Admin Note: Would anyone like to add a piece on how YOU stop puppies and young dogs mouthing & biting to this thread? This thread is NOT for debates, please just add your ideas

MOUTHING & BITING

Mouthing & Biting

It's natural. It's going to happen some time or another :rolleyes: Don't overreact. :)

The first time the puppy starts to lick or nibble on a hand, tell it to "stop" or "no". If it continues (likely to do this), repeat what you've said, and put puppy aside to ignore for a while.

If puppy is in a really playful or active mood, after saying "no," give it something appropriate to chew on. They need to chew. Best it's on a $5 toy instead of an $80 pair of shoes :D

IMO.... It is best not to play tug with a young puppy. Stress on developing teeth and mouth, plus gaining the idea that it is 'ok' to battle with a human for a resource are possible problems.

Even if puppy stops this 'habit' from a young age, many seem to go through a second period of chewing/biting on hands. I'm not sure if its adolescence trying to push limits in a growth stage or caused by losing baby teeth. Follow similar steps as above.

Be especially firm with children wanting to play with puppy's mouth. They have to realize the rules of puppy wanting to chew also and support the training. Otherwise it confuses the puppy.

The more excited or tired a puppy is, the greater the likelihood of using its teeth as a response. So pay attention to what is occuring and plan to step in before nibbling and biting occurs.

I have notived that the mother will growl then nip the pup on the nose and will ignore the pup if the pup is playing too rough. You can do the same by puting your hand over the pups muzzle and in a deep low growl type voice say No bite, if pup continues do it again and then ignore. it's no fun for puppy when play time is over. Puppies are like children they must put everthing in their mouths. Always have chew toys for puppies to chew. Also have your pup use to being handled all over, from ears all the way down to their toes. Always lots of praise when pup is good.
ttfn :)

bump

This is how pups play but they have to learn that it is not going to be tolerated by humans.

Every time they put their mouth on your hand, foot, clothes whatever, squeal as a hurt pup would do and walk away, turn your back, ignore them. If they bit another pup it would squeal and move away, what you are trying to teach is that people or pups who play rough have no friends to play with. Keep it up for long enough and it will work.

Alongside this if they grab your shoelace or trouser leg say no remove and give them a toy that they can chew and praise them.

If they run away with something inappropriate, get a treat or a favourite toy and teach them swapsies. Don't shriek and run after them as all that does is make what they have valuable.

I sit with my pups and hand them a toy say swapsies and take it back in return for a goody, if you do this from early on they will bring back anything they do run away with.

My Beardie was taught this way and while he will nick tissues etc. I can call him and get it back. I can also call both my dogs while they are eating a chew, biscuit or bone and they will bring it over and give it to me but you must start working on things before there is a problem

We had a problem with our youngest boy and our Dobe when we first got him ,this is what we did:-
The dog saw the youngest as a littermate and so would try to dominate him by nipping and at one point pinning him down .
in order to raise Joe's status in the pack we made the dog totally dependant on Joe for food ,water ,treats and toys.
We prepared the food and put it on the table and the Joe would have a biscuit ( seemingly from the dogs bowl ) and then Joe would take the bowl 'sit' the dog and wait a few seconds before releasing him for the food .
All the toys went away and only Joe would bring them out and Joe would decide when the game ended and would put the toys away .
the dog had to 'work' for treats -Sit -Stay- Down etc
Also there where no rough and tumble games and no tugging games ...nothing where Joe could loose .
Joe developed a deep 'NO' and learned when to walk away .
They now have a very ,very good relationship .

My current BSD bitch was totally bonkers when a pup and earned the nickname of the Mad Bitey Puppy! :p :)

Being so fast she would also come back at us, in front, or behind us, and try to herd us. She was very very persistent.

I have had success with other methods in the past, such as the "Ouch" method, but unfortunately Banya decided this meant the human was the new squeaky toy, so we had to be flexible and try Pup Out/Person Out, also called End Game.

Basically every time she nipped, either she was put out - or we went out depending on where we were at the time and what was most convenient. We left her out for only 2 minutes, then back in, if she nipped again, then out again, and so on. We had child gates everywhere to make it easier. Total ignore whilst she is outside the room. Longer and they will get bored and find mischief, also forget why they are there.

It is important to be very calm and to cut off all contact, so no talk, no eye contact, etc as you put the pup out.

Some dogs get wise so need to be rewarded lots at other times with hands on the collar so as not to shy from the hand which takes them out, or may need a lead on in the house to help with calmly getting the pup out.

It does take patience but she gradually got better, and of course she is very good now :)

The yelp-ouch thing did not work for my pup.

Putting her outside did not help us either. This said to the dog, "you aren't part of our pack". Be your own pack and then you can be top dog. So we resorted to work things out together. If my temper started to rise and we needed time out, I put the pup in her crate while we had a breather. I did not leave the room. And, I would very soon let her out.

For us, dog obedience training! We had to learn to think like a dog pack. We went to a trainer that showed us the proper way to give lead corrections. We began by leaving the slip collar and lead on the dog whenever in our company. This way we were not reaching at her head trying to get control of her. We could reach over and grab the lead to give the gentle correction. We had a trainer coach us. It is pricey, but I am commited to this dog.

Learn to think like a dog pack...from how and when the dog is fed, where they get to sit, who goes out the door first.

Here is what I do.  When the pup goes to nip or bite grab the lower jaw.  Do this by putting your thumb under the tongue and place your other fingers on the outside of the chin.  Hold only hard enough to keep your grip not to hurt or cause pain.  Then look the puppy in the eyes and say firmly "NO BITE".  After 15 seconds let go.  Keep doing this each time they try to grab you or your clothes.  For me the pup usually stops within a few days to a week.

Oh dear, I cheated on this one, I have 4 labs and and English Springer, I have never had a serious problem with this until the latest addition, a horror pup from hell (with a halo of course). at ten weeks old he bit anything and anybody, for the last three days everytime he bit me or my other dogs, who unfortunately tolerated him,I put him with my nine year old pack leader, he nipped her, she nipped him, three days later he opens his mouth and then looks around for Megan, changes his mind and closes his mouth, Poor Megan she must be cursing me, but it did work. And Bailey, well he is now an absolute angel (HA HA).

Kay