Puppy Biting???

Question

I got a puppy about 4 months ago, he is a lab/hound mix. Some type of hound anyway is what the vet thinks. Well he is doing great as far as potty training and listening, however he has a biting habit. He mainly does it when he plays, but I want to teach him to stop all together, I know some of it is him teething so I got him some rawhide and pig ears to chew on. How do I get him to stop biting when he plays, if I say no he will stop but only for a little bit and then start right back up..lol i think that is the lab in him. But any advice would be great!

Answer 1

We also have a lab/hound mix dog that we got as a puppy. He is a great dog! We had the same sort of problem with him when he was little. We were instructed by our vet to hold his muzzle (not hard so it hurts, but so he can't bite you) and say no. Hold his muzzle until he sighs then let go and say "Good puppy." and give him lots of love.

What the dog does when he sighs is his way of showing submission to you the "alpha-dog." At first we got him to not bite to us, but then he would still bite at our 5 year old. What we would do is hold the dog's muzzle and have our son put his hand there as well. Then we would let go and let our son give the dog love and affection. It was very effective and not harmful to the dog at all.

It was a lifesaver for us and we don't have any more problems with biting. He is such a loveable and snuggly dog! We couldn't imagine life without him!

Answer 2

Puppies do that....and I'm sure he will grow out of it. That, however, does not mean you should not reprimand him when he does it.

What I have done and it has worked quite well is after i say no I do not play with him for a bit. I discontinue any interaction with him for a bit. As a puppy he obviously loves to play and this will bother him. It will take a few times, buit he'll get the hint that biting will mean a stern reprimand and no more play time and
he will stop.

Good luck, I hope this helps!!

Answer 3

We have a 4 month old pup with the same problem and this is what our trainer suggested to us...

When the dog bites, we grab her gently on the scruff of her neck and tell her "no bite". When she stops we release her scruff and praise her for doing as asked. It has worked very well for our puppy. Utilizing the "scruff" of the neck is the same way a mother dog disciplines her puppies when they are out of line. So in essence, you are speaking to your puppy in a language it totally understands.

The other thing is consistency and persistence with this. You have to be vigilent and do it each and every time. Skipping it on occasion will only make it take long to get your point across.

Another thing is to let out a high pitch "ow" or "ouch" (similar to a puppy when it gets hurt and yelps) when the puppy bites. This is how puppies tell each other what they are doing is hurting and the puppy will adjust the strength of his bite as he doens't mean or want to hurt you, merely play.

You should never have to be harshly physical with your dog as hitting them or man handling will result in them fearing you and/or your hands. This can cause a world of other problems later down the line. Grabbing the scruff is to be done gently and intended to get the puppies attention and indicate you are not pleased with what he is doing.

Answer 4

Play biting is common in most puppies and most will grow out of it as they get older.
You need to let hiim know that is is not going to be tolerated by you and it is unwanted behavior.
When he nips firmly but gentley grab his muzzle and hold it for a second. Tell him NO BITE and then let him go.
If he continues to nip grab the muzzle and flip him on his back while holding his nose. Tell him no bite and hold him for a minute and then let him up.
Most get better as they get older and they learn you are not going to tolerate this type of behavior. Puppies play with each other like this and it is just what they do.

Answer 5

How to stop your puppy from biting:

play with him, and as soon as he starts to mouth, in a firm, sharp tone, say" A A". Stop playing with him IMMEDIATELY. When he stops mouthing, Immediately click your fingers and reward with food and LOTS of praise.
He will soon realise that playtime lasts longer when he doesn't mouth.
He will also soon realise that good behavior will give him the click sound of your hand, and a reward will be given.
You can use this method with all aspects of training, and get yourself a wonderfull puppy.
Maybe if you start to introduce scent- training and retrieval, to see which breed is more prominent in your pup, and then start to exercise him with the breed in mind.

Good luck with your boy and have fun.

Answer 6

He will eventually grow out of that but until then, when he bites, kind of hold on and squeeze a bit, he wont like that and will remeber that after awhile, to his mouth that is, open aor closed whatever, he wont like it. Speak firmly and loud when you tell him no at the same time you are squeezing. Good luck!

Answer 7

Be consistent.

If you're playing and he bites, say no. (You said he stops for a while.) If he starts again, say no again.

It's training. Just like teaching him to sit or stay, you have to do the same thing over and over.

Answer 8

It's a big part of the puppy stage. He will not bite when he gets older. He's just being playful

Answer 9

Its just a puppy thing, just keep saying no when he does it and it is a stage he will grow out of. Don't worry....

Answer 10

He is a puppy now. Thats what they do. Whatever you do, do let him bite you and think its ok. Good Luck!