Puppy biting - Page 1

Any suggestions on how to control puppy biting   Tried all kinds of things but its getting out of hand

Dee -

What are you plans with this puppy?  Showing, SchH., family pet?  Before I can give any suggest, it would be helpful to know.  If you wish, you can send me a PM! :)

How old is your puppy?  We currently have a puppy (4 months old) and he can definitely be mouthy.  What has worked best for him is taking two fingers and tapping him on the nose and saying "no bite."  You can also try taking the puppy by the scruff of the neck and doing a gentle shake, as well as saying "no bite."  It's important to have toys around that he/she can bite and chew because you want to re-direct that behavior.  It's not the biting that's wrong; it's what they're biting on that is.  Puppies explore though smell and also with their mouths.  They'll try to bite or chew just about anything so it's up to you to let them know what things they can and can't chew or bite on.  You can also set up situations were you know he/she is likely to bite and use a shake can when he bites, then when he stops, praise the puppy.  Try just one tactic at a time because you don't want to confuse the puppy.  It also makes a big difference how sensitive your dog is and his threshold for discomfort.  Some puppies you can tap them on the nose and that's all they'll need.  Other ones that are bolder you need to be firmer with.  Only you can determine what your puppy's overall personalit and temperament are.

I know that if you're getting into Schutzhund work, then you'd want to encourage biting through specific play training, but if you just have your GSD as a family pet or for obedience work, then you'll want to "nip" this behavior in the bud. 

Puppies do have sharp teeth, I know all too well.     I tell mine NO!  firmly,  my wife yipes!    We use toys and chew bones(rawhide).  Sometimes none of this works.  Mine has caught me off guard and gotten my nose and ear, I bleed like a stuck pig.   I have a couple of cures that sound crazy and everyone will think I am, but on rare occassions I will grab him after a nasty bite and bite him right across the nose hard enough he yipes.  Other times when he wont quit I will shove my finger all the way down his throat, he looks suprised and another dose he will set down and think what the hell was that.  It stops him cold.  then I wash the slime off my hand..lol    Heaven forbid you should ruin a Schutzhund prospect by making him stop biting, I dont know what difference it would make.  I just dont tollerate biting.  Pups will grow out of this in time if you dont bleed to death first.   I have also been known to lose it all together and grab said pup by the jowls and slam him to the floor and scream at him in so many curse words as I bleed. ...  Strangely at about four months he stopped on his own and rarely bites now accept in play where I expect it.   its a puppy thing to use teeth to get to know his world, its not meaness.

JMO.  

I should say with other pups in the past a firm NO! was enough.   It does depend on the pup.  

Hi all,

I have a 10 week old male puppy, specifically bred from strong workinglines and he really does bite hard, and shakes his head and pulls etc on bare skin aswell as clothing, push him away and he comes back even harder, although i dont particularly encourage this, i dont get on at him for it as its just part of him being a pup, i think it comes down to what you want the pup for..? In my case its schutzhund so i want the dog to feel confident in biting, whereas a family with or without children may not want a pup hanging off there clothes and biting them, so either way, i think its essential to first decide what you going to do with the pup. Being a family pet it certainly shouldnt be encouraged, even with my pup i like him grabbing  my clothes but when enough is enough i will let him know without having to be physical with him. Sooner or later i want to be directing him onto a tug though

All the best.

Lewis

Hi Dee,

Take your hand and cup the top part of pups muzzle like the mom does when the puppy
pisses her off, and squeeze gently until pup lets out a cry, and while you're squeezing the
muzzle say NO in a low voice, then puppy will start licking your hand, and you tell puppy,
good, good, nice!

Works for me!

I know everyone says not to dis-courage Schutzhund prospects from biting...but I, personally, think limits should be set, especially in the house with family members. Our dogs are smart enough to know the difference between bite training & chewing up the family! I use the finger down the throat method with a firm 'NO!', it really works! It's tough to stop them from nipping at ankles, though, my reaction time isn't quick enough anymore, And I used to stop my horses froming biting me by grabbing one of their ears & biting back! That worked, too! It sure surprised the hell out of them! jackie harris

Thank you Jackie,

And you know horse's too.    I always thought what an idiot when someone in a stable would say slam em up side the head with a 2x4..    Horse's know what a bite is and its always been my way as well.

Animals especially dogs know the difference.

Brent.

All my dogs went through that mouthy stage and I hated it. I would grab a tooth or tongue if they bit my hand.  No bite with a correction of a scruff shake would work with mine eventually.  I did have a toy they could chew, but be careful that you don't give them the toy after you do a correction for biting, because they can make a connection of bite-correction-toy and think the toy is the end result of the behavior.  My female took the longest to get over this behavior.  I always went to work or class with bruises from puppy bites, and they bit hard.  It does get better with age and training.  Remember, a tired dog is a good dog