Vicious Biting - YorkieTalk.com Forums

kam2490 · 07-31-2012, 02:57 PM

Bentley is 10 weeks old and he nibbles on EVERYTHING! That I can deal with. However, there are times like when I try and put his harness on him where he will growl and bite the s*** out of me and just go crazy. I've tried telling him no, putting a chew toy in his mouth instead, holding him down and nothing works. Also, how do I discipline him when my hand is in his mouth and he won't let go?

GeorgiesMomma · 07-31-2012, 03:04 PM

I am sure other people can help you more with this but I do want to tell you to be patient. Easier said then done when you are getting bit but he is only 10 weeks old so it takes time. My nieces Morkie is 9 months and still bites we just work on enforcing positive behavior. Best of luck!

gracielove · 07-31-2012, 03:49 PM

It sounds like he is really freaking out when you hold him. Does anyone else handle him besides you?
When Gracie was a puppy she used to roll on her back and show me her teeth and growl.

I didn't know what I had gotten myself into and since I was the main care taker I could not blame anyone else. I found the best course of action was calm. When she would get into terrier mode I would withdraw from her calmly. If he gets a hold of your hand with his teeth try to go limp. Don't struggle. Usually the lack of response will cause them to lose interest since the idea is to get a response. Terriers like to shake their prey. If that doesn't work then you need to gently open his mouth with your other hand and remove your hand. Then put him down and end the encounter.

Make sure that there is no rough play with him at any time. Only calm play and nothing that would bring on growling. I did this with Gracie for several months. I did take her on walks and teach her to play fetch to wear her out. I also taught her to sit, stay, and down. The combination of calm play and discouraging the biting finally resulted in a well mannered dog but I thought I had a little terror at first. She will still sometimes play growl with her toy and shake the daylights out of them. Better them than me.

kam2490 · 07-31-2012, 03:59 PM

My mom also holds him and he's been held by one or more other strangers. I'll have to try that because I'm desperate. I hope it works because right now his nickname is Cujo and I'm running out of ideas.

kam2490 · 07-31-2012, 04:04 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by gracielove

It sounds like he is really freaking out when you hold him. Does anyone else handle him besides you?
When Gracie was a puppy she used to roll on her back and show me her teeth and growl.

I didn't know what I had gotten myself into and since I was the main care taker I could not blame anyone else. I found the best course of action was calm. When she would get into terrier mode I would withdraw from her calmly. If he gets a hold of your hand with his teeth try to go limp. Don't struggle. Usually the lack of response will cause them to lose interest since the idea is to get a response. Terriers like to shake their prey. If that doesn't work then you need to gently open his mouth with your other hand and remove your hand. Then put him down and end the encounter.

Make sure that there is no rough play with him at any time. Only calm play and nothing that would bring on growling. I did this with Gracie for several months. I did take her on walks and teach her to play fetch to wear her out. I also taught her to sit, stay, and down. The combination of calm play and discouraging the biting finally resulted in a well mannered dog but I thought I had a little terror at first. She will still sometimes play growl with her toy and shake the daylights out of them. Better them than me.

Also, how do you encourage calm play when they're running around and biting?

mamaj · 07-31-2012, 04:31 PM

`My baby was young when I got her. What I did was to teach to`her to sit, then sit and stay. When she gets like wild, I just give her the signal to sit and she calms down. They need to chew a lot so always have a chew stick or chew toy in your pocket.

Hazels-momm · 07-31-2012, 04:34 PM

When hazel would start her wild play I would say no get up and go sit on the couch, she would still be hyper and come to me still riled up but I would not play with her,when she decided to calm down I would pet her and praise her and begin to calmy play again if she got hyper I would repeat but eventually she understood I was not going to play with her if she was going to play rough

chandracz · 07-31-2012, 04:57 PM

does he know any tricks? i typically try to divert bailey's attention by doing what we learned in puppy class "sit ups". If you do about 20 of "tricks" it will refocus his mind.

