for more information on this topicThe Forum RecommendsHow To Stop Your Puppy Biting Hi so Hugo is 5.5months and is still crocopup tried lots of suggestions and nothing works other than crating him ( then barks) or leaving them room. It is beginning to really get me down and quickly kids (8&9) and husband are loosing interest and don't want to be with him so it's left to me and he is really strong and his bites really hurt ! Any further suggestions tried the tree pose etc distraction ( works for as long as the food lasts ...)
Hi - sympathies, Betsy got hold of my hand this morning with razor sharp teeth, and didn't let go! It seriously hurt! It will wear off, honestly it will - I'm telling myself.... After the hand mangling, I thought perhaps I'd try actively training her not to nip - so wiggling my fingers and giving her treats for not snapping at them etc. I tried one session, and it went well, but afterwards she was then a bit slow to approach my hand to take a treat. I had also been training leave it with food earlier in the day, so she was maybe thinking which game is this then? the one where I don't take the food or don't open my mouth near fingers or both? Obviously needs some refinement in order not to muddle the puppy!
I do think that active training helped me enormously. You can just put more thought into your actions than simply reacting to the puppy that is dictating the time and place - which may be hugely inconvenient if you have your hands full with something else (literally or figuratively). I'd like some thoughts on the method I used to do it, which was playing with Willow until she got too rough, then immediately stopping the game, and restarting once she was calm, generally after a few seconds. This worked really, really well (keeping in mind that she wasn't one to latch on and keep hold, or bite my clothing or legs anyway), but it does concern me that it could be seen as setting the puppy up for failure. I suppose that, if you build the time up so it's achievable and try to never get to the point where they're getting too rough, that's setting up for success, but I wonder if the puppy would ever learn that biting stops play, then?
Have a toy always to hand. Put them in the pups mouth every single time they try to mouth you. You have to be more determined than they are that they are going to mouth the toy and not you. It takes vigilance and dedication, but it's worth it! My three really were total flesh ripping crocodiles so I do understand. The worst of it will soon be over (promise).
It's not setting the puppy up for failure in the same way as setting a puppy up to get something wrong and then giving a verbal or physical correction, it's no different to picking up the zen bowl, dinner bowl etc when you up the challenge before the puppy gets the reward. No way I'd do it with Betsy though, it would be a blood bath! I pick her up out of her bed, and she does these sweet little grunting sounds, snuggles in close, I'm thinking aw...angel puppy and then she goes for my throat! Vampire puppy! I think Mags has probably got the answer - just never let them do it, and eventually they will stop trying.
Sorry, but ... You're permitted to respond in kind with my next puppy... I'm sure you'll remember, however far off that may be!!
I'm with Julie, snowbunny ~ letting them get too rough would have meant carnage. But Sparky, who visited on Saturday, would be fine with that approach, but he really isn't a properly dedicated crocapup. Some pups are real skin shredders lol ...
I don't really got any biting problems at home. Just when my daughter runs around with Millie's favorite toy above her head teasing her (sigh). My problem is when we walk she can think it's time to get a reward and nibble my legs until I stop and then she looks at my hands frenetically. She also started to be very big with taking her treats when we're out walking and she did very good to get a treat, takes my whole hand almost lol. I don't know how to prevent the nibbling in the legs but I started to treat her less, using more good Millie and pet her. Is that a good idea ? If I now ever dare to walk again, a neighbors dog came running out today with a cone on her head. She was very nice to Millie but this neighbor told me she's got a cone due to a big bernard running loose beating up other dogs, apparently already killed another neighbors dog so if I see a loose big dog I should be very careful and call it in so they know where to look. Makes me horrified since I'm usually alone with a dog and a stroller
Well, that's just got to stop. Betsy is a horror for this. I just stop, and wait. If Betsy continues, and I really can't stand there any longer, I reach down (carefully!) get hold of the fabric that Betsy is ripping to shreds, and with my hand in a fist, move it ever closer to Betsy's mouth, taking up the slack every time Betsy adjusts her grip. Eventually, the bundle of fabric is in my fist. Then I wait until Betsy gives in. Take a step, Betsy grabs on again...rinse and repeat. Increasingly, she is giving this up as a bad job. Sympathies if you are trying to manage this with a stroller! Any way you can walk Millie separately for a bit?
Hi Juliet, yes I'm trying very hard for my 2 year old to not tease Millie ( she only do it once in a while when she's over tired or jealous). Millie don't grab a hold of my pants , she just nibble on and off.. If she don't get what she wants she nibble harder and harder (sharp puppy teeth feels like needles). If that doesn't work she go in front of me and try to block me from walking lol. I only go with the stroller in the morning since my husband is at work then, after dinner Millie and I usually just take a shorter leg stretch with sniffing around a lot. Just because I mentioned this problem she has been good today. She usually do this more with me alone then if I walk with the stroller.
Don't have much advice but just wanted to say I know how hard it is being the sole puppy carer. I have to keep Molly and my 4 yr old separate most of the time at home, she rarely wants to see her anyway cos of her biting. Teenager has lost interest, again mainly due to biting. And I feel she's not actually that bad! Luckily OH is being more helpful again and will have a play or training session with Molly most evenings. Rest of time it's me! Xxx
I also feel your pain. Gunnar, now 4.5 months and over 40lbs, is heavily teething at the moment. I've come to the forum 4-5 times daily looking for help from others and always sign off with a smile knowing I'm not alone. He's not to much of a biter, but my granddaughter can really rile him up. He does nip at her when she squeals at him, but otherwise as someone mentioned I usually have a toy in hand just in case. Puppy classes start next week so I'm hoping to reinforce everything I've learned from all of you! Now if I could get my adult children on board! I think, no I know I would have lost my mind without all of you. Love, love, love this forum. Thank you all again.
