Puppy biting continuing!

[Cathy]

Hi,

 

We thought the puppy biting might begin to decrease but it seems to be increasing.  Charlie is 4 months old and continues to use his mouth to play bite alot.  We have tried most of the methods, saying ouch, bitter apple but he thinks we're still playing.  It's hard to always leave the room, especially when you're in the yard or working at the computer.  Any other ideas or do we just have to wait it out?  (he also lost his first tooth this week, so he's definately teething - we have lots of toys for him to chew)

 

thanks!

[Jeanne, Tura and Dolly]

I had one trainer tell me to try holding their mouth open a bit,they hate it when their tongue dries out. Since she is in the middle of teething, it is the worst time. No doubt she will get better when her adult teeth are in. Good luck.

[Lynne B]

One thing that I did was put a treat in my fist, the puppy might initially nip at your hand to get it, but after a few minutes he will start to lick or nuzzle your hand, once he is licking your closed fist or sniffing it but not biting, praise him and give him the treat. Repeat that exercise several times a day until his response when seeing your hand is to lick or sniff it. Also, redirect the puppy when he bites something he shouldn't by offering a toy, and yelp so loud when he bites you that it wakes up the neighbors. Puppy biting is absolutely normal, some pups bite too hard because they didn't learn from litter mates how to control the pressure of his bite, but nipping and chewing is a vital part of his development, he just needs to learn it's not cool to bite you.

[Kyoko]

I always like your positive approach.

[C. Ann B.]

We are having the exact same problem--and our puppy is also 4 months old. I don't think Chutney has lost any teeth yet, but she's definitely starting to mouth everything. We're using the same tactics--ignoring her, ending play, leaving the room. She has a lot of chewies. I rotate the kong, flossies, bully stick, nylabone and a few others. I might pick up an elk anter today to try that--I've been reading about them and it seems to be a good idea. Our trainer recommended that we put a tiny bit of butter on our hands for her to lick and then praise her for licking rather than using her teeth, but I haven't tried this yet.

[Gail McHugh]

i use beef tendons when she starts doing something like biting my hand. I just replace it with something she likes to chew on.