3 Month Old Puppy Help!

[Dyeates]

I got my baby girl Ailee a month ago and she's adorable! She's really good with people and she's okay with other dogs; I'm socializing her as much as possible. She is now 3 months old and I'm having a bit of trouble with her biting and barking.

 

She barks when she wants attention and or needs to go outside and I take of those situations properly, but how do I stop barking when she plays though? Or when I'm eating my dinner? She will attempt to play with my roommates 6 year old dog and she just keeps barking. I'm wondering if it's just because the older doesn't want to play?

Also when she plays she starts biting and growling. I have tried to squeal and yell Ow and ignore her, but it doesn't work. She just keeps going and when I ignore her because of the bitingshe begins barking.

 

Another thing!

I live in an apartment and I understand collies need a lot of excercise. However, when I take her outside the farthest she will go is Out of my apartment gates and turn a corner and then she'll lay down and not move and or roll over for a belly rub. Only once has she gone around the entire block. I've attempted to jog a bit with her, but she will run for about 2 seconds then turn around and cuts in front of me and I almost trip on her. Sometimes she will begin biting at my feet.

 

I really want to be able to run with her. Please, any advice would be helpful!!!!!

 

Thanks!

 

[D'Elle]

Your puppy is only a tiny baby. Be patient.

You need to get a crate and teach her that it is her safe place, and her "den". Feed her in the crate, give her toys to play with in her crate. Use the crate as a "time-out" place. when she is barking and running around she is only being exactly what she should be right now - a baby. If it is not a good time for her to be doing those things, put her in her crate. If she barks, ignore her and cover the crate with cloth. she will learn that she needs to chill at times, and this is very important.

 

As for the biting and nipping while playing - again - she is only a baby. To say that anything you are doing "isn't working" on such a young dog is premature. Just keep at it and she will learn. You would not expect a three year old human to be learn everything right away. Be patient.

 

She needs to be trained to walk on a leash. This doesn't come naturally to all dogs. Again, patience is the key. Google "teaching a puppy to walk on a loose leash" and try some of the techniques you find there. If she doesn't want to go for a walk, maybe that it OK for now. she is very young. You can try running a short distance from her, calling her excitedly, to see if she will come to you. Repeat.

 

Don't worry, you have a normal puppy by the sounds of it.

Glad that you found this forum. Stick around! The folks here are extremely knowledgeable and very generous with their time and expertise. You will be glad to have found this place.

Your puppy is adorable! Have fun with her and welcome to the Boards.

[gcv-border]

Gloria has good advice.

 

As far as running: Dogs should not run/jog with human partners until the growth plates are closed. [For border collies, that is about about 12-14 months.] Having said that, they can run around while playing. You can try to get her to 'run' a short distance (10-20-30 feet), then reward her with toy play or a food tidbit. Make it a fun game (for short periods) and she should join in.

[Gloria Atwater]

That was D'Elle who replied up there, not Gloria.

Anyhow, welcome to the boards! First of all, your puppy sounds entirely normal, so don't despair! At 3 months old, she is still very much a baby.

So, the first thing I'd suggest is what has already been said: get her a crate. Make it her den, her safe place to go so that she's not badgering you or the older dog in the house. Feed her meals there, have her sleep there, give her toys and treats there. If you have room, you might also look into an X-pen in the living room for her to enjoy her toys in sometimes. Trust me, time-outs for puppies are a wonderful thing, because puppies can get totally wound up to nearly the point of hysteria just like small children.

And if she's really badgering the older dog, you guys might look into a baby gate so you can sometimes separate them in different parts of the apartment. It's not fair to let her over-enthusiastically pester a tolerant older dog.

Per the bite inhibition, that's probably going to be a work in progress for a while, because she's teething and everything goes in a teething puppy's mouth. If she really won't take a hint, though, perhaps you might consider keeping a squirt bottle handy, so you can tell her NO and give her a sploosh. I've seen it work! But also a trick I've used is just have LOTS of toys around, so the minute my pup goes after the wrong thing, (like my hand!) I stuff a toy in their mouth.

