I'm glad the pup is staying with you and that you start training soon. Even if you learn nothing from training class, IMO the socializing is worth every minute. I'm sure Val will grow into a wonderful dog with an owner like you his is willing to look into what is best for him. Keep us updated! and tell us how class goes. Remember that if you are uncomfortable with what they tell you to do in class there are always other classes and other trainers, never do something you are uncomfortable with because you think you HAVE to or the trainer acts like he is holier than thou and calls you a weak leader, believe me it happens.
Keep us updated, remember to stick with the desensitizing, I think if every puppy owner would take a small portion of time everyday to touch their pup in "unnecessary" places (feet, open mouth, look in ears, check pulse in inner thigh, felt belly, gave a hug etc.) just once or twice a day without force but just in the course of a cuddle time so that it's pleasant, many bites could be avoided (and your vet would be thankful!). People never touch a dog's feet except to cut their nails, they get their ears looked in once a year, belly felt once a year and only get hugged when a kid comes up and gives them a squeeze. If a dog does not regularly experience these things he considers them a threat, it's a safety technique for wild animals that still exists in domestic animals: Unknown=dangerous. So your best defense is to make less and less things unknown to your dog.
Yes yelping works on some dogs and makes things worse for others. I found it worked WONDERFULLY on a Chow mix at the shelter but horribly with a Schnauzer mix puppy that my friend owned.
Bite inhibition is a great thing, like antipunt said. It is why I recommend people don't stop their dogs from mouthing right off. they let the pup mouth gently and stop the pup as soon as he adds pressure, this way the dog actually learns how to calibrate his jaw strength to what people can handle. he gains the information for how much bite pressure human flesh needs for a warning bite vs. a serious bite with intent to harm/kill. If you don't do this the dog must use the only bite information he has and that is how hard a dog can be bitten for a warning bite. A dog can be bitten a lot harder than a human and come out unscathed. A warning bite to another dog, when used on a human, can make a person bleed. So a dog who never learns what human skin can handle will be clueless as to how hard to bite if he ever feels he MUST bite (he is afraid he will be hurt/killed and must save himself) and will use a dog to dog warning bite on you (and if he's unsocialized to dogs/taken from litter mates too early he will give an utterly clueless bite, using no knowledge of any sort of bite inhibition even to other dogs) which may break the skin or at least cause bruising. if the dog did learn what human's can handle he will know how to bite you without causing damage (unless he intended to which usually only happens if the dog has some sort of psychological issue or is truly aggressive (temperament flaw), not just reacting out of fear/reflex) just enough to tell you to back off NOW.
Hopefully that made sense
I kind of just spewed it out.
Antipunt I'm glad things are going so much better with your pup, I remember you were having some troubles with the biting, it's great to hear that things are working and Wanta is growing up into a well mannered pup.
Keep us updated, remember to stick with the desensitizing, I think if every puppy owner would take a small portion of time everyday to touch their pup in "unnecessary" places (feet, open mouth, look in ears, check pulse in inner thigh, felt belly, gave a hug etc.) just once or twice a day without force but just in the course of a cuddle time so that it's pleasant, many bites could be avoided (and your vet would be thankful!). People never touch a dog's feet except to cut their nails, they get their ears looked in once a year, belly felt once a year and only get hugged when a kid comes up and gives them a squeeze. If a dog does not regularly experience these things he considers them a threat, it's a safety technique for wild animals that still exists in domestic animals: Unknown=dangerous. So your best defense is to make less and less things unknown to your dog.
Yes yelping works on some dogs and makes things worse for others. I found it worked WONDERFULLY on a Chow mix at the shelter but horribly with a Schnauzer mix puppy that my friend owned.
Bite inhibition is a great thing, like antipunt said. It is why I recommend people don't stop their dogs from mouthing right off. they let the pup mouth gently and stop the pup as soon as he adds pressure, this way the dog actually learns how to calibrate his jaw strength to what people can handle. he gains the information for how much bite pressure human flesh needs for a warning bite vs. a serious bite with intent to harm/kill. If you don't do this the dog must use the only bite information he has and that is how hard a dog can be bitten for a warning bite. A dog can be bitten a lot harder than a human and come out unscathed. A warning bite to another dog, when used on a human, can make a person bleed. So a dog who never learns what human skin can handle will be clueless as to how hard to bite if he ever feels he MUST bite (he is afraid he will be hurt/killed and must save himself) and will use a dog to dog warning bite on you (and if he's unsocialized to dogs/taken from litter mates too early he will give an utterly clueless bite, using no knowledge of any sort of bite inhibition even to other dogs) which may break the skin or at least cause bruising. if the dog did learn what human's can handle he will know how to bite you without causing damage (unless he intended to which usually only happens if the dog has some sort of psychological issue or is truly aggressive (temperament flaw), not just reacting out of fear/reflex) just enough to tell you to back off NOW.
Hopefully that made sense
I kind of just spewed it out.Antipunt I'm glad things are going so much better with your pup, I remember you were having some troubles with the biting, it's great to hear that things are working and Wanta is growing up into a well mannered pup.
