How to stop play biting in a puppy?

[JudoMom]

We do have a big problem developing with our 3 month old puppy, and I'm not sure how to address it.

 

He's a play-biter. When we walk, if he's awake, he bites at our feet and/or pant legs. He also play bites when we play with him. He doesn't as much with me (I tell him no when he starts and he usually stops unless he's really wound up), but he does with the boys. They try telling him no, but it doesn't really work. The worst is when he's excited--he thinks the boys are puppies. He jumped at ds11's face when ds11 was playing with him and caught his cheek and drew blood (a small scratch), and yesterday ds9 was on the living room floor with his shirt off and Jed was running around (you know how dogs get crazy and run and run and run?). Jed took a bite at ds9's side while he was running (like he thought ds9 was a toy he could pick up and run with), and he left a long scratch that bled.

 

I'm just not sure what to do. He's doing well on the sit command, and we're working at down, but I just don't know how to get him to stop biting. It's not malicious, but it has to stop. I've read a few things that say to get up and leave the area, but he just follows us biting at our ankles/feet/pants. Also, our main level is one big L shaped room containing the living room, dining room, and kitchen. There is no way to gate him into one area.

 

Does anyone know what I should be doing? How can the boys get him to listen to them (I think he views them as equals or below him in the pecking order).

[Coffeetime]

Grab the pup by the scruff of the neck telling him "NO" in a low, firm, voice while physically moving him away from you every. single. time.

Most importantly, make sure you have plenty of toys for the puppy to chew on- including a tug type toy on a rope that the kids can use to distract the puppy when they are playing with him. He'll eventually learn that the toys are for chewing, not the kids.

[bzymom]

When a puppy bites at us, we grab it by the scruff of the neck so it is slightly off the ground, and give a firm "NO". Put down and walk away. If puppy follows and continues, stop immediately and do it again. They get the message pretty quickly.

 

I don't know how old your children are, but if they are young, you will need to always supervise playtime with the puppy so you can intervene if puppy bites at them. I wouldn't recommend having them use the method I mentioned, as it is not going to be safe for the puppy, so you would need to do it. They can continue to get up and walk away so they show their displeasure.

 

Basic ways to remind the puppy of his place in the house are to keep him off the furniture, and have him sit and wait to be fed and then eating when told it is okay (kids can do this).

 

Good luck!

[Spryte]

One more idea for the kids: when puppy play bites, say, "ouch!" loudly, turn their backs and ignore the puppy for a while. Then redirect the puppy to chew toys. That might be something they can do, since the scruff of the neck approach may not work for kids.

[Candid]

Having read in Ian Dunbar's puppy book on biting cessation, I can tell you that it is possible that play biting in a puppy is a good thing because it gives you an opportunity to work on hardness of bite.

 

Here's a nice article on Dunbar: http://articles.sfgate.com/2006-10-15/living/17314747_1_cesar-millan-ian-dunbar-dog-training-dogs-lives-popular-dog-whisperer-show (it goes on for pages and although the headline tries to stir up controversy with Milan folks the whole article is worth reading)

 

Here's a place to get his two puppy books as a download: http://www.dogstardaily.com/free-downloads

 

The part on biting and bite training is in book two. Here's a couple of teasers:

 

Puppies bite—and thank goodness they do. Puppy biting is a

normal, natural, and necessary puppy behavior. Puppy playbiting

is the means by which dogs develop bite inhibition

and a soft mouth. The more your puppy bites and receives

appropriate feedback, the safer his jaws will be in adulthood. It is

the puppy that does not mouth and bite as a youngster whose adult

bites are more likely to cause serious damage.

 

No matter how well you try to socialize your dog and teach him

to enjoy the company and actions of people, the unforeseen and

unpredictable happens. Here are a just a few case histories:

• A friend of the owner unintentionally slammed a car door

on a dog's tail.

• A woman wearing high heels unintentionally stepped on

her sleeping Rottweiler's thigh.

• An owner grabbed his Jack Russell by the collar.

• A groomer was combing out a Wheaten's matted coat.

• A veterinarian was fixing a Bernese Mountain Dog's

dislocated elbow.

• A visitor tripped and flew headlong to butt heads with an

Airedale chewing his bone.

• A three-year-old child (who shall remain nameless)

wearing a Superman cape jumped from a coffee table and

landed on the ribcage of a sleeping Malamute.

 

The Rottweiler and Bernese both screamed. The Bernese lay

perfectly still and did not attempt to bite. All the other dogs

Grrrrwuffffed and quickly turned their muzzles towards the

person. The Malamute got up and left the room. Both the

Rottweiler and Jack Russell snapped and lunged, but neither

made skin contact. The Wheaten took hold of the groomer's arm

and squeezed gently. The Airedale nicked the visitor's cheek.

All of these dogs were pretty friendly most of the time, but what

is crucially important is that they had all developed stellar bite inhibition

in puppyhood. Despite extreme fright or pain, bite

inhibition instantly clicked in (within 0.04 seconds) to check

the bite. Consequently, none of these dogs caused any damage

and all were successfully rehabilitated.

 

The dog with the trapped tail mutilated the person's arm with

multiple deep bites. This dog was a breed most people consider

to be extremely friendly and had been taken on numerous visits

to schools and hospitals. Indeed, the dog was extremely

friendly, but she had no bite inhibition. During puppyhood, she

did not play with other dogs much, and her puppy biting

behavior was infrequent and gentle. Because the dog had never

displayed any signs of unfriendliness as an adult, there was no

warning that she might bite. And because she had never

snapped or bitten before, there was no warning that her bite

would be serious. For a dog that is likely to spend a lot of time

around people, being well-socialized but having poor bite

inhibition is a dangerous combination.

 

Some people might feel that a dog is justified to bite in self defense.

But that is not what really happened in any of the

above instances. In each case, the dog may have felt he/she was

under attack, but in reality the dog bit a person who had no

intention of hurting him/her. Whether you agree with this or

not, the fact remains that we humans have been socialized not

to attack our hairdressers, dentists, doctors, friends, and

acquaintances when they unintentionally hurt us. Likewise, it is

extremely easy, and essential, to train our dogs not to attack

groomers, veterinarians, family, friends, and visitors.

[astrid]

Check your FB messages....:001_smile:

 

astrid