Teresa Ford · 07-31-2012, 05:02 PM

Yorkie Talk has many posts about biting. Please check out some under General Behavior. Welcome to Yorkie Talk

gracielove · 07-31-2012, 05:27 PM

[QUOTE=kam2490;3985191]Also, how do you encourage calm play when they're running around and biting?[/QUOTE
I just refused to play with Gracie when she was acting all crazy. It was touch and go when she was a little one. I could not even touch her when she was crazy. When she was acting normal I would work a little with her on her sit and stay. I would put her harness on her only when I was waking her from a nap. She learned not to fight the harness because she learned the harness meant she was going out and she loved that.

Teresa Ford has some good techniques in dealing with biting. With a young one you really have to keep them as calm as possible and refuse to play with them when they are acting up.
I have to say that when I saw my little puppy, Gracie, roll on her back and show me her teeth and growl I didn't know if I should laugh or be afraid!

I had never had to deal with something like that. She is really a sweetheart now.

Maximo · 07-31-2012, 05:27 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by gracielove

It sounds like he is really freaking out when you hold him. Does anyone else handle him besides you?
When Gracie was a puppy she used to roll on her back and show me her teeth and growl.

I didn't know what I had gotten myself into and since I was the main care taker I could not blame anyone else. I found the best course of action was calm. When she would get into terrier mode I would withdraw from her calmly. If he gets a hold of your hand with his teeth try to go limp. Don't struggle. Usually the lack of response will cause them to lose interest since the idea is to get a response. Terriers like to shake their prey. If that doesn't work then you need to gently open his mouth with your other hand and remove your hand. Then put him down and end the encounter.

Make sure that there is no rough play with him at any time. Only calm play and nothing that would bring on growling. I did this with Gracie for several months. I did take her on walks and teach her to play fetch to wear her out. I also taught her to sit, stay, and down. The combination of calm play and discouraging the biting finally resulted in a well mannered dog but I thought I had a little terror at first. She will still sometimes play growl with her toy and shake the daylights out of them. Better them than me.

I agree with maintaining calm, withdraw your hands and fold over your chest. Ignore and walk way when he behaves this way. If playing and he uses his teeth, use keywords and phrases, "No bite." Say it calmly, and remove your hands.

Teaching bite inhibition is important. With patience and consistency, your puppy will eventually learn.

http://www.yorkietalk.com/forums/gen...nhibition.html

I also agree with posters above that general training and a structured daily schedule help with behavioral problems.

ladyjane · 07-31-2012, 05:35 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Maximo

I agree with maintaining calm, withdraw your hands and fold over your chest. Ignore and walk way when he behaves this way. If playing and he uses his teeth, use keywords and phrases, "No bite." Say it calmly, and remove your hands.

Teaching bite inhibition is important. With patience and consistency, your puppy will eventually learn.

http://www.yorkietalk.com/forums/gen...nhibition.html

I also agree with posters above that general training and a structured daily schedule help with behavioral problems.

I agree...and please do not hold him down. That only brings the fight out of a pup. Think about how you would react if someone confined you. You need to be patient with him...he is a baby that is learning.

In addition to the YT forum.....I recommend reading "The Loved Dog" by Tamar Geller:

The Loved Dog - Meet Tamar

kam2490 · 08-01-2012, 02:36 AM

Thanks everyone! I am no longer going to play rough with him and I will remove myself when he gets crazy until he is calm. I have been working on sit with him and he just about has it. How did any of you teach your dogs to stay?

alaskayorkie · 08-01-2012, 03:25 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kam2490

Thanks everyone! I am no longer going to play rough with him and I will remove myself when he gets crazy until he is calm. I have been working on sit with him and he just about has it. How did any of you teach your dogs to stay?

Great advice from everyone here. Be sure to check out the article. Here's another I like:
Teaching Bite Inhibition | Dog Star Daily

It helps for you to say OUCH and even lick your "wound" when there's any rough bite.

I was taught to teach stay by first putting them in a sit, then holding a flat hand in front of them while saying stay. The idea is to build up the amount of time they have to hold the position before they get a reward. Don't worry about distance. Stay close. Start out with 5 seconds. If they make it, they get a treat and can get up. Then work on 10 seconds, 20, and so on. Once you get up to a minute, you can start adding distance. If they break, cut down on the distance but make them wait the full time.

