# Biting



## BertieBassett

Hi All,

I have had Bertie 2 weeks now, and he is biting a lot he is 10 weeks old and the biting is really getting me down as no matter what I seem to do he doesn't take any notice. 

When he starts I say NO, then NO bite this doesn't make any difference, I then let out a OUCH thinking he might realise he has been to sharp but he just keeps biting and gets worse the more I try and stop him.

I have tried turning round and ignoring him, but he then hangs off the back of my legs so in the end I give in and turn round as his teeth are digging in the backs of my legs and its sharp.

I then have to result in to putting him in his crate to calm him down, which does seem to work when he comes out. I don't really want to keep putting him in his crate, as he will end up thinking he's crate is only for when he has been naughty.

Apart from the biting he has settled in well, on a night he is really well behaved in the crate and settles in his bed with a hot water bottle and we don't hear much off him during the night.

Any tips for the biting I would be grateful.

thanks


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## Laura(L)Izzie

Maybe have a room where you say you'll put him on his own, for Izzie we put her in the kitchen if she'd naughty, we say 'Izzie do you want to go in the kitchen?' If she doesn't stop to that we put her in for a while with the door closed until she's calmed down (she is always left on her own, sometimes when she was younger we'd turn the light off), then when we go to get her back out we say 'Izzie you have to be a good girl or you'll go back in the kitchen, sometimes it take 2-3 10 minute sessions in the kitchen but she gets it & then starts being good again, now when we say 'kitchen' she knows & it can make her stop without having to put her in there. 
you could try holding his mouth together & say 'NO BITING' and he might associate the two more and it could stop him as they don't like you holding their mouths so he might try to avoid it that way?
I'm not sure if it would work for you as every dog is different, but you could always try it if you think it might work.


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## kendal

`he will get over it you just need to keep up the hard work. try keeping a lead on him, not for a correction as he is a little young but just so you can remove him without touching him. 


stick with it you will get there.


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## Mogdog

I don't think I'd class biting as being naughty as they need to bite when they are teething .... try to redirect the biting to a variety of chew toys. Kongs are great, especially with cream cheese or peanut butter inside them, and you can put them in the freezer before giving them.

Bess is a biter too and I can see she's lost a bottom tooth now ... not sure what age this stops but she's happy to chew rope toys or kongs (instead of hands and clothes!).


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## Rufini

Vincent is a biter too and we really want him to stop as my neice is 1 and loves dogs, we don't want her to visit and be bitten and give her a negative experience with dogs.

We find that if he does bit us (it's usually the backs of our legs when playing in the garden) we squeak a very loud squeaky toy which distracts him. It's slowly starting to work but I think it's going to be a good month or so before he stops completely.

Keep at it! I know it's upsetting (once Vincent was so bad when it was just me I ended up crying and ringing my boyfriend at work because I thought Vincent hated me).


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## Laura(L)Izzie

Aww it's really sad that you thought that 
Just keep saying how naughty he is, try distracting him with something else, but if distraction doesn't work then you need some form of punishment that you don't mind if he doesn't like, we use the kitchen because we know how much she loves being around us, so it's a good punishment to show that if she's naughty she can't stay in a room with us.
If it is just a teething problem as mentioned above then buy some chew treats or tys specifically to help with this and see if they work, but don't let him think it's okay to bite people under any circumstances as even if it is just teething, if you don't tell him off for doing it to you then it will continue into adulthood & then it will be much more difficult to stop him.
Good luck, i'm sure you will sort it soon, just keep working at it  Izzie barely bites now- 1 year old on thursday, (if she does bite now it's just playing when we wind her up & she rarely hurts us - the only time she gets a little aggressive is sometimes on walks she bites legs/feet for no real reason, not sure if that is down to not getting attention, but if we say NO and stand looking at her for a while, and then tell her to keep going she generally settles down).


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## BertieBassett

thanks for all the replies will try getting a kong toy and put food inside. Food will keep him busy as he loves his food. 

Over the last few dogs the biting is getting worse and growling at the same time once he gets hold of your finger, really digs his teeth in that its cut the skin a few times. Will be glad when I can take him to puppy classes and get him mixing with other puppies.


