Viewing 40 posts - 1 through 40 (of 63 total)
  • How to stop a puppy biting? (incl photo)
  • No_discerning_taste
    Free Member

    We got a wonderful cute little puppy a week ago (Hungarian vizsla/manchester terrier/who knows what else cross)and she is wonderful and 9 weeks old. However she loves to bite hands/feet/trousers/sleeves and it is driving me mad. I’ve tried different strategies but nothing seems to work. If I ignore her she just keeps on doing it until she bites so hard that I have no choice than to scream and drag her off. If I drag her off she just keeps on coming back to bite again. I sometimes manages to distract her by giving her a toy to bite on but somehow that seems to encourage her since she knows if she bites she gets a toy etc. We have given her lots of things to chew on so she isn’t lacking in material. Any advice? Never had a puppy before so I don’t know what to expect.

    brant
    Free Member

    I’d give her a belt round the chops, stare and say NO.

    This may not be the correct technique.

    sweaman2
    Free Member

    This thread is going to run and run…. there must be better websites than STW for asking this question though?

    I don’t own a dog so this is not really first hand advice but my parents have used a water mister as a training device. Have a water mister to hand; when she bites you spray her with a little mist??

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    duckman
    Full Member

    I am afraid I have to agree with Brant, though she is so cute I would probably cry afterwards

    jimster
    Free Member

    Whenever she starts to chew you – shove a teething ring in her mouth.

    If she starts chewing drawer knobs, whip them down with antisceptic.

    You may also want to run away – that dog has got the devil in it’s eyes!! 😈

    terrahawk
    Free Member

    Looks like a Kelpie to me.

    Surfr
    Free Member

    We always used to give our lab a tap across the top of the snout when they did something wrong. I recall my parents telling me that it wasn’t painful and that the sound was irritating to them. It did make quite a hollow knocking sound but god knows if there was any truth in it. They were probably just placating me.

    hora
    Free Member

    I cant offer any proper advice on this, sometimes our Westie ambushes us on our drive, hangs onto the bottom of jeans etc growling like mad. I find it funny (even though he ripped some suit trousers once) and still do 4yrs on…

    From memory- as soon as he bites even gently (‘mouths’) abruptly pull your hand out and turn your back on him. Keep your back on him even when he tries to walk round you.

    Second- he does look like a Kelpie!

    jon1973
    Free Member

    there must be better websites than STW for asking this question though?

    Doesn’t that apply to any question that has ever been asked on STW?

    Sandwich
    Full Member

    If she’s biting you, you need to asert your dominance. This is usually done by forcing them down, belly exposed, and holding them in this submissive state until they relax. Repeat until they know their place in the pack, she’s not being cute she’s finding out where the boundaries are.

    uplink
    Free Member

    Yup just administer a sharp whack just hard enough for it to hurt momentarily – its mother would nip it for the same reason

    No_discerning_taste
    Free Member

    Thanks for mentioning the Kelpie! You are so right! We met the dad and he is pure breed Vizsla but only saw a photo of her mum and the mum looks proabably 85% like a Kelpie. They had no idea of her heritage since she was abandoned as small puppy before they adopted her.

    So far the biting is the only problem with her, in all other ways she is perfect! I’ll try some of the methods mentioned and see if it helps.

    hora
    Free Member

    Yup just administer a sharp whack just hard enough for it to hurt momentarily – its mother would nip it for the same reason

    You’ll instill violence in a very impressionable dog at an early age. Same goes for the Lab. It will respect adults/humans but I doubt they would have the same respect for babies/toddlers/other dogs as they will learn to see dominance & hierachy linked with violence/aggression.

    I wonder if Caeser Milan hits his dogs?

    Lucas
    Free Member

    In the wild they would learn their bite inhibition from their siblings – play time involves biting, if one goes to far the other will yelp and play will momentarily stop. No-one wants play to stop so they soon learn what is too much so the game keeps on going.

    You are the play mate now, if she goes too far then yelp and stop playing/ignore her/turn away for a few seconds then turn round and start again. It’ll take a few days for her to work it out but she will.

    All puppies go through this stage. when our Elmo was young my hands and arms made me look like I was into self harm in a big way and my wife was wearing 2 pairs of trousers for a couple of weeks she was convinced we’d got some kind of devil dog. He’s good as gold now.

    She’s a nice looking dog!!

