how can i stop this behavior?

Question

I have 11 week pitbull who always bites my hands, I grab his scruff and tell him no. that doesnt work so I push his nose down. I think hes trying to dominate me or something.This is very frustrating! I dont wanna hear hes a PITBULL!! I just need some advise how to stop him from bitting my hands.

Answer 1

This is an aggressive play behavior. Your dog thinks grabbing his scruff and pushing his nose down is a game, and an invitation to keep on biting. When he does this, yell OUCH and turn away. Refuse to give him attention for a few minutes. Dogs want your approval, they want to please you. When he realizes he's not making you happy, his behavior will change. Keep working at it. Puppies are naturally prone to biting games, but the older he gets and the more you work with him, the more mannered he'll be.

Answer 2

Your puppy just sees you as a litter playmate and simply needs to be taught that biting people is not appropriate. The puppy also doesn't know that the biting hurts you, so you have to teach him this. There are two methods you cam use to stop this.

1-When the puppy bites at you, gently grab the scruff of the back of his neck, shake lightly and say "No Bite". This is the same method a mother dog uses to discipline her puppies and will get your puppies attention. Mom did this to your puppy and you are communicating with your puppy in a way puppy understands. When your puppy relaxes in your scruff grip, this is a sign of submission and is what you want to happen--the puppy must become submissive before you release. Then praise the puppy for the good behavior. It's also a good idea to offer the puppy acceptable things to bite such as a toy and ofcourse, never use your hands as THE toy.

2-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. Puppy will begin to reduce the pressue of the bite using this method and eventually stop biting all together.

You have to be very consistent and never let the biting slide without addressing it or you will send mixed signals and confuse your puppy.

These methods were suggested by both my vet and our trainer. We have a Border Collie and nipping is an issue with this herding breed. We have been using these methods with really good results. Be patient, it takes time to teach your puppy and not all learn at the same pace, but if you are consistent, it will work.

Answer 3

This is a very common problem, that isn't really a problem, at all. Its a way to play for puppies. Puppies and dogs use their mouths the same way we and babies use our hands.

You see, in the litter, puppies will play with each by biting and mouthing each other, but sometimes, it gets a little out of hand. When one puppy bites another too hard, it will yelp really loud and run away. The puppy that did the biting must learn that if he wants to play with his littermate, then he has to be gentle.

Now lets take this understanding, and put it into our world. Your playing with your puppy, he is so cute, his tail is wagging, he starts to mouth, and then he bites a little bit too hard. As soon as he bites down, yell "OUCH!!!!!!!" and set him down on the floor. Do not say "no," dogs do not understand no, only that some day he will think is name is no. Use huh uh, or just hiss at them. That is more their language. FOr this we use ouch. Place the puppy on the floor, and walk away. This will end the play session. After 3-5 minutes, return to start a new play session, if he bites again, repeat the process, and end the session.

This is a proven technique that you can research. Check out a show called "It's Me or the Dog" with Trainer Victoria Stillwell on Animal Planet and also you can read a book called "The Dog Listener" by Jan Fennell.

Answer 4

The puppy is trying to get your attention. You need to break him of this imediately. The best way to do this is that when he bites you, you turn your back on him, ignore him, or walk away. Do NOT give him ANY attention positive or negative.

What he is learning is that if he bites you, you pay attention to him, even if it is a reprimand. If he learns that biting you gives the opposite of what he wants, then he will stop. You may even want to try "time outs" secure the dog on a short leash alone somewhere in the house without access to toys or people. This is also good for you, because sometimes you need a break as well. Don't yell at the dog, simply say "Time out" calmly, and then move him.

Of course, some people hit their dogs. This may work for some, but unfortunately you will end up with a dog that doesn't trust you, will be afraid to come to you when you call him, or may even become more aggressive in defense.

You should enroll your puppy in an obedience class. Great for the dog, and even better for you. Also, watch alot of the shows on Animal Planet for tips- "Dog Whisperer" "Its the Dog or Me", and there is one with monks that is good too. I watch with my dog, and he barks at the TV! You may even want to look into clicker training.

I have a Jack Russell, and even though they are a smaller dog, they are also a terrier like the pitbull. Same mind set only in a little dog. Terriers are stubborn, but if you remain calm and incontrol, and he will see you as the boss.

Overall, remember that rewarding positive behavior is the most effective tool in shaping your dog's overall obedience. Sometimes when I get frustrated with my puppy, after a time out, I will spend time working on tricks, walking him, and then reward with a good game of fetch. Plenty of exercise is the key. A tired dog is rarely going to challege you. Also, keep your dog a little hungry, and reward good behavior with treats. Make your dog earn everything you give him: treats, attention, affection, playtime, and toys. It works!

Be patient! The rewards are worth it! Good luck!