Most of all, though, be patient! It just takes time.

Per exercise, border collies don't actually need inordinate amounts of physical exercise. Don't make the mistake of training your dog to constantly run and play, or you'll be doing that for the next 13 or 14 years! What a border collie really needs is exercise for their brain. Find a couple books on dog tracks and start teaching your girl to do things. If she likes to bark, teach her to bark on command. If she likes to bite things, teach her to pick things up. Start small and work from there. It will keep her brain busy and both of you will benefit from having fun together.

Last but not least, please don't take her running yet. She's far too young. At 3 months old, she does not have much endurance because her heart, lungs and muscles are not developed enough for that. The best exercise for a puppy is just what they set out to do themselves. That way she is free to flop down and take a break any time she wants.

Plus, bear in mind that a puppy's growth plates don't fully close until they are about a year old. You do not want to subject her to too much exertion or repetitive or high-impact activity - especially if you are in an urban setting on concrete or asphalt. She does not need you to give her "exercise." She needs you to give her training and proper opportunities play while she grows up.

A thing to consider as well, it's possible that the big outside world is a little scary for her right now. Puppies often go through a sort of "fear period" around 4 to 6 months or so, so perhaps she resists going far when she feels like she's outside her comfort zone. Again, just be patient. She's only a baby with a whole lot of growing yet to do.

Best of luck!

~ Gloria

[gcv-border]

That was D'Elle who replied up there, not Gloria.

 

 

 

~ Gloria

 

 

 

Oops. So sorry. Both of you always have good advice.

[dsmbc]

Congratulations on the new puppy! All good advice here.

[Dyeates]

Thank you all so much!

[Dyeates]

That was D'Elle who replied up there, not Gloria.

 

Anyhow, welcome to the boards! First of all, your puppy sounds entirely normal, so don't despair! At 3 months old, she is still very much a baby.

 

So, the first thing I'd suggest is what has already been said: get her a crate. Make it her den, her safe place to go so that she's not badgering you or the older dog in the house. Feed her meals there, have her sleep there, give her toys and treats there. If you have room, you might also look into an X-pen in the living room for her to enjoy her toys in sometimes. Trust me, time-outs for puppies are a wonderful thing, because puppies can get totally wound up to nearly the point of hysteria just like small children.

 

And if she's really badgering the older dog, you guys might look into a baby gate so you can sometimes separate them in different parts of the apartment. It's not fair to let her over-enthusiastically pester a tolerant older dog.

 

Per the bite inhibition, that's probably going to be a work in progress for a while, because she's teething and everything goes in a teething puppy's mouth. If she really won't take a hint, though, perhaps you might consider keeping a squirt bottle handy, so you can tell her NO and give her a sploosh. I've seen it work! But also a trick I've used is just have LOTS of toys around, so the minute my pup goes after the wrong thing, (like my hand!) I stuff a toy in their mouth.

 

Most of all, though, be patient! It just takes time.

 

Per exercise, border collies don't actually need inordinate amounts of physical exercise. Don't make the mistake of training your dog to constantly run and play, or you'll be doing that for the next 13 or 14 years! What a border collie really needs is exercise for their brain. Find a couple books on dog tracks and start teaching your girl to do things. If she likes to bark, teach her to bark on command. If she likes to bite things, teach her to pick things up. Start small and work from there. It will keep her brain busy and both of you will benefit from having fun together.

 

Last but not least, please don't take her running yet. She's far too young. At 3 months old, she does not have much endurance because her heart, lungs and muscles are not developed enough for that. The best exercise for a puppy is just what they set out to do themselves. That way she is free to flop down and take a break any time she wants.

 

Plus, bear in mind that a puppy's growth plates don't fully close until they are about a year old. You do not want to subject her to too much exertion or repetitive or high-impact activity - especially if you are in an urban setting on concrete or asphalt. She does not need you to give her "exercise." She needs you to give her training and proper opportunities play while she grows up.

