Puppy Nipping/Mouthing - Help and comments please Gidget is 11.5 weeks old. The breeder was late in getting her first shots, so the earliest I can take her to puppy class is July 7th. I am enrolled for that class. I have never had a puppy before. I am trying to get an idea of what is acceptable mouthing/nip behavior. Yesterday was very trying - worst day. Pupzilla emerged. I know all puppies do the mouthng/nipping and that I am to divert her to an appropriate chew toy. This has worked great since I had her until yesterday. The last two days, she isn't interested in the toy, but wants my hand, toe etc. She isn't reacting anymore to the loud "Ouch" or "No" I was taught to use. When she doesn't respond and keeps going, I put her in her large playpen and ignore her. Yesterday she had some dooooooozy tantrums in the playpen after I did this. It reminded me of Super Nanny and the naughty spot. She flayled, whined, then took her giant bear out of her crate got on top of her crate and attempted to toss the bear over the edge. Then she shredded her newspapers pretending to dig and kept looking to see if I would react. I was taught to do nothing and ignore the tantrum. She would finally get calm and be good. I would tell her to sit, she would sit. Then I would pick her up to let her out and the super charged nipping mouthing would start the moment I had contact - she would reject the toy. A friend suggested I let her directly out on the floor, no chance to get my hands. I unzipped the side of the playpen to let her out. She darted around the corner to her other water dish and jumped in it (never has happened before). She soaked up the water like a wick and trashed the bathroom floor with water, she came around the corner which is how I saw her wet. When I went into the bathroom to survey the damage, she went into my room. I forgot that I had left a pillow on the floor when I had stripped the bed earlier in the day. While I mopped the bathroom, she chewed open the the end of the pillow and the water was like glue to the feathers inside. She came into the bathroom with feathers all over her and feathers out of her mouth. It was after midnight at this point, so I cleaned her up and put her in her night time crate next to my bed as I cleaned up the mess. She always sleeps in the night crate with no problem before yesterday. She barked for 5 minutes as I cleaned. I told her the firm "no bark" which usually works. It didn't . She got one squirt with the water mister, whined and then stopped. She slept hard all night, did her potty this morning and has been much better so far today. She gets lots of praise and play time. Am I doing the right stuff? |
It definately sounds like you're doing the right stuff! My Tobi went through bouts of nipping/biting hysteria..but he's calmed down a bit. What I usually do is completely leave the room so that he can NOT see me at all. I'll leave him alone for 10 minutes and come back...if he acts up again, I'm gone for another 10 minutes...and that usually does the trick. I was also told never to use my hands as play toys...so don't wave them around their faces when you know they're overly excited. Good luck to you and your fur baby! :D |
Oh my. I couldn't help but chuckle just a bit as I picture her like a tasmanian devil - wet one minute, covered if feathers the next! What a little stinker. Does she have a lot of chew toys? Have you tried bitter apple on your hands? Since the "ouch" and "no" aren't working, you might try the bang-spoon-on-metal-bowl method - when she bites or you want to stop a behaviour, you bang on the bowl - it can be quite startling and may stop her in her tracks. |
I have the bitter apple, but haven't thought of putting it on my hands! Great idea. |
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1 Attachment(s) I did not take pics of the feathered one, however, she is now sleeping in her playpen on top of her crate after gutting her bear. The gray fragments on the top of the bear are feather remnants from last night. |
I always tell Bella no bite and tell her kisses. It worked with my lab, everytime I tell either of them that (my lab only closes her mouth when she bites, she's usually playing and it doesn't hurt) I get kisses instead of bites. Bella's teeth are super sharp and she's teething to boot, so I try to give her her bully stick too when she's being bitey. |
Great pic! So ornery looking there LOL! It sounds like you are doing everything right. Your puppy sounds like mine some days. LOL I call this puppy toddlerhood. Just like little kids puppies seem to go through the "terrible twos" some days and just put you at wit's end. But don't worry, your puppy will get through this and calm down. :aimeeyork Chelle |
