Funny but not...what to do?

L

lawsjl

Forums Regular
Hello All,

This may be a first as I can't seem to find any information on it anywhere. Ready....

My 10 month spayed female loves to use her little front teeth. She pulls threads on her bed, the carpet and my sons leg hairs. He normally hangs around the house in shorts and she is right on him pulling his leg hairs. It is hard not to reinforce the behavior by not reacting because it hurts him. He is 17 and has rather hairy legs. OUCH!!!!

More than that, when he gets up to leave the room and go upstairs she is right behind him and growls....It is a very mean growl that I have never heard out of her except in this instance. It is like a wolf growling...yeah that bad.

HELP!!! I have no idea how to handle this. :no:
My son loves to play with her, but lately has been avoiding her due to her attacking his legs and being really mean sounding when he leaves the room. Yikes...she is a little bugger!

Help,
Lisa and Phoebe the wicked hair puller :yes:
 
Well its sounds like you have two adolescents in the house.

I would redirect Phoebe's mouth onto something else everytime she attempts to pull at something. Some shelties do seem to have an oral fixation (my male does), but also adult teeth are often still settling into the jaw in adolescence. When he is excited my male likes to have something in his mouth - which used to be my trouser legs or ankles if I didn't have trousers on. So at home I redirected him on to squeak toys and outside onto a stick if I had nothing else around. He will now look for a squeaky or stick first when he gets excited. You could also teach her tug if she likes pulling on things.

For the growl, it could be a play growl. My dog's pretend they are big ferocious wolves when they play. She may be doing it to stop him from leaving, it can be instinctive for a sheepdog to want to keep their flock together. Are you in the room when this happens? Cleaving a short or snub lead on her for a while (I just cut an old leash short) and grab it when your son leaves the room so she can't go after him. Don't worry about talking to her and giving her any other attention, just grab her. If she is already after him grab her and lead her in the other direction. You want to stop her rehearsing the behaviour. You can offer her alternative behaviours like sitting at your feet, or 'look at me'.
 
Well, your son couold always spray bitter apple on his legs. :lol:

Seriously, many Shelties are nibblers -- I have two of them out of my four. But I agree that the hair nibbling and growling must be stopped. I'd recommend a water squirt bottle coupled with a firm (but not mean) "NO."
 
teach her behaviors you want to see-tugging, chewing appr chewies even if cost you fortune you might consider investing in LOTS of chewies around the house. Hold her collar if nothing else when you son leaving the room or tether to yourself etc.
They are puppies they need to chew or shred.
 
Me too

My Berkley chews on my boyfriends arm and leg hair, too! He uses his front teeth and pulls on blankets if we are under them on a daily basis as well. My last Sheltie was the same way so I figure it's a Sheltie trait. Berkley also follows and sometimes growls when I leave the room. I have began keeping small snack size bags of training treats in all the rooms and by the areas he is having issues with being anxious. When I am getting up to leave I grab a few treats and throw them in the opposite direction I am going. He gets distracted and does not get so upset. He is starting to catch on and is calmer now than before.
Monica and Berkley (1 year old)
 
Wow it must be a trait...

Phoebe is exactly the same. Loves to pull on anything she can get her front teeth on. I have diverted her from many of them with success.

I guess we should be happy it isn't our arms and the guys legs!

Got to love the shelties!!
 
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