 

A thing to consider as well, it's possible that the big outside world is a little scary for her right now. Puppies often go through a sort of "fear period" around 4 to 6 months or so, so perhaps she resists going far when she feels like she's outside her comfort zone. Again, just be patient. She's only a baby with a whole lot of growing yet to do.

 

Best of luck!

 

~ Gloria

 

 

 

 

 

Gloria has good advice.

 

As far as running: Dogs should not run/jog with human partners until the growth plates are closed. [For border collies, that is about about 12-14 months.] Having said that, they can run around while playing. You can try to get her to 'run' a short distance (10-20-30 feet), then reward her with toy play or a food tidbit. Make it a fun game (for short periods) and she should join in.

 

 

Your puppy is only a tiny baby. Be patient.

You need to get a crate and teach her that it is her safe place, and her "den". Feed her in the crate, give her toys to play with in her crate. Use the crate as a "time-out" place. when she is barking and running around she is only being exactly what she should be right now - a baby. If it is not a good time for her to be doing those things, put her in her crate. If she barks, ignore her and cover the crate with cloth. she will learn that she needs to chill at times, and this is very important.

 

As for the biting and nipping while playing - again - she is only a baby. To say that anything you are doing "isn't working" on such a young dog is premature. Just keep at it and she will learn. You would not expect a three year old human to be learn everything right away. Be patient.

 

She needs to be trained to walk on a leash. This doesn't come naturally to all dogs. Again, patience is the key. Google "teaching a puppy to walk on a loose leash" and try some of the techniques you find there. If she doesn't want to go for a walk, maybe that it OK for now. she is very young. You can try running a short distance from her, calling her excitedly, to see if she will come to you. Repeat.

 

Don't worry, you have a normal puppy by the sounds of it.

Glad that you found this forum. Stick around! The folks here are extremely knowledgeable and very generous with their time and expertise. You will be glad to have found this place.

Your puppy is adorable! Have fun with her and welcome to the Boards.

 

 

Congratulations on the new puppy! All good advice here.

 

 

Thank you all so much for the advice! I understand that she is still a baby and still learning, but I'm just trying to get some advice and tips on how to nip these bad habits in the butt early on.

I do have a crate for her and I feed her in it as well and put her in it when I leave to go to work. She only really stays in my room because I don't want her to chew on any wires throughout the apartment. That being said she isn't always badgering my roommates older dog.

Thank you for letting me know about the plates thing! I was not aware of that.

I have tried to put toys in front of her so she will chew on those instead of me, but she completely ignores them!

Patience is truly a virtue.

Thank you for all the advice! Was there any book or videos that specifically helped anyone with the training of their border collie puppy?

[mbc1963]

Lovely puppy!

 

My rescue dog Cricket went through a period after she got comfortable with me when she would sit and bark at me the way it sounds like your pup is barking. It was a demand that I engage with her: play with her, take her for a walk, SOMETHING. It got really irritating really fast. I imagine your other dog must find it disconcerting!

 

My girl was older than your pup, but I needed to teach her that barking at me got her the OPPOSITE of what she wanted. So, if she started, I would go into the bathroom and shut the door. That way, she got no reward for her pestering.

 

It was really annoying for a couple days - having to stop what I was doing and shut myself in the bathroom where the WiFi doesn't work!!! - but Cricket got the message within a week and doesn't use that manipulation anymore.

 

I wonder if there's a way you can show your girl that the pester-barking is counterproductive?

[GentleLake]

Sweet puppy and welcome to the Boards.

 

Yes to ignoring demand barking. Be prepared for an extinction burst though. So many people don't anticipate or understand this and then think ignoring isn't working and give up too soon!

 

Do a search of the archives here FMI on extinction bursts.