Answer 5

Somehow you have to :
1. let him know you're the boss
2. let him know that misbehavior won't be tolerated.
Some breed you can get by with verbal and easy going discipline. Other breeds are hard headed like my english bull dog.
1st and foremost DO NOT play tug of war with him.
2nd keep a choker collar on him at all times.
3rd teach him to sit and stay
4th when he's stubborn about misbehaving or trying to dominate then pin him to the ground by the side of the neck. Take care however to stay off of the wind pipe. (Despite what some bleeding hearts may say some dogs need this type of demonstration.)
5th teach him to walk on a leash properly..and EXCERSIZE HIM!
6th don't feed him before you eat. he eats when youre done, just like the aplha dog in the wolf pack YOU say when he eats
7th don't let him enter a room or go outside ahead of you. YOU go first.
8th don't use baby talk when giving verbal discipline. Say it like you mean it, without yelling.
9th don't give him affection if he's not being submissive.
10th it's okay to give an occasional food reward for good behavior.
11th make sure he remains submissive to all humans. You may need to keep him on a leash when company comes over until he can relax. Then see if he remains calm when you take him from the leash.
12th be consistant. and be the boss! even if he's biting your hand. Best to teach him to be submissive while he's a pup.
these are a few tips on how to get the point across to him that YOU are the boss. Again, make sure you give him lots of excersize.

Answer 6

He is playing the only way that he knows how... All puppies do this... and when you shake him, he thinks that you are playing... Which is good, because you don't want to scare him or hurt him.

What you want to do is teach him Bite Inhibition:

Bite Inhibition
Pits are very energetic and playful. You want to teach them to be obedient as young as possible. In this case, teach him bite inhibition:

1. When he nips you, then yelp ! This will startle him and he will back off. Pet him for stopping.
2. If he nips you a second time, then yelp again, and pet him if he backs off.
3. If he bites you a third time, then yelp, and turn your back for 15 seconds. Then turn and pet him. If he comes around before you turn and he licks you or barks, then he is apologizing. Accept this and pet him.
4. If he nips a fourth time (they can be hard headed), then yelp, and turn around for 2 minutes. Again accept the apology, if offered. If not, then turn around and pet him.
5. Finally, after the fifth nip, yelp, then get up and leave him alone. Don't move him or put him in the crate. Instead, you move to somewhere that he can't follow. After 5 - 10 minutes, you can return to him, or just leave him alone.
6. The next time you pet him, repeat the sequence, he should respond a little faster, and learn not to nip you after a week.
7. You can fine tune the process so that he mouths you or only touches you with his lips. I taught my dog to mouth me... I didn't have the patience to go further.

The reason for doing this is to train the puppy how fragile human skin is. When puppies are in the litter, they bite each other to play. If one puppy bites too hard the sibling will yelp. If the biter doesn't back off, then the injured puppy will not play, and all the puppies will treat hard biting in this way.

Most puppies want attention and will learn anything so that they don't lose your attention. If you learn this method, you will have a powerful training tool.

BTW, if you yell at him... he might bark back at you ! That's why you yelp, because he understands that.

Also, make sure that you socialize him with many other people, and when he has all of his shots (now ?), then socialize him with lots and lots of other puppies and friendly dogs, so that he will learn to be more gentle.

Answer 7

How long have you had your dog? Part of me thinks he's just being a puppy. He may be playing and doesn't yet know that it is unacceptable to bite while playing. It also could be done on accident (puppy is excited with his mouth open and he closes it, and oops...a bite). My advice would be to continue what you are doing. When he bites, grab his muzzle and shake and give a firm NO, then give him a chew toy (this must be quick and you must have one on hand so that he understands the relation between the hand and the chew toy), then turn your back and offer him no attention for like 5 seconds. Then go back to playing with him normally. It won't work the first time, but stay consistent. My dog used to bite me while playing and she doesn't anymore. I have tested this by placing my hand near her mouth when she's chewing on a bone and she knows not to bite.
Good luck and don't give up.

Answer 8

Alot of times, just a flick on the nose will do more than grabbing the scruff of his neck. Also, you can simply crate him when he does that. He will eventually learn that every time he does it, he won't get to play or have attention anymore. When dealing with domination issues, follow simple rules like, you always eat first in front of him, then he gets his food, he goes outside after you go through the door first, etc. It is very important to deal with these issues while he is still young, especially if he is a breed that is known to be aggressive. Thank you for not giving up, as so many other weak owners do. Check out this website for more information on tips for training your pit.

Answer 9

Here's something that I've always used w/ pups that seems to do the trick. When they mouth/bite at your hand, grab his lower jaw w/ the hand he's biting. Apply GENTLE pressure to his lower jaw with your thumb or whichever finger is being attacked--just enough that he is trying to pull away from you (you don't want to make his yelp or anything). When he is actively trying to pull away, say "Drop" or whatever command you want to use and immediately let him go. Then, make a HUGE deal about how smart he was to drop your hand. Pretty soon, he'll not only learn to leave your hand alone, but will also know the command drop. Good luck.

Answer 10

Next time he bites and you grab his scruff and "do something" like shaking him a little or rolling him on his back and holding him there until he submits by stopping struggling. If you're going to be a sissy about it he'll always dominate you. Dogs form their personalities in the first four months of their lives, this is the time for socializing and obedience training, not watching to see how he's gonna turn out.