An obedience class would teach this MUCH better.

gracielove · 08-01-2012, 05:20 AM

Crying out is something that works. It may not be as effective with a very young puppy as it is when they get a little older. Gracie did respond to me crying out with a high pitched yelp like sound. She would become very sorrowful and actually lick my hand if she thought she had hurt me. It actually worked best for us when we were working on other things and she happened to get a little too playful.

As I said I had never dealt with a terrier personality before. I guess I thought all that had gone away through years of breeding with the Yorkshire. My mistake. Some may have a Yorkie that doesn't act like a terrier but it sounds like yours does as does mine. They have a very special inbred instinct to bite and shake. This issue has to be taken care of early. It is not just traditional puppy biting. They have to learn that your hand is not something they can practice killing.

Any aggression back to the puppy just excites it more. It is not something that is going to go away over night but if you continue to discourage the activity he will learn that he can only bite and shake his toys.

Stay is a hard concept for a young puppy. The Dog Star Daily website link that alaskayorkie gave you also has some good training videos and articles for puppies. Remember that what you can accomplish with a puppy is much different than with an adult that has been worked with for several months. Some days it seems like that have not learned anything but it's all about persistence, repetition, patience and of course a lot of praise and encouragement. You really need to get the sit down pretty solid before starting on the stay. He may only stay a few seconds at first. Gradually he will learn what you want. Check out the Dog Star Daily videos. Their basic puppy obedience will give you a good start.

07-31-2012, 02:57 PM	#1
kam2490 Yorkie Yakker Join Date: Jul 2012 Location: New York Posts: 48	Vicious Biting Bentley is 10 weeks old and he nibbles on EVERYTHING! That I can deal with. However, there are times like when I try and put his harness on him where he will growl and bite the s*** out of me and just go crazy. I've tried telling him no, putting a chew toy in his mouth instead, holding him down and nothing works. Also, how do I discipline him when my hand is in his mouth and he won't let go?

07-31-2012, 03:04 PM	#2
GeorgiesMomma I love TBCG! Donating Member Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: MD Posts: 7,227	I am sure other people can help you more with this but I do want to tell you to be patient. Easier said then done when you are getting bit but he is only 10 weeks old so it takes time. My nieces Morkie is 9 months and still bites we just work on enforcing positive behavior. Best of luck! __________________ Morgan Mommy toGeorgie boy & Isaiah RIP sweet Coco 10/12/99-8/1/12 Read About Georgie's Experience with Atlantoaxial Instability (AAI) Here!

07-31-2012, 04:34 PM	#7
Hazels-momm YT Addict Join Date: Jul 2012 Location: Philadelphia, PA Posts: 340	When hazel would start her wild play I would say no get up and go sit on the couch, she would still be hyper and come to me still riled up but I would not play with her,when she decided to calm down I would pet her and praise her and begin to calmy play again if she got hyper I would repeat but eventually she understood I was not going to play with her if she was going to play rough __________________ Words can not describe the hold my hazel has on my heart

07-31-2012, 04:57 PM	#8
chandracz ♥I Luv my BaileyBlue♥ Donating Member Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: Illinois Posts: 1,855	does he know any tricks? i typically try to divert bailey's attention by doing what we learned in puppy class "sit ups". If you do about 20 of "tricks" it will refocus his mind. __________________ Chandra, Bailey Blue's mama

07-31-2012, 05:02 PM	#9
Teresa Ford Therapy Yorkies Work Donating Member Join Date: May 2011 Location: Central, Florida Posts: 3,863	Yorkie Talk has many posts about biting. Please check out some under General Behavior. Welcome to Yorkie Talk __________________ Teresa & Rubin, Gracie, Abba, Ginny Joy and Julia Rose Act like a dog, be kind, forgiving, and loyal.