[speckle-legged dog]

I generally just lurk here, but we brought home a BC puppy a couple of weeks ago, and I have been dealing with a few of these issues. With the biting, I don't think there's a way to stop that, but he will take a bully stick as a substitute for human flesh better than anything else I have put in his mouth. And I'm glad to know that the fact that he doesn't want to go out the front door of the house (he loves going into the back yard, however), is normal. Our now 6 year old BC was the opposite, she wanted outside the house as a pup and had a relatively decent distance she was willing to go with me before getting scared.

 

Our new problem is that he has begun to really test his limits with our grown dog. She LOVES playing with him, but he has just started being a jerk to her, biting her tail when she is on the couch chewing something, or grabbing at her bully stick, in her mouth, when he has an identical one. She appropriately corrects him, but I don't want him to push her too far.

 

I have enrolled him in a force-free puppy training class and we begin Monday. It started with the humans this past Monday and the class will focus a lot on redirection and interaction. I am really excited. It is going to be so different from the one I took with my girl dog. We will really be starting on the very basic integration of the puppy into our world. My girl was the star of her obedience classes, but it didn't help much outside of class for a long time.

 

I have been using his crate and time outs with good effect, I just got a puzzel bowl to give him some mental activity when he is fed (in his crate). This was recommended in class on Monday, and he really goes after it! it was also recommended that we get him an Adaptil/Comfort Zone collar and plug in. I see this starting to help too, I went ahead and got my girl a collar too, since she's still a wild child herself. I hope to learn more in class. There are lots of trick training books around, but I got the Sylvia Trkman "Puppy Diary", just because I plan on doing agility with him, as I do with my girl. It, and any kind of trick work, really gets that little BC brain a work out.

 

Things aren't where I want them yet, but these are things that have suggested to me so far, and I am trying them. Slowly but surely I feel like the new kid will come along.

[GentleLake]

Keep in mind with puppy play biting that it takes some time for them to understand. Yes, redirection is great -- shove a toy or chew in their mouths (just offering it doesn't always work in the excitement of the moment), but a high pitched yelp and ending all interacting for a few minutes is, IMO, the best method.

 

Whichever way you choose to go (and I've combined both), the real key is that when the puppy bites you, all fun -- all attention of any kind -- stops abruptly. The whole reason this play biting happens is that the puppy wants your attention, to be playing with you.* When they're playing with their litter mates and bite too hard, the bitten puppy yelps and play ends. Gee, no fun . . . so the offending puppy learns to inhibit the intensity of the bite. If they don't, no one wants to play with them.

 

Same with people, except we probably don't want the puppy's teeth on us at all. So, teeth contact skin, yelp and immediately ignore the pup. For really persistent puppies, maybe a quick time out in the crate is needed to give them a chance to calm down and register what just happened. It'll take several times before the puppy makes the cause and effect connection, so you must be consistent. But the puppy will get it sooner or later.

 

*If the puppy's biting for any reason other than play, get yourself professional help pronto!

[Dyeates]

I generally just lurk here, but we brought home a BC puppy a couple of weeks ago, and I have been dealing with a few of these issues. With the biting, I don't think there's a way to stop that, but he will take a bully stick as a substitute for human flesh better than anything else I have put in his mouth. And I'm glad to know that the fact that he doesn't want to go out the front door of the house (he loves going into the back yard, however), is normal. Our now 6 year old BC was the opposite, she wanted outside the house as a pup and had a relatively decent distance she was willing to go with me before getting scared.

 

Our new problem is that he has begun to really test his limits with our grown dog. She LOVES playing with him, but he has just started being a jerk to her, biting her tail when she is on the couch chewing something, or grabbing at her bully stick, in her mouth, when he has an identical one. She appropriately corrects him, but I don't want him to push her too far.

 

I have enrolled him in a force-free puppy training class and we begin Monday. It started with the humans this past Monday and the class will focus a lot on redirection and interaction. I am really excited. It is going to be so different from the one I took with my girl dog. We will really be starting on the very basic integration of the puppy into our world. My girl was the star of her obedience classes, but it didn't help much outside of class for a long time.