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## BertieBassett

ruth, all the best with Vincent. You sound how I feel at the moment. 

I have just ordered The Perfect Puppy by gwen bailey book. Heard how good the book is.


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## colpa110

I know how you feel - all the techniques mentioned had very limited sucess with Betty...HOWEVER she will be 5 Months old next week and 
have started to seeing an improvement ( Hoorah!!) over the past week or so...not perfect but a a LOT better than it was.
It can get you down a bit , epecially when all you want to do is cuddle!!
Keep at it - it does improve.


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## DONNA

Your pup sounds like mine ,your doing all the right things and even though Buddy has got better he is still very bitey (see my other thread)
I didnt realise puppies bit this much and it came as a shock ,i must say though at the weekends when were out alot and he goes on really long walks theres less biting (hes probably too knackered!)
Good luck ,and remember theres lots of us out there going through the same as you dx


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## tessybear

Don't worry most of us have been through the same thing! There have been so many threads on here saying exactly that! He will stop, there is light at the end of the tunnel- just be patient and always substitute something else until he gets over it. Dexter was one of the worst biters now he never does it.


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## BertieBassett

Biting update....

It's getting no better, and now he is getting bigger the biting is also getting harder so much so he bit my mom and she had to go and get a tetanus jab as it really bled.

Its when he is playing and it turns in to him going to far and starts growling and biting. Or sometimes he just bites your leg for no reason when your not expecting him to.

If I do anything to try and stop him it makes him worse and goes for you even more. Iv tried everything that has been recommended.

Then other times you would think butter wouldnt melt when he is all sweet.


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## Kerry24

Hi,

I can't give much advice but just wanted to give some support. Our pup is 10 weeks old and is a definite chewer, so every time he bites we put a chew toy in his mouth. Sometimes it works, and sometimes it doesn't.... but hopefully by being calm and consistent he'll grow out of it. The only time it gets a bit much is when I wear my pjs and or some reason he loves to bite my legs in them. Al I do is get out of the way, and ignore him until he calms down, and then play with him when he's calmer.

Hope it improves for you soon, and maybe you will get some tips from the book you spine of

Kxxx


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## Tressa

BertieBassett said:


> ruth, all the best with Vincent. You sound how I feel at the moment.
> 
> I have just ordered The Perfect Puppy by gwen bailey book. Heard how good the book is.


It is a very good puppy book


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## Tressa

All i can say he is teething, and you will probably soon find some tiny teeth around the house soon. After he gets his second lot it will be very likely to subside if you keep up with the calm approch (not easy with a puppy hanging by its teeth on some part of your anatomy, I know) but it is a phase they go through, and it usually passes.


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## BertieBassett

I am hoping he isnt going to turn out aggressive, as he growls and really does go for you and if he gets hold he wont let go. 

thanks for all you comments and tips x


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## Kerry24

If you're really worried you could always try a dog behaviouralist (not sure that spelling is quite right!)

Kx


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## JoJo

Bertie could just be a lively puppy with teething and play getting very excitable, trying to push the boundaries, but some puppies do have aggression issues. I have dealt with food guarding issues in very young puppies which caused growls and snapping, with good training it can be stopped, a dog behaviourist can help with any behavioural issues if it continues....

Aggression sounds so harsh when talking about a puppy but I know it happens and if it is aggression I feel for you, its not nice for you or your puppy .. I am not an expert but I do know aggression is a very real thing in any dog and something that requires dealing with on any level... you will get lots of good advice on here. xxx

Please dont worry .. you are are doing a great job by asking everyone on here for advice xxx


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## BertieBassett

yes, think im going to, there is one at the vets I go to. Want to nip it in the bud asap.x


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## Greenleys19

Hi there

Unfortunately all puppies bite, some worse than others but it does go after a while. I agree, kongs covered in something yummy, cyber puppy toys do some good teething toys. When mine were young, one in particular use to drive me mad with biting, that I put her own paw in her mouth & closed her jaw. You may think that's abit harsh but it worked! Every time she got abit over the top I use to do this and soon she realised that it does hurt!!!


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## BertieBassett

I have tried kongs and he doesnt bother with it. I have also put his paw in his mouth still doesnt stop him lol. He is so strong willed, saying no just makes him want to do it even more.


