Maltipoo Puppies?

Question

Hey, I just got a maltipoo puppie, he’s about 9-10 weeks old. He’s so freakin adorable, but he has the tendency to be VERY hyper and he bites EVERYTHING in site… even people! I try telling him “no bite” and all of that stuff, but it doesn’t work, he comes back like I’m playing with him even more. At first I thought it was just teething, then I thought that it was because a maltipoo is a maltese/poodle mix and from the poodles ive met before, they’re mean and snap a lot, and I figured it was the poodle coming out of him, but now im not really sure. Can anybody give me any logical answers or help me try to stop it? Im afraid when he grows up he’s going to get into the habit of biting people as fore myself and I don’t want that! Heelppp me please.

Answer 1

Here you go...

Puppy Bite Inhibition

Mouthing and biting is a normal part of being a puppy but is clearly unacceptable in an adult dog. Teaching bite inhibition is the single most important item for any pup. The pup must be taught to inhibit the force of its biting behavior so that it develops a soft mouth, and then to inhibit the frequency of its mouthing, so that the adolescent and adult dog learns never mouth or bite any person or their clothing.

The program outlined below is appropriate for puppies (up to about 18 weeks, with their first set of teeth) that have not yet learned to inhibit their playful biting. For this program, it is important that EVERYONE who interacts with your dog, (e.g. ALL family members and ALL other people) follows the same rules. Children should be closely supervised to ensure that they are following the rules too. Your dog must learn that he should not mouth or bite ANYONE.

This program is broken down into three steps, to be followed in order:

No painful bites.
No pressure with teeth.
No mouthing at all.
Make sure that EVERYONE who interacts with your dog follows the rules and that everyone is aware what stage has been reached. It may be helpful to put a sign up indicating what stage you are at so that everyone can be consistent with your dog. Puppies normally develop bite inhibition through interaction with their litter mates. When a puppy bites another puppy too hard, the second puppy will yelp and discontinue playing. In this way the first puppy learns not to bite so hard. When you take a puppy from its litter, humans (you) take the place of littermates, and need to continue the teaching.

1. No painful bites. In the same way you as humans must act like fellow littermate and let your dog know when he has bitten you to hard. You should yelp in order to startle your dog and then walk away from your dog and ignore him for about a minute. Ignore means no looking at your dog, no speaking to your dog and no touching your dog! If necessary you can leave the room for that minute (a ‘time out’) so that he has no chance of play biting you while you are ignoring him.

Dogs vary in their general sensitivity and it is important that you startle your dog APPROPRIATELY when he bites. If when you yelp your dog immediately comes back to bite you again then you are not startling your dog enough: Try a louder yelp or try shouting ‘ ouch’. Similarly make sure that you do not startle your dog too much. If your dog runs away and hides when you yelp then you are most likely yelping too loudly: next time try a quieter yelp.

2. No pressure with teeth (gentle mouthing only). Once your dog has learned that painful bites are unacceptable and has stopped doing them, you can progress to training your dog that any pressure of his teeth against your skin is unacceptable. Use the same procedure of yelping and then ignoring for about a minute.

3. No mouthing at all. Once your dog has learned that he should not exert any pressure with his teeth against your skin you can progress to training your dog that ANY mouthing at all is unacceptable.

Depending on the age and temperament/breed of your puppy, the time it takes to reach step three will vary from a week or two to a few months. Here are some guidelines to help speed the process along:

Never hit your dog (his nose or any other part of him) in response to his mouthing or play biting! Not only is this unnecessary but also it will likely encourage him to continue biting you, either in play or in self-defense.
Do not forget to provide appropriate chew toys and bones for your dog and praise him for chewing on these. In this way your dog will learn not only what is UNACCEPTABLE but also what is ACCEPTABLE in terms of using his mouth.
You may find it helpful to use a taste deterrent (available from pet shops) on your hands or clothing while you are going through this program. First make sure that the product is actually distasteful to your dog. (Some dogs like the taste of taste deterrents; cheap whiskey or Bitter Apple seem to work the best).
Once your dog has successfully completed all stages of bite inhibition you will want ensure that your dog CONTINUES to have good bite inhibition throughout life. Therefore it is a good idea to handle his mouth daily (open it and touch his teeth and tongue) and reward him for being gentle.

Good Luck!
Ms BG

Answer 2

Its good to be consistant in how you train your puppy not to bite but a 9 or even 10 week old puppy is still just a baby really. Just be patient he will learn! Good luck!

Answer 3

Hey don't fret too much. I also have a maltipoo and he used to chew on our fingers and everything in the house. He eventually grew out of it. Maltipoo's can be very hyper and energetic it's natural for them.

Answer 4

Puppy thinks he is PLAYING when he nips and grabs!!!

You need to stop it.

I just copied the following over from notes that I give clients.

______________________

You will hear some bizarre theories – and they don’t work in the long run.

