URGENT!!! BITING!!

[erica]

My Watson is 8 weeks old and he is biting everything in sight including me! I have tried the firm NO and ignoring him but it doesnt seem to be effective after the second or third time I have to do it. Any suggestions?

 

[MamaAndi]

I would get a water bottle and give him a squirt any time he bites. Unless he ends up liking the water...then it will backfire. LOL I know some people fill up a tin can with pennies and shake it to get the pups attention when they are doing an undesired behavior.

Good luck with him...he's a cutie

 

[erica]

Thanks! I am going to try the coins in a can. He likes water so Im not sure the water bottle would work. lol

 

[Rural mystic]

Loud NO, water bottle, can of pennies, some chew toys, the rod of Odin, something to break the spell and redirect his attention. And persistence. Be consistent and do it over and over again. Ace is 16 weeks and still acting up at times. It's like clockwork I can tell just about when it will really get amped up at the same times each day and you will get good at seeing their demeanor change when they are about to really act up. It can be daunting but stay with it

 

[Drake]

Watson... well, he is practicing what Mother Nature has programed into him. We bring these cute,wrinkled faced, cuddly creatures into our homes, but we sometimes forget what they truly are. Dogs are simple; we make them difficult. Instill the basics, and you and your dog will prosper.
Routine alpha exercises will pay off huge in your puppy’s development and will allow them to find their place in your family. Roll him on his back during moments of aggression...be calm and consistent with your pup. Be reactive with a quick and stern correction much as a mother would to STOP negative behavior. I will say again...dogs are animals and think simple. A correctly timed touch and assertive vocal correction is usually more than sufficientto let your puppy know who is boss. If he continues, then you adjust and continue elevating your correction until you assert your correction and he or she submits. Take advantage of those moments to become a leader. DO NOT comfort!!! Instead, lead; this is much more important to a K9. I assure you they will find a lifetime of comfort instead of a few seconds of consoling.
Good luck.
Neal

 

[cali baker]

Good advice above. The great thing about puppy-biting is, it's a phase that Watson will grow out of. Good luck!

 

[Scueva]

My Watson is 8 weeks old and he is biting everything in sight including me! I have tried the firm NO and ignoring him but it doesnt seem to be effective after the second or third time I have to do it. Any suggestions?

I learned in puppy class that listerine is amazing. Get a bottle of original listerine show the pup when he bites rub it on whatever he is biting or chewing, then rub some in his mouth tell him no, redirect with a toy. This worked within a week. Duchess is now 10.5 months and to this day won't even attempt to chew anything but her toys! This is totally safe and non harmful. They just hate the taste as much as we do! Good luck!

 

[Poplawski]

I tried that water bottle on our 19 month old and he decided he liked it so much that he would chew on it instead of me lol. Sooooo in a way it worked but only until it was destroyed. We have been introducing a toy into his mouth everything he tries to bite our hand. We purchased jolly balls as he likes chewing on the scented ones. It has helped a little.

 

[Tooleysmom]

My approach is a little different. Miss Tallulah was a singleton so never learned any bite inhibition from her littermates. And because Miss Tallulah was on the shy side as a puppy, the water, cans, or rolling on the side would have just made her a more insecure dog and possibly a biter later on. And as the dog whisperer says rolling a bully doesn't always work because they are a fighting breed and will often not give up when they are older. Once they do not give up they can get an enormous amount of confidence which may lead to problems. To train Miss T I would put honey on my hand and when she liked I would say "nice kisses good kisses good girl". When she went to mouth me i would say "uhuh good kisses please" and she would start licking because she understood the command. Then I would treat her for kissing and redirecting her behavior. If she was more rambunctious, as soon as she went on a body part with her teeth I would gently remove her and put her in another room for about 2 minutes. Puppies hate to be away from the action. If you are consistent the behavior will stop - it usually takes about 2 weeks of consistent management- and you will have a strong bond with a puppy who realizes biting means the fun stops. Everyone know their Bully best and what makes sense for them. Good luck! This too will pass. We promise.

 

[mer55]

My approach is a little different. Miss Tallulah was a singleton so never learned any bite inhibition from her littermates. And because Miss Tallulah was on the shy side as a puppy, the water, cans, or rolling on the side would have just made her a more insecure dog and possibly a biter later on. And as the dog whisperer says rolling a bully doesn't always work because they are a fighting breed and will often not give up when they are older. Once they do not give up they can get an enormous amount of confidence which may lead to problems. To train Miss T I would put honey on my hand and when she liked I would say "nice kisses good kisses good girl". When she went to mouth me i would say "uhuh good kisses please" and she would start licking because she understood the command. Then I would treat her for kissing and redirecting her behavior. If she was more rambunctious, as soon as she went on a body part with her teeth I would gently remove her and put her in another room for about 2 minutes. Puppies hate to be away from the action. If you are consistent the behavior will stop - it usually takes about 2 weeks of consistent management- and you will have a strong bond with a puppy who realizes biting means the fun stops. Everyone know their Bully best and what makes sense for them. Good luck! This too will pass. We promise.

Very true statements here! Bogey is not one to respond to any form of "putting them on their back or side" This made him worse. It will be trial and error for you. Find what works for you. Coins in the can worked the first few times, then nothing. Water bottle- he loved it. I learned to distract quickly and if he would not redirect, he got a firm NO, or a bark and then into his crate for time out. This is what really settles him down. He is a different dog when he comes out. And your baby is young- he needs rest periods (naps) and time out from you too! The biggest thing: BE CONSISTENT!! good luck!

 

[Baconator]

[MENTION=8102]erica[/MENTION] are you still having biting issues with Watson?

 

[hnhammond]

NOTHING, absolutely NOTHING, worked on Matilda until she got a bit older. The best option was to squeal "OW" and walk out of the room. Even though it didn't work then, if Matilda nips me by accident during play and I tell her "ow", she cowers and feels soooo guilty. hah

Your best bet is to keep him tired - walkies, play time with dogs you know are safe/vaccinated, etc, until he's older.

 

[sstewart2010]

NOTHING, absolutely NOTHING, worked on Matilda until she got a bit older. The best option was to squeal "OW" and walk out of the room. Even though it didn't work then, if Matilda nips me by accident during play and I tell her "ow", she cowers and feels soooo guilty. hah

Your best bet is to keep him tired - walkies, play time with dogs you know are safe/vaccinated, etc, until he's older.

We did the same with Leroy and it works! If we are playing and he is biting a little too hard I let out a high pitched "ow!" and he stops and comes and licks my face