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## DONNA

Buddy is 5 mths now and i must say his biting is getting less and less,he still nips the kids now and again and he goes foe our clothes still ,but no where near as much as he used to.
So there is light at the end of the tunnel im hopeing it will stop altogether soon.
Cant remember if i said before but turning your back on them when they bite really works ,or if he bites when your playing stop playing and leave the room for 10 seconds.

Hang in there dx


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## Jedicrazy

Hiya, as others have said it's a natural phase they go through. It will pass  If you're going to do the yelp/ouch technique then do it as soon as the puppy bites and make it as loud and sharp as possible. There isn't much point doing it after you have said No as the moment is lost. Time out is a good one to use if you can but not the crate, somewhere else. Also when they get in to this mode I find play or training a good distraction. Get a good tug toy and let him pull it for a bit or get the training treats out and do some training to again distract him and also mentally tire him out. That last one worked really well for me when a lot of the other stuff didn't.


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## Emily's mommy

Hi. If you look back at my original posts, they will sound VERY familiar! Emily was a very nippy younger puppy, made worse by the fact that I have a three year old that she treats like a fellow puppy. I have to say, with my fingers crossed as I write this, that over the past two weeks or so she has been much better. My best advice echoes what has already been said in terms of the time-outs. But mostly, I think that over time things do get better.


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## MillieDog

Two things spring to mind. 

1 Is your puppy getting enough sleep. Puppies do bite naturally, but when they get tired they bite even more. A puppy needs about 17 hrs of sleep a day!

2 When you're playing or holding your puppy, keep a soft puppy toy to hand. Let them chew on that rather than on you. They use their mouth to feel and explore the same as a baby. 

And as eveyone else has said, teething makes them bite even more. Once the adult teeth come in the biting reduces a lot and the teeth aren't as razor shape either.

Good luck, it will be get better.


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## Fifi

It's great to know that you are not on your own  Gaia is also biting a lot as my hands show. I'm trying various methods, chew toys, yelping (sometimes because of the pain), putting her into the garden and using my slippers which have been doused with either vinegar of Zoflora disinfectant, the strong smell seems to change the mood.

My sister assures me that it does pass her spinone was nickname "crocodile" when she was a puppy.

Good luck, if you find the solution please post and save my fingers and calfs


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## RobertR

Some good info on here, just read through and already feel better about things! Seems to be a common problem, my hands look like I've had a fight with a thorn bush


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## Fifi

My hands look the same, I'm also sporting bruises on the backs of my legs and one lovely blue one on the top of my arm


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## Pepster

I can't really give you advice as pepper was a shocking biter and we tried everything. She would be hanging off your socks, your dressing gown, pulling your slippers to bits, chewing the bricks on the fireplace and if you went to remove her you got a nasty nip. I would say if you told her "no bite" she would do it all the more. In the end a time out in the kitchen did the trick and kendals advice of keeping the lead on would have really helped us as she would bite you to bits as you removed her but as time went on we only needed to say "kitchen" and she would start to behave. I really thought we had an aggressive dog. Now pepper is 13 months and is a real liitle sweetie at home. I can't remember when all the biting stopped but it did and it is a distant memory. Try to think of it as a phase as it really doesn't last forever  
I have since talked to a friend who trains guide dog puppies about what a shock it was to me that these cute littles puppies were so feisty and she said it was perfectly normal and that they do all grow out if it. It is worth persevering with what works for your puppy and you'll end up with a cuddly, gentle dog.


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## Laura(L)Izzie

We also do 'kitchen'  & generally it seems to work, but we do sometimes still have to put her in if she perseveres, she hates being away from everyone, so it generally sorts her out


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## Rufini

Just updating - Vincent is so much better, he doesn't bite the back of my legs now, even when he gets very excited.
He still chews things a lot, and does act roughly with my boyfriend (vincnet loves to chew his nose...!) but he is getting better.

