Inquiring minds wanna know...How are you dealing with the biting/nipping?

[Kerri B. & Zoey]

So Zoey has been home for a week now and has definitely discovered how her mouth works - the biting of the hands, toes, nipping at my pant legs & ankles as I walk has certainly begun (today she has been particularly relentless).  I know this is typical puppy behavior and we have to work though it, but just curious for others here who are dealing with little ones, what are you doing to combat this issue?  Do you feel like it's working?  I have been using a firm "NO BITE" but this only seems to wind her up more and she does not even bat a cute eyelash when I yelp "OUCH".  I can usually distract her with a bully stick, but I swear, she's gonna have to have a bully stick in her mouth every waking second.  I have heard people hear say to ignore them, but not sure how to ignore it and turn my back when she is ripping my pants & drawing blood from my fingers & toes.  Just curious how others are dealing?

[Kerri B. & Zoey]

So it's been about a week & I've been using the spray bottle.  It seems to distract her enough to stop, which is good, but she is still as feisty as ever (LOL)!  I know she will grow out of it...eventually.  Her new thing now is if I am down on the floor playing with her, she likes to bite & pull my hair.  Good thing I have a pretty tough scalp.  LOL.

[shelly]

That is funny... I actually (now) play like that with Tori.  I get down on the floor and play with her.  She loves to bite my pony tail and nudge me with her head (and if truth be told - and I would NEVER admit this in the 'world outside of DoodKisses... I have nibbled on HER ears once or twice while playing!  SH!   lol)... if you think about it, that is how 2 dogs usually play.  So to them, we must look like one big playmate! Hang in there.. there's going to be a lot of "new things" she'll start doing!  LOL

[Traci -Bexter & Maggie]

 Kerri - You are cracking me up!  Bexter does the SAME THING!  I'm a runner & when I come in from a run, I get on the floor & stretch.  As soon as I do, Bexter grabs hold of my pony tail, bites it, and pulls it HARD.  UGH!  I finally got smart & put him in the crate before I stretch. 

Shelly - OK - Now that we're letting secrets out (AND it's late on Saturday & I've had a little wine...), when Bexter first (as a very young puppy) would chew and gently pull on my hair I thought it felt good...kind of like a little scalp massage, so I let him.  In the back of my mind I always thought, eventually this will be a problem...That time is NOW.  My fault!

[shelly]

Ah! No worries, Traci... lol  This too will end - sh'll learn how to play more gently - Actually DH loves when I pull at his hair too!  LOLOLOL  (Cheers!)

:o)

[Lauren <3 Jackson]

I don't know about you guys but jackson loves the water so a spray bottle doesn't work. He loves being sprayed and just wants more. When jax bites I yell "ouch!" and then fake whimper a little and then make the saddest face I can. This almost always works! He gets really sad for making me sad and then transforms into the sweet puppy I love so much. As for the pant leg biting, if he starts doing that I just stop in my tracks and yell No or Ouch.

[BRADY GOOSE MOORE (Mini Doodle]

The biting/nipping thing seems to be a real 'doodle' puppy thing for sure!   Brady is 15 weeks and seems to go thru stages where he is more nippy than usual (which is quite alot at best).   We have tried yelping and replacing with a chew toy/praise  -  "no biting" -  'goodbye' then ignore him    -   somebody said to stick your finger down his throat - (I don't like that one!)  -  spray bottled water in his face  - (havent tried this either).    The best correction I find is to leash him because he seems to think he's tied up even when he's not and that stops the behaviour. - only problem though is that it also stops the interaction with him.   I also (now that he loves his crate) will put him in there to calm him down.   It took me three weeks however to slowly introduce his crate.   So basically,  try everything now while she's so young cuz the little puppy teeth only GET SHARPER and hurt even more by the time they are 3 - 4 mos. old!    Brady is MUCH better now about biting and nipping at my pants when I walk  :)       REWARDING ANY & ALL  BEHAVIOUR YOU LIKE  (with treats or praise)   SEEMS TO BRING ABOUT THE MOST POSITIVE RESULTS.   If she is just lying there, or say, playing and not nipping/biting,  or walking without biting the leash or your legs, or simply just sitting at your feet TRY REWARDING IT.

[Mimi Linna, Lilly and Lolly]

Lilly will be 11 wks old Thursday. Although I am the most beloved thing to chew on- when that mouth comes near me, I stick a bully stick in there and tell her "no bite" I am sure she hears "blah, blah" but this has worked so far.

[Elizabeth & Cosmo]

When Cosmo was at this stage, he loved our yelping, the coins in a can, and the water spray. He didn't understand them as corrections at all.

I would sometimes hold his muzzle gently and say, "No teeth!" or "No teeth on me!" We still use those commands with him, and they work.

Most effective was withdrawing all attention. When he nipped, I would just get up and walk into another room. When he followed me, I would ignore him for a few more minutes.

Also, we taught a substitute behavior to teach him what to do with human skin. I would spread butter on my fingers and hold them out for him to lick. When he did, I would say "Kisses!" This command now works without the butter. I use it especially when he is around children, to make sure their little fingers don't get nipped.

Even with these measures, which were pretty effective, I have to say I think the biggest factor was his growing up a bit more!

Best wishes for your new puppy!

[Tom Dri (Jaxon's Dad)]

In the past I have always had two dogs and was not aware of how much the older dog taught the younger ones.  I honestly believe they do know how to teach each other how not to bite.  I have been always been the Alpha and never afraid to show them how to behave but this little doodle is smarter than I could have ever imagined.  However he is getting a little bit older everyday and my tolerance of the biting is not as calm as I was when it first started.  I do not want to retreat to the old way of training but what has worked in the past seems like that in unacceptable today.  I think there has to be some sort of balance and i think the tough Love is going to win out.  So much for the time out, when there is blood and the behavior hasn't stopped something has to change.  Its late and I do not want to sit and play with him in the same manner if he continues.  It is not aggressive behavior just ruff play and after 9 weeks the training will begin tomorrow.. Its amazing cause he knows how to sit, shake, lay down on command and the sit/stay is coming along but the biting is the new command he will learn even if I have to use treats to get him to stop or at least bite, but not as hard...Thanks for your concern and hopefully we will get it down,  they are too cute and lovable not to!

[David E]

I've got two pups. One is good as gold but my older one was an utter nightmare. He is now 1 1/2 and absolutely great. It's hard, I feel for you, but all the suggestions are good ones and whatever works. Our 2nd pup we were ready for the worst and he is a complete angel, we still can't believe it. OK, he's chewed a few things, but he never once bit us. They WILL mellow with time, you just have to manage it in the meantime and try not to be angry with them (which is hard with a puppy's sharp teeth digging into your butt).