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Biting puppy

Bambinos

New Member
Hello,

We have just got a beautiful 12 week old pup, she's totally adorable, clever & already obedient, but she is starting to nip my children! I know she's a pup, & this is to be expected, but I'm already afraid that she'll hurt them. I've a trainer coming next week, & we're starting classes in January, but in the meantime are there any experienced handlers that could give me any tips please & thanks

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traumaunkie

Active Member
With Leo, I "Yelp" OUCH! Really loud....when he removes his mouth from my skin and looks at me, I say "good boy Leo! No bite!!!" In a happy voice


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Hiraeth

Well-Known Member
Yelping or saying "ouch" really loudly can shock a softer dog into not nipping, but with harder dogs, it sometimes only serves to amp them up.

I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but nipping and biting is a very regular part of puppy hood and will perhaps get worse as she starts teething. Redirecting her to a toy when she nips and praising her for biting the toy instead of your skin is the best way to go. It will most likely take weeks and hundreds of redirections to start seeing a positive impact on the behavior.

Also, try to make sure your children aren't playing with her in a way that promotes her nipping them, such as acting overly excited, speaking in loud voices, running away from her, etc. I'd recommend teaching them that interacting with the puppy can only be done when they are calm and quiet. This way the puppy will learn that your children are a source of calmness and be less likely to be overly excited around them in the future.
 

traumaunkie

Active Member
Yelping or saying "ouch" really loudly can shock a softer dog into not nipping, but with harder dogs, it sometimes only serves to amp them up.

I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but nipping and biting is a very regular part of puppy hood and will perhaps get worse as she starts teething. Redirecting her to a toy when she nips and praising her for biting the toy instead of your skin is the best way to go. It will most likely take weeks and hundreds of redirections to start seeing a positive impact on the behavior.

Also, try to make sure your children aren't playing with her in a way that promotes her nipping them, such as acting overly excited, speaking in loud voices, running away from her, etc. I'd recommend teaching them that interacting with the puppy can only be done when they are calm and quiet. This way the puppy will learn that your children are a source of calmness and be less likely to be overly excited around them in the future.
True- it can. Leo just kinda sits back and me and gives the mastiff glare. I'm sure he's thinking "You are NOT as fun as the furry ones!"


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traumaunkie

Active Member
It did rule my shepherd up...talk about shark attacks. With him we just kinda gently removed our skin and stuffed whatever was close by into his mouth!


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Bambinos

New Member
Thanks everyone, I notice that when she's full of energy & playful she's at her worst, my 3 year old can't even walk around without getting a nip. Hopefully this is a phase & will pass, otherwise she's a pure joy & an honour to have!

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Smokeycat

Well-Known Member
What I discovered with Jiggers is that when he got wound up and refused to stop biting it was actually because he was over stimulated and unable to stop on his own. Placing him in his crate almost always resulted in him being asleep with in 5 minutes. It reminded me of a toddler throwing a tantrum because they were tired.

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Joao M

Well-Known Member
It´s a pup...they bite/nip. Remove the hand from its mouth and place a toy. It will get over it as soon as toothing (I believe that is the English word I am lookig for...) is over
 

NYDDB

Well-Known Member
Joao-- the word would be "teething." :)

To the OP, I don't have small children, but yes, all pups are like little land sharks; really just a phase. But, what really helped with my DDB was simply to replace whatever it was he was chewing on that was inappropriate, and insert something safe he could chew on. I really didn't think it would be that easy, but it worked very well!
 

DennasMom

Well-Known Member
I would get the kids some gloves, so they can pet the puppy without fear. That should help them have more calm interactions, too...

The "YIPE" and redirection to toy method worked for us - but it was an 8 month long battle (getting better every day... but still, it's a process).

Keeping the puppy on a leash when the kids are around would also help you control distances, so the puppy can't reach the kids ankles as they walk around. You could put a tie-out on a piece of furniture near the puppy's bed in the living room area, and let the kids know the 'safe' path to take when moving around the puppy.

Keeping things calm, and making sure the puppy gets lots of uninterrupted nap time should also help the puppy stay in a more laid back frame of mind (in between zoomie moments, of course). :)

Our house has a rule - all rough-house play is OUTSIDE. Inside is for relaxing and cuddling. When things start getting amped up, everyone moves outside to run circles around the yard and expend that cooped up energy.
 

Steven C

Well-Known Member
We had this problem with our Bordeaux, it became almost scary with a large male clamping down on an arm or hand of anyone talked to me while visiting at the house. I purchased 4 small water pistols and put them in strategic areas. Whenever he would clamp down or try to nip anyone, he would get squirted without knowing where it came from. This worked fantastic, he hated water. In reality they are only mouthing but even still you need respect in the house from these dominant dogs.
 

Big Papa

New Member
Get a handle on this soon. We just had to put a Cane Corso 18 month old down for biting my little girl in her face. He just would not respond to any form of redirection. I've never had this problem with a Dogue, however, you must get this behavior under control.