I've noticed the more we play with him and interact the better he is, he was biting more as an attention thing. It's been hard adjusting our lives to almost 100% Vincent but it's been so worth it


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## Cris

I've laughed with relief reading these posts as I realise Keltie will grow out of her bitey phase - thank god! She is teething, but some days my feet resemble pin cushions. I try and divert her to her toys and this does work but she definitely prefers human flesh! If we move her to the kitchen, the only other room downstairs, she chews on my wicker dining chairs - so we do, as a last resort, put her in her crate - but I realise this is not good. However, not quite sure where else she can go. I am so looking forward to when she has a new set of teeth and needs to bite less.


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## Kaz

Boy, do I love this forum!

How is Bertie now?

Benji is 9 weeks old and we've had him home for 10 days now - settled in nicely, but these last 4-5 days he has been relentless in his biting! He has about 6 different toys (including a puppy KONG and other puupy KONG toys), which we do our best to distract him with, however, he seems to have a short attention span (put guessing this is normal for pups) and still prefers a good bite of our hands, arms, legs and clothes! Both hubbie and I were beginning to get really frustrated and it started to take the enjoyment out of play with him . I've consulted books and advice from a great trainer I know, which were basically following the techniques you lovely people have covered. Yelping, ouching, or even screaming, but they make no different in the slightest when he bites us too roughly or plays tug with out clothes (we were beginning to think Benji might be deaf, but this is not the case!). So I was so pleased to turn to this forum to find more advice, support and encouragement and hubbie also read this thread after me. We appreciate it is he teething and learning, so we've talked about what to do now to ensure consistency in our approaches going forward - and for us to keep calm too!

So today, Benji has been in the cooler (kitchen) a few times - just for 1-2 minutes (we'll increase the time depending on how he responds). However, after the third time I put him in there, about an hour or so ago, he went in and I thought it was a bit quiet (previous times he had been crying at the door). When I opened the door just a minute later, he had wee'd and poo'd on the kitchen floor  - he has never poo'd in the house at all, so i was devastated :cry2: and then started to feel very guilty (though tried not to show it, I said "outside" to him and took him in the garden (no play time, just out and back in again). Do you think he did this on purpose? - he wasn't 'due' a wee as he had been outside about 20 minutes before.

He did calm down afterwards and he played in the lounge for a bit (I still didn't play or fuss him as much as I usually would), then he flopped on my lap and fell asleep, so I carried him to his crate and he's slept in there since.

We will continue with the time out in the kitchen though, as he doesnt responding to yelps, its the only option we have (someone said to me that I should just storm out of the room when he does it, but we have to move Benji into the kitchen as it is the only room we can trust him in not to chew anything!).

So pleased I have this site to refer to 
Kaz xx


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## Janev1000

Can't wait to see some lovely pics of Benji! Biscuit is also very 'mouthy' at times. I say 'mouthy' as he's never actually bitten - he just seems to rest his teeth on me but I am dreading him possibly biting harder when he's teething. I too find that shouting 'no' or yelping doesn't seem to have any effect. Sometimes he responds better to a gentle 'no'. I sometimes wonder if the high pitched responses just incites them even more if they are in that frame of mind.


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## JR1

Poppy at 10 weeks si also biting. The kids hate it and it's stopping my 4 year old going near her. I took advice and dropped a saucepan lid behind her whilst firmly saying 'no biting' she totally scarpered and has thought twice about doing it again. She's not perfect and I will do it again as I think it will get a response... Maybe it will work for you too?

Good luck...


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## BertieBassett

Update on bertie, he is getting better still having a little go now and again but i now see light at the end of the tunnel.

He isn't stupid, as when he starts and i put his paw he his mouth never bits it lol 

Thanks for all your feed back.


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## Pepster

That's good, it's surprising how quickly these phases disappear , soon you'll forget he ever had a problem


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## Kitty4

Hi everyone,

We,ve had our rosie home a week now and shes as good as gold at sleeping in her crate at night, and goes in her pen for short periods during the day with no problems. I take her up the garden for wee-wees every 20 mins and shes doing great, we do have a few whoopsies in the house though. Biting is the only problem, my hands are so sore where she chews and grabs at them. She hangs off my slippers and pj bottoms even as i walk! I try to give her chewy toys to knaw on, but she seems more interested in my hands. I know this stage will pass, and having read this thread reasures me that her behaviour is normal. Thanks for all the advice you all post. X