Some small child training needed, methinks. The best book I know about it is '1 2 3 Magic' it works for parents teachers and grandparents. I have used its methods for my classes for years. When I ask for silence you can hear a pin drop ...
I feel for you @Hugo's mum I have been on my own most of today with my 4 month old crocopup, with the added complication that at the moment I am on crutches. OH had to go out early today and left Bailey with me - today so far he has been biting me, my clothes, my crutches - in fact an hour ago he actually ran off with my crutches while I was on the phone so I was stranded for half an hour until the OH came home (luckily Bailey decided to have a doze after running off with my only means of walking at the moment!). He is still hyper and has just bitten my finger and nose . OH is outside gardening but wont have the pup with him because Bailey tries to help by digging up anything and everything. If I wasn't on painkillers I would be having a VERY large glass of something alcoholic! Keep going, from what I read on here, it will get better
When Cooper was small we would say "No Bite" and stop playing. We would try the rope toys instead of hands also. Our other lab was more firm about it. I think pups can learn a lot being around well socialized dogs. Neither Cooper or Tilly ever bite now. They seldom mouth anything but other dogs, toys, sticks and food. Cooper is sometimes not as gentle taking treats as we would like
I've got a trainer coming Friday to try and work though some strategies for Molly and my 4 yr old to be in the same room together, hopefully she will have some good advice.
I hope this worked for you or you are in the process of getting it to work! We have Duncan in training twice a week every week for an hour long class with other puppies/distractions and he has been doing VERY well ! He is so intelligent and really does well in class and has been improving every week... however, his biting was SO much better for weeks but now I think because he is teething so much (one day last week he lost 2 teeth and the next day 2 more all in a row) the biting has started up again sometimes and it is almost always aimed at me since I am the primary caregiver and with him most of the time alone.. he will try and nip my brother, mom, husband, etc. sometimes but not how he comes after me and relentlessly tries to bite into my arms which were just starting to completely heal before he started up the biting charade again I am going back to always having a toy in hands to give to him when he goes for me, but even all the suggestions the trainer has given me for the jumping up (grabbing things off the counter and other surfaces that he isn't supposed to have and where we had been putting things so he could not get them and now he is getting big enough he can get most of them ) and the nipping have not been working - the trainer last night even gave me the same suggestions for "OFF" and Duncan definitely knows what OFF means but seems like he purposely puts his paws up on the counter to get me to say off and get a treat... little devil and if I am not paying enough attention to him (so he thinks) he will go around the room just looking for things to get into or tables to jump up to and grab things off of that he isn't supposed to have... this combined with the biting = me very exhausted at the end of the day haha I hope the biting stops again once he is finished with the teething... the only thing that ever worked for us was popping him in the crate if he was frenzied biting and wouldn't stop, leaving the room and only returning once he calmed down after a couple minutes, or swapping a toy ... standing like a tree definitely did NOT work he would just jump up at my back and bite the backs of my legs/butt hahaha
So I am so not going to be much help but can tell you our experience! We are having the counter issue big time and I would not give him a treat for off. It is teaching him that jumping up gets his a treat. Our puppy class trainer says nothing on the counter. Nothing... if he jumps up and is rewarded one time by snagging something he has hit the jackpot and even one reward out of 10 tries is worth it. What else does he have to do anyway. So I guess that is part of the solution, other things to do in the kitchen and no access to counters when you aren't ready to keep him down. Ice cube hockey is big for us. He loves an ice cube and I can kick it around as I work. Don't step on it! Another suggestion is to leave a thin leash on in the kitchen and being able to give it a short pull and down, when he goes up...idk but I am trying that too. On the biting. we are so familiar with that! My other post was the frenzied biting post. Our dog is just over 4 months and it has been just relentless biting. This is biting and not nipping! Pants leg biting is more just a bid for attention and we just immediately get up and leave for a couple minutes. Over and over sometimes. As soon as he lays down, treat. Anytime he is laying down and calm, treat. If I am petting him and his mouth opens, I get up and stop. It is getting BETTER! I can pet him for 5 minutes sometimes now with no bites. We are starting to be able to play and although I am alert to his starting to want to bite, we have longer periods of him playing. If he starts zooming around I get up on something. Its not over by any means but I can see some improvement and sometimes I see him go to open his mouth and then think about it and decide not to.YAH! That is when he is thinking clearly which isn't all the time! He is independent and strong willed but will be a great dog, if we all live that long.
HAHAHA yes! I am trying all these suggestions! Thank you! A neighbor told me about the leash on inside for "off" - so we are trying that as well as some other suggestions given to us 2 days ago from the trainer we have been going to ! Duncan is a very strong willed little guy and most of the common suggestions for biting and other bad behaviors that people and trainers have suggested do not work with him (like when the trainer suggested a sort of "chopping gesture" over the head of the puppy if they jump up on something that usually works with all puppies and didn't phase Duncan at all) , so the trainer has had to come up with alternatives for him and really think about what to suggest! haha oooooh Duncan keeping us all on our feet! And yes, yes I remember your post about the biting and Duncan did get sooo much better after 4 months - at one point was literally not trying to bite me at all for a couple weeks - but he is back at trying to bite me during his "puppy zoomie" periods of the day (he is 5.5 months now) first thing in the morning and around 6pm at night and part of it I think has to do with how many teeth he has falling out / coming in at the moment and even though I give him ice cubes, frozen kongs, freeze other rubber toys, etc. for helping ease his discomfort of teething, it has made him start biting me again, which I thought he was finally over! The past couple days I have started to leave the room again for a minute if he starts to try and bite me and it is again getting better... so I will just keep doing what works until he again stops biting for the second time around!
