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Biting Pup - I need your help

3K views 27 replies 15 participants last post by  3TailsWaggin 
#1 ·
I don't know what triggered it, but since a couple of days Bradley's always trying to bite me. When I try to pet him or when I am playing with him. After a while he starts to bite me. And not just me. Basically every one that wants to pet or play with him. And it's not like I am dragging him through crowds of people that scare him. I don't know what to do. The last thing I want is a dog that bites every one he meets. Please give me your advice.
 
#6 ·
He needs some Nylabones or Gumabones for puppies. Sorry to say this will go on for awhile, till the adult teeth come in. Just be persistent with your "no" when he bites & replace your hand, ankle..whatever with a chew bone. :)

Those puppy teeth are like needles.
 
#7 ·
Boo was so bad we called her a land shark. She still has the nickname shark since she is a big chewer. She quit biting us, thanks to the info on this site, but every once in a while she would be under the table at suppertime and you'd all of a sudden feel a tiny bite on the toe. She was just being a puppy. She got/gets plenty of chewies and has realized what she can chew on and what she can't. Whewwww.
 
#8 ·
Please don't think I am totally worthless in raising a pup. It's my first dog and I am trying my best. Reading up and giving him all the love and attention I can. My hubby - who had dogs his whole life - had to leave us for a month after we just got Bradley and I can't ask him for advice or let me help train him. I will follow your advice and get him those chew bones. I just thought that he's turning into a little monster and there's nothing I can do about it...
 
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#9 ·
Tater has his adult teeth, and he still chews like he is teething. I think he just got so use to having things to chew on that he doest want to give it up. It did take some time, but he stopped chewing on my hands and arms. I never thought it would go away, but it does. I found that the KONG is great if you get the one with the two balls on the side, and hangers are great, and so is ice. I know it sounds kind of out there with a hanger, but he loved it and he helped his teeth. Ice i think made his gums feel really good. Try you will see.
 
#10 ·
Bradley said:
Please don't think I am totally worthless in raising a pup. It's my first dog and I am trying my best.
You've asked for advice, and that says something about you. Never apologize for lack of experience. Most of us started out in the same boat, and as long as you're willing to learn and work with your puppy, you'll both do well. I'm a little bit jealous, actually. Puppyhood is a wonderful time! Enjoy the silliness. :p
 
#11 ·
Oh we have a bunch of silliness going on over here. When he finished his "lunch" today - eating like a pig as usual - he got stuck in the puppy-food-mix-jar I forgot on the floor. So I had a pup with a plastic jar stuck on his mouth jumping through the living room. It was hilarious.
 
#12 ·
Bradley said:
Please don't think I am totally worthless in raising a pup. It's my first dog and I am trying my best. Reading up and giving him all the love and attention I can. My hubby - who had dogs his whole life - had to leave us for a month after we just got Bradley and I can't ask him for advice or let me help train him. I will follow your advice and get him those chew bones. I just thought that he's turning into a little monster and there's nothing I can do about it...
There is no such thing as a stupid question and of course we don't think you are worthless. Feel free to hang out here, lurk through some of our old posts, ask questions when you need a quick answer (we try to be quick ;) )

Just remember it will take a while for the bitey-ness to go away. It seems like just when puppies learn what it is appropriate to chew on (Nylabones, Kongs, etc.)... they start teething and the whole process starts over again.

We are here for moral support and advice when you need it.
 
#14 ·
How do you think "AngusFangus" got his nickname? :D

8 weeks is a terrible, terrible time. :p I remember it well. I had to resort to heavy-duty leather gardening gloves to save my skin.

I am at work and so don't have time for a long, drawn-out post detailing all the horrors and all the things we tried, but let me just say this: Hang in there. It really does get better. Losing the puppy teeth will help tremendously. Those things are lethal! :D
 
#16 ·
Here's a tip for you! If he's a really fast eater (like most labs!), put a nylabone or a ball in his dish with the food. He'll have to eat around and it really slows him down!! That's what we do with Frankie (he's 16 months now but we've been doing it since we got him as a puppy).
 
#17 ·
Mostly the puppy sees everyone as its littermates. What do littermates do? Bite each other, sometimes unmericifully.

If there are kids involved, its worse since kids squeal. That usually sends the puppy into a biting frenzy.

