Biting and Nipping

[RubyJeansMom]

With the arrival of springtime puppies, the question of biting has been asked quite often lately.
Hopefully some of information will be helpful...please feel free to add to this.

For young puppies, nipping, biting and "mouthing" are normal behaviors and rarely cause serious harm. But it's important to stop these behaviors before your dog reaches adulthood, when a bite could inflict serious injury.

Teach your puppy that biting hurts you. When he bites, give a sharp "no!" or "ouch!" - or even a yelp like a dog would make. This is the same reaction that your puppy would get from another puppy if he bit too hard during play. It teaches him that he's been too rough, and the odds are that he'll be more gentle next time.

Remove your hand slowly - don't jerk it away - and give your puppy a toy that he can chew on without damage.
If your puppy ignores your reaction and bites again, repeat your "no!," "ouch!" or yelp, and leave the room for a few minutes. Let your puppy know that when he bites, he will lose his playmate. This mirrors the reaction he would get from another puppy if he played too roughly.

Be persistent in your training. As your puppy's behavior improves and his bites are softer, continue to yelp or give a sharp "no!" or "ouch!" whenever he puts his teeth on you. Make it clear that all bites are painful and unacceptable to humans.

Reinforce your puppy's good behavior. Whenever he licks you without using his teeth and whenever he plays nicely and appropriately, give him plenty of praise. Make sure your puppy always has plenty of chew toys to exercise his mouthing and chewing instincts.

Make sure your puppy is getting plenty of exercise and play time every day. Going for walks, playing fetch and learning tricks are great distractions that may reduce biting. Try to create a consistent schedule for play time - perhaps 15 to 30 minutes, twice a day.

Remind all family members, including children, to be consistent about the "no biting" rule. Never leave young children alone with your puppy until he has learned not to bite. If your training doesn't seem to be working or if your puppy becomes aggressive instead of backing off when you indicate that he's hurt you, see a veterinarian or professional trainer for help.

[kian]

I'm bumping this back to the top, it's a great thread starter RJM.

[Oliver & Henry's Mum]

RJM, this is a terrific thread and a commonly asked question, only it's usually asked under the guise of "aggressive puppy" or something similar.

I noticed that this thread is new today or I would have referenced it yesterday. I locked another thread that was titled something to do with aggression which is often the case unfortunately. People mistake normal puppy behaviour with aggression.

Thanks for bumping this thread Kian.

[agcranfill]

Hey.

I have a 10 week old Mini Aussie and when we picked him up I thought that I was prepared for anything. But right now, I am getting a little desperate because I feel like nothing I do is working. My puppy bites and chews on everything and everyone.

And just as some background. He gets regular walks, we play fetch and games with him, he has puppy friends that put him in his place when he snaps, and he is being mentally challenged with learning tricks.

But its this thing that he does with us. He gets excited and he barks really loud jumps and bites. He bites hands, pants, legs, arms, anything he can get his mouth on. When he does this we try to keep our voices calm and we stand up straight, tell him no, and then turn away so that he knows we are done playing with him. But he keeps on doing it. I have bruises and scrapes and bites all over me. He draws blood regularly. Its getting harder to use this technique when he is ripping pants and causing real pain.

When he chews on things like furniture, or grips hard on a body part we tell him to "leave it". He knows what "no" and "leave it" means. we praise him when he obeys always. But its like, he will stop for a second, but he goes right back to it. He prefers the chewing over getting praise or treats.

My family is starting to give up on positive reinforcement. I keep telling them to just give it time and he will start responding, but I am starting to not even believe myself. I know that stopping biting is important early. I need help before this becomes an even bigger problem.

[Oliver & Henry's Mum]

Have a look at the last page of the "Housetraining 101" thread as Kian talks about nipping and biting in there. She is the owner of two Aussies, and a dog behaviourist.

I also need to remind you that 10 weeks old is hardly the time to expect a puppy to stop chewing and nipping! That is far too soon in terms of expectation. Keep your expectations realistic, and please only use positive training methods at this age, particularly for this issue.

Imagine being aggressive with your dog to teach him not to be aggressive. We don't (or shouldn't) do that with children so why do it with a puppy.

It's all fine and well that you play with the puppy and that the puppy has his own "friends" and loads of mental stimulation and exercise. Sometimes, like a young child, a young puppy becomes overly tired and needs a time out. This is a great time for a little crate time, not as a punishment, just for a break. Use a dampened, twisted, frozen face cloth as a chew toy. When the puppy is relentless with nipping and biting, then quietly in the crate the puppy goes.

