How do I stop a two-month old puppy from biting?

Question

My puppy is a Malchi (mix breed of maltese and chihuahua) and she is constantly biting. I offer chew toys but she ignores them--she prefers slippers and socks. When I try to take away whatever she's biting, she growls or attempts to bite. I try to re-direct her attention to another toy or even a treat but she goes back to whatever she was chewing so after. What now?

I try saying "no" whenever she bites something other than her toys but it doesn't work. Lightly punishing her seem to make her angry.

Answer 1

sometimes ligh punishing is not enough
Let her know who the boss is.
Ideally is when u punish in begining 1.5 to 3 months
For such dogs one man Dog policy is necessary
Cheers!

Answer 2

It sounds like you are doing a good job with providing your puppy with alternative choices and redirecting the behaviour. Obviously if you aren't removing objects that can be chewed from the dogs reach she is going to go back to it. Anything you think she could be interested in chewing should be out of her reach (shoes in the closet with a door closed, slippers away, socks in the hamper or drawer). She is not going to learn if they are readily available to her when ever she wants.
I am however more concerned that she is growling and attempting to bite when you try to take something away from her. This is a sign of dominance in a dog. You should have the right to take anything away from her including food, toys, bones. I would highly recommend seeking professional advice from a trainer. In the mean time practice offering her things by feeding her one kibble at a time in her bowl. Also, keep her toys in your control, so that you offer her the toy or bone rather than her finding it on her own. This way she learns to respect you as the "giver of great things"!
Best of luck with her!

Answer 3

Its a personality quirk of Chihuahuas. to growl, snap and bite when you try to take something away from them that they are eating or playing with. I don't think that you can intimidate them very much so shouting with them only makes them bark back at you. I like pennies in a can to shake at them to catch their attention while you correct their behavior. Sometimes a spray bottle and water will make them stop. But if they are feisty, all I can say is try to calm them down, put them on a leash and correct the behavior to the behavior you want to see. Training should take place every day at the same time, it should always be loving, kind and directed.

To me, chewing and biting is a no-no and is not to be tolerated by the pets in my home, once they understand the level of respect demonstrated by the master, they will usually fall in line behind the alpha-dog, (that's you.)

Answer 4

She has adopted these slippers and socks much like some dogs adopt little stuffed animals. Let her have them, play with her with them, always letting her win, try to teach her that growling at humans is not okay. Keep all the shoes, socks, etc. that you don't want chewed on behind the closet door.

The dog seems adorable, but very strong personalitied. I would recommend a dog trainer early on so that she learns to obey your commands, not her inclinations.

Answer 5

puppies are way more sensitive than older dogs. punishing them for something that is natural is not a good thing.
when you observe how puppies play together, when one bites to hard you will hear a squeal. this was a loud and clear message of something called bite Gage, and they learn it from other dogs.
when she bites down with those sharp little puppy teeth, say ouch in a high pitched voice and walk away, ignore her for a few minutes. go back and try to play again. if she does it again do that same thing. consistency is a big part of what you do. once you find something that looks like its working, stick to it.
i did this with both of my now big dogs and they dont bite even when playing.
hope this helps.

Answer 6

first of all, you are the master. does you dog know that? i didn't think so. when she does that biting stuff, lock her up in the kennel. it's kinda like time out for dogs. my bloodhound had that problem with my wife. i actually just started a group on yahoogroups that talks about that very subject. he got locked up and he wouldn't come out till he quit whining. also, i learned this the hard way, put the dog on her back and hold her there until she stops moving. she is trying to be the dominant one between the two of you. straddle her and hold her paws down (not all the way down of course) and when she stops squirming, you have dominated her and she will stop. be very patient because it will not stop it after the first time. give it a few weeks. if it persists, consider obedience training. that works wonders believe it or not. i never believed in it but when i tried it, it was awesome.

Answer 7

Scruff her, give one good shake and say NO! with a very loud assertive voice. Also teach your dog tricks when it's dinner time, make them do tricks for their dinner. Then they associate you as the person that controls wether or not they eat. Simple tricks like sit speak and lay down work well, as they are easy. if all else fail roll the dog on it's back and grab its throat. Do not choke the dog just grab it by the throat firmly they do this in the wild to establish dominance. it works well. There are several little tricks but these should help you a little bit

Answer 8

She's a puppy, they chew up everything. Best thing is to keep everything you don't want chewed up out of her reach. Supply her with lots of toys to play with and chew on. The dollar tree store has lots of things for dogs. My 7 month old pup is still chewing things up but it's mostly just toys I've given him to chew. He also loves to chew up cardboard - like empty paper towel rolls, or small boxes. The more you supply to chew the less things she will try to find. Good luck!

Answer 9

You have a dominate female on your hands and you better start now to show her who is boss. Body language is huge. Stand over her and get in her space. She should back away or at least avert eye contact if she doesnt see a trainer asap. Be strong and consistent. Just because she is cute and probably the cutest thing in the world do not back down.

Answer 10

Unfortunately puppies chew everything. Take something that she has already chewed, like a shoe or sock, and put something on it that she won't like the taste of. She won't go back to chew if she knows it tastes bad. My parents did this years ago with a puppy of ours, I think they used Tabasco sauce. At any rate, he stopped the chewing.

Answer 11

when our golden retriever puppies nip or growl we grab their mouth gently and tell them no bite and if they keep on we use grannicks sour apple (at Wal Mart for $5.00) start on the nose then if that doesn't work try the mouth. It works real well. Also, try Sour Appling the thing she's chewing. Good luck!!