Best Way To Discourage Biting Puppy

[rylst]

Firstly, Don't forget exercise isn't the only, and always the best, way to tire out a dog ;)

Mental exercise is very effective. If you are just exercising physically without enough mental stimulation all you will do is create a terror with higher fitness levels!

So get teaching some tricks!

Secondly, do you use a crate or puppy pen at all with him?

Maybe that explains why he has more energy after his walks, we thought we were possibly feeding him too much. Thanks for the tip denali, will certainly step up the training with more tricks! :)

We use a crate but he doesn't like it in there, he prefers to sleep on the kitchen tiles. We think it's a ventilation / too warm issue, as he only sleeps in there on colder days. We don't use it for timeouts though, we tend to tether him somewhere or remove ourselves from sight.

Puppies need to learn biting is unacceptable. No toys, no yelping or squealing. Scruff the pup hard the second it lays teeth on you or you slip your thumb under their tonge and press firmly to get the point across. Any teeth on humans for pet dogs is TOTALLY unacceptable so you make sure it's super clear. You don't need to time out the pup I offer a hand again and if they dont bite I praise and keep interacting.

The only pups I redirect to toys are those that will be allowed to bite later. I'm not forming a blockade to that potential path of action I am simply redirecting their attention. If you want that go for gold with toys and yelps.

Thanks for the suggestions Nekhbet! Unfortunately, we've tried the both the scruffing and thumb-under-tongue methods. I usually hold/press on until the biting stops and he calms down. However, once I've release him he would usually go in for another bite or start his barking fit. Also tried a bitter spray, he loves it.

His front baby teeth are all off, with the adult teeth out about a week ago. Canines and molars are all still puppy teeth and not yet shakey. Not sure if the mouthing is due to them because he takes deeper, more painful bites (not to the extent of drawing blood).

[Dame Aussie]

Puppies need to learn biting is unacceptable. No toys, no yelping or squealing. Scruff the pup hard the second it lays teeth on you or you slip your thumb under their tonge and press firmly to get the point across. Any teeth on humans for pet dogs is TOTALLY unacceptable so you make sure it's super clear. You don't need to time out the pup I offer a hand again and if they dont bite I praise and keep interacting.

The only pups I redirect to toys are those that will be allowed to bite later. I'm not forming a blockade to that potential path of action I am simply redirecting their attention. If you want that go for gold with toys and yelps.

Agree with this. The only thing that worked with our Aussie was the thumb under the tongue trick. Yelping etc just made her more feral.

[persephone]

..and an hour long walk is perhaps a bit much for a young pup - those little joints are still forming ... perhaps 15 - 20 mins twice a day , and about 3, 5 minute obedience sessions? training the basics- and some tricks will give him other things to think about ;) Also provide one of his meals each day in some sort of food dispensing toy ..or put his kibble for that meal into a soft drink bottle minus lid and little ring ..and leave him to figure it out! What's he like at puppy school?

[Cosmolo]

I agree with Nek- the only thing i would add is that if you feel like you have tried it and it's not working i'd suggest you get a trainer to come and help you. Chances are there is an issue with the level of correction- ie, it's not firm enough- the timing of the correction and/ or the consistency. You don't want to keep making the pup more and more insensitive and more persistent by correcting in ways that aren't effective which can then also be perceived as a reward!

[Sheridan]

I had issues with Roo being very bitey. I taught him how to kiss and although he hasn't stopped completely when overexcited, he is so much better. I just sat on the couch with a treat bag and when he bit, I'd say, 'uh uh' and say kiss. When he touched my hand without nipping he got a treat. I actually stuck my hand in his mouth the other day and he spat it out. :laugh:

[rylst]

..and an hour long walk is perhaps a bit much for a young pup - those little joints are still forming ... perhaps 15 - 20 mins twice a day , and about 3, 5 minute obedience sessions? training the basics- and some tricks will give him other things to think about ;) Also provide one of his meals each day in some sort of food dispensing toy ..or put his kibble for that meal into a soft drink bottle minus lid and little ring ..and leave him to figure it out! What's he like at puppy school?

Thanks for the advice! We'll cut down on his walk duration and try to increase the frequency. Also stepping up with the time we spend training him, but once the treats are gone and training ends, he usually goes back to mouthing if he's really active. He was relatively obedient in puppy school and picked up the commands pretty fast, however had problems keeping still during theory parts of the class and gets really whiney. Puppy school was great though, we had Stuart from underdog take the class.

