puppy biting

[setter4u67]

Hi there, I just brought home my new pup maggie - she is a lhasa-chon. Cute as a button. However, the biting is crazy. I know this is normal and that's okay, I just need help in how to handle it. what do you all suggest? Thanks!

[Carolina]

Hi Maggie and Dad,
All puppies will bite/mouth/chew. Maggie's is VERY normal. Some are worse than others. She does this for numerous reason (ie teething, play, excitement, your reinforcement - accidently). Some people have said that you should let your puppy mouth/bite you so they learn about bite inhibition but others say to discourage this behaviour. There are a number of ways to minimise and eventually stop the biting. Firstly look at your response (laughing, providing your hands/fingers to chew) will reinforce this behaviour with Maggie. Provide her with appropriate chew toys, raw bones that suit her size and appetite, using a chew toy to distract her for when you feel she's about to stike or is getting too excited when playing with her. Using taste deterants on yourself/furniture/shoes etc. So many people (including myself) FORGET to reward CALM behaviour/good behaviour. We (people) are so quick off the mark to repremand bad/unwanted behaviours that we simply forget to reward all the good these guys do. The other options would be to COMPLETELY ignore her when she starts or place her in a 'sin-bin' area. Basically an area designated for her to be in when she's naughty. No food/toys/bed/comforts etc. She's there only for a very short while and let out if quiet and calm. I hope these suggestions help.

[kuritsa18]

I agree that mouthing and nipping is very normal behaviour for a puppy. However, you have to start right away on training them on what is and is not appropriate behaviour. If you let your puppy bite or mouth you this only re-enforces the behaviour and your puppy will learn that people/you are a chew toy and that it is an acceptable way to play. When your dog is fully grown and more powerful you don't want them to try and bite/grab/mouth/chew on you , look at you as a chew toy, or play bite you becasue this can cause aggression and lead to serious injuries especially in a larger breed. Plus, when they are older and the behaviour is already learned and in their head that this is acceptable it will be ten times harder to change than if they were taught propperly from the beggining.

Always make sure there are plenty of chew toys and bones for her to chew on. If she starts to nip/grab/ect. at you say in a loud firm voice NO or if she actually bites you say OUCH and act like you are badly hurt so they learn that hurts and it is wrong to do that. When she stops praise her a lot and then redirect her to a chew toy or raw hide bone so she knows this is ok to chew and it is not ok to chew/bite people. Whe she chews on a toy reward her a lot again so she knows that was good. Positive renforcement always works best so they are not always getting attention for doing something bad. Also, when you are playing always play with a toy so they learn toys are for playing and hands/your body are not. Another important thing is to teach your puppy the 'drop it' or 'let go' command so they know to let go and release their toys so their mouths are not near your hands when you are picking it up or trying to retreive it from them. This way when you retreive the toy from them there won't be any tugging or trying to grip the toy better and then someone accidently gets bitten.

I hope that helps!

[jessie]

I am having a similar problem with our new puppy.. It quickly turns to biting when she is playing nearby. She has chew toys.. We redirect her by handing her one of those.. say NO.. etc.. She just gets more persistant it seems..
I hate to put her in her pen because I don't want her to think of that as a place to go when you are punished.. but so far nothing seems to work.

[kuritsa18]

Maybe she has learned she is getting a lot of attention when she is doing this and this has now turned into a fight for attention. Bitting, grabing, etc should never be acceptable when it is towards a person. I she bites she needs to know that was really bad and you are not going to tolerate it. you don't want this to lead to bigger problems in the future when she is full grown.

I suggest when she does this to say loudly and firmly NO and then quickly take her to a time out place or as Carolina called it a 'sin-bin' without any attention; no eye contact, don't say anything to her, etc. The time out place should be a place other than their crate or for you her pen because this place is seen as a possitive place and could be interpreted as a reward. A 'sin-bin', naughty place, time out spot should be used for your pup whe she displays bad behaviour because it is seen as a negative space. Also, if your pup is doing this for attention separating her right away so she is away from you will not be fun for her. She should then associate biting with separation from you and should learn that this not how I get attention. Then when she is quiet and calm bring her back out. If she does it again repeat the same steps in the naughty place right away no questions asked; it doesn't matter if she was just in there or not it is about consistancy. When she is behaving good or chewing on her toys, bone or anything else acceptable, give A LOT of attention, praise, treats to re-enforce the good behaviour so she learns she gets planty of attention without biting and those things she can chew on.