Obviously when you return home after work, the puppy needs to go outside immediately. Make no fuss except when your puppy does his business outside. Come back in and virtually ignore the pup until everything is calm. Sit down, without a fuss and then pet the puppy.

Do not let the puppy get to the level of excitement that causes the undesirable behaviour. It's only been 2 weeks, if that, which isn't long at all. By 16 weeks, your puppy should have an idea or slight inkling of what is acceptable and what is not. It takes a solid six months to even move on to the next phase of puppy training. Right now, it's all about consistency, patience and the basics.

I suggest you read through several of the threads in this section regardless of their title as you will pick up tidbits here and there. Good luck to you!

Hopefully some of our other members will be along with more concise information, but hopefully the little bit of encouragement I have given you will help for now.

[agcranfill]

Thanks for the response. I think I was writing when I was a bit at my wits end. I would never consider doing anything other than positive reinforcement, do not worry. I have looked at other threads and have been trying to utilize the advice given. I think part of me was just hoping there was something that I was missing. He has been so responsive with other areas of his training it just felt like there must have been. Then I read that once biting goes uncorrected for long enough, it becomes even harder to eliminate, I think that is when I started getting a little worried. I know that he is very young and I should have reasonable expectations.

[Oliver & Henry's Mum]

Agcranfill - We do tend to worry about everything when we bring home our very first pup, or any pup for that matter. Of course you want to get it all right, and you are, and you will. If the puppy wasn't nipping, that would be cause for concern.

It might become a little worse before it gets better. Their puppy teeth are like little needles and really, really hurt. As they start to lose their puppy teeth, their nips don't hurt as much which makes it a bit easier to teach them some control. In the meantime, redirect the puppy to something it can chew and try to avoid hyper excitement.

You are doing a great job! Try to relax and not worry too much. I think you'll be amazed at how much the puppy learns in the next six weeks. We are all here for you to offer support and advice, usually in a straight forward manner.

Keep us posted as this is a "reference" thread so others can learn from your experiences as well.

[gaspillage]

Yes, excellent thread and am learning about this behavior as I go along.

Oliver and Henry's Mum - I am emboldened with our thoughts and appreciate your caring way of expressing
solutions.

[flamingo]

I have a three year old Sheltie that I am having the same problem with. The only time he nips is when I am kissing my husband goodbye when I leave for work or when I am actually leaving. We thought this was cute when he first started doing this, but now his nips are getting more agressive and are actually hurting. I know he is a herding dog, but would like some tips on how to stop this. Is it the same for 3 year olds as it is for puppies. Any help would be great.

[Chelsa]

Hi,
We have adopted a Catahoula/cattle mix puppy. She is now 6 months and has been so great on her training and her puppy behavior has been an almost perfect experience, except when she wants to heard the children. I have two boys who she probably considers her brothers and when they play she bites them in the legs. The boys are great with her and telling her "no bite" and "ouch" and they stop playing and ignore her, but as it is her natural instinct to heard them I don't know how to curb that behavior. We try to get her to run with a toy in her mouth, but that works for just a short time. I have even sprayed the boys pants with bitter apple spray, but that too lasts for a short time. My boys are so tolerant of her, but I am worried about other kids who are not. Any suggestions??

[lynners]

Please read the thread from start to finish FIRST. Then come back with any questions.

The information that you're seeking is readily available throughout several threads.

[Oliver & Henry's Mum]

Barry (gaspillage) thank you for the compliment. I'm glad to hear that this entire thread has been helpful and I am also very pleased to learn that you read the whole thing!

To others who have recently posted, it is imperative that you read the thread in its entirety before posting questions. We are all willing to help, but don't have time to repeat ourselves relentlessly. As Lynners pointed out, there are many threads on this topic, with this one being the most "condensed" version.

If one still has a question after reading the whole thread and trying some of the methods indicated, then by all means, please post your questions.

[puertoricandog]

This has helped me a lot with my Labrottie Mambo, he's 2 months old, and this changed his habit in one day, no kidding ! Amazing, thanks!

[Oliver & Henry's Mum]

It's wonderful to hear that Mambo has already changed his behaviour in just one day. It's a constant thing for the next few months, but it sounds as if you have figured out a way to make the necessary adjustments.

Please keep us posted as we like to hear about the success stories. In another two weeks or so, you will be able to talk about the techniques that are working for you specifically, which will add valuable information to this thread.

[catrina17]

Thank You!!!! Needed this