Spraying stuff on your hands ....uhhuh....well.....and how long do you keep up smelling repulsive? Distract him?? for how many years?? Ignore him....what he is supposed to figure out that you are ignoring him because you are displeased with him and not because you are cleaning the house????? Cart some stupid bottle of water around and spray him.......yeah, uh huh.. ..for how many decades?????

I've gone out on lot of housecalls to stop the nipping chewing behavior of dogs nearly a year old because their owners did the 'distract them' or 'push them away' or 'just hold their mouth' shut nonsense. After doing all this futile and ineffective things, the dogs didn't quit (thought the people were playing with them) and the owners where pinched and black and blue.

It is NOT teething that makes him grab people and nip and chew - he is PLAYING

Puppies bite - that is how dogs and puppies play with each other. He thinks he is playing with you by mock fighting. Its a dog's favorite game - watch two good dog buddies ripping tearing rolling - and diving at each other and grabbing without puncturing. and chewing on each other.

You have to DO something about it.

Now what is really really neat is your puppy came pre-programmed to understand certain behavior as disapproval and approval. In dog language, behavior is communication.

In a group of dogs, if he nipped the leader and the leader was not amused, they would knock him over, grab the skin on his neck or the side of his face and pinch it without breaking the skin, and growl.

So do what they would do. That is something a dog understands instinctively. Lot of theories out there about yelping in pain and pushing him away (duh...that is what the dog who LOST the mock fight does and the winner is the boss now) or all this other stuff - but your puppy didn't read those books!

Step One: Learn to use your voice. Mot people either let their voice slide up in register or they sound futile and weak. You want to deepen your voice and sound like a drill sergeant. The word NO is basic to doggy manners (and people too.). The deep sound mimics the rumble/growl of the top dog. The oder the puppy/dog, the more marine drill sgt to your voice. With little ones at 2 -4/5 months, think of a voice more like a very strict study hall teacher in school/

Step Two: Do what the leader would does physically (well, mimic it - biting him wouldn't be fun.)

When he nips at you, roar NO in a deep voice, grab him by the collar or back of the neck, push him down and hold him on the ground and as you are doing that and snap your fingers on the end of his nose or slap his nose with your fingers. While you pin him down and get his nose, lean over him and keep saying BAD BAD BAD - do NOT let your voice slide up, make it deep. Make him look at you and keep eye contact – make your face stern and frown as you get after him.,


Step Three: when you let him up, you relax your voice and face and say "okay, now be nice" and let him come back over and get petted. (That is the postive part.) The more he settles down and gets petted without nipping, the happier your voice gets.

Get after him about EVERY SINGLE TIME - you must be 100% consistent.


Now when he comes over and snuggles and licks and doesn't nip, he always gets "What a sweetie", rub, pet, cuddle, and use a smile (they do watch your face – more than most people realize). And guess what? That is exactly how dogs express approval of each other!

By the way, many women in particular, but men do it too, have a real problem with voice control, When they get upset or frustrated, their voice go UP. The dog ignores them. In the pack, the boss dog or alpha uses deep tones (rumble in the chest, growl etc) to express displeasure and get compliance from the dogs lower in the pecking order. A dog making a high pitched sound (yapping, yelping - etc) is not only NOT going to get compliance with their wishes as they are percieved as ineffectual and the not-Alpha, not-the-boss but that it is giving an invitation to play.

Also, take him to some obedience classes no matter what his age if over 6 months. You get a nicer pet, they are more comfortable with the world and less fearful and inclined to bark at everything and they get the habit of obeying and you get some control..

Now you both need a GOOD obedience class when he gets to 5-6 months - and that is NOT Petsmart or Petco.

GO here to find contacts in you area that can help you locate and obedience trainer who works with all beeds and who does AKC obedience compettions:

http://www.akc.org/clubs/search/index.cf...

http://www.akc.org/clubs/search/index.cf... (set on all breeds)


http://www.akc.org/clubs/search/index.cf...

Even it they are an hour or more away, they will know other people all over the state.

Answer 5

I had the same problem. This is a great web site that really helped me out with my problem. It has a lot of great info. Enjoy and good luck!

http://www.pedigree.com/dogsAndPuppies/adult+dogs/behavior/training+tips/how+to+prevent+your+dog+from+biting.asp

Answer 6

Aw,c'mon!!!
The sort of MUTT/MONGREL you got has
absolutely***NOTHING*** to do w/it!!

***ALL*** pups BITE!!!
DUH??

They don't have HANDS *&* that's how ALL pups PLAY!

OF COURSE it thinks you're "playing back" w/it!! You're so SOFT & SCARED that you're doing EXACTLY the wrong things!!

lordy,lordy.....PLEASE!!! Talk to somebody that's actually*SEEN* a real live DOG,OK???

Do *NOT* squeal & yank your hand back! GRAB the pup by the scruff & "growl"your "no bite" command at it! REPEAT!!! REPEAT!! REPEAT!!!EVERY TIME!However many times PER DAY it takes!!!

Answer 7

maltipoo....why do people feel the need to make up fancy words for MUTT!!!!!!

Answer 8

...........because it is a PUPPY! DUH!!!!!!