Difficulty: Moderately Easy
Tips & Warnings:
- Tug games are good for puppies. Your puppy needs to use his mouth to play. Tug games allow this.
- Provide lots of chew toys for your pup.
- Ice cubes can sometimes help with mouthy puppies.
- Make sure no one in the house is encouraging mouthy behavior with rough play.
Step1
Your puppy is constantly biting you because this is how he would play with litter mates. Puppies are always biting each other as they play. Your puppy is just trying to interact with you.
Step2
The more attention you give to the biting behavior the worse the behavior will get. Scruff shakes, smacks on the nose and alpha rollovers will only confuse your puppy. The easiest way to deal with your puppy's mouthy behavior is to leave a leash and collar on when your pup starts to get active.
Step3
When your puppy starts to bite you, take the leash and step on it. You need to step on it so you can take your hands away. With your foot on the leash your puppy cannot bite you.
Step4
With your foot on the leash you have done two things:
1. You have taken away your puppy's freedom.
2. You are not giving attention to the behavior.
If every time your puppy starts to get mouthy and you withdraw attention and take away your puppy's freedom, your puppy will quickly learn that biting is no fun.
Step5
After a minute or two with your foot still on leash, reach down and pet your pup. If your puppy tries to bite you as you pet, don't take your foot off the leash. You have to let your puppy earn her freedom. They earn freedom by being calm. If you can reach down and your pup does not bite immediately, take your foot off the leash and start to interact with your pup again.
Comments
designyourlife said
on 10/9/2008 Wish I had known this 10 years ago! She's an angel now. But I'll remember this for the next one!
kaseysviewblog said
on 7/23/2008 Good advice, I'll have to remember this one.
bmi57 said
on 6/19/2008 Loved your advice, can't wait to give it a shot. Thank you.