Re: Biting Hi Phoebe is now 5 and half months and I can't believe I am able to respond to this saying "it will get better, just give it time"!! That is what everybody said to me a few months ago when I came on here to discuss her biting and I just didn't believe it would ever stop and even started to question whether I had an 'aggressive' puppy!!! Phoebe hardly ever bites now and when she does she stops as soon as you say "no biting". When things were bad we tried everything and to be absolutely honest nothing really worked. Saying 'ouch' / yelping like a dog did nothing. Turning your back and removing attention was impossible as she just bit you from behind!!! The only thing that helped was leaving the room for 10 seconds or removing her from the room for 10 seconds - it just gives you the opportunity to breathe / calm down and break the cycle. In the end for us I think she just grew out of it rather than us solving it, but the important thing is it did get better, so hang in there!!!
Re: Biting Chiming in as well. My Bailey is 8 months old now and never bites. She was maybe 14 weeks when she stopped. I remember nights just crying because I thought I had made a mistake getting her she was so "agressive". If she bit and I reacted she would come back at me with a wildness that I am embarrassed to say scared me. I mean, she was the size of a teddy bear and twice as cute. Snarling and snapping. She ripped my finger open almost to bone trying to steal a toy. I had wounds every day and people were asking what happened to me all the time. Swapping out my hand in my lap for chewies or separating myself from her eventually stopped it, but harsh words or tapping her on the nose made her scared and more frenzied, so I second all the great advice found here. Fear would only make her worse I found. You will have a cuddler in no time.
Re: Biting [quote author=star.lily link=topic=9967.msg144964#msg144964 date=1424524902] I feel pretty terribly now. [/quote] Don't ever feel terrible! The fact that you asked the question and are on this forum shows what a good puppymum you are.... you care, and you want to do it right. You should feel proud, not terrible - your little boy is going to have a lovely life with you. I've no advice to add, really - except that when Pongo was going through the crocodog phase (ouch) one of the best games was the old towel - especially when he came in from the garden all wet. We'd play 'toreadors' with the towel, he'd attack it, the towel would wrap him up and play-wrestle him on the floor and get him all dried off while he chewed on the towel instead of on my hands! The towel game is still one of his favourites (we are on our third towel now....) For us, the absolute best thing to do when he nipped was to yelp and turn away and IGNORE him completely - not even eye contact. The message was: "that is a really boring game and it hurts and I am not going to play with a puppy who does that". It didn't take long for Pongo to figure out there was no reward in biting.
Re: Biting I completely agree with you, Jo Parker! Hamilton turned 5 months old on the 14th and that was the day it had occurred to me that he had pretty much stopped biting! At first I thought Hammie was aggressive and very different than the other pups I read about because he groweled, but turns out IT RREALLY DOES GET BETTER ;D. No amount of people could reassure me at the time. And like Jo Parker, I never thought I'd be saying it gets better hehe. We gave Hamilton tons of time outs. As soon as he would bite we would say "time out!" and put him in an empty room for a few minutes. Some days it seemed like he was pretty much in a time out all day, and my arms looked like I stuck them in a goody bag full of barbed wire! Now he has gotten to the point where he just puts his mouth lightly on my arm and it kinda tickles, and I can say "Time out!?" and he will instantly stop. I also find time out works well with lots of other naughty things he does Kelly had just received his fireman's training completion diploma...Hamilton ate it. He got a time out haha! With the growling, he growls when he plays! And boy can I get him riled up in play growls, but as long as he's wagging his tail and quits when I quit, I have no problem with his play growl! That's the only advice this first time puppy owner has! Hope it helps a little :-\
Re: Biting [quote author=Rosie link=topic=9967.msg145335#msg145335 date=1424706653] [quote author=star.lily link=topic=9967.msg144964#msg144964 date=1424524902] I feel pretty terribly now. [/quote] Don't ever feel terrible! The fact that you asked the question and are on this forum shows what a good puppymum you are.... you care, and you want to do it right. You should feel proud, not terrible - your little boy is going to have a lovely life with you. [/quote] I completely agree with this. Anyone who takes the time to seek out good advice is someone who cares about their pup and about bringing them up in the best way.
Re: Biting You are all amazing. The support and understanding on this forum is unmatched. Things have gotten soooo much better. Usually when he starts to get bitey with me, I either give him a toy and if he's persistent I turn around and ignore him and it breaks the cycle. We say thank you!! https://www.dropbox.com/s/bvchjidx4zcp8kb/Luke1.JPG?dl=0 https://www.dropbox.com/s/pu6jdpatzoo4cyh/Luke2.JPG?dl=0
Re: Biting Oh you beautiful boy! I love those great big puppy ears! Hang on in there, star.lily - it does get better! I predict that in a few weeks you are going to be on this forum giving advice and comfort to more new puppy parents who are at their wits end... just like I was this time last year (almost exactly, in fact - this time last year Pongo had been with us just two weeks and my hands were in shreds...) Rosie
Re: Biting [quote author=star.lily link=topic=9967.msg145539#msg145539 date=1424793250] Things have gotten soooo much better. Usually when he starts to get bitey with me, I either give him a toy and if he's persistent I turn around and ignore him and it breaks the cycle. [/quote] Marvellous! Enjoy him - they grow up so fast!
Re: Biting Totaly normal & please be assured he will suddenly grow ot of it. One day you will realise you have wierdly cut & graze free hands & arms.