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## Kitty4

Hi everyone,

We,ve had our rosie home a week now and shes as good as gold at sleeping in her crate at night, and goes in her pen for short periods during the day with no problems. I take her up the garden for wee-wees every 20 mins and shes doing great, we do have a few whoopsies in the house though. Biting is the only problem, my hands are so sore where she chews and grabs at them. She hangs off my slippers and pj bottoms even as i walk! I try to give her chewy toys to knaw on, but she seems more interested in my hands. I know this stage will pass, and having read this thread reasures me that her behaviour is normal. Thanks for all the advice you all post. X


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## PurpleAnonymous

Woody is now 10 weeks, and in the last few days, he's been a little biting machine as well. It seems that yelping and saying "no" only gets him even more riled up. And he even starts to growl.


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## BertieBassett

woody and rosie sound like how bertie was, he is 5 months old and we have had him 3 months now. Still a bit of biting but so much better. One thing that does work and he will get up and walk away is holding him down for about 10 seconds and saying NO firmly, I got informed the dog whisperer does this. I tried everything before doing this and nothing worked it made him worse but holding him down does the trick.


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## PurpleAnonymous

BertieBassett said:


> woody and rosie sound like how bertie was, he is 5 months old and we have had him 3 months now. Still a bit of biting but so much better. One thing that does work and he will get up and walk away is holding him down for about 10 seconds and saying NO firmly, I got informed the dog whisperer does this. I tried everything before doing this and nothing worked it made him worse but holding him down does the trick.


Yeah, I was actually watching the dog whisperer and learned this trick. It does seem to be working!


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## Kitty4

Bertiebassett,

Thanks, ive tried that with rosie and it does work. I also do the yelping thing when she bites as well, again she stops and then licks my hand!


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## Rileypoo

Oh, I've been doing that too with Riley - when he gets really nippy and is hanging off my pj's and skin I unlock his jaw from me and then quite firmly push him down onto his side on the floor and hold him there and say No. Sometimes substituting for a toy works but when he gets really excited he just won't stop biting and this is the only thing that really works. When I let him up after a couple of seconds he is calmer and then I praise him quietly. I haven't see the dog whisperer but have heard he does similar, perhaps I should check it out for some tips.

The only other thing I do is spray my pj's legs with 'Get Off' spray from Pets at Home!!! I use it on anything I don't want Riley chewing on like my wicker baskets and he takes a sniff and heads off sneezing so definitely works!

Can't wait for the little needles to fall out!


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## Kitty4

Teddy looks gorgeous im hoping our rosie will eventually look like him, shes cream and buff and looks more like a spaniel at the moment! Lol! Shes only 9 weeks old so plenty of time


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## Muddysideup

Oscar was a biter too, but from the day his last baby tooth fell out he stopped; now he likes to suck on our fingers and is so very gentle...


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## Pollypiglet

Hattie has a bit of a go when she is overexited and jumps up on furniture. I use a rolled up newspaper to keep her head out of the way whilst I remove her from the offending piece of furnitiure. I may follow that up with a dog whisperer style pin down which works very well. In a previous life I saw a dog handler hold down a German Shepherd police dog who had got over friendly in the same way. Tends to focus the mind when your friend can control 4st of Germam Shepherd who is over exited!


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## axl the cockerpoo

very early as a puppy the only thing we could do was put something else between me and the dog, usually a knotted rope, so much so that now when he see`s someone he runs and gets a toy before approaching.

now when we`re play fighting and this might be totally wrong, but holding the scruff on both sides of the head and a firm "NO" followed by making him take himself out of the room works with mine when he gets too excited.


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## Kaz

Hey - great to hear everyone's comments and advice. Benji is over 3.5 months now, and is soooo much better - so for all you frustrated mums and dads out there, it does get better (and I wasn't expecting to say that 6 weeks ago!).

How old were your pups when there puppy teeth started to come out? I'm expecting to find some on the floor any day now?!

