My puppy wont stop biting my hands, its getting old, how do I stop this behavior?
Posted on Jan 05, 2009 under puppy behavior |My puppy is a mini dachshund. He is 11 weeks old. The only time he isnt biting my hands is when he is sleeping. He has plenty of chew toys, all different textures, he isnt chewing anything else, just my hands.
You always try the most positive method first:
Some ideas for discouraging finger chewing: when your puppy clamps down, let out a very loud YELP in imitation of a hurt puppy. Then, fold your arms and ignore him for 1 or 2 minutes. With very young puppies, this sometimes works wonders - it's the same thing that happens when they get too rough with another puppy. The wounded puppy yelps and runs off, refusing to play for a bit. The yelp must be startling enough to stop the behavior.
That should do the trick, unless she is prey driven, . However, if it doesn't fix the problem this will work:
To introduce an element of "natural discipline", grasp the recalcitrant pup with one hand, place your other hand over the top of his muzzle, gently pressing his muzzle towards his chest as you say, in a low, growly tone of voice, "No BITE". If they begin to throw a tantrum and thrash around trying to bite, just hold the line until they "give in" and "say uncle" (quit resisting). You should not find it necessary to get aggressive with a young puppy. Simple restraint is usually enough to get the message across.
DON"T hit him or flick his nose! this will cause a rift in his relationship with you, and he will never be as trusting.
By KZ on Jan 5, 2009 | Reply
I don't know if you would want to do this, but every time he bites you, hit him lightly on his nose. Just enough to send a message that you don't like it and that he better stop. It worked with my cousin's dogs and they are very trained with that method.
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By Stuart I on Jan 5, 2009 | Reply
bite his hands (paws) and be like, "ya, how do u like it"
im gonna get like 50 thumbs down for saying this, but you all know its the funniest answer
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By Kathy A on Jan 5, 2009 | Reply
flick his nose with your finger and tell him NO.
It doesn't really hurt, it startles and with the NO behind it, he should get the message…then hand him a toy…
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By chetco on Jan 5, 2009 | Reply
You always try the most positive method first:
Some ideas for discouraging finger chewing: when your puppy clamps down, let out a very loud YELP in imitation of a hurt puppy. Then, fold your arms and ignore him for 1 or 2 minutes. With very young puppies, this sometimes works wonders - it's the same thing that happens when they get too rough with another puppy. The wounded puppy yelps and runs off, refusing to play for a bit. The yelp must be startling enough to stop the behavior.
That should do the trick, unless she is prey driven, . However, if it doesn't fix the problem this will work:
To introduce an element of "natural discipline", grasp the recalcitrant pup with one hand, place your other hand over the top of his muzzle, gently pressing his muzzle towards his chest as you say, in a low, growly tone of voice, "No BITE". If they begin to throw a tantrum and thrash around trying to bite, just hold the line until they "give in" and "say uncle" (quit resisting). You should not find it necessary to get aggressive with a young puppy. Simple restraint is usually enough to get the message across.
DON"T hit him or flick his nose! this will cause a rift in his relationship with you, and he will never be as trusting.
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dog breeder since 1968
By Silentgoodbye@myspace on Jan 5, 2009 | Reply
dip your hand in hot sauce.
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By 1234 on Jan 5, 2009 | Reply
You have to stop this kind of unacceptable behavoir. Yes, it may feel good when they chew on your hands when they are young but it has to stop. Whenever he bites you, close his mouth and say firmly "no biting!" By continously doing this, your dog will eventually understand what he is no supposed to do. Not only do you have to enforce this rule, but your family members who live with you as well because you don't want to lose consistency. My golden retriever is nine months old now, but when he was about 3-4 months, that period was the worst. It hurted alot when he bit me and I even considered getting a muzzle for him. But with consistency in enforcing the rule, he eventually stopped and now, he's the best dog ever! Good luck!
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experiences of handling a golden retriever puppy
By Cindy F on Jan 5, 2009 | Reply
When he goes to bite you put your thumb in his mouth and the rest of your fingers under his chin and pull his mouth down so he cant shut it and just hold on and just look very mad and say NO then let go of his mouth you may have to do this for a couple of days.
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By Amy A on Jan 5, 2009 | Reply
I have a mini dachshund too. Her name is Ginny. I crack her ass when she is being bad. It takes awhile for weiner doggies to understand what you are trying to teach them because they are stubburn. I would tap it on the head, not the muzzle, and say no bite. It will take a while. Also, as far as other chew toys, Ginny is particular. I bought her a chew toy and it took her 3 months or so to mess with it. She likes to chew on underwear. That's my problem!
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By cpinatsi on Jan 5, 2009 | Reply
It is your fault that he does this, because obviously you let him do it. And you have let him do it for far too long. It was rather fun when he was a puppy, but it isn't any more. Well, he doesn't know that. For him it's still as fun as it used to be.
What NOT to do: spank him or hit him or tap his nose or push him away etc. This will just increase the fun of playing "hand-biting".
