Puppy biting?

Question

Me again! I have the lab/pitt mix and the 4 month rott both males. Ok my puppy tends to get mouthy with us, (meaning my three daughters, me and hubby) its not hard enough to break skin, but when I try all the methods of stopping him, he stares at me and then barks. I know thats not a good thing, but I also notice SOMETIMES his little nub (tail) going so I dont know how to take it. I DON'T WANT HIM BITING ANYONE! Yes hes is puppy classes, but he doesn't demonstrate this behavior with anyone else. "NO/NO BITE!" doesn't work at all.

Besides the nostril pinch, verbal commands, grabbing of the snout with fingers pushing inward so its like the pup is biting himself, what else is there? Please don't say crate him because that is his comfort zone and I DON'T want to make that a punishment room.

Answer 1

all puppies have the biting stage..at least he has bite inhibition, meaning he wont break the skin, thats a good sign!

I used bitter apple spray (on my hands so when she bit my hands, she didnt like the taste and just stopped) and waited it out it didnt last too long.

Also as soon as he bites, stand up and turn your back to him, silently. that sends a strong message to dogs.

And youre right, you never use the crate as a punishment!!

Answer 2

Part of correcting the problem is finding the reason. Puppies chew a lot of times because they are showing affection. (I know it sounds strange) This is how they do it in the wild and this is how they do it with us humans. However, as you know we do not find it acceptable.

I see that someone has already beat me with the first solution. When your puppy is chewing on your hands, stick your fingers down the dogs throat. This lets them know that you do not like it and it is not acceptable behavior. I always say "no bite" when doing this. Make sure you don't hurt your puppy when doing this, by going to far.

The second thing I do it wrap my fingers over the top of the dog's muzzle, covering their eyes with my hand. Again, saying "no bite". Once your dog lets go, give them a toy that is appropriate for biting, ie an American made rawhide bone. Then say, "yes bite" or "chew on this" (something of that nature). You have to remember that consistency is the key and you will have a non-bitting dog before long.

Don't forget to give him the correct item to chew on. That is key! I have a 12 yr old that took a little too long to learn not to chew, simply because my father did not give her the appropriate toy to "bite".

Answer 3

This is normal puppy behavior he is challenging his authority he knows he is not going to get away with that in front of the people in puppy classes. You and your family need to become dominant. Do not allow the behavior buy a kong or a special bone like a nylabone big enough he cant get pieces off when he does that offer him that to chew on if he persists then you may want to take him to the crate with a toy that he is allowed to chew on so he understands that he can bite or chew on something just not you or your family.
You also may want to consult a professional that works with aggressive dogs that can help you before this becomes a serious problem sometimes simple things that don't occur to humans encourage this behavior.

Answer 4

Some biting is to be expected with a pup, but it is good to train it out of them as soon as possible.

A simple "NO!" should work. Stop playing immediately and ignore the dog (don't even be looking at it to see if it is wagging its tale or not). For a puppy, that is horrible punishment. If a No alone doesn't work, stand up and tower over the dog, glaring. I do that occasionally when my dog is misbehaving; it makes my wife crack up since it is obvious I am being melodramatic and faking my "anger," but the dog gets it VERY fast.

An alternate is to act hurt every time your puppy even touches you with its teeth/mouth and go away. That is how puppies naturally learn not to bite everything (or, at least, how to control how hard they bite). A flick to the nose might also work (doesn't hurt the dog, but dogs sure do hate it).

Make sure your entire family follows whatever option you decide upon as much as possible. The dog needs to learn to apply the principle to everyone (and inconsistant behavior will prevent the problem from being addressed)

Answer 5

Try moving your finger to the side of his mouth, and rolling his lip across his back teeth. Also say "no bite" in a firm voice at the same time. Might try making a loud guttural auugh sound when he bites. That is the sound the mother dog makes to discipline her pups. Works really well with some dogs. Sometimes this takes patience and persistence. He clearly thinks it is a fun game.

Make sure they have plenty of chew toys like Kongs.

Answer 6

They are puppies, this is how they learn about their world around them, they are also teething, this is how they work loose those puppy teeth and make room for their adult teeth. Make sure they have plenty of chew toys. When he starts biting at your fingers or whatnot, stick a toy in his mouth instead, tug o' war is also a good game for this problem. They will grow out of this phase, if you have patience and give them a chance. You are looking at about another 3-4 months of this, more if you handle it incorrectly. Also if you simply teach them not to chew, instead of where to chew correctly, you are looking at doggy dental bills to have those puppy teeth pulled, because without proper chewing, they won't fall out. Costly, painful, and totally not necessary if you just let them be puppies. Keep stuff out of reach that you don't want chewed up, and offer a good selection of toys, hard and soft for them to chew on.

And stop punishing them for being puppies. Do you smack a baby that puts things in its mouth or pinch it's little nostrils? It's the same thing.

Answer 7

Your puppy needs to learn that him biting hurts. When he gets nippy, you and you family need to react the same. Either by saying "yip" or "ouch", and then leaving the play. He will learn that if he wants to play, he can't bite hard. You must stay consistant. He'll catch on real fast.

Also, be sure YOU are the one initializing the playtime, an not the pup. This way he knows you are in control of the situation.

Answer 8

I'm going through that right now. My son plays rough with the pup and when I come around he does not know the difference. I recently bought several play toys and give it to him as I approach him he now goes for the toy. He thinks it a game ,he only tries to bite when he is too excited,so approach him when he is calm and say good boy allot. Bad boy when he is bad, it will really make a difference. I also watch the Dog Whisperer ,Cesar millan he is great .There is a web site too. http://www.cesarmillaninc.com/contact/
best of luck to you and your puppy.

Answer 9

I'm guessing he doesn't know his place in the pack (your family). You have to become the leader of the pack and be consistent with it. I have a Rottweiler (140 lbs) of love now but he had to learn who was boss. And actually they want this to happen. It's natural in the dog world to have a leader and the rest followers. We use calm, assertive, submission techniques for establishing his place in our pack. When your pup gets mouthy stand over him with confidence and use 2 or 3 fingers to his neck to push him down to the floor and make him stay until he shows submission. Be very consistent with this and he will learn his place and the rules, boundaries and limitations of the pack leader. Good luck!

Answer 10

This is just one of the ways they play with each other and they are carrying over to you. They do need to be taught not to but it is not a type of aggression. Holding the mouth closed and a firm no will usually work but the other treatment we have used successfully is to keep a spray water bottle sitting close and spray them in the face when this happens while saying no. Good Luck!