How To Stop Puppy Biting You (leg, Ankle, Hand)

[new2gsd]

Our 13 week old GSD pup has a habit at snapping at our hands, ankles, legs etc (Im not mentioning his chewing habits here!)

When we say no he does it more.

We have tried putting him out of the house when he does this and he calms down for few minuntes and starts again.

He also pulls at Trousers, Robes (when we are wearing them) - He has already torn several!

He also snaps at our hands when we give him treats. Not when he is at puppy school though!

He also jumps and tries to grab our hands every now and then. This worsens if knows we have a treat in our hand!

Any suggestions to get rid of this habit would be greatly appreiciated.

BTW all the other times, he is a darling!

[hazelm]

Hi our GSD girl puppy was quite a little biter at first, we never encouraged games that made her snatch at stuff, but she would still bite us, I think it's a puppy thing apparently they bite each other in the litter when they're playing. We had her for 5 weeks til she was 14 weeks, and then she went back to the breeders as we were going away for 3 weeks, she spent time with a brother and sister of hers, and when we came back the biting had stopped! He may be teething too.

Also we noticed that she used to play bite our daughter more than us, I think they work out the pecking order of the household (their "pack") and try to work their way up the order!

Goodluck.

[Isabel964]

Not sure if you have tried this, but as soon as he botes/snaps, say 'NO' and immediately stop playing with him. If you are not paying with him when he does it, stop moving and say a firm 'NO'. Distract him with a different behaviour/task/action to divert his attention to something he is allowed to do.

Puppies love to please their owners. If they know something they do does not please you, they will be keen to stop doing it..but being young they are easily confused so diverting their attention is the next best thing. Have you taught him to sit on command? If yes, when he bites/snaps you could say 'NO'. Then say 'sit'. When he sits praise him and then divert his attention to something else.

This might be wrong advice. I am not a dog trainer. Its just what I would do.

[cassie]

When my boy was at this stage, if he bit me I would yelp like a hurt puppy. Might seem strange but it definitely worked for me! You have to do it loud and high pitched enough for him to stop and take notice. Also, make sure he has enough chew toys, and direct his chewing to one of them. Squeaky ones are usually a hit!

[canines4evur]

I have used the old yelping and getting upset trick too, usually with the result being a big lick and smooch and it does seem to work well in the fact that they learn not to bite things that make a noise (like chooks rabbits, guinee pigs ect).I usually say no 1st then apply the teary "youve hurt me scene". Other people have a little water spray bottle to squirt them with, I havnt tried this method.

[Nekhbet]

be careful that making high pitched noises can just encourage the puppy further as they think its a game. Especially higer drive dogs like GSDs. My Belgian Malinois was a little munchy machine when I got her so I feel your pain! You are now in place of the mummy dog so you have to start learning to growl NO when the pup really starts misbehaving. Your problems stem from the dog thinking you are lower in the pecking order then him and he's the boss. This can be dangerous if he carries this thinking into adulthood so nip it now!

1) teach this dog to sit. No option on this the pup has to learn that sitting and calming its behaviour means good things. If puppy preschool taught you how to teach them to sit then make sure you do this constantly. Putting the pup outside will not teach it a lesson really, sometimes you can create problems if you teach the dog that every time it is put outside it means punishment. Also dont be tempted to pull away or push him when he tugs clothing as this means encouragement. Yes dogs are weird ;) When it starts nipping, growl NO (and I mean growl with some real guts behind it) stand up, cross your arms and stare at the ceiling. The pup will probably nip, bite, sook, jump etc to get your attention. HOLD OUT!!! For your own sake hold out until it shuts up and settles. If it leaps up put you knee up and let it fall over (not kick it please but they trip over themselves if you put your knee up as they leap at you) and dont say a word. If you make any sort of contact the pup wins. When the pup sits, look down and quietly say good boy. If he starts being stupid again then repeat the ignoring (you may want to get some gumboots for this exercise)

2) Make sure you are PERSISTANT and CONSISTANT with obedience. Dont show the pup that following obedience is just for set times (which it already does as it behaves at puppy preschool and not at home) Follow through 24/7. If it snatches food from your hands put up you knee and let it stack itself. Put the food away, walk away and leave the little bugger hungry and without a treat. Trust me hungry dogs learn fast. If it snatches toys, growl NO, walk away and even shut the door behind you. Dont give him contact until he settles down. Dont give him an inch of slack because puppies need very defined boundaries at this age to be able to understand right from wrong behaviours. If you start blurring the lines or doing something one way and then the same thing another way another time the pup will never learn. Black and white.

Make happy higher pitched noises when he does something right but do it calmly. Pat him calmly and speak softly to him when he does something right. If you squeak and bound around like a kid on sugar you are showing him being a spaz is a good thing!!! THeyre just like children at this age, and being so intelligent they will learn to train you better then you train them if you're not careful!

EG

some non negotiables should be:

You try and mouth/bite me I leave you alone and dont acknowledge you

You snatch food and you will go hungry

You will be fed your meals when I say so and when you sit and behave

Jumping up on me means you will fall down and be embaressed

These pups are hard biters and chewers in puppyhood. They are an animal that was bred to work so the pups are a little harder then other breeds (my Belgian is a woking dog) so you have to be a little stricter. Not saying you suck the fun out of life but you have to mould the pup to fit into the family. The puppy must understand that its place is to respect humans and to learn patience. Dont expect miracles but dont put up with stupid behaviour because they do NOT grow out of it, it gets stronger and worst.

Dont think that growling a big deep 'NNNOOOOOOOOOO" at him will traumatise him. Might scare the little bugger into some respect for you. Most importantly say things ONCE and once only. You dont ask a dog, you tell it. I ran puppy preschool and I had people saying 'sit, sit, sit, please, come one, sit for mummy, please baby' ad nauseum. Submissive dogs beg, dominant dogs tell. If you act like a submissive dont expect obedience from your dog. Work on your relationship before pushing obedience or its just rolling a boulder uphill for you.

If you need more help PM me.

[Leema]

We have tried putting him out of the house when he does this and he calms down for few minuntes and starts again.

I wouldn't do this, as he may learn to associate outside with punishment. I'd be inclined to make a room puppy proof and safe... Like the bathroom or toilet. He can be 'sin binned' here.

There's a number of methods that work for biting hands...

* Emitting a high pitched yelp when the pup bites. If a pup was playing with another pup, and one hurt the other, the hurt pup would yelp. This is the sound you a mimicking. It is a sound that lets the pup know that you are hurt.

* Say "NO", and press your hand deeper into the pups throat, so the dog gags and spits your hand out. The dog soon learns that putting his mouth around your hand results in discomfort, and will soon stop. This is also a good method as the dog learns that he controls his own behaviour, as he must let go of your hand, not you pulling your hand away.

* Ignore your dog when it bites. Leave the room long enough for the pup to forget he was playing with you. He will soon learn that biting means you go away, which he certainly won't want.

*'Sin binning' does work, but is harder. Say "NO" and pick the puppy up, holding him away from your body, then put him in a boring place that he will never use otherwise (e.g. the bathroom) and leave him there for several minutes OR until he is quiet.

* Say "NO", withdraw you hand, and give the pup a toy instead. Reward the pup profusely for chewing on the toy.

The most important thing is, if he jumps and bites at your hands, that he's not rewarded for doing these things - with pats or the treat that he's jumping for. If he's jumping for your hands, you may want to try walking with your hands hidden - in your pockets or your arms crossed.

Others' suggestions are helpful too. ;) These are just mine, which I used a combination of to teach my dog to not bite and chew on me.

Let me know if you'd like me to further explain anything.