Biting and Mouthing

[MaximusFluffimus]

My Max bites me all day, my daughter and anyone who visits. I correct him and give him a toy immediately. Will this slow down ever, so I can pet him and cuddle just for a few mintues. He his so darn cute I could just squeeze him but he just wants to bite, lolololol?! He is 4 months old.

[Jane, Guinness and Murphy]

He is still a puppy, although at 4 months I believe he is capable of now beginning to learn that no "good things" happen when he is biting or mouthing.  Redirecting real young puppies with a toy when they start mouthing can be a great strategy.  As they get older (and smarter) you just have to be careful that you are not rewarding that excited "nippy" behavior by giving him a toy.  How are you correcting him when he does this?

[MaximusFluffimus]

I grab him gently by the muzzle, tell him no bite and make him sit then offer a toy to chew on. Maybe I shouldn't give him a toy at all. All day he just bites us. When we walk, when we sit next to him. The only time he doesn't is if he is exhausted and ready to nap.

[GBK]

Buddy was a biter when he was young.  The only thing that worked was timing him out.  Use a bathroom, tie his leash to a doorknob, or babygate an area just for time outs.  The time outs don't have to be very long, 30 - 60 seconds, but it needs to be done everytime his teeth touch skin or clothes.  Buddy caught on pretty quick, but there were days I would bring him out of time out just to go right back in!  Good Luck, it does get better :)

PS there were days he made me cry, and I wanted to punt the little sucker across the backyard, but he was just too cute, even with his teeth flashing!  The time outs give us a break to calm down too.  I've never hit (or kicked) my dogs ever, but he sure pushed my buttons......

[Amy and Lily]

This was funny!  I think we all have felt this way already!  Lily is 11 months old and becoming quite the good girl.

[Ricki and Tara (doodle)]

This sounds just like Tara when she was little! I thought I would lose my mind!!!  The dog book said to turn my back on her but when I did she would jump up and hang by her teeth from the back of my coat!!! OMD!!!  There wasn't much snuggling going on in those early days because it was too painful!!  We used time outs too and I finally resorted to spraying Bitter Apple on my hands (which she hates) and then sticking them in her face! That helped a LOT but it still took some time to get her to stop. She still likes to touch me with her mouth but no teeth now. :)

[Heather Martinez]

When Teddy was little, he was just like Max, he had to have a stuffed toy in his mouth or he would be trying to bite. Now at one year old it is so nice that he just lies there calmly and lets me pet him. He still sometimes gets excited and needs to have a bone in his mouth but it is so much better. We always say "BE NICE" whenever Teddy tries to bite.

[Phoebe's Mom]

I posted a similar discussion when my Phoebe was 6 months old--almost 2.5 years ago now--and we were her 'human bones.'  She chewed on us and nipped at us almost constantly.  I tried every training trick in the book and all those I heard about on DK and even brought in a trainer as I was so concerned that her biting/mouthing would continue indefinitely.  I was hyper-diligent about training and tried so hard to get my 4 children to follow my lead--my DH was another story.  I would cry a lot because I thought I might never be able to pet her without getting gnawed on...and then she turned a year old and it was as if I switch had been flicked. The behavior disappeared and she is now the biggest cuddle bug.  Interestingly, I can now pet and touch her all over her face and get into her mouth and she does nothing but sits there and takes it.  She is such a love!  Be diligent about training and consistent with correction but also know he is just a puppy...give him time and I bet you will be able to cuddle with him without being a human chew toy very soon.

[Alison]

If it's any consolation our Rudy just turned four months this week and over the last few days he has turned into a one-dog chewing machine. Even the so-called "indestructible" chew toys are no match. I can tell he's teething and I feel bad for him, but not when it's my hand, ankle, slippers, etc, in his mouth! I'm relieved to hear that once they make it through teething it seems to calm down!

[MaximusFluffimus]

Thank you everyone! It is nice to hear I am not alone!

[Jennifer,Chloe & Myla]

Puppy-puppy-puppy! Chloe did this for a year!!!!!!!!!!

[Kara & Dexter]

Hello!  It sounds like your Max and my Dexter might be brothers :)  He's 11 weeks and at times it's impossible to even walk past him without getting nipped at the ankles or pants leg.  I feel like I've tried every technique, "no bite" and replacing with a toy, spraying with a water bottle, turning away and ignoring him, rolling him gently on his back and holding his muzzle down by the top and he would just come back even more feisty once I released him.  The two things that seem like they actually might be sticking are placing him in a time out when he's getting too nippy (not in his crate since we want him to like being in there) but behind a baby gate, separating him from the room we're in.  The second thing is picking him up under his front arms/belly and holding him up so he has to look down at us and saying "no bite."  

 

Good luck though, I'm also looking forward to the day that I can sit next to him without being punctured!