Puppy Biting

[lovemyboybeckham]

My puppy is 7 weeks old and I was wondering if anyone had any ideas on how to properly and effectively discipline him when he bites. I know that he is a puppy and biting is how little puppies play but I want to get a handle on it now because he bites a bit hard and I don't want him to bite my daughter really hard while playing with her. I would appreciate any insight anyone has to offer! Thanks

[Dobs4ever]

I think I have answered this here before but I will give you some ways and then I will just give you the way to stop it. First it is a good idea to teach the puppy to come and sit. I would do this by calling him to me and then taking a treat and as he gets to me distract him with the goody (I use hot dogs or cheese and ask for a sit. This distracts him before he bites. The key is timing and catch him before he bites.

You can distract him with a toy also - both methods take a much longer time to teach that what you are really doing is preventing the biting not teaching that biting is not allowed.

You can do the ouch thing but you have already let him bite so to me a correction is needed to sto the biting. I have heard htem get their litter mates on the ground screaming and they keep right on biting til they are the one bit. I don't recommend biting your dog although I know those who have done it.

I personally just want the biting to stop so I grab the snout and squeeze hard enough that he definitely does not like it and say No Biting! If he comes back for more I squeeze quickly til he yelps and say NO Biting.

7 weeks is considered acceptable time to leave but IMO it is too young to leave littermates as they have not really had enough time to socialize and learn pack manners so that is also part of the problem.

[lovemyboybeckham]

do you think that he will be negatively effected when he gets older because he was taken away from his litter at 7 weeks? I was unaware of this otherwise I would have requested that he stay for another week...

[tidibole]

I use a gentle flick on the nose and a STERN NO...if that does not eliminate the behavior then and only then will I grab the muzzle and again a STERN NO.(at that tender age) If it is not a puppy, ie, a rescue dog, etc...then I usually employ the lip twist and Sue indicated, is very much like the twitch used on a horse, however it is done with the fingers and is quite effective. Many times a few reprimands sends their puppy energy in another direction and toys help that transition. ..They are afterall babies with a limited attention span and should have a "baby hood" especially when taken at an earlier age. My old dobe that is long gone was brought home at 6 week and he never gave me an ounce of sorrow from 6 weeks to 10 years.....

[Dobs4ever]

Hey it takes coordination to do the flick and my flicker doesn't work real good. I just can't seem to get it together and timing is so important that I do better with the grab the muzzle and stop it once and for all.

[lovemyboybeckham]

thank you both for the tips! He seems to respond quite well to the flick on the nose and a squeeze to his muzzle...I know time is very important when negatively reinforcing behavior and I can't seem to grab his little lip and pinch as quick as I can flick or grab his muzzle. We also have been playing the "come game" with tiny pieces of chicken that I boiled for a llllloooooonnnnnggggg time! He is doing so great! And just loves the little chicken bits :)

[tidibole]

thank you both for the tips! He seems to respond quite well to the flick on the nose and a squeeze to his muzzle...I know time is very important when negatively reinforcing behavior and I can't seem to grab his little lip and pinch as quick as I can flick or grab his muzzle. We also have been playing the "come game" with tiny pieces of chicken that I boiled for a llllloooooonnnnnggggg time! He is doing so great! And just loves the little chicken bits :)
SORRY...Didn't mean to imply the lip pinch for puppies, older dogs that are a good heigth, it works well on. It easy to grap them at them when waist high and is a quick reaction..Also wanted to mention the primary reason I am not fond of grabbing the muzzle until older is simply, IF the dog, may be shown, I don't want any issues when it comes to anyone or myself opening his mouth. May never be a problem but then who know what goes through a baby's brain...LOL..

[Dobs4ever]

Grabbing the muzzle will not affect opening the mouth for exam. It is a correction to a specific action. They are two different actions cause by different reactions and not related to the opening the mouth any more than flicking them on the nose. So it would not be a problem. If in any wild sense of the imagination it caused problem with opening the mouth I would suspect a temperament problem as the dog does not have a good recovery. In training for anything the dogs ability to recover is paramount to success.