# Puppy Biting



## Dechi (Aug 22, 2015)

Best way ? Don’t get him worked up. Remove your hands when he starts biting and put him down if he keeps at it. Yelping in a high pitched voice might help also. The only true remedy is time.

I made the mistake of playing with my hands with Beckie when she was a puppy and now she’s 17 months old and she still bites so no more playing with the hands. She’s not gentle enough.


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## lily cd re (Jul 23, 2012)

Oh yes, those dreaded needle teeth, ouch! Puppies teeth are intentionally very sharp and painful to deal with. When pups are still close with their litter mates and being nursed, etc. their play mates are each other. They can be very rough with each other and they often yelp when a sibling lands a harsh bite. Giving and receiving those nasty jolts of pain is the main way that puppies learn to become dogs that give inhibited (non skin breaking) bites. I think the fact that puppies yelp when they hurt each other is where the idea that giving a human yelp when a puppy lands a good one comes from. Certainly many people find that works.

I do agree with Dechi that for the time being it is probably better not to let your puppy crawl all over you while you are lying on the couch and able to get worked up close to your face. That is a recipe for really getting hurt. I don't necessarily think it is bad to let puppies and dogs have your hands in their mouths though. I often let my dogs mouth me as adults since they are generally polite about it when I am allowing them to do it (I don't allow them to decide they want to do it though). Since I can easily have my hands in their mouths I never have a problem giving oral medications or retrieving forbidden objects as they are about to be swallowed.

Yelping and acting hurt never worked for me with Lily though and she was incredibly mouthy, painfully so aside from wrecking a fair amount of my clothing. What has worked and was awesome with Javelin was to teach an impulse control game that shows the pup that being restrained rather than impulsive makes good things happen. The teaching and the learning are all done by the pup since we don't do much of anything. The basic game is called "it's yer choice" and is credited to Susan Garrett although there are many variations of it and you can make your own variations and advanced versions once the dog understands the basics.


Sit on the floor with you puppy and have a few nice treats in each hand. Close your hands around the treats and put them on your knees. Let the puppy come and molest you to try to get the treats (be prepared for pawing and biting). Don't say or do anything until the puppy backs off the assault and offers even a quick bit of eye contact and immediately say good as you give a treat. Put your hands with treats closed inside them back on your knees and repeat. Within just a few repetitions the pup will figure out for itself that the only way to get the treat is to stop and look at you. Gradually increase the amount of quiet static attention the pup can give before you give the treat. What this generally teaches the puppy is that to get you to give treats, be fun, play, give dinner, etc. they have to be still and calm, not molesting you and acting like a jerk. For my poodles I just stop and stand perfectly still, no talking, no petting, nothing any time either of them is acting like a jerk. It takes about 1-2 seconds tops for their butts to hit the floor and for them to be sitting in front of me offering nice polite eye contact. We reinforce this basic game twice a day before the breakfast and dinner bowls reach the floor.


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## Click-N-Treat (Nov 9, 2015)

We played It's Yer Choice a lot. Great game! I found yelping encouraged Noelle to get even more worked up and bite more. Noelle was in the kitchen, so if she got too worked up and too shark like, I just left the room for a count of 25 or so. Long enough to get the point across that biting makes the fun stop and sends me away. When I came back, she was always happy to see me and didn't bite. For a few minutes anyway.

Also, there came a point where everyone in the house had a bully stick in their pocket. Noelle started biting fingers, out came the bully stick. Bite this, not me. And remember, it hurts when your puppy bites your clothes, so treat biting clothes the same as biting flesh. Yelp, if that stops it. Or leave the puppy alone for a few seconds. 

The evil biting phase doesn't last. Hurts a whole lot, and your hands look like you were on the losing end of a fight with a raspberry bush, but it goes away.


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## lily cd re (Jul 23, 2012)

Click for Lily yelping also got her even more jazzed up. Stop and do nothing worked much better for us. Each puppy has its own personality though so you have to try a couple of strategies sometimes to find the one that works for you and the pup in front of you.


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## fjm (Jun 4, 2010)

I did a combination - puppy biting meant I yelped, turned away and play came to a sudden stop. Redirecting to toys and chews helps, especially when the land shark is crawling across the bed with snapping jaws, but I wanted my pups to learn that they needed to be careful with their teeth. At first I stopped just for the painful bites, then gradually dropped the threshold till any pressure meant a pause. Sophy loves to play wrestle and play bite, and has been scrupulously careful with her jaws since she was a few months old; Poppy went through a phase of nipping my bum unexpectedly, especially on the stairs (until one day I roared in real pain, and she finally got the message). Poppy is definitely mouthier than Sophy, and would easily have got into the habit of play nips if I had not been rigorous about reminding her to be careful. Once she got past the puppy stage she moderated her nips to a pinch rather than a bite, but they are still Not Allowed!


