Teaching bite inhibition is one of the requirements for getting your puppy certified as a therapy dog. I have been working on this with Kipper and he is doing much better. He also bit and would get quite evil at night, just before bed. I tried everything and nothing worked until my husband acted like a wounded puppy and I noticed that Kipper would stop biting and look worriedly at him. Although he would simply resume his biting once the yelping stopped, it was a start. Now, I apply a firm pressure under his jaw, gently causing his head to go up and he stops biting. At the same time, I tell him in a soft, but firm voice, "no biting!" Either he is getting past the age of his intense teething and biting issues, or this is really working well for us. When I go to the puppy orientation for therapy dogs next month, they will also teach and test the puppies for bite inhibition. I hope Kipper will pass! Thank you all for your suggestions. They have encouraged me. |