What I tell my puppy people to do is "bite" back. I've done the "OUCH" and all the other goodies and none of them work as well.

Its hard to describe, but I pinch the puppy's nose when it bites me. I grab hold of the nose between my index and middle finger and pinch hard enough that the puppy squeals a bit. As I am doing this, I say very low and growly "NO BITE". The pup is getting "bit" by the bigger/alpha dog. Usually they will attempt to bite one more time, within seconds of them getting "bit". They get bit again for their efforts.

It doesn't take many times of getting "bit" before they figure it out and stop.
 
#18 ·
Its hard to describe, but I pinch the puppy's nose when it bites me. I grab hold of the nose between my index and middle finger and pinch hard enough that the puppy squeals a bit. As I am doing this, I say very low and growly "NO BITE". The pup is getting "bit" by the bigger/alpha dog. Usually they will attempt to bite one more time, within seconds of them getting "bit". They get bit again for their efforts.

This makes sense...when I had the mom/pups I noticed she would "bite" their mouths shut sometimes when they were gettin on her nerves..lol
 
#20 ·
Bradley said:
Please don't think I am totally worthless in raising a pup.
I have felt this way, but everyone on this forum has been so nice and helpful and very honest in their opinions- so I'm sure no one would think that. I had a lab growing up...but my parents dealt with her "puppy raising" and when I got Prudence she was older. Brigetta came into my life so unexpectedly and I had no idea what I was doing. Any question you ask someone has either asked or thought about and when you post your questions it's a learning experience for a lot of people...so keep doing it.
Bradley looks like a cutie!!! Good luck!
 
#22 ·
It took me a sec to get over the "I don't wanna hurt the puppy" with the nose-bite-technique - but it works. Yes, he still tries to bite and I do it again and I think after a couple of days I guess he will get it. I am not a fan of "beating dogs around the house" if you know what I mean with that - in fact I hate it when people do that and that's why I have a hard time with being a little stricter with him, but I was also too gentle and relied on positive reinforment only instead of taking his mom's role and sometimes "showing him who's the boss". He has been the alpha male of the whole litter - biggest one of all - and I guess now we have to establish the rank structure or I am doomed. LOL Thank you so much for your posts and help. Makes me feel less helpless and "incapable". Bradley is a cutie, but we need to work on his manners a little. Thanks again! It's great to know that there's help when you need it!
 
#23 ·
I'm of the belief that actions have consequences. Hence, you bite me and I bite back.

As with most bad behaviors, if you don't nip it in the bud now (no pun intended), it will become a major problem down the road when he's not a cute little puppy. NEVER let them do anything as a cute puppy, you don't want them doing as an adult. Not even once.
 
#24 ·
labby said:
What I tell my puppy people to do is "bite" back. I've done the "OUCH" and all the other goodies and none of them work as well.

Its hard to describe, but I pinch the puppy's nose when it bites me. I grab hold of the nose between my index and middle finger and pinch hard enough that the puppy squeals a bit. As I am doing this, I say very low and growly "NO BITE". The pup is getting "bit" by the bigger/alpha dog. Usually they will attempt to bite one more time, within seconds of them getting "bit". They get bit again for their efforts.
Thanks for this technique, I haven't read it before and I'm going to try it out. Lexie was doing better with her nipping, but now she's teething so it's like we're back to square one.
 
#25 ·
Dude, I too totally fell for the whole positive reinformcent approach for the first month or so. Then I got over it. A little correction is definatley necessary, they have to know from the git go that you are the boss. Hang in there when they finally get their adult teeth in (around 7 months old) it gets soooo much better. In the mean time, keep lots of rawhide chews on-hand. I also would give Apollo ice cubes from time to time. We got wash clothes wet and froze them for him too.
 
#26 ·
Oh, you're getting very good advice here. Believe me...this is what got me hooked to the forum.

I was going to give Zoe away at 4 months because of the mouthiness and no other dogs with which to play. I could have invested in stock in Johnson's & Johnson's. ;D

It's not an easy road...patience, and it will stop. Zoe stopped at 5 months; exactly 5 months, and was trained not even to "mouth" a human, no matter how gently.

Hang in there. It does get better... An welcome to the forum!
 
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