    Del
    Full Member

    cute pup. dunno how much help it will be, because we worked on ours from the word go, and every time the teeth came out the play stopped. this has done the trick for us.
    maybe try it like that, and if he won’t leave you alone ( as having another go has probably worked for him in the past ) try leaving the room and closing the door behind you, and leave him alone for a few minutes. when you come back in, don’t make a fuss of him for a minute or two. just ignore him.
    basically you need to make the connection that teeth = no more fun, and you need to be consistent – so everyone who is involved with the dog needs to respond exactly the same way. no exceptions!

    2hottie
    Free Member

    I would say a quick sharp hit on the top of the nose with your knuckle. Dogs hate it and our dog doesn’t nip any more.

    good luck

    sofaking
    Free Member

    dogs chew to ease anxiety and to relax, so make sure there are plenty of toys for your dog to chew. you need to teach the dog “off” and reward it with treats for not chewing you . if the dog bites you , you should tell it off but never hit it. if it keeps biting you should nip the dog with your hand to simulate a bite to let it know who is boss.

    we recently took on a 6 month old rescue dog that is very nervy and tried to bite and chew whenever it was anxious, but with a few one on one obedience classes with a local dog trainer he has improved amazingly.money well spent

    lowey
    Full Member

    Get yourself enrolled at puppy training lessons.

    hora
    Free Member

    Get yourself enrolled at puppy training lessons.

    Agree. Don’t hit your dog (especially if you have or are considering children in the future).

    Lucas
    Free Member

    Don’t hit the dog there is no reason and you run the risk of her becoming violent.

    It is worth turning her over on her back every now and then and holding her there for a few seconds – this will be enough to show her you are the boss – dominent dogs will often stand over other dogs and hold them there. Also show you are pack leader by feeding after you and making sure you control the toys and win the majority of tug games.

    Read the Perfect Puppy book it is very good and short to read.

    momentum
    Free Member

    Agree with what everyone has said about ignoring the dog, yelping yourself and going to puppy classes. In addition this is a phase that puppies will grow out of as long as you are consistent with the thiongs above (this applies to all training by the way – consistency is the most important thing. No exceptions for being cute!)

    Sandwich
    Full Member

    Hitting can work, BUT you then have to teach and supervise your children with this method. Instilling violence in young humans is probably worse than hitting the dog. Lessons and a course of Cesar Milan is preferable.
    Lovely dog, hopefully she won’t have the epilepsy genes that Viszla dogs are susceptible to.

    goon
    Free Member

    You are the play mate now, if she goes too far then yelp and stop playing/ignore her/turn away for a few seconds then turn round and start again. It’ll take a few days for her to work it out but she will.

    You’ll feel daft doing it, but it worked a treat with our Ali who got a bit ‘mouthy’ when he was excited. Do your best impression of a dog yelping, pull your hand away, and turn away from the dog. She’ll soon realise play ends if she goes too far.

    Nice looking pup.

    SiB
    Free Member

    Got a Spanish Water Dog two years ago and the lady who we got her off was a dog trainer and she swore by the ‘click and treat’ method and I’ve definitely had good success with it (plenty of web sites if you’re interested) …….but never used it for nipping as the treat was used to praise, something you dont want to do with nipping/biting.

    What we were told to do was that if she ever nipped too hard just act like another dog would (no, dont bite back although it might work!!?)and let out a large yelp demonstrating that the nip hurt, turn your head without turning your back on your dog and fold your arms (turning head and folding arms also works a treat to prevent jumping up at you). Its all about getting in to the dogs mind apparently……..she was a bit of a mad woman we got our dog off but her life was dedicated to dogs and she knew what she was talking about!! Everything she told us to do has worked, admitedly not always first time but always after a bit of perseverance.

    Remember…….yelp loudly as if in pain, fold your arms and turn your head as if you are ignoring your dog. Sounds crazy but it really works!!

    hora
    Free Member

    Don’t hit the dog there is no reason and you run the risk of her becoming violent.

    It is worth turning her over on her back every now and then and holding her there for a few seconds – this will be enough to show her you are the boss – dominent dogs will often stand over other dogs and hold them there. Also show you are pack leader by feeding after you and making sure you control the toys and win the majority of tug games.

    Spot on.

    franksinatra
    Full Member

    every time it bites you, just bite it harder. It will learn

    hora
    Free Member

    Last post- little toddler hits you, you hit it back harder. What do you think will be reinforced/happen later?

    Little toddler hits you, you react by holding firmly/turn your back/educate etc. What do you think will happen later?

