My 6 week old puppy is biting quite nastily, help?

Question

I have a 6 week old pup, i know biting and mouthing is normal for a pup but he starts to go for my face and growls agressively, i have read up on techniques to stop this but nothing seems to work, if i say "no" firmly he gets even more angry and goes to bite anything he can get hold of on me, if i walk out of the room and leave him, i come back in to stroke him and he will start again, if i pick him up he growls and barks at me and goes for my face, i can see the anger in his face as he goes for me, the thing that is worrying me is he dosnt seem to do this with anyone else he has been introduced too, just me, he mouths like normal with other people dosnt get angry like he does with me. What can i do? Im starting to think he just dosnt like me

Hello again, to those people who have said, hes to young to be taken away from his mum, i know this, but the only reason i did take him was because the owners seperated the pups from there mum and left them outside in box, so they wasnt being fed from there mother (or anyone else) so the mum and pups never bonded.
For the first few weeks the vet told me to bottle feed him with welpi pup milk every 3 hours, he took to the bottle very well and had no problems.
I have lots of different toys for him and a kong also, all the techniques dont seem to work he just gets more aggressive along with growling.
Thank you for all your advice most of the responses was very help full. Hopefully he will stop biting with abit of patience and work. Thank you all again

also when i got him home i noticed he was riddled in fleas (terribly) so i took him to the vets straight away, iv been getting him weighed as he is so young and hes doing really well, also all the fleas have gone too

Answer 1

Don't give up! Yes, his mom would now be teaching him to curb his biting if he was with her now, but you've explained there's a good reason why he's not. Credit to you for taking him in and not letting him out there to starve. One of my dogs was a similar situation. 10 pups in a box on the side of the road in middle of nowhere, middle of the night. 5 weeks old. Thankfully someone caught them all (they were stumbling thru the woods all around the box) and brought them home. They're all much better off now than with a person who would do such a horrible thing.

If you think his teeth are bothering him and he's not interested in his toys, take a clean wet washcloth and tie it in a knot, then freeze. It will lessen the pain in his gums, and give him something to gnaw on besides you.

If he's looking angry, it's probably just his teeth hurting and he doesn't know how to make it stop. He doesn't dislike you....but you do need to let him know who's boss, and what behaviour is acceptable or not. Even at 6 weeks old.

Answer 2

I have been through exactly the same thing with a puppy I kept from my last litter. Every time he saw me he would just leap at me and attack me in a frenzied state. My arms were bruised all over with his continual biting. His litter sister is completely different. I think it was an 'attention thing' with him. He was just desperate for me to make a fuss of him.

I used to fold my arms in front of me when I entered the room and give him no eye contact whatsoever. Every time he leapt up at me I just turned my back on him. After a while he started to get the message and as soon as he calmed down I would then stroke the back of his neck gently and tell him what a good boy he was.

He is now six and a half months and has calmed right down, in fact he is now a pleasure to live with.

I don't think it's anger you can see, just that he is desperate for you to play with him and make a fuss of him. It is a puppy thing and he will grow out of it. He is still very young and at this age he would normally be sparring with his litter brothers and sisters so he regards you as a litter mate and wants to do the same with you.

He will also be a little crazy because he is cutting his teeth and this makes them a little frantic. Get him a large smokey bone to gnaw on or a Kong and fill it with some kibble so he can work out his frustration on something other than you.

Good luck.

Answer 3

i have had both dogs and cats do the same thing
with both of them, *if they are small enough* once he starts doing this you want to wrap your hand around his muzzle and sort of pin him down and firmly say "no biting" holding him down for a few seconds then let him back up and if he does it again, repeat. Make sure that you are slightly above him without trying to make him feel threatened. When you speak to him look directly at him without shifting your gaze, this shows him that you mean business and are in control. Once he stops and is quite or is licking you, give him a treat and say "good boy" and scratch his ears or pet him. I also recommend a manners or regular obedience class, preferrably a private one if he hasnt had all of his shots or is agressive with other dogs as well as you.
Also, if you are the one that feeds him (as well as is training him), over time he will learn this and become very attached to you
Once you see a GREAT improvement in his behavior i strongly recommend socializing him with other dogs and people so he learns that they are no threat to him. (however i do not recommend a dog park, maybe a play date with other dog owners that are your friends)
Good luck with him, its just a puppy faze and a behavior that needs to be dealt with, he'll get over it, you just have to prove that your the alpha and that he can't do that to you

Answer 4

Bite inhibition is one of the things a mother dog teaches during the last couple of weeks that the pup should have been with her. No pup should go away from its mother until 8 weeks of age for just this reason. Since it apparently is too late to change that, you must nip this in the bud. It is waaay to serious of a problem to be taken lightly. I would consult a trainer if I were you. This pup has no respect for oyu, and it will only get worse.

