Nipping problems

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#1
I know it is normal for puppies from 3-6 months to nip and bite, but I really want to try and discourage this behavior. Could someone please give me some tips on how I might be able to get him to stop doing this? I have tried putting toys in his mouth and clicking/treating for taking the toy rather then my hand, but this is difficult since I don't always have treats and the clicker around. It doesn't seem to work with just quiet verbal rewards.

Someone please help! This is becoming a very difficult problem to overcome!
 

Saje

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#2
I find ignoring him works well since he wants to play and have attention. Just walk away and don't look at him or give him the slightest bit of attention for a couple of minutes.

Also, squealing like he's really hurt you helps. He doesn't want to hurt you. If nanook nips me when she's playing I put my whole hand her mouth and hold it there and she does everything possible not to hurt me.
 
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#3
Well, actually the ignoring thing works for me, but it is hard when he is biting with his puppy razors on my foot to ignore it! ;)

I squeal and he gets excited and bites more, like I'm playing!

When I put my hand over his whole mouth he will bite my hand right when I take it away. :(

Right now we are trying time out when he nips to see how that goes... Any other ideas?
 

Saje

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#4
I think Emma's going to respond for you. I'm all tapped out. I think a big part is waiting for them to outgrow it. At least for me anyway. Nannok is a little bad for it. She'll also grab food right out of my hands and almost take my fingers. But since she's a bit older she's not nearly as bad as Mav was when he was a pup. :rolleyes:
 
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#5
Okay, thanks for the suggestions. :) I know he will grow out of it eventually, but man, this is driving us up the wall! :p It's a good thing he is so darn cute and loveable!
 

Saje

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#6
Yeah I know. I suppose you give him lots of chew toys and stuff? Someone told me to give maverick a frozen carrot for teething. He enjoyed that for a little while
 

Barb04

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#7
I wrote to Emma about the same thing with Kona. When she won't stop nipping, she gets a time out in the kitchen with a toy. If she continues when she is let back out in about 10 minutes, back in she goes. It's a slow process but seems to be working. I also find Kona is more apt to nip when she has been resting and gets up with lots of energy to burn off.
 

Doberluv

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#8
With some dogs, squeeling or yelling, "ouch" doesn't deter them, but makes them think you're playing. I know it works with some, but not others. When you put your hand over the dog's mouth, he thought you were playing too probably. So, just plain walking away or removing the dog from your area (if he's attached to your heels) without emotion is best. He wants to play and chew so removing that as a payoff is the only thing to do. (Hey, I'm a poet) But do replace your body with a chew toy. And then praise when he's chewing on his bone or whatever. And just remember when he is "behaving," to praise him and maybe give a treat. Show him what behavior he does do that WILL bring a favorable response from you. You can say, "NO BITE" and then walk away. He'll learn what those words mean. Some people don't do anything negative and some do. But the mere speaking or further looking at him is often attention enough...a payoff. But, that's up to you. But at any rate, the most important thing is to praise him when he's not biting and able to play nicely.

And eventually, if you're consistant he'll grow out of it. He is teething so something to relieve that helps too. A rag soaked in tea and then frozen helps sometimes. But supervise and watch out that he doesn't break off any strings and swallow them. (dangerous) He should only just have it for a short time. Like Saje said, a frozen carrot might be hard enough and that cold might relieve the pain of teething. That's a great idea. Good luck.
 
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#9
He has alot of chew toys, but I never thought that freezing them would help relieve the pain of teething. That is a really good idea and I will be sure to use it! I think I will try buying a toy used for freezing at the pet store today (I've seen them but the purpose never occured to me until you all mentioned it), since the towel and carrots sounds like they can get messy and he is always indoors unless on walks. :)

The time out has shown some improvements already, so I guess I just need to be patient with the process. Thank you all for the help!
 

Doberluv

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#10
The time out has shown some improvements already, so I guess I just need to be patient with the process. Thank you all for the help!
__________________

Oh good! Yes, they do take a while to grow up, some more than others. It is a lesson in patience, isn't it. They teach us a lot. You're doing great!
 
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#11
I had forgotten how much "fun" it was when Shiva was nipping. Nothing detered her. I've never seen a dog with such a one track mind before. I finally reached the end of it and started hanging onto her lower jaw when she'd nip. After a few times she got the idea that when she did something I didn't like (and oh, she knew I didn't like it - she just couldn't stop herself) then I would do something she didn't like. As soon as she'd relax, I'd let go. It only took a few times before she got her brain around the problem. I've never had to do that with another dog, but I've never had one like Shiva before. :rolleyes:

Sometimes, within limits, you just have to use your imagination and your knowledge of your dog's unique quirks.
 

BigDog2191

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#12
BaileysMom said:
Well, actually the ignoring thing works for me, but it is hard when he is biting with his puppy razors on my foot to ignore it! ;)

I squeal and he gets excited and bites more, like I'm playing!

When I put my hand over his whole mouth he will bite my hand right when I take it away. :(

Right now we are trying time out when he nips to see how that goes... Any other ideas?
When he does that, isolate him for a while. In another room or you coud leave him in your room and such. Isolation when he does that. Rocky used to do that until I started isolating him and now it's a pretty rare occurence.
 

bubbatd

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#13
Don't forget the old "put their lip between their tooth and your finger." trick. Not too much fun to nip yourself.
 

Barb04

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#14
Max grew out of it. When he first started, we called him the "land shark". Then we spoke to a breeder about it and they called their anatolian a land shark. It was funny to hear the same name used to describe them.
 

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