Advice for managing puppy biting?

[remy]

I want to start by saying I know puppy biting is normal and to be expected! My puppy is 3 months old, so I know we have a long ways to go. However, I am wondering if anyone has some tips to help manage it? Some days are worse than others, but I know most of what his “triggers” are.

Most of the biting occurs while playing or while he’s on the leash. While playing he’ll typically go for my hands or feet (basically anything that moves or gets in his view lol.) Usually while walking he just bites the leash, but he will sometimes go for me, especially if I have on loose/flowy clothing.
I have read and tried a lot of things to help lessen the biting, but everything just seems to excite him more which makes him bite more. For example, redirecting to a toy only truly works like 25% of the time. Typically it works at first, then he’ll go back to my hands, feet, clothing etc again. I have also tried leaving him alone then coming back. That only works for a few minutes until the biting starts again.
Any advice is much appreciated, especially for my hands and clothes!

 

[EricA]

Treat him the same exact way his mom would if he was trying the same crap on her.

(and NO, she would NOT be giving him a toy for those sort of actions on his part)

 

[JanS]

Boy it's been a while since we've dealt with that, even though we have a 6 month old pup now. I just give a firm "no bite" command and he knows and it's been the same with our prior few pups. They know I mean business and stop... Our first Doberman left lots of scars on my arms though so I totally know where you're coming from.

This thread might be worth a read for you.

How to correct a nippy bitey puppy and establish a pack heiarchy in your home.

I answered a post on another forum that was from a guy with a doberman puppy that was exhibiting dominate bitey nipping behavior and I thought Id share it here as well as it might could help some out there with the same issues. I hope this helps...... You have to start out understanding...

doberman-chat.com

 

[EricA]

Boy it's been a while since we've dealt with that, even though we have a 6 month old pup now. I just give a firm "no bite" command and he knows and it's been the same with our prior few pups. They know I mean business and stop... Our first Doberman left lots of scars on my arms though so I totally know where you're coming from.

This thread might be worth a read for you.

How to correct a nippy bitey puppy and establish a pack heiarchy in your home.

I answered a post on another forum that was from a guy with a doberman puppy that was exhibiting dominate bitey nipping behavior and I thought Id share it here as well as it might could help some out there with the same issues. I hope this helps...... You have to start out understanding...

doberman-chat.com

One thing I have definitely noticed raising them in pairs vs raising them one at a time is the difference in their bite inhibition.

If it is a multi dog home or a pair being raised together - They are going to learn from each other and are very likely to soon have very soft mouths (not a lot of biting to hard sort of stuff going on).

A single dog being raised alone (especially if they were taken away from the parents and litter mates too soon) is going to need to be 'educated' on what they are allowed to get away with!

 

[Ddski5]

Don’t mean to laugh…
You got yourself a Doberman don’t you?

Read, read, read this forum. I think you are doing what you are supposed to and countering it the best you can..sometimes you just have to “Weather the Storm” through discipline, boundaries and expectations.

Hold true, be patient and persistent. I promise you it will get better. Took my Ragnar 15months, but one he settled some and all the previous training/discipline we worked on kicked in…..he is gold now.

 

[Ukesox]

Mine have gone for loose / flowy clothing, both pants & jacket sleeves (& shoe laces) at that age. The simple solution was to avoid wearing these puppy magnets.

 

[remy]

Don’t mean to laugh…
You got yourself a Doberman don’t you?

Read, read, read this forum. I think you are doing what you are supposed to and countering it the best you can..sometimes you just have to “Weather the Storm” through discipline, boundaries and expectations.

Hold true, be patient and persistent. I promise you it will get better. Took my Ragnar 15months, but one he settled some and all the previous training/discipline we worked on kicked in…..he is gold now.

Haha yes I understand! I am mostly asking since other people in the house are bugging me about it, although I’ve said he just needs to grow out of it.

 

[Kswoodssue]

I think that what helped us most was knowing that nearly all Dobermans did exactly the same thing. There were times when our pup’s eyes would glaze over and I could have sworn demonic possession was a possibility! Being reminded of those times helps me to realize how far we have come. At that age, time outs in her cage/crate were a God send. Just like a toddler, down time for naps was an absolute must. While you don’t want the crate to be a punishment, it is still their safe space. (And a good way to keep your sanity and clothing intact!) We keep a strong chew toy in her crate for frustration, but 9 times out of 10 she would settle and nap. Often that elevated naughtiness is directly related to being over tired. Our girl is 14months and currently chewing the end of my robe “leave it”.

 

[Kaiser2016]

Redirecting is hard work and yes it doesn't always work because they are also teething so pain is a factor too, not just playfulness. Kongs were really helpful for us. Stuff them with food and freeze it - it serves as a meal and some cooling relief for their gums, plus it's mental stimulation which wears out their brains and slows down their mouths (just a little lol).

For us, it started with the flaps on my hb's track pants. They had a little zip at the bottom that you could open and Kaiser would go crazy for those flaps on walks. Literal ankle biter haha. This was back when he was such a stubborn little puppy that he wouldn't walk on a leash so we just had him walk beside us off leash OMG, the crazy things we did with this dog