Puppy Training?

Question

I just got my first puppy ever and am having a time of it getting him to stop biting me. He leaves my wife alone for the most part (she has had dogs before and has tried to coach me as to what to do but it doesn't work for me). he is a 3/4 Lab 1/4 wolf mix. Is there any training hints that you can give me to break him of this annoying habit as well as any other training tips or websites that have them. Thanks!

Answer 1

The KEY to training is Patience, Patience, Patience!!
Puppies have a short Attention Span which means it takes longer to get them to know what you want, and actually keep it down. You cant just teach him to sit and when he finally does it a few times, stop because you think he has it. It has to be in repetition.
Also, when training your puppy dont force him to sit down with you any longer then he wants to, Training is suppost to be a Fun, Enjoyable time not a Punishment.
If your puppy is biting you alot, then he is probably picked it up from his previous owners wrestling with him, or his Littermates, or even if you guys wrestle with him.
Right now he is a puppy so, he is still teething which means he will needs LOTS of different toys to chew on and play with, this might also help take his attention off you, to.
When he is biting on you firmly say NO! & Give him a toy he can chew and bite on, You need to make it clear to him that NO Chewing on mom or dad, only his toys & things he is given to play with.
It is going to take Time, Repetition, & Patience on your part to get him through his little biting stage! :)

Answer 2

Obedience training. The wolf in him is going to be difficult, but if you work with him and remember that by the time he's around two he'll be about as smart as a twelve year old child, you'll do all right. Wolves are smart, and need room to run.

I'm not sure that PetSmart or PetCo will let him into puppy training because he's part wolf, but you can always call and ask. If not, try the phone book for a dog trainer.

Give him something else, beside you, to chew on and when he does, reward him. When he chews on you, grab him by the scruff of the neck and say no in a firm voice, then give him a toy. Wolves, and dogs, are pack animals. Be the alpha male. Your wife sounds like she's already alpha female.

Whatever you do, don't give up on your buddy. Good luck, and I hope this helps. If not, check on the internet for wolf-dog rescues. He can't help what he is.

Answer 3

Clicker training is a great way to train a dog, but I'm afraid the first poster suggests using it incorrectly to correct your issue here.

It is normal for puppies to bite during play time and this is not any kind of aggression. They don't understand that our skin is more delicate and can't handle the bites they give out. It's up to us to teach puppy what hurts us and here are a couple good ways to convey that message to puppy:

1-When puppy nips at you, let out a high pitched "ouch" or "ow,ow,ow" in a yelp sounding tone (like a puppy would do). This is the way your puppy's litter mates let puppy know the bite was too hard. Most puppies will immediately stop biting when you do this as they realize they have hurt you now. Puppy will begin to reduce the pressue of the bite using this method and eventually stop biting all together.

2-When the puppy bites at you, gently grab the scruff of the back of his neck, shake lightly and say "No Bite". When your puppy relaxes in your scruff grip, this is a sign of submission and is what you want to happen. Then praise the puppy for the good behavior and offer a proper item to bite, such as a toy. This is the same method a mother dog uses to discipline her puppies and will get your puppies attention.

So many people expect dogs and puppies to understand us, but it's much better for us to understand their behaviors and address them in a way our dog/puppy understands. Both of these methods were suggested by our trainer and our vet and worked very well when our Border Collie was going thru the biting puppy phase (not to mention this breed is notorious for "nipping heels").

Either way you might try, you have to be persistent in addressing each and every single bite. Allowing one to go unaddressed can confuse puppy as to what you expect.

If you wanted to add clicker training to this mix, you would use it by clicking and rewarding when puppy is doing a behavior you want, such as playing with a proper toy with you and not biting at you.

Good luck!

Answer 4

i've had this problem with my puppy. he constantly bites me but leaves my fiance alone.

i've asked this question to the vets. The answer, "He's teething." Here are a few things I've tried, but my pup still does it:

1. get a bunch of different chew toys of different materials and textures. Also get some rawhides and bully sticks. Try not to get the raw hide that has the bally ends. I've heard a vet tech say that if you arent careful, the pups eat the ends and swallow it whole. it can get lodge in their tummies.
2. sour apple spray: they come in a variety of brands, i've tried all the 3 brands that were out there. Green, yellow label on white bottle, another one is called Yuck, and then there is one in a clear bottle with 2 collies in the front. it didnt faze my dog a bit.
3. Mix cayanne pepper and fresh ground pepper in a spray bottle, squirt your hands. This stopped my dogs in his tracks.
4. Time and lots of neosporene.

my pup will be turning 5 months in a couple of days. the biting and nipping have mostly stopped. I'm hoping by 6 months they will stop completely.

good luck to you.

Answer 5

You have a 1/4 wolf mix? Why did you get this dog?

You will need a special behaviourist trainer for any dog that has a two generational history of a wolf mix. The lab in him, will not help the situation.

Mouthing is typical in all canines. But in a dog living with a family, this has to be made understood that dog teeth on human skin is not acceptable. You have to train them to recognize this. If you leave it unchecked, it may cause a problem with a person, outside of your family, who does not understand dogs.

Please, get a trainer. You are going to need the wisdom of one, in the next 12 mos. The wild side of a mix, is always dominant.

Answer 6

The best way to stop this is to redirect him onto a toy or something he CAN chew on.

Grab his muzzle when he bites you and say "no biting" and then shove a toy in his mouth. When he starts chewing on the toy say "good boy!" and really show him how proud you are that he is chewing something appropriate.

Positive reinforcement is so much better than negative so make sure your "no biting" isn't too scary, just something to get his attention and make him stop.

Answer 7

Try a water gun with the clicker (even a snapple cap will work, can with change in it). The idea is whent the dog bites spray him/her with the water gun then say no. Right after use the clicker. Sooner or later the dog will associate the water gun with tthe clicker and stop biting strictly on the clicker sound. But you have to be diligent if you are not then it will NEVER work

Answer 8

What kind of coaching is she giving you?

Websites for help :
http://pets.groups.yahoo.com/group/spt/
Moderated puppy training discussion list. Takes just a sec to join, and many great trainers post to this list. Extensive FAQ - and only positive methods used.

http://www.clickertraining.com/
All of your questions about clicker training and reward-based training answered (well, as well as they can be on the web) Karen Pryor started training dolphins in the 60's and has used her 'clicker' techniques on many kinds of animals. Very helpful site!

http://www.clickersolutions.com/articles/index.htm
Melissa Alexander's site. Very organized, many great articles and many puppy-specific.

Good luck!

Answer 9

Hate the clickers!!! If you don't know what your doing then it's a nightmare for your dog and you!

Grab his muzzle gently and look him straight in the eye and say in a firm but not shouting voice NO BITE!
He's a pup so this may take awhile. He's picking on you more because he see you as more a playmate than your wife. It is normal for this to happen.

Answer 10

The puppy sees you as either a playmate or someone he can dominate. It's natural puppy behaviour, that's how they learn things from their mom. Be strong, when you tell him to stop, make him do it and sound like someone who is serious and deserves respect. Don't giggle or scream, a good strong firm voice. Take the scruff of his neck in your hand and turn him so he is looking you in the eye and tell him in a deep firm voice, NO. Give him something that he is allowed to play with, when he is, tell him he is good.