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## JenandSage (Mar 9, 2018)

Phew!! Good reminder — I am currently in shark phase 
Yelping didn’t help with Sage either and redirecting was probably the best with him. 
It’s only day 4 with Saffron so I can relate. I know it gets better... As she settles in she is getting mouthier so it might get worse before it gets better:2in1:


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## Moni (May 8, 2018)

This was my biggest concern with Louie too! Mouthiest puppy we ever had! He is now 8 months and it has gone down in frequency a lot. He is mostly sharky when he is tired or overwound - that's when I know it is crate time if he can't put himself to sleep. Most of the time he can just roll up in his bed - but sometimes when there is too much fun action around him with my grand-son especially, whose energy he mimics, it feels like he has a hard time finding his off-switch and the crate helps.
Yelping also did nothing to discourage him - after 6 months together I have it mostly figured out.
There is teething and then there is mouthiness, because he needs something that he has a hard time expressing - that maybe he needs his rest, or he needs a cuddle or he forgot his chewy...
Until all the teeth fell out (last one was just 3 weeks ago) it really seemed to be an obsessive need to massage those gums.
He still thinks he can take me by the hand (ever so gently) to lead me around - which is kind of funny.


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## Mfmst (Jun 18, 2014)

It’s an unpleasant phase for sure. The statue stance just seemed to make me an easier target for my Tasmanian Devil poodle. Redirecting with a tug toy or ending the fun and leaving him alone worked. Also sturdy jeans, long sleeves and time.


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## Mufar42 (Jan 1, 2017)

Its funny you say he is the m mouthiest pup you ever had , Renn also was the most mouthy. My poor arms, lol. At 10 months we are now beyond the puppy biting. He is a mothy dog though, everything in play has his mouth open though he does not bite on you. When he plays with our boxer he is also mouthy, the boxer wants no part of that play, he is more laid back. He is happy to run around with him as long as Renn keeps his mouth shut., LOL At leah he no longer bites.


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## scooterscout99 (Dec 3, 2015)

Also, keep him away from your face (and ears). That’s a bad location for a dog bite.


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## Lenny (Oct 16, 2018)

Just curious I’ve read people say to pinch the back of the neck. Simulating what a mother dog would do to a puppy. Any thoughts on doing this?


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## lily cd re (Jul 23, 2012)

I wouldn't pinch the pup on the neck with fingernails. Moms are more subtle and fingers are more likely to have the effect of being like what mom's would do. But I would not do either of those things. You already have had a number of really good methods explained earlier in this thread. Have you worked on them? Things like it's yer choice won't necessarily give an instant fix but that game in particular is awesome because the dog teaches itself and the new behaviors that displace things you don't want will be much more deeply remembered by the dog.


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## Streetcar (Apr 13, 2014)

Lenny, avoiding punishment-based and using more positive associations like everyone suggested will also help your Poodle puppy grow into all the intelligence he can have. Keep his sweet brain open by avoiding fear or harshness in treatment of nipping, housetraining, and other lessons, and build from trust and fun. Lily CD RE is so right about the suggested approaches, including hers.

Oliver did not come to me as a puppy, but I've had plenty others, and pups get through this stage.

Jean Donaldson's Culture Clash has some of the best explanations of dogs' and puppies' thinking around. Highly recommended, if for nothing else than her explanations of why some dogs turn into sneaky house soilers (hint; we do it to them). I love Dr. Dunbar and he's widely respected here, just feel Culture Clash is topnotch as well. I love how she describes things.


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## zooeysmom (Jan 3, 2014)

Lenny, you've been given excellent suggestions for using nonviolent methods for working on puppy's biting. Please take them


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## Click-N-Treat (Nov 9, 2015)

Anything you do to a puppy that causes pain or fear of human hands is more likely to backfire than succeed. Please try just leaving, and or substituting an appropriate chew.


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## Lenny (Oct 16, 2018)

I haven’t been pinching I’ve been doing all non punishment based methods like were suggested. I was just curious.


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## Click-N-Treat (Nov 9, 2015)

Good, Lenny. You had me worried. There's no reason to punish a puppy. It's an infant of a different species. The more gentle you are right now, the closer your bond will become. And the more clear limits you set, the better off you will be, too. Clear and firm limits keep you from being bossed around by an adult dog. Gentleness and patience foster a trusting relationship that you can build on with your adult dog. 

If you bite, I will give you something appropriate to chew and praise your choice.
If you choose to bite me after I offer something appropriate, I will leave you alone until you can choose more appropriate behavior. 

Noelle would launch her shark face at my hands and bite me. I'd calmly leave the room without a word. It was instantly clear to Noelle that her action caused me to leave. She would become hysterical and sob when I left, and really sweet when I came back. For a minute or two, and then, pow, shark face! For a few days there, I spent two minutes with Noelle, 30 seconds in time out, two minutes with her, 30 seconds in time out. My hands looked like I lost a fight with a raspberry bush.