07-31-2012, 03:49 PM	#3
gracielove YT 3000 Club Member Join Date: Apr 2011 Location: NY Posts: 6,582	It sounds like he is really freaking out when you hold him. Does anyone else handle him besides you? When Gracie was a puppy she used to roll on her back and show me her teeth and growl. I didn't know what I had gotten myself into and since I was the main care taker I could not blame anyone else. I found the best course of action was calm. When she would get into terrier mode I would withdraw from her calmly. If he gets a hold of your hand with his teeth try to go limp. Don't struggle. Usually the lack of response will cause them to lose interest since the idea is to get a response. Terriers like to shake their prey. If that doesn't work then you need to gently open his mouth with your other hand and remove your hand. Then put him down and end the encounter. Make sure that there is no rough play with him at any time. Only calm play and nothing that would bring on growling. I did this with Gracie for several months. I did take her on walks and teach her to play fetch to wear her out. I also taught her to sit, stay, and down. The combination of calm play and discouraging the biting finally resulted in a well mannered dog but I thought I had a little terror at first. She will still sometimes play growl with her toy and shake the daylights out of them. Better them than me.

07-31-2012, 03:59 PM	#4
kam2490 Yorkie Yakker Join Date: Jul 2012 Location: New York Posts: 48	My mom also holds him and he's been held by one or more other strangers. I'll have to try that because I'm desperate. I hope it works because right now his nickname is Cujo and I'm running out of ideas.

07-31-2012, 04:31 PM	#6
mamaj YT 500 Club Member Join Date: Apr 2012 Location: ohio Posts: 572	`My baby was young when I got her. What I did was to teach to`her to sit, then sit and stay. When she gets like wild, I just give her the signal to sit and she calms down. They need to chew a lot so always have a chew stick or chew toy in your pocket.

07-31-2012, 05:27 PM	#10
gracielove YT 3000 Club Member Join Date: Apr 2011 Location: NY Posts: 6,582	[QUOTE=kam2490;3985191]Also, how do you encourage calm play when they're running around and biting?[/QUOTE I just refused to play with Gracie when she was acting all crazy. It was touch and go when she was a little one. I could not even touch her when she was crazy. When she was acting normal I would work a little with her on her sit and stay. I would put her harness on her only when I was waking her from a nap. She learned not to fight the harness because she learned the harness meant she was going out and she loved that. Teresa Ford has some good techniques in dealing with biting. With a young one you really have to keep them as calm as possible and refuse to play with them when they are acting up. I have to say that when I saw my little puppy, Gracie, roll on her back and show me her teeth and growl I didn't know if I should laugh or be afraid! I had never had to deal with something like that. She is really a sweetheart now.

08-01-2012, 02:36 AM	#13
kam2490 Yorkie Yakker Join Date: Jul 2012 Location: New York Posts: 48	Thanks everyone! I am no longer going to play rough with him and I will remove myself when he gets crazy until he is calm. I have been working on sit with him and he just about has it. How did any of you teach your dogs to stay?

08-01-2012, 05:20 AM	#15
gracielove YT 3000 Club Member Join Date: Apr 2011 Location: NY Posts: 6,582	Crying out is something that works. It may not be as effective with a very young puppy as it is when they get a little older. Gracie did respond to me crying out with a high pitched yelp like sound. She would become very sorrowful and actually lick my hand if she thought she had hurt me. It actually worked best for us when we were working on other things and she happened to get a little too playful. As I said I had never dealt with a terrier personality before. I guess I thought all that had gone away through years of breeding with the Yorkshire. My mistake. Some may have a Yorkie that doesn't act like a terrier but it sounds like yours does as does mine. They have a very special inbred instinct to bite and shake. This issue has to be taken care of early. It is not just traditional puppy biting. They have to learn that your hand is not something they can practice killing. Any aggression back to the puppy just excites it more. It is not something that is going to go away over night but if you continue to discourage the activity he will learn that he can only bite and shake his toys. Stay is a hard concept for a young puppy. The Dog Star Daily website link that alaskayorkie gave you also has some good training videos and articles for puppies. Remember that what you can accomplish with a puppy is much different than with an adult that has been worked with for several months. Some days it seems like that have not learned anything but it's all about persistence, repetition, patience and of course a lot of praise and encouragement. You really need to get the sit down pretty solid before starting on the stay. He may only stay a few seconds at first. Gradually he will learn what you want. Check out the Dog Star Daily videos. Their basic puppy obedience will give you a good start.