puppy biting

[musicotb]

Hey everyone!

I have a 12-week old puppy (beagle/yellow lab mix) who is biting like crazy. We've had her for 5 days. I've tried some things like giving her a light swat on the toosh, or putting my finger behind her back teeth so she can't bark, or simulating a dog by yelping then growling (sounds silly but I saw in on a credible training website). She goes from being sweet and licking gently to growling and biting in about 1/2 a second, and she seems to think discipline means to bite harder.

I'll take any suggestions! Thanks all!

 

[Cantw8]

bite her back

 

[Imagine Ears]

Is it more of a nip (like she's just "hanging on") or is it more of a fierce "I'm gonna bite your head off if you don't watch out!" type of bite? For the former, I'd say it's just a teething thing, and all puppies do it. For the latter, I'd say, too, that it's probably just a teething thing. Most dogs (especially as puppies) enjoy biting or nipping on something.

Good luck! Pics would be nice LOL!

ETA: They say to *NEVER* hit or "roll up" a newspaper with your dog. This mentally hurts them, too, and makes them feel scared and uncomfortable around you or the person who did it. I have also heard that "no no!" or "nu uh!" is the best way to make them understand that they are doing something wrong. It works better than "Bad dog!" or "Bad Boy/Girl!" because it's easier for the dog to remember the command. Once again, never pop them or hit them or anything. They get all upset and become scared of you.

 

[KathyTX]

She thinks you're playing, not disciplining her.

Labs are extremely "mouthy" puppies. They experience the world through their mouths. They love to taste, chew, eat, hold and carry things... those mouths are BUSY!!! And they'll be destructive if you don't provide appropriate things for them to chew on.

The instinct to use their mouths is deeply ingrained, and you're not going to change that. So figure out how to work WITH it. Have lots of chew toys. Tough, indestructible, safe ones. Kongs are great, and so are ropes designed for tug of war. If she starts to chew on YOU, quickly substitute a toy. And have lots of toys around to occupy her so she doesn't eat your socks or furniture.

Enjoy the pup- you just have to try to think like a dog and have lots of paper towels around for that first year or so!

(Hopefully, she'll have the mouth of a beagle and the disposition of a lab. If it's the other way around- the jaws of a lab and the stubbornness of a beagle- you're in for a rough but interesting ride!)

 

[Imagine Ears]

She thinks you're playing, not disciplining her.

Labs are extremely "mouthy" puppies. They experience the world through their mouths. They love to taste, chew, eat, hold and carry things... those mouths are BUSY!!! And they'll be destructive if you don't provide appropriate things for them to chew on.

The instinct to use their mouths is deeply ingrained, and you're not going to change that. So figure out how to work WITH it. Have lots of chew toys. Tough, indestructible, safe ones. Kongs are great, and so are ropes designed for tug of war. If she starts to chew on YOU, quickly substitute a toy. And have lots of toys around to occupy her so she doesn't eat your socks or furniture.

Enjoy the pup- you just have to try to think like a dog and have lots of paper towels around for that first year or so!

ITA. You can't do anything about it - they are just showing that they you. It's nothing mean. I think it's quite funny when they get all riled (sp?) up over a toy and begin to jump all over everyone.

 

[Am_I_There_Yet]

Hitting, even lightly, is the last thing you should do. I have never laid a hand on Chloe, even though she's tried my patience more than a few times.

You want the puppy to respect you, not fear you.

Have you done obedience classes with the puppy yet? That will give you the tools you need to stop any negative behaviour.

With Chloe, when she'd nip, I'd shout a firm, "No bite" and make her sit. I'd make her sit there until I told her it was okay to get up.

In worse case scenarios, I'd roll her on her back and say it. Don't do that without getting guidance on it first though.

Good luck! The puppy sounds like it's a cute mix! I used to have a Beagle and while they can be stubborn to train, they're great dogs.

 

[storzo]

I would think she's probably teething. Buy some puppy teething toys at the Pet Store or some rubber toys.

