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This is a forum for bonding with your fellow Dogsters about the traits, quirks and idiosyncrasies of your favorite breed. Please remember that there are absolutely no animal sales or requests for studding or breeding allowed on our sites. All posts and interactions should be in the spirit of Dogster's Community Guidelines and should be fun, friendly and informational. Enjoy!
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Dundee
Fundee Dundee! | 
 | | Barked: Wed Jul 15, '09 7:56pm PST | |  | |  | | Hello! We've had our ACD for a little over a month now. Before we adopted him from a shelter, we did our research on this breed. However, we had already fallen in love with him so there was no turning back! He's still pretty young (almost 7 months) and we know that he needs a ton of excercise. We've also started some basic "family dog" training classes that are going pretty well. However, we're very concerned about some random nipping. He's still play biting and it's getting better, but every so often he growls and nips at others. These are not strangers, it's people he's met multiple times. He'll be very excited when he first sees them and then after awhile (when he's calm and people are petting him) he will growl and snip at them. He's never bitten anyone, but we're concerned that it will happen. Some of the people this has happened to have been brave for us and would reapproach him after awhile so that we can try to figure out what's triggering this. They are never hovering over him and are often petting his back and chest area. Also, it happens when he is "free" and not restricted on a lead or in a confined area. Again, this is our first ACD and all the research in the world doesn't compare to real experience. Any and all advice would be greatly appreciated! Also, we've started to have people give him treats right when they start to interact with him, not much change. Everyone keeps telling us he's so submissive because as soon as you start petting him, he rolls over onto his back for you to pet his belly! Thanks in advance for any advice! |  |  | |  |
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Errinna
Errinna "lovable- redhead" |
 | | Barked: Fri Jul 24, '09 1:10am PST | | | | | | My red heeler had this same problem when we first got here, you said you got your baby from a shelter do you have any idea who owned him berfore? I ask because Rinna was a stray when we found her and the vet said becuse of her nervouse attitude especally around men that he suspected prior abuse. Does your baby act nervouse when people touch him? does he put his ears back?(this is a sighn of fear in this breed) Does he tend to stay close to you or against furniture or a wall when other people are around? These are all sighns of what my vet called "fear aggression" just a thought | | | | |
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Max
Intensely Fun |
| | Barked: Fri Jul 24, '09 7:54pm PST | | | | | | Max is a ACD mix, and really doesn't "love" being pet or snuggling, especially if he'd rather be playing. Maybe Dundee would rather not get all that attention. Anyway, when Max growls on occasion, I give him a very firm, UH,UH, not acceptable. For new people petting Max, I usually say they can pet only if he will sit. That usually cues the person to go slow. Keep working with him, your strategies sound good, it just takes time. Is he in obedience training? | | | | |
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Max
Intensely Fun |
| | Barked: Fri Jul 24, '09 7:58pm PST | | | | | | As for the nipping - if it's play biting/mouthing, I would overreact in pain (OWWW!) and say no bite, the shove a chew toy or rope in Max's mouth. He wants to mouth me but instead he licks me! (which led to the no licky-licky command!) | | | | |
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Dundee
Fundee Dundee! |
| | Barked: Mon Jul 27, '09 8:07pm PST | | | | | | Thanks for the responses! Dundee isn't much of a snuggler (he'd much rather be playing and does not let you take a nap unless he is!) But he LOVES to be pet! He gets excited and happy when people first come around (tail wagging, ears up, etc.) People will pet him for awhile and then he usually growls a little and then snaps in the direction of the person-he's never actually gotten a hold of anyone. Now, this past weekend, the growling has stopped and it's a quick nip w/ teeth showing. We've tried a couple different things when this happens. A stern "No!" is always consistent, and depending on the situation and if the person it happens to is nervous, we will give him a few minutes of time out in his crate. What we're so confused about is that he will always go right back up to the person that he just nipped at and rub up against them looking to be pet again. Everyone keeps telling me how submissive he is because as soon as you start petting him, he almost always rolls onto his back to have his belly rubbed. The play biting is quite annoying, but we know it's part of being a puppy and we keep working on it. The mean nipping scares us. While he's never done it to either of us, it tends to be males (only happened once to my sister-in-law and it was dark and she had a large sweatshirt on-possibly thought she was bigger then she is?) Also, it's with males that he's been around many times, not strangers. We are in an obedience class-week 4 is tomorrow and we discuss it every time w/ the trainer. Her idea is the time out for the play biting along w/ a loud "ouch" as others have suggested. She's trying to have us figure out what's setting the nipping off....we haven't pinpointed anything yet other than it's when people pet him after he approaches them "looking" to be pet (we think!) We love him dearly, but we're nervous that the time will come that he may actually bite someone. Thanks for any advice everyone! | | | | |
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Dundee
Fundee Dundee! |
| | Barked: Mon Jul 27, '09 8:13pm PST | | | | | | We know that he originally was brought to the shelter by an elderly gentleman who had supposedly gotten him from a friend of his that breeds ACD's. He brought him in because he had "too much energy". I think there's more to the story though. Unfortunately, we have no way of knowing. He was in the shelter for at least a month, so the man must not have had him very long. He's not timid and he accidently bit my side while trying to jump and eat his leash (another thing we're working on!) and without me saying anything, he stopped in his tracks and looked at me, as if he knew he shouldn't be biting me....but then again, I may be reading into it too much! I'm a softy for any dog, but of course even more for him since he's part of our family now! Is there a way to "reverse" his feelings if he's been abused? | | | | |
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Dundee
Fundee Dundee! |
| | Barked: Mon Jul 27, '09 8:18pm PST | | | | | | One more thing and then I'll be quiet! Dundee also puts his ears back when he appears "happy" like when we pet him or sometimes while we're walking outside (unless he sees a squirrel!) I had never heard that about the ears-we can tell moreso that he's about to nip because his tail goes between his legs-this happens after his tail is wagging and the same person is still petting him.... | | | | |
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Dingo
1064383 |
| | Barked: Fri Nov 6, '09 8:17am PST | | | | | | If it's generally in the same spot that he reacts is there something there thats painfull for him?
I would also give him a big NO! and stop with any attention so he understands that it is not acceptable to bite | | | | |
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