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Old 12-10-2005, 08:31 AM   #23
sylvan
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Join Date: Jun 2005
Location: Eastern PA
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This is the mouth training sheet I send home with new pup parents. It is long, but I'll paste it here since there seem to be so many with this issue. Hope it helps..

Mouth Training
Biting/Playbiting
No one expects their cute little pup to grow up into a dog who bites. But if you don't take the opportunity NOW to teach your puppy "bite inhibition", you are asking for trouble at least, and at worst you are risking injury and/or a lawsuit and/or euthanasia for this dog. Please don't skip this very important daily puppy training exercise, and please start as early as possible in your pup's life!
Bite Inhibition
If you watch a litter of puppies playing, you will notice that they spend much of their time biting and mouthing each other. Because your pup has very sharp teeth and a weak jaw, his harder bites or mouthing hurt his littermates so they yelp and refuse to play with him for some time. Soon the pup learns
that play time ends when he bites too hard. Because an adult dog has duller teeth but a
very powerful jaw, Bite Inhibition (a "soft mouth") is one of the most important lessons
your pup can learn while his sharp baby teeth are still in. You and your children should mimic this puppy play behavior in daily life.
There are two phases to training Bite Inhibition:
Step 1: Practice several times daily for 3-4 weeks. Allow pup to mouth/playbite.
When he exerts slightly more pressure than usual, say "Ouch'" just loud enough that he stops in surprise, and Immediately stop playing for a few seconds. Now allow him to mouth again and repeat the "Ouch'" and stop playing steps several times until he ONLY mouths softly. If your pup is not responding to the "Ouch", simply skip It and Just stop playing and/or get up and move away for a minute, then start again. Your pup will quickly learn that fun ends when he mouths too hard.
Step 2: (Only after Step 1 has been practiced for a MINIMUM of 2, and preferably 4 weeks) Now, any and every time his teeth make contact with human skin, say "OUCH!" and Immediately stop playing. Get up and leave, and/or ignore the pup for a minute or two. Your pup should now start to believe that humans are very sensitive and cannot stand the incredible pain of any tooth contact to their skin. The point of these bite inhibition exercises is to first teach your pup to have a "soft mouth", and then to teach him that the instant his teeth touch human skin, play time is over. Remember, if your pup doesn't respond to the "Ouch" or seems to get more riled up, just skip it and simply stop playing or interacting in any way for a few minutes.
Chew Training
One of the most important tasks you have as a new puppy owner is to spend a much time as possible encouraging your pup to chew and play with appropriate chew toys. It is natural and necessary for puppies to chew as long as it’s on something appropriate! But if your puppy chews on your coffee table, it's because:
1) puppies/dogs like to chew things
2) you didn't teach him what was appropriate to chew
3) he has nothing else to do
4) you left him access to the coffee table
Don't scold him for chewing your coffee table unless you catch him "in the act'. A quick shout is usually enough: Say "Rex, OFF! Find your chew toy!" Then go and get a chew toy for him and praise him when he shows even the slightest interest in it.
If you punish your pup "after the fact, he won't learn not to chew that thing, all he will learn is ''when the owner comes home, I get punished". This often increase his anxiety during the day, and he may start to chew even morel So how do you teach your dog what’s right to chew and what’s wrong? Provide many
appropriate chew toys. Keep half of them in the cupboard until he's bored with other ones. Then take up the old toys (for use later) and give him the new toys, one at a time with much fanfare.
Remember, 10 good chew toys cost a lot less than a new coffee table. Appropriate chew toys are:
Kong or similar hard rubber toy with a hollow center. Smear a thin layer of honey or peanut butter inside, then stuff these with kibble, treats, other goodies. (Don't worry about your pup getting too fat, just take the food your use for chew toys out of his daily ration.)
Natural, bleached, or smoked bones with hollowed-out marrow area (stuff with kibble, peanut butter, etc.).
Twisted ropes. Soak in chicken or beef broth, then dry. Cow hooves and bully sticks are big favorites too.
NOTE: Limit edible chews (bully sticks, hooves, rawhide and/or pig's ears) to 1-2 per week maximum, and supervise when he's chewing these take the chew away immediately if he tries to swallow a piece
Don't give him an old shoe or rags they teach him that shoes and clothes are OK to chew. Praise, praise, praise each and every time your pup chews something right. Never take this action for granted. You should also make each toy particularly attractive by stuffing it with kibble, rubbing some kind of meat on it, or waggling it temptingly in front of his nose. As soon as your pup shows any interest in the toy, lavish him with praise.
Do consider spraying your baseboards, furniture (chair legs, table legs, etc.) with a bitter-tasting aversive like Bitter Apple (available at pet stores) or even hot sauce (if you're furniture is dark wood), the first time your pup goes to chew any of these items will surely be his last! Also, make sure your home is truly Puppy Proofed-clear all tables and counters of ALL items your pup might want to chew, for at least 2-3 months and preferably until he's 7-8 months old. If he grows up believing "There's never anything fun to steal or chew up there", he'll stop looking (and vice versa -If he grows up believing "There's always something fun to steal or chew up there", you can bet he'll keep searching the counters and table tops for fun chewables.) What might your pup want to chew -Remote controls, mail, any paperwork, any food or anything that had contact with food, sewing supplies, yarn, cans, candles, books, plants, etc. - basically, anything at all.
Occasionally practice "entrapment': Bring your pup to something you do not want him to chew, and if he sniffs or mouths it, correct him with a quick "OFF!". Follow immediately by giving him a good chew toy and praise when he takes it.
Until he truly understands chewing rules, never leave him alone with access to inappropriate chewables. A kitchen filled with stuffed Kongs, bones and ropes is usually a good place. A Buster Cube or Roll-a-Treat is also a great toy to occupy his mind while you're away or busy.
Important: Keep your hello's and goodbye's very low-key and casual. Never make a fuss when you come home or leave; this will only increase his anxiety while you're gone. Before you leave the house for a while, let him outside to pee then completely ignore him for the last few minutes before you leave. A low-key, very casual “OK, watch the house, Rover” is enough of a goodbye. When you get home, take him outside and do not greet him until he has peed. After he pees, you can give a quick hug hello and start to go casually about your business (reading mail, etc.) This can will help greatly reduce the chance of developing separation anxiety.
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