 

[JustHolly]

We struggled with this with our puppy last summer, and resorted to having a dog behaviorist come to our house to work with us when the biting became more aggressive.

The first thing she suggested was making a "shake can" out of a soda can. Put a few pennies in the can, and cover the top with duct tape. Crush the can a bit with your hands to make more surfaces for the pennies to bounce off of. Keep shake cans EVERYWHERE so that they are at arm's reach when you need them.

When your puppy starts nipping, shake the can and say a very stern, "NO!"

On our own, we also taught our dog to give "kisses" and then when we stopped him from biting, we would say, "give kisses."

Our "puppy" is a little more than a year old now, and the biting/nipping has almost completely disappeared. He has his moments, but the shake can really did a nice job.

If you haven't already, look into a beginner obedience class. They have lots of helpful tips, and is really fun for your puppy.

Good luck!

 

[MushyMushy]

What I've always done with my dogs was to hold their mouths closed after they bit. Way back when I volunteered at an animal shelter, this behaviorist said that it mimics what a mama dog would do.

 

[The Mystery Machine]

A pup is trying to "put you in line". That is normal for puppies. It looks to you as a "littermate". Wants you to play with him or her. Wants to use you as a chew toy.
Esp. because you cuddle and spoil it. It makes you "weak".

We leashed our dog and corrected him when he tried to mouth us. We would give the tug on the leash and say "NO BITE!". A trainer told us that a dog can learn a few hundred words so name everything. Don't just say "no".

The hardest for our dog Butters to "get" was our 10yodd. We had to pretty much put the serious corrections on him. However our dogs were 4 months old when we adopted them, so mouthing had to come to a screeching halt.

I find that with any issue with a dog, you toss on the leash. It really comes in handy. We use it all the time in the house. If the pups are being particularily orney, we leash them and force them to follow us. They like it of course because dogs really want you to be the one in charge.

 

[Val]

An old training trick- as she bites you hold her "lip" over her little baby teeth and press in- so that the lip is "bitten" by the teeth. It is a little painful (don't do it TOO hard), and instant, and ties the biting with pain in the mouth!
Add a sharp and low "growl" to it- like you are an alpha dog growling. You can say No, Baaaaa, or any other nice and gutteral sound that will scare the beezeers out of her. Make the noise, then roll the lip on the teeth for a nice noise-pain pairing.....after a couple of trials she will get the clue! Then- give her a chew toy and praise the daylights out of her for good behavior (but don't get too excited or you will wind her up).

She is teething, and establishing dominance. Make sure she has plenty of chew toys-and you don't count as one! And remember...this too shall pass!

 

[FayeW]

With Suzy, I would just put my hand firmly around her muzzle and yell NO! loudly. I don't remember that it took too long until she stopped.

The thing to remember about puppies is that that they use their mouths the way we use our hands. They investigate their world by sniffing it and tasting it. It may not be aggressive behaviour, but you have to let them know it's not ok to "taste" you!

 

[LadyZolt]

The thing about dogs is you have to think like a dog. Like Kathy said, give the pup lots of chew toys and make sure he gets plenty of time to chew. But if he does do something you don't like, mimic how a mother dog teaches her pup "no." She does it by putting the pup's head in her mouth and applying pressure until he stops moving. You can do it by holding the top of his head and the bottom of his jaw and pressing down (not hard enough to hurt him -- he will be still with a bit of pressure) and then using the "no bite" command someone else suggested.

Leash him to you when he's not in his crate so you can watch him whenever he's out and can immediately correct and reward behavior. He will be trying to assert his position in the household, and your job is to teach him that he is the "most junior pack member, even a human newborn outranks him." Think about how dogs work and you should have no trouble getting him to understand what you want from him, and he will be happy to oblige when you're "speaking his language."

-Dorothy (LadyZolt)

 

[Pea-n-Me]

Besides showing him what NOT to do, make sure you show him what TO do. When you correct his biting, give him a toy or chew afterward then praise when he takes it. We owners often make the mistake of correcting without showing what to do in its place.