    SiB
    Free Member

    Yelp as if in pain, fold arms and turn head to look away from dog…… ……….might take a couple of times and you feel an idiot doing it but it really does work.

    brant
    Free Member

    Last post- little toddler hits you, you hit it back harder. What do you think will be reinforced/happen later?

    It’s a toddler, not a dog. Dogs are different.

    goon
    Free Member

    Dogs are different.

    But can just as easily be trained without thumping them.

    Milkie
    Free Member

    This question has been asked before, and there was some pretty damn good advice…

    Don’t hit the dog, as said, it could turn violent later on. You could scream (don’t shout/verbally abuse the puppy), as if it hurt you, all the puppy/dog wants to do you is please you. There’s some other good advice here too, dominancy, click n treat, etc..

    As said above, enlist in puppy training, the earlier the better.

    Whatever you do, do not ignore it, it will get worse.. Or she may stop doing it to you, then start on a toddler, which could result in your dog being put to sleep.

    jimster
    Free Member

    brant – Member

    Last post- little toddler hits you, you hit it back harder. What do you think will be reinforced/happen later?

    It’s a toddler, not a dog. Dogs are different.

    Depends if the toddler wielding a machete I suppose. 🙂

    flatfish
    Free Member

    It’ll last till shes around twenty weeks old.
    Get to some puppy training classes asap and don’t listen to most of the muppets on here.
    Gorgeous dog btw

    hora
    Free Member

    Depends if the toddler wielding a machete I suppose

    Hmmmm different conudrum. I see a film needs to be made along the lines of Crouching kittens hidden squeaky toys.

    peachos
    Free Member

    havent had a dog for years but have been to the park with my mates pup recently and she was at the biting stage. i found that letting her bite my hand and then gripping her bottom jaw so she couldn’t move or do anything made her stop wanting to bite. she’d still come in for the bite but would be scared of the hand because she knew i was stronger than her. not sure on the implications this might have though.

    nice dog you got there.

    sharki
    Free Member

    discipline through pain association.

    Once your puppy realises its hurting you it’ll stop it.

    So writhe around on the floor screaming and shouting and making a big deal of it..this will distress the mutt and it’ll in time make it stop.

    Also the fact that you’re acting a prat will take your mind off the pain.
    Make you out to be fun loving fun + puppy = lots of ladies.

    Failing that ask on a proper Mutt site, i’d not even ask on here for bike advise let alone animal training.

    I_did_dab
    Free Member

    Crikey Moses! I never realised there were so many dog hitters out there…

    SiB

    Yelp as if in pain, fold arms and turn head to look away from dog…… ……….might take a couple of times and you feel an idiot doing it but it really does work.

    Spot on! “Game over” is the best way – even for the slightest nip.

    Hitting a puppy for doing what comes naturally…sheesh… 🙄
    Get a fish if you’re that retarded!!

    No_discerning_taste
    Free Member

    Thanks for all the advice. I wouldn’t like to hit her anyway so I’ll do the yelping thing a bit more. It does seem to work when it’s only me around so I suppose the next step is to practise more consistency with other people around. Also I now tell everyone new she meets when and how to greet her so that they don’t teach her the wrong things. I’m sure it will pay off although I probably do come across as a bossy rude person to the new people I meet. You don’t have much time to tell them as they all just walk up to her straight away because she is so cute!

    I’ve already shown her my bike (cycling around her letting her follow me and calling “sit” and make sure she sits. Very hard to figure out a perfect strategy for this since I don’t want her following other mountain bikers when she is older thinking they might give her treats! At the same time I don’t want her scared when she sees people on bikes.

    coffeeking
    Free Member

    I wonder if Caeser Milan hits his dogs?

    Actually yes, I have seen two episodes now where he has hit nipping/biting dogs, though he rapidly followed it up with pinning them to the ground. His comment was that its not often necessary but some dogs do not respond to just being turned over when they’re feeling bitey. I’ve never had dogs but I like Mr Milans methods. Some of the advice above, IMO, is dangerous – not so much the giving it a tap on the snout as the ignoring it and turning your back when it’s nippy – thats instantly reducing you (and other humans) to lower in the pack.

    hora
    Free Member

    Ive not seen those episodes, pinning down- yes. Walking a dog backwards into a corner and towering over them to ‘dominate’ yes. Not the hitting bit though. Ive owned dogs all my life however Ive never really had to hit one. I do have an issue with our dogs recent aggression due to an incident with a Staff. Im not going to leave it or attempt to beat it out of him- Hes booked in for dog re-training.

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