My dog bites me (non aggressively). Help!

Genta

Notable member
My Noya is 6 months old now and getting mouthier. He is not aggressive 100% but he often playfully bites me. Like when he gets bored of his toys he resorts to biting me. He, sometimes. also gets annoyed when I touch him in some places besides his head and will snap and bite me. I recognise it a bite that says stop it, no intention of harming me, but still his teeth are sharp and big. Although sometimes he allows me complete reign of petting and manhandling him. Any idea how to stop this behaviour?
 

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He needs training, you need to be the one in charge and he needs to understand that biting is not allowed. Snapping at you should absolutely not be tolerated when you are petting him. Is it possible he has pain of some kind? This could cause his snapping, if not, you need to correct him in a matter of fact way and let him no you are the leader.
 
Some training methods that could help:

Praise, reward, and play with him when he chews on the right toys. If he gets bored of a toy and starts to nip at you, try to redirect him to a different toy. Praise him if it works. But if he bites you, playtime is over. Say "no" firmly, then get up and walk away. If he's nipping because he wants play or attention, he will continue to do that as long as it works for him. You need to teach him that nipping & biting only leads to being ignored. Show him the right way to ask for attention by putting him in a sit and playing with him with a toy when he's calm.

For the body sensitivity, I would definitely make sure that he isn't snapping because he's in pain. When he snaps at you while you're petting him, I would also suggest a firm "No" and walking away from him completely. He should be able to tolerate you handling him all over, and he'll learn that if he doesn't, then you won't pet him at all.

You can also try gently touching & handling him in different areas while he's eating or while he's occupied with a toy he really likes, so he can slowly build a positive association with the feeling of you handling him. It can also be useful to have two people: one person handfeeding him food or treats, and the other touching him, so that if he snaps or tries to get away from the touch, the food is immediately taken away. That way he has to choose between getting the treats and being left alone, and if your treats are good enough, he'll make the right choice. Over time and practice, he'll build a positive association with the handling and get used to it.

This is all basic training I've used to teach puppies not to bite & to allow body handling...but if it's a more serious or persistent issue, or if you've tried all this and it hasn't worked, definitely reach out to a trainer with more credentials and get to the bottom of the issue before your pup gets much older!
 
Yep, quiet and firm non tolerance of his biting you is needed before he gets older and starts thinking he can dictate terms!

I think some dogs are harder to curb than others and my girl was quite persistent. No aggressiveness at all though. I would be worried if biting is being used to "warn you off". Is this something new, or has he always been sensitive about being touched? My gut tells me that he is getting away with things and pushing the envelope, as they do, but you know your dog best.

I tried many methods, but what worked best for me and my dog was to remain very calm, quiet but firm. Part of the problem was that Jazz would find it "fun" if I reacted much. Grabbing her jaw, snout or lip when she went to bite, saying nothing and holding firmly until she submitted worked the best for us. She soon found there was no profit in it.

There are many threads about biting puppies! And many different ideas about how to stop it! Different methods for different dogs it seems, and if you aren't already doing it, the NILF method does work! Nothing In Life Is Free. That means that all things, praise, play, food, treats etc, require them to obey you in some manner to be rewarded.

At 6 months it is time to get these issues sorted and I agree that if you can find a good trainer who knows Dobermans getting some help at this stage would be good. Of course things are more difficult with Corona virus lockdowns.
 
When he snaps at you while you're petting him, I would also suggest a firm "No"
Thank you for the advice. I’ll definitely use it oh his training. What’s funny is that his name is noya so every time I said no he thinks I’m calling him. I’m using ‘stop’ as his ‘no’.
 
Some dogs are just more sensitive about being touched and it will take a bit more work to get him to tolerate it. It's worth doing though as there will be times when a Vet will need to examine him. @Oh Little Oji I think has some issues with his boy in this regard and it's not due to any lack of training, just the individual dog.
 
Some dogs are just more sensitive about being touched and it will take a bit more work to get him to tolerate it.
Thank you for sharing. Sorry for late reply btw how do mention another’s account? I can’t seem to figure it out
 

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