Keep up the good work  xxx


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## Laura(L)Izzie

Poppy's started around 3 & a half months, but don't expect to find many lol, I never found any of Izzie's & although Poppy hasn't lost all hers yet I haven't found any of those either sadly!  They generally swallow them! x


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## anndante

Polly is six and a half months and teeth still coming out... another one just did! She's still 'biting' although it's not with evil intent! Hope she does grow out of it. One minute she can be so sweet and gentle.. then she seems to go mad and hyper..... split personality?!!


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## Muddysideup

Alfie has just about finished teething, and lost two yesterday... But he has never once bitten us and is just an absolute dream puppy, the opposite to Oscar when he was tiny... But Oscar has very few faults now, just jumping up at people (just for a few moments when they arrive) and his recall isn't brilliant. But we're working on his recall and have found he is a slave to cooked liver pieces as treats, and will do anything for them!


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## Fifi

Shhh, don't want Gaia to hear but the biting has stopped


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## kathleen

Hi I had same problem. Try putting some stones in plastic bottle and shaking hard when he bites. Worked for my 12 week puppy.


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## Chloe&Shawn

We have definitely experienced this problem with Bella. One thing that seems to be working is I have added some coins into a water bottle and when she bites my hand i say "no" firmly and if she does it again I say "no" louder and shake the bottle. She gets so rattled by the noise she just backs off my hand and sits all upright like "i'll be good, promise!" and I only did the shake on about 5 occasions and lately whenever she bites and I say "no" firmly she actually backs off!! I am quite impressed and glad that something has FINALLY worked!


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## Nessa

Searched for this thread! Maxwell at 3 months is getting worse in the biting department! AND IF I TAKE HIM FROM PLAYING WITH MY CAT, he snaps and growls at me! I've been crating him and he settles down. I've had lots of puppies through the years and can't remember other brreeds being this way! ( had a poodle and a cocker) OR.... IS IT LIKE CHILDBIRTH.... YOU FORGET THE PAIN???? He is a doll and so easily learns tricks, but would love for him to learn not to bite us! I'm going to try the holding down thing.


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## 2ndhandgal

Please don't use holding your pup down or using sharp noises like rattle bottles - they are both effectively methods using punishment and could affect your relationship with your puppy for the worse.

Biting and mouthing is perfectly normal puppy behaviour - this is how pups play with other pups and they just need to learn that humans are delicate creatures and they can not play with us this way.

It is a phase which will pass, use lots of distraction, directing the pup onto toys instead of hands and watch your reactions, pups who prefer to bite hands rather than toys are often being inadvertently rewarded by owners pulling away and providing a nice animated toy for the pup.

Do lots of training with the pup, teach them to play tuggy and release when asked and that teeth touching hands ends the game. Sometimes pups get overtired and need to go for a sleep so make sure they are not over tired too.


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## PoppyLove

Poppy is moving away from the croc-a-poo stage thankfully, but she was particularly nippy with my two boys (maybe because she sees them more as litter mates). I taught both boys to say 'no' very firmly, stop playing with her, stand up, fold arms and ignore her for a few moments. Once Poppy calmed down they could resume playing. She seemed to catch on pretty quick - she hated being ignored. 


Good luck with the training.


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## RuthMill

2ndhandgal said:


> Please don't use holding your pup down or using sharp noises like rattle bottles - they are both effectively methods using punishment and could affect your relationship with your puppy for the worse.
> 
> Biting and mouthing is perfectly normal puppy behaviour - this is how pups play with other pups and they just need to learn that humans are delicate creatures and they can not play with us this way.
> 
> It is a phase which will pass, use lots of distraction, directing the pup onto toys instead of hands and watch your reactions, pups who prefer to bite hands rather than toys are often being inadvertently rewarded by owners pulling away and providing a nice animated toy for the pup.
> 
> Do lots of training with the pup, teach them to play tuggy and release when asked and that teeth touching hands ends the game. Sometimes pups get overtired and need to go for a sleep so make sure they are not over tired too.


This is absolutely right. 

Please also bear in mind that biting can be a sign of tiredness. Pups need LOTS of sleep up to 18 hours a day. Clear guidance, routine, sleep, positive training, distraction and lots of love is how to handle any unwanted puppy behaviour.


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## Lexi&Beemer

Different methods worked for each of them. Beemer needed to be told no and Lexi responded to ouch. If find what works but you and everyone else has to be consistent. 


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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