However, by having identical reactions to her shark face Noelle learned I'm not random. Her actions can make me leave. And her actions can gain praise and love. I can be trusted because I'm not random. I'm fair. And I'm FUN! I set limits, but within those limits, we can have a blast together. Enjoy your puppy because puppies are fun.


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## Lenny (Oct 16, 2018)

Click-N-Treat said:


> Good, Lenny. You had me worried. There's no reason to punish a puppy. It's an infant of a different species. The more gentle you are right now, the closer your bond will become. And the more clear limits you set, the better off you will be, too. Clear and firm limits keep you from being bossed around by an adult dog. Gentleness and patience foster a trusting relationship that you can build on with your adult dog.
> 
> If you bite, I will give you something appropriate to chew and praise your choice.
> If you choose to bite me after I offer something appropriate, I will leave you alone until you can choose more appropriate behavior.
> ...


I understand this concept and I like it. However, if I choose to get up and leave the room, he will only start chewing on random things in the room without me being there to stop him


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## Lenny (Oct 16, 2018)

Also I don’t want to use his crate or play pen as a punishment area, I want him to look at them as positive areas where he is comfortable. So how do you put a dog in timeout?


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## Click-N-Treat (Nov 9, 2015)

Can you block off your kitchen? That's what we did with our puppies. And you can use magic anti-chew sauce to protect anything you want to own after your puppy is done being a puppy.

Magic Anti-Chew Sauce
2 parts water
1 part Sriracha sauce
1 part dish soap

Completely non-toxic, but wow this stuff tastes horrible. Paint it lightly and allow it to dry. You don't need much. One lick is enough to teach your dog that's not worth tasting a second time. After that, just the scent will protect your stuff from land sharks. 

If you're still worried about your stuff getting wrecked, you can fold your arms, and put your back to the puppy and complete ignore him without leaving the room. The idea is that fun stops when he gets too rough, not that he should go entertain himself with shredding stuff. Keep those pauses really brief.


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## Click-N-Treat (Nov 9, 2015)

Oh, and stand up, turn around, arms folded, utterly silent. Make sure you're not engaging with the land shark. Count to 30 and return as if nothing happened. If the puppy tries to bite you while you're standing in silence, move away and ignore.


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## lily cd re (Jul 23, 2012)

We used just straight up Tabasco sauce, but I like the little bit of dish soap added in to make it extra nasty tasting. Be very consistent with this stuff so you are not sending mixed messages.


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## Lenny (Oct 16, 2018)

Click-N-Treat said:


> Oh, and stand up, turn around, arms folded, utterly silent. Make sure you're not engaging with the land shark. Count to 30 and return as if nothing happened. If the puppy tries to bite you while you're standing in silence, move away and ignore.


This is what we are doing as of now. He doesn’t seem to care though lol he then will just start buying whatever else is close by ha but I know it takes time and he’s very young


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## lily cd re (Jul 23, 2012)

Time to throw in some its yer choice for impulse control. Even very young puppies figure that one out pretty quickly.


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## Click-N-Treat (Nov 9, 2015)

It's Yer Choice takes real bravery when you're feeding a shark, but oh it does help. I used one meal a day with Noelle playing It's Yer Choice. Each piece of kibble is a learning opportunity after all. Put a kibble in your hand, show the puppy the kibble in your hand. When the puppy goes for the kibble, close your fist. Can't have the kibble until you stop biting and look at me. The second the puppy gives up trying to bite and looks at you, give the kibble on your flat hand. Repeat until the bowl is empty. Then get some antiseptic wash for your hands. I recommend Bactine.


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## Click-N-Treat (Nov 9, 2015)

The dish soap helps prevent your dog from developing a taste for hot sauce and tortilla chips. No one likes to eat soap. Bleh! This also works on wire chewing cats.


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## zooeysmom (Jan 3, 2014)

Click-N-Treat said:


> Magic Anti-Chew Sauce
> 2 parts water
> 1 part Sriracha sauce
> 1 part dish soap
> ...


Thank you for the recipe, Click! Bitter apple worked just fine on my spoos, but I have a friend with a landshark husky mix who needs something stronger so I'll recommend this


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## lily cd re (Jul 23, 2012)

Yes there is a pain resistance component to not yelping during it's yer choice with a puppy, but I did the same thing with Javelin's puppy kibble and it made him very polite with his mouth. Besides poodles figure this out very fast so I rarely had a hard mouth after the first couple of times of working at this.


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## Lenny (Oct 16, 2018)

lily cd re said:


> Time to throw in some its yer choice for impulse control. Even very young puppies figure that one out pretty quickly.


Ok awesome I’m going to start this right away. Thanks a lot


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