How to stop a puppy biting? (incl photo)

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How to stop a puppy biting? (incl photo)

62 posts & 37 voices | Started 3 years ago by No_discerning_taste | Latest reply from sq225917

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No_discerning_taste - 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.

Posted 3 years ago #
brant - Member

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

This may not be the correct technique.

Posted 3 years ago #
sweaman2 - 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??

Posted 3 years ago #
duckman - Member

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

Posted 3 years ago #
jimster - 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!!

Posted 3 years ago #
terrahawk - Member

Looks like a Kelpie to me.

Posted 3 years ago #
Surfr - 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.

Posted 3 years ago #
hora - 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!

Posted 3 years ago #
jon1973 - 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?

Posted 3 years ago #
Sandwich - 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.

Posted 3 years ago #
uplink - Member

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

Posted 3 years ago #
No_discerning_taste - 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.

Posted 3 years ago #
hora - 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?

Posted 3 years ago #
Lucas - 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!!

Posted 3 years ago #
Del - 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!

Posted 3 years ago #
2hottie - 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

Posted 3 years ago #
sofaking - 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

Posted 3 years ago #
lowey - Member

Get yourself enrolled at puppy training lessons.

Posted 3 years ago #
hora - 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).

Posted 3 years ago #
Lucas - 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.

Posted 3 years ago #
momentum - 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!)

Posted 3 years ago #
Sandwich - 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.

Posted 3 years ago #
goon - 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.

Posted 3 years ago #
SiB - 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!!

Posted 3 years ago #
hora - 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.

Posted 3 years ago #
franksinatra - Member

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

Posted 3 years ago #
hora - 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?

Posted 3 years ago #
SiB - 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.

Posted 3 years ago #
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.

Posted 3 years ago #
goon - Member

Dogs are different.

But can just as easily be trained without thumping them.

Posted 3 years ago #
Milkie - 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.

Posted 3 years ago #
jimster - 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.

Posted 3 years ago #
flatfish - 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

Posted 3 years ago #
hora - 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.

Posted 3 years ago #
peachos - 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.

Posted 3 years ago #

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