 

I have been using his crate and time outs with good effect, I just got a puzzel bowl to give him some mental activity when he is fed (in his crate). This was recommended in class on Monday, and he really goes after it! it was also recommended that we get him an Adaptil/Comfort Zone collar and plug in. I see this starting to help too, I went ahead and got my girl a collar too, since she's still a wild child herself. I hope to learn more in class. There are lots of trick training books around, but I got the Sylvia Trkman "Puppy Diary", just because I plan on doing agility with him, as I do with my girl. It, and any kind of trick work, really gets that little BC brain a work out.

 

Things aren't where I want them yet, but these are things that have suggested to me so far, and I am trying them. Slowly but surely I feel like the new kid will come along.

 

How old is your puppy?

Also thanks for the training book recommendation!

[Dyeates]

Keep in mind with puppy play biting that it takes some time for them to understand. Yes, redirection is great -- shove a toy or chew in their mouths (just offering it doesn't always work in the excitement of the moment), but a high pitched yelp and ending all interacting for a few minutes is, IMO, the best method.

 

Whichever way you choose to go (and I've combined both), the real key is that when the puppy bites you, all fun -- all attention of any kind -- stops abruptly. The whole reason this play biting happens is that the puppy wants your attention, to be playing with you.* When they're playing with their litter mates and bite too hard, the bitten puppy yelps and play ends. Gee, no fun . . . so the offending puppy learns to inhibit the intensity of the bite. If they don't, no one wants to play with them.

 

Same with people, except we probably don't want the puppy's teeth on us at all. So, teeth contact skin, yelp and immediately ignore the pup. For really persistent puppies, maybe a quick time out in the crate is needed to give them a chance to calm down and register what just happened. It'll take several times before the puppy makes the cause and effect connection, so you must be consistent. But the puppy will get it sooner or later.

 

*If the puppy's biting for any reason other than play, get yourself professional help pronto!

 

Patience is a virtue....

 

I have tried the whole yelping and stopping the play, etc. She is just a stubborn pup I think because whenever I yelp and go limp she continues to bite and when I stop playing and walk away she'll chase me, tail wagging, and continuing to bite. And when I go where she can't reach me she begins to bark.

 

It's definitely a learning process for the both of us!

[D'Elle]

Gentle Lake's advice on the play biting is spot on, IMO. Just be persistent. It takes time for it to sink in that biting, following, etc. are not going to yield desired results. Persistence on your part and absolute consistency are key. I would not just yelp and go limp. I would yelp (loudly, in the pup's ear) and then stand up abruptly, tumbling the puppy onto the floor, and go into another room and shut the door behind me, and stay there for 30 seconds to a minute.

 

A time out in the crate is also a good thing to try. Puppies don't like to be separated from the person and the fun, so that is the best negative result you can use. If you stick around, allowing the pup to chew your pants leg and follow and wag and bark, the puppy is just continuing the self-reinforcing behavior. Remove yourself or the pup completely so that that cannot occur.

 

Please don't label your puppy as "stubborn". Remember, again,, that at this age a dog is only a baby.

[moosikins]

What a beautiful pup! Sounds like you got some great advice, good luck! With some consistency and time to grow out of the oh-so-cute rotten puppy stage, you'll have a really great dog soon!

[WickAndArtoo]

Gentle Lake's advice on the play biting is spot on, IMO. Just be persistent. It takes time for it to sink in that biting, following, etc. are not going to yield desired results. Persistence on your part and absolute consistency are key. I would not just yelp and go limp. I would yelp (loudly, in the pup's ear) and then stand up abruptly, tumbling the puppy onto the floor, and go into another room and shut the door behind me, and stay there for 30 seconds to a minute.

 

A time out in the crate is also a good thing to try. Puppies don't like to be separated from the person and the fun, so that is the best negative result you can use. If you stick around, allowing the pup to chew your pants leg and follow and wag and bark, the puppy is just continuing the self-reinforcing behavior. Remove yourself or the pup completely so that that cannot occur.