Answer 5

******You are getting some terrible suggestions on here. Do not bite your dog in the ear. You have already stated that he is going for your face. Think about this. What will he do when you bring your face close to his so that you can bite him? This is awful advice.******
Why, oh why, do you have a 6 week old puppy? It is illegal in most states to take a pup away from his mother at this young age. Please take the puppy back to the litter right away. This is part of the problem! The puppy most be socialized *by his mother* in order for this to be a healthy normal dog.
Picking up a dog of any age and staring at it in the eyeballs is a terrible thing to do. Please stop doing this at once.

Answer 6

Ok first, you are a good owner, asking for help proves that anyway, so I how can he not like you if you are good? Don't mistake his behavior for anger, really. He will only sense that and feel bad and bite more.
He can be biting for a few reasons though: 1. teething (do you have alot of dog chews, all different shapes and sizes? Try putting peanut butter on one too). 2. He's trying to show dominance, this is especially if he's biting while you're on your bed or couch or a place you relax alot. Since it's only with you, this is probably it, him taking out dominance. 3. Out of frustration, has something changed? Maybe he needs more exercise?
Correct his biting by first changing the word "no" to something else. "No" is probably been used too often now for it to have any meaning to him and he ignores it. Maybe try "stop" instead.
Second, don't pull away when he bites,even though it hurts. He'll be encouraged to bite more if you pull, almost like it's a game and he's winning.
Third, pull the scruff of his neck (like the way you'd pick up a cat by the scruff of their necks) and say firmly but not screaming "Stop".(or whatever word works). If you get excited and flushed, he'll only get more excited and aggressive.
If giving him little pinches at the scruff of his neck doesn't work, gently roll him on his back, put your arm underneath his neck (but not choking!) and wait for him to calm down, and praise him calmly but so he knows your pleased.
If none of that works, put spray deoderant on where he bites, he won't like that taste.
It's a puppy phase you can get him out of, don't be discouraged! He loves you.

Answer 7

First of all the youngest a puppy should be taken from it's mother at is eight weeks but any good breeder keeps the puppies until they are twelve to sixteen weeks.

If a puppy is taken from it's mother to young it has a tendency to have problems house breaking and it will bite you.
The reason the puppy bites is because it is trying to nurse and is still to young to know the difference between it's mother and anything else.

Answer 8

ARGH!

What your pup is doing is what he is SUPPOSED to be doing at this age.

This is why pups should NEVER be taken from their moms before 8 weeks.

AT 6 WEEKS A PUP IS LEARNING BITE INHIBITION FROM ITS MOM AND SIBLINGS AND WHAT YOU ARE SEEING IS PART OF THIS PROCESS.

Because he was taken from his litter too young YOU are getting to experience this stage of his life and YOU now have to figure out how to teach him something his mother was supposed to.

BTW Whomever sold you this pup was either ignorant or unethical or possibly both. Selling a pup this age is illegal in every state I can think of.

Go get this book "Before and After You Get Your Puppy" by Dr. Ian Dunbar and read carefully about bite inhibition.

I would consider returning the pup if you can---the problems a pup this age can get from being taken from mom too early include health and behavioral issues.

Answer 9

sounds like he is trying to run you and not the other way around. you are his owner, he does love you. try taking your hand and Everytime he does this hold lightly but firmly around his mouth until he whimpers a little. I own and have bred dogs for many years . this does not hurt them but allows them to know that this behavour is not welcome. he will see that you follow with an I luv you and will soon stop this nastiness. does not take but a day or so for them to catch on. you are getting bad advise. biting him will only encourage him to do more. staring himdown is only a how long can you hold out game . Be gentle don't get angry with him ,. but try this. you willl see it taper off. every dog I have raised has made a show of this at one time or a nother. It does work and is harmless for you and less traumatising for them yet teaches.

Answer 10

In my experience, dogs don't really understand the concept of like or dislike. They only understand: respected leader, or subordinate to be picked on.

You need to start asserting yourself. It is not normal for a puppy to teeth on a person. That is what chew toys are for. If he even starts to nibble on a person, he should be punished. A firm, aggressive "no" and a thump on the nose should work. Under no circumstance should he bite ANYONE.

When you feed him, make him sit before serving. Teach him the sit command, and use it whenever you feel he is getting out of hand.