Puppy biting is driving me insane!

[Tropicalbri's]

She loves to bite me and the kids ... It is super frustrating but I hear it's just because she is a puppy ... I'm ready for that faze to be finished!!

Mine tried it too for a while, then I started carry treats in my pocket so I could give a command to no bite and put out a treat for them. It distracted them then I have a toy for redirect. At 6mo they will open their mouth on you but won't bite down and immediately release when you give the command. It's just consistency on correction and one day they will finally get! Lol

 

[zoniezz]

I usually try and stay away from the conversations cause I don't want to upset folks, but that dog should never be allowed to bite no matter what. My dog sees a trainer with law enforcement credentials, and Izzy was doing the samething with my wife. If not for the electric collar it may be going on today still, but it was 2 months ago and not even another attempt at biting. I won't say how, what or why, but that should be a problem corrected pronto.

 

[NikiL02]

Dogs need to learn how hard to bite and then not to bite. I totally can see the wisdom of bite inhibition when it comes to an accident happening to the dog.

Nero is really good about how hard to bite. Rarely do body parts end up in his mouth anymore and when they do it's not hard. I still yelp "ow!" The softer the better!

 

[My2Girls]

sorry if there's already a post about this on here but I couldn't see one. My pup is 14 weeks old and his puppy biting is getting out of hand. As a pup we would divert his attention to a toy when he nipped us but that only worked for a week or so and he started nipping again. He will only bite me and doesn't go anywhere near my partner's skin. To stop his nipping I have tried giving a very firm 'no' but it falls on deaf ears and he just grips harder. Have even given him a time out in a separate room to calm down and he's only allowed back through once he's calm. This no longer works as he comes straight back into the room and nips at me again. I'm trying my best to stop this behaviour but it seems out of hand at the moment and it drives me insane! Any suggestions of what I'm doing wrong. He's currently snuggled up to me like he's my best friend after a mad biting half hour!

sorry if there's already a post about this on here but I couldn't see one. My pup is 14 weeks old and his puppy biting is getting out of hand. As a pup we would divert his attention to a toy when he nipped us but that only worked for a week or so and he started nipping again. He will only bite me and doesn't go anywhere near my partner's skin. To stop his nipping I have tried giving a very firm 'no' but it falls on deaf ears and he just grips harder. Have even given him a time out in a separate room to calm down and he's only allowed back through once he's calm. This no longer works as he comes straight back into the room and nips at me again. I'm trying my best to stop this behaviour but it seems out of hand at the moment and it drives me insane! Any suggestions of what I'm doing wrong. He's currently snuggled up to me like he's my best friend after a mad biting half hour!

 

[My2Girls]

I'm new to this forum but for biting puppies my breeder taught me a great method to stop. When she bites/nips I curl her upper lip into her teeth. Not hard or anthyrhing like that (she's still a baby) but just enough so that she is biting her own upper lip. After a few times of this she caught on. Also I provide lots of chew stuff - especially cow ears and bully sticks. We buy them in bulk. Hope this helps.

 

[bomary]

Hi @My2Girls and welcome to the forum from Jax and Brandee in Texas. This is an awesome place to ask questions, just talk about our Dobes, and MOST IMPORTANTLY to share pics!! We all love pictures.
You ought to go to the introductions and introduce yourself and your Dobes.
Join in the conversations and enjoy yourself. I have learned so much and made made friends here.

 

[My2Girls]

Thank you for the warm welcome. When I have a chance i will definitely go to the introduction page and add pics. We recently moved to TX and just got our 2nd pup from a breeder here.

 

[bomary]

Where in Texas are you guys? I always ask...it's a big state, but I keep hoping Jax and I could meet some other Dobes/Dobe owners. I'm in Pottsboro (about an hour and a 1/2 north of Dallas.)
Jaxie is a little over a year old....OMG, the hormones!
Congrats on your new Doberman!...aren't they just too much fun?!

 

[My2Girls]

We're in Southlake over by Grapevine and DFW airport. We have Princess who's 3 and Shadow who's 17 weeks. And as soon as I figure out how to add pics from my iPhone I'll add them They are a lot of work. First time having multiple pups.

 

[bomary]

Oh cool. I lived in Flower Mound for a long while when I taught at Lake Dallas. I went very often over to Grapevine. Nice area. If you ever go to a dog show or event or hear of something cool, let me know.
Also very familiar with the area because I flew for Delta out of DFW.

 

[Tropicalbri's]

To DCF From Florida

Plenty of great advice and knowledge from these members and post up some pictures. We are addicted to puppy pictures.

