've only had for a week off leash. There just isn't enough of a relationship built up yet.

My dogs are crated when I'm at work or not at home. It's safer for them, and I don't have to worry either. Cockers have a knack for getting into trouble, so this is just a better option for all of us.
 
I have had tabby just over a month an there is no way I would let her off leash yet. She has a habit of not listening lol
She just is to young yet an like to go explore. Now I let her off leash in my dads work shop an she did great. went sniffing every thing. Even got a snout full of saw dust a time or two. She only sneezed a few times. an she would come when called about 4 out of 5 times.
 
When she nips at your hands, give a high pitched yip and take your hands away...if she is persistant use some bitter spray on your hands.
 
Appreciate the replies. I'd taken Buttons into our large shed & practiced "come" and she did well,same inside the house.....it was entirely my mistake thinking she'd come when called with all that new territory to sniff! It won't happen again.

I'm not sure she's ever lived where she had access to grass. She completely ignores any toy on the grass,I find that odd.

The sweater routine is going much better.
 
The more you do the sweater routine, the more "normal" it will become, and she won't fight it so much. It's tough when things are so new.

Does she normally like toys? I had an old dog (now gone) who never showed interest in toys. He preferred food.
 
Kelly
I have never had a cocker who perferred a toy to food! Heheeh
They are little piggies!:D
 
Oh no, mine don't prefer toys to food . . . but Quigley wanted nothing at all to do with toys. He figured they were for lesser dogs LOL
 
KLADCkrs said:
Oh no, mine don't prefer toys to food . . . but Quigley wanted nothing at all to do with toys. He figured they were for lesser dogs LOL
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Hehe Kelly! When we first brought Pepper home, he wouldn't play with anything but his food dish. Poor baby.. then I got him a zap ball.. the rest is history. He even loves them when the battery dies.
 
Buttons loves the squeeky toys (can't recall the brand-very hard to destroy,not Kong). However food of any kind is the main joy in life! She likes seedless grapes & tangerines now.....I'm guessing she'd eat anything if I let her.
 
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