 

Please don't label your puppy as "stubborn". Remember, again,, that at this age a dog is only a baby.

We used the time out in the crate and it worked miracles. We didn't make it negative, if he bit we said "ouch" and put him in and left the room. We didn't make it a punishment or anything we just let him stay in there until he stopped barking and then let him out and said "good boy no barking" sometimes he barked for a half hour, but you just have to let them bark it out or you reinforce a bad behavior. Wick learned in just a couple days that the biting meant being separated from us and he totally stopped during normal times... Which was good because he was very very very bitey!! He still bit sometimes when he played, and you just have to be consistent... One day you wake up and they just "figure it out" just like all their puppy behaviors.

 

I agree with others, it helps no one to say your pup is stubborn even though it feels like they are they just haven't figured it out yet, they aren't purposely being stubborn. Plus at the biting age they are just too young to really get what they are doing.... But don't get me wrong I totally get where you are coming from... Wick was a real PITA as a puppy but all the hard work pays off lol.

[GentleLake]

I have tried the whole yelping and stopping the play, etc. She is just a stubborn pup I think because whenever I yelp and go limp she continues to bite and when I stop playing and walk away she'll chase me, tail wagging, and continuing to bite. And when I go where she can't reach me she begins to bark.

 

This is when you use the time out in a crate so she can't follow you and persist.

 

It's not stubbornness; it's persistence . . . which border collies are famous for. It's important to understand the difference. One sets you up for an adversarial relationship; the other means you have to outwit her and make sure she truly understands what you're trying to teach her, which at this point she doesn't.

[Dyeates]

Thank you all so much for the advice!

 

A new question:

 

How long did it take for your dog to heal after being spayed of neutered?

 

Thanks!

[gcv-border]

Your vet will advise you, but remember that it is not only the external stitches that need to heal, but the internal stitches too - particularly for girl dogs. I am not a vet, but most advice suggests at least a week of leash walking/no jumping or running - and maybe longer.

[Gloria Atwater]

For a very active dog, I'd say at least 10 days. You don't want to end up back at the vet getting stitches re-done ...

[Dyeates]

We actually had a vet appointment a couple of days later! He said the stitches looked fantastic!

[Dyeates]

I do have a concern.

 

Has anyone's border collie ever gotten aggressive as they got older?

 

Ailee is almost 4 months old and of course she play bites and things, but she seems to be getting aggressive. Particularly if she has something she knows she isn't suppose to have. For example, when she gets into my roommates dogs food and someone tries to take her away from it she snarls and bites harder than normal, not to me, but to people she doesn't know. Another example, today she had gotten hold of a paper towel I had on my dresser and when I tried to retrieve it from her she hid under the bed next when I tried to grab the paper towel from her she would growl and snarl and bite.

 

I do not want her getting aggressive at all. Does this go away with time? Is it a puppy thing? A border collie thing? What can I do from preventing it?

 

Also, she's getting big enough to stand up and grab things from the dresser or counter. What's a good way to prevent that? Grab her and say no and put her in time out?

 

Very new puppy owner here! I just want her to be happy and healthy and for her not to be aggressive...

 

Thanks!

[waffles]

Controlling the mind is better than physically controlling her. Teach her to do what you want-which is to drop the object she has. Teach a solid drop command and teach her to 'trade up', use videos on YouTube if you are not familiar with how to teach this. Of course, you want to start with lower value objects.

 

If people keep grabbing her collar or prying her mouth open or chasing her around, it just gives her more reason to guard what she has. It is confrontational to her. Once she knows how to 'drop' you can calmly ask her for what she has.

[Maralynn]

Yup. This ^^^

 

The first thing that I taught my pup was "bring" and I'd trade his something for whatever he had. It only took a week and he'd bring me all of his treasures to trade instead of trying to possess them.