I agree with Nek- the only thing i would add is that if you feel like you have tried it and it's not working i'd suggest you get a trainer to come and help you. Chances are there is an issue with the level of correction- ie, it's not firm enough- the timing of the correction and/ or the consistency. You don't want to keep making the pup more and more insensitive and more persistent by correcting in ways that aren't effective which can then also be perceived as a reward!

Thanks Cosmolo! We will try to review our approach with him in the coming weeks and will certainly get a trainer if the issue persists. :)

I had issues with Roo being very bitey. I taught him how to kiss and although he hasn't stopped completely when overexcited, he is so much better. I just sat on the couch with a treat bag and when he bit, I'd say, 'uh uh' and say kiss. When he touched my hand without nipping he got a treat. I actually stuck my hand in his mouth the other day and he spat it out. :laugh:

My partner started teaching the kiss command, hopefully it works for us too! Thanks!

[Nekhbet]

It's in how you do it. Most owners fumble around, keep talking at the dog and when the pup goes back after a correction they think it doesnt work. If he comes back again, do it again and firmer this time. I never say a word, let them throw a god awful tantrum or what ever. Be quick, like a viper, and very firm saying nothing. You will see the look of when it sinks in. The key is persistence and consistency. It's not fun to mouthe sometimes then when it gets too hard finally get on top of it. All or nothing. You wont hurt the puppy but a dog can hurt you later when it has no barrier in it's head that says 'don't you dare do that'.

[Poodle wrangler]

I have a chomper, too.

He's 2 now, but still LOVES to bite.

He doesn't bite to hurt any humans, but isn't averse to a gentle chew of the humans.

Saw some military guard dogs recently and they use chew toys as reward.

The handlers would swing the dogs around, as well, while they bite the toy.

The dogs also do tug-of-war with each other (over a toy) to play.

Guard dogs also bite people (the guy in the bite suit) and hold them on the ground........ so am thinking the chew toy distraction I've been using isn't ideal :)

Time to move to thumb under tongue.

[Mrs Rusty Bucket]

My dog knows the difference between the tug toy and me.

Tho I do not play tug when it's getting dark outside because then there is a high chance she will miss the toy...

It's also a training thing. Ie game over if dog misses the toy and gets me. So dog is a wee bit more careful about where she chomps down.

Bite suit - no way anyone gets to start that training in any kind of official way (by reputable club and instructors) until the dog has a working out/off/stop command. They only get to bite the guy in the bite suit with permission and they must stop when told. Or again - fun ends, suddenly all the exciting people stop moving or running or playing...

[Nekhbet]

Bite suit - no way anyone gets to start that training in any kind of official way (by reputable club and instructors) until the dog has a working out/off/stop command. They only get to bite the guy in the bite suit with permission and they must stop when told. Or again - fun ends, suddenly all the exciting people stop moving or running or playing...

When a dog reaches bite suit prey only is not the driving factor - otherwise the dog would, as you say, come off when there is a lack of movement. Suit work has an element of fight and defense in a dog, prey only helps in maintaining the action and providing some reward factor. A dog at suit level should calmly grip and push in even if the decoy is not moving at all and be totally on the command of the handler when it is suitable to out.

[Mrs Rusty Bucket]

Nekhbet

What do you with a dog that won't redirect when told from one bite suit guy to another (eg dog needs to return to the handler who is being attacked by a new threat) - Fun ends is part of a story Steve White told about a dog that wouldn't re-direct on command... I'm sure there was more to it but - I guess it can be a problem.

Something similar happens when you're training agility equipment and the dog loses the balance between the tunnel and the scramble and "tunnel sucks" instead of learning the "discrimination" commands.

[Nekhbet]

Nekhbet

What do you with a dog that won't redirect when told from one bite suit guy to another (eg dog needs to return to the handler who is being attacked by a new threat) - Fun ends is part of a story Steve White told about a dog that wouldn't re-direct on command... I'm sure there was more to it but - I guess it can be a problem.

There can be multiple training issues with this, firstly one has to consider there is not a proper out under that level of stress and then the dog is finding 'stress relief' for lack of a better term by not outing. The dog could also have a lack of handler focus. There is also a possibility of 'loss' has been introduced in the training and the dog is resistant to outing because he will 'lose' his prey item instead of realising there is further reward potential by engaging the second decoy. Depends how the dog has been trained the out, you can find a lot of problems stem from that process.

[Mrs Rusty Bucket]

Depends how the dog has been trained the out, you can find a lot of problems stem from that process.

That makes sense. If you don't get the foundations right that can lead to problem icebergs in the future.