I love that pic! It's so cute how he sleeps on TOP of the crate!:D |
Well misery loves company and I hafta tell ya I am so happy that we are not the only ones experiencing the krazy kukoo fangster! We have Nina, who is now 14 weeks old today! We love her so much and she has a real sparkplug personality. BUT the teething phase is out of control. She seems fine, then she gets 'posessed' and turns into a growling attack creature. We call her Nina the Ninja when she goes into this personality. We have been trying clapping our hands, bitter apple, and redirecting. We are going to try the spray bottle. I guess I will try puttingher in the pen(itentiary) to calm down. Our vet said if she gets our hand in her mouth, push in her lip so she is biting her own self. When I can manage it, it works, she releases your hand cuz she starts hurting her own. During the day, we go outside when she starts to 'act up.' The change in venue seems to help snap her out of it. I will keep watching this thread for ideas!!! |
training a pup not to bite is easy...when they attempt to bite or nip at you put your index finger sideways in his/her mouth pressing back to the end of the jaw and say "no bite" in a very firm voice holding the index finger in place for just a sec or two...when he/she stops tell them what a good boy/girl they are and ask for kisses. Do this continuously every time they bite, "you will nip it in the bud" quickly with consistency....Cujo will calm with training consistency and lots of one on one playtime. hope this helps |
Have you tried walking her at a brisk pace for 15+ minutes? Also, Ms. Stillwell from "It's Me or the Dog" series has mentioned the nipping and biting behavior is done by puppies but if they're taken home earlier than 8 weeks they haven't been taught by their litter mates that it hurts. If it still continues to make a high pitched squeak that'll divert their attention. I watched her teach the small 4lb. yorkie the other day. He was so cute! And he got it! I wish you well!:animal36 |
feminvstr, I had my husband peek at this thread since we are experiencing this "fangster rap" at our house. He wants me to ask you more about your suggested technique... "Ask feminvstr if you should put index finger accross her mouth and push back or pointing index finger into her mouth?" My interpretation was that we enter our finger in through the side of yorkie mouth, then push back towards the jaw of yorkie/back of mouth to create a gag effect. Is that more like it? |
good that you asked ONLY side ways with the finger Never inside down the throat! Sideways and press back toward the jaw (mouth wide open as your pusshing back) using "NO BITE" if they come back and think its a game do it again and hold longer they dont like this at all and it works! Quote:
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alright, we are having the same issues. Identical to StewartsLucy. Riley was fine up until this week. Now, out of nowhere, he becomes possessed and bites our feet growling and barking then runs around the room and comes back for more. He won't listen to NO or any command while in this trance anymore. We resorted to picking him up (if we could catch him) and putting him in another room till he cries it out. Yesterday it got BAD, non stop. He is almost 5 months old, so we believe that the cause of this was the pain from his teeth growing in. I called the vet to make sure it wasn't something more serious and some advice. The vet said, he is at the age of not only his teeth breaking through, but he is going through puberty. Which is understandable because sometimes he'll bite and try humping. She says that she is 98% sure this is a behavioral issue associated with the hormonal changes. What to do: The vet says to do this: Sit on the floor with your legs together and straight ahead of you. Put the puppy on his back with his head at your knees. If he is having behavioral/dominance issues, he will look you in the eyes and bite at you. If he does this, you need to tell him "NO" in a deep stern voice until he stops. He may not listen and you will have to deal with the bite pain for probably 5-10 minutes until he gives up. As soon as he gives up, you praise the heck out of him. Repeat in another 2hrs. She said she uses this technique and it works all the time. If it doesn't, you have more severe behavioral issues. You being over the puppy and the puppy laying on his back simulates how a dominate dog interacts with a submissive dog and this teaches your puppy that you are the boss! I haven't tried this yet, but as soon as I get home today I will. I'll let you know how it goes. |
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