What to do: When he does it, calmly say NO and withdraw your hands and yourself. Stand still away from him and ignore him. Do something else. Show him that you don't enjoy this type of play and that he will not be rewarded with more play. It will take time, because he has been doing this for far too long. But he needs to realize that whenever he bites your hands immediately this means that he loses all contact with you, your attention, your play and your interest.
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By skippy83 on Jan 5, 2009 | Reply
get a water bottle and spray him in the face when he does it .it may take him a couple times to learn but after that he will stop dogs don't like water by there nose so try that area if he wont stop
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By redfroggirl on Jan 5, 2009 | Reply
I totally agree with Chetco's answer.
How old was you puppy when you got it? sometimes if they are taken away from mum and the litter too young there can be behaviour problems, such as bite inhibition problems. When they are with mu and the litter they learn not to bite and not too bite too hard.
Also don't play tug of war games with him, otherwise these games will just make his biting worse!
Good Luck!
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By justme on Jan 5, 2009 | Reply
Despite several answers here, DO NOT smack him on the nose, no matter how lightly. Dogs have a lot of extremely sensitive nerves in their noses, and if they are damaged, the dog will be unable to smell, which is vital to them.
Instead, when he bites you, say very firmly and harshly "NO". Do not yell, as, again you could damage the dog's hearing. When he stops, say"Good boy" and pat him. He will soon learn that biting gets a bad result and not biting gets a good result.
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By victorious389 on Jan 5, 2009 | Reply
why dont you give it too much of your hand, for instance while you are sitting down and the dog is near you suddenly out of no where put your hand in your dogs mouth but so hard the dog will almost bite you but since it hurts the dog so much or it is forcing him to go backwards he will resist and let go, memeory plays a big role in pets, make your pet remember that you wanted to stick your hand into his mouth, and you "liked" it, then he wont like it and willl stop because it bothers him.
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By DP on Jan 5, 2009 | Reply
Don't hit him on the nose, don't smack him at all.. Aggression builds aggression and teaches your dog to hate you, think you are mean and nasty and won't respect you at all..
He isn't taking you serious when you are telling him no. When he bites you, get your hand back stand up and walk away. Don't play with him.. You can even tell him that '' NO BITE " and walk away. Try again later… When he looks like he is going to bite you, shove a toy in his mouth.. Don't allow him to get your hands in his mouth.. When he chews the toy, then praise him and tell him he is good.. But refuse to interact with him when he is playing roughly.
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By Yolanda on Jan 5, 2009 | Reply
He is probably teething. Ask the doc if there is a pain med for that. Until then,spray bottle(s) filled with water have always worked with my pets. Spray the face (around the mouth or nose). It is harmless and non abusive. It is a quick way to get an animal to stop unwanted behavior, and they will continue to trust you at the same time. Sometimes when using our hands to discipline, we might go overboard and get too aggressive, doing something we might regret. Make sure the water is replaced often, as it gets bacteria in it. Also, putting him away in his pen for time out, might be a good backup plan. And, having designated play time and quite time might be satisfying for pet and owner alike. Dachshunds can be quite worrisome, and want a lot of "in your face" attention. (we've had two hotdogs)
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By Beata g on Jan 5, 2009 | Reply
at 11 weeks, he is just starting the teething process, and it will continue untill he is 6 months old. First of all, DO NOT hit your puppy!!!Do not use the spray water bottle either!Do not punish your dog by putting him in his pen, because it teaches him that the pen is a BAD place and he will pee in it and yelp….
YES… i know… bear it for 2 more months or so and you will have a beautiful, dog.
To teach your puppy not to bite YOU, buy lots of toys such as kongs, and other HARD rubber toys. If scissors can cut through it, then don't get it. Don't get latex squeky toys for chewing, those (with plush animals) are very easy to tear, and make sure it's not too small or big!
To make a pup want to use his toys and not your hands, rub on tasty things on the rubber toys, for kongs, you can get special kong puppy stuffin', then also spray your hands with bitter apple, or if you can't find that, every time your dog bites give out a high pitched yelp, such as a dog would have. Soon your dog will learn
good luck!
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many years of dog experience
By rmfly on Jan 5, 2009 | Reply
Sometimes, a chew toy doesn't do it. If you have some old tea towels, soak them down and tie them in knots and drop them in a baggy and freeze. When he starts to misbehave, tell him 'NO' in a hard, deep voice, take him to the kitchen and give him one of the frozen towels. You may have to play with him a bit to get him to take it at first but he should find it preferable to your hands. You can also give him ice cubes or bouillon cubes to chew on. I suspect that he has signs of early teething and the cold will help to numb the gums while the towel or frozen cubes will help to move some of the baby teeth out.
Some dogs do tend to start a little early, so give it a try.
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In Dogs We Trust canine obedience training academy
By How to Train a Puppy Not to Bite on Feb 10, 2010 | Reply
Read this blog post for solution.
http://how-to-training-puppy.blogspot.com/2010/01/how-to-train-puppy-not-to-bite.html