 

[Beerswimmer]

My hands are turning into raw hamburger! That phase.... My little guy Vader is 8 weeks and has been here for a day and a half. So far I have been patient and have been pretty soft with him, redirecting, soft NO's and push away, etc... Tomorrow my Alpha will out, and no biting will be tolerated!

 

[bomary]

Once the distraction and "ouch" didn't work well (consistently) for us, I just did the "walk away and ignore" thing. They aren't meaning to be brats (although they are and it hurts); they just want attention and are trying to get settled in to their new surroundings.
Jax really did just want attention, and once I started walking off and leaving him alone for a bit after nipping, he quit trying to get his attention that way. I never really felt comfortable giving him a physical correction (holding their snout or even spraying with something) that young because I don't know that he would have connected it to the biting, and I definitely didn't want him to associate unpleasantness/discomfort with me before he really (100%) knew what he was doing wrong. If he started jumping up and trying to nip my hands, I just walked right by him and acted like I didn't notice him (sometimes I would just say very evenly "no bite.")...I'd shut the baby gate (or whatever barrier there was) and re-enter after a minute or so. If I walked in and the same thing happened...same thing over and over again. Once he associated that nipping with no attention, he just quit trying. I did always have acceptable things for him to chew. It is tedious, annoying, and seems like it takes forever, but it really does get better. Jax is my first Dobe, and I have just learned most things by trial and error combined with advice I got here. I definitely don't want to sound like I think I know everything, but that is what worked for me.
Unfortunately, when their teething is going full force, you might have to do this again!!...I did, but it only took a few times.

 

[Beerswimmer]

Haha, my last one stopped immediately when I made a painful sucking sound once. No idea why that worked permanently when NO, mouth holding, walking away, etc. for weeks on end didn't!!

My wife's dog stopped when she turned into a werewolf on him one day and SCREAMED at the top of her lungs NO at him and gave him a wolf stare!! I was there and saw the look of surprise, shock, and fear in his eyes!

 

[NikiL02]

Hub still tries to rough play so Nero's biting is getting worse... sigh. Nero bit my finger with a molar yesterday, and I yelled OW and NO really loud. I glared at him and then turned away. He came sucking up within a few seconds. But he kept trying to mouth at me. So hes not biting but I dont want his teeth on me anymore. Everytime I said no and stopped petting. He was pet and played with when the mouth stayed closed! I think he's at an age where he can figure out 1+1 on this.

 

[WiglWerm]

We really didn't have a biting phase with Ruby...she had her big brother tho chew on! lol If she put her mouth on us it was NO! Loudly and with authority. She got the idea real quick. Even to this day (almost 9 months) she does not put her mouth on us.

 

[alphafemale]

Working through this phase with Mila right now. She's 20 wks as of yesterday and for me, I think the best method is that darn nose. She is stubborn and tough and nothing bothers her but that nose. I wrap my free hand around the top of her jaw and squeeze. I try never to do it too hard, just enough to get her attention. It's done at the same time as a "no bite!" command. Only thing I've ever found gets her to react. My mom was attempting to use a squeeze bottle on her and when "grandma" was distracted, Mila killed it, right before she started to ignore the water, lol. Squeezing even just the literal tip of her nose if I can't reach that jaw (she's expert at ducking the moment after putting the teeth on me), works. She can't stand her nose messed with in that way.

For me it's a concern for any mouthing because of my 76 year old mother. A lot thinner skin than mine. So with patience, Mila is slowly getting better, but it's mouthing the dogs and the cat she's really trying right now. For the humans (me especially) she's getting better, but boy are we in a 4.5 month old attitude phase where she's starting up again.

 

[KellyL]

Thanks for all the info! I am having biting issues with my 13 week, Onyx. We will definitely be trying some of these tips on her!!

 

[alphafemale]

Thanks for all the info! I am having biting issues with my 13 week, Onyx. We will definitely be trying some of these tips on her!!

Just know it'll pass. I didn't think Mila'd ever quit, but now she'll mouth (10 months) but never bites. If she gets too excited she CAN tighten too much and bite down (doesn't really qualify even as a nip since it's more the force of pressure, less teeth if that makes sense) but if I suck in a breath which to her means, "what did you just do?!" then she'll full on be like, "uh oh." When I went back to time-outs, she's behaviorally become much better.

 

[Brioddy]

I did exactly what bomary did. I got my pup far too early, not by choice, at four weeks old and he did not have the opportunity to learn lessons his siblings and mama would have shown him. At first I would tell him no in a stern voice, and then redirect him with a toy or chewy. If he insisted on continuing to bite me, he would get the total cold shoulder. I'd turn away and completely ignore him, not a glance nor a peep til he settled down and stopped biting. Then he would get lavishly praised it worked well for us.