[Brandi]

okay harley is now almost 12 weeks old .. and is doing all the normal puppy stuff.. the following you around grabbing your pants in teeth. so on and so on

well we have been doing wonderful with house training.. however ive been having to get onto harley a lot for biting at my daughter who is 3. she walks in room and harley will grab whatever he can get of her in his mouth.. when i say NO in a firm voice he will bark at me.. and growl very low. he dont try and bite me or anything but he will lay on the floor and just look at me.. then bite my daughter again.

ive noticed this also if we have something he wants or if im making his food and dont give it to him right away he does the same thing.

im hoping this is all part of puppy behavior.......but what do i do to correct him???

 

[HannaBanana]

It puppy behavior alright, but good time and age to nip it in the butt.

Best thing that has worked with my dogs is the "redirect".   I am assuming the pup is not ever alone with your 3 year old unsupervied so if you see the dog nipping, then automatically say "No bite" and redirect with a toy that he can chew.     I always kept small chew or teething toys around because gosh knows we needed them at times.

I know other have used the yelp thing, but not sure if that is too hard to teach a 3 year old.   Be presistant and it should go away as he gets older.

 

[Bumpy]

Yep, puppy behavior for sure. I agree with what HannaBanana said. I have no tollerance for biting. I have had great luck with a very firm NO or NO BITE. This will do two things. Stop the biting and get them to understand that a firm NO Means that you mean business and to stop imediatly.

 

[HannaBanana]

From Anita Fahrenwald, ([email protected])
Puppies in general have a very strong need to chew, some more than others. However, it needs to be controlled. But be sure you are providing a proper outlet for chewing, such as gumabones, etc. as you work on controlling the problem chewing.

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 10 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. If nothing changes, you probably weren't a good enough actor.

However, depending on your pup's personality, this could also incite him to become aggressive and chew all the more (thought bubble: "I've wounded her, I'm going in for the kill!") In that case, you may need to use some aversive methods. A first approach is to try Bitter Apple. Use it liberally, and not just a light spray. If you make a big impression the first time, it's likely to have a better effect. (If you doubt that, give it the lick test yourself!!!)

Some puppies need more. It's helpful if you could enroll in a puppy class designed especially for young puppies in order to get the proper guidance, because it's sometimes difficult for a novice trainer to recognize when aversives should be escalated. If you are reading the puppy wrong, increasing aversives could actually make the problem worse instead of better.

To introduce an element of "natural discipline", grasp the recalcitrant pup by the scruff of the neck 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.

Absolutely do not use any stiffer discipline without guidance from an instructor. An example of overkill is the alpha roll. Most young puppies simply do not need that level of discipline, and you can really damage the relationship by using it. (Job Michael Evans himself stated, before his death, that he regretted that they ever covered that subject in How to be Your Dog's Best Friend, because the alpha roll has been so grossly misused

 

[fernalfer]

Brandi we have the same issue with our 9 week old boxer. He will not bite myself but he goes after my 3 year old constantly. I understand because i can firmly say NO BITE! he is learning not too. But for my daughter it is alot harder to get those words across in a stern way.

Of course we monitor Copper whenever he is around our daughter and we give the stern NO BITES! but i guess only time will make this biting go away. (We Hope).

Last thing we want is for our daughter to be afraid of him. I know it's all in play and it isn't hard but we still need it to stop.

Any more suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

We like him like this sometimes. BREAK TIME FOR US

Copper going after my daughters hair.

 

[Brandi]

well my daughter can say the words fine but not firm.. i had to get after her last night because she tries to smack him and i told her that wont make him stop..

but my concern was that when i do the "NO BITE" and give him a toy he lays under the table and barks at me .. until i look at him then goes after her again.. like he's telling me he will do as he pleases.

 

[HannaBanana]

Typical puppy.  If she is smacking him, I am thinking he is thinking of her as one of his littermates.   The level of somewhat aggressive play.  

Not too sure as I am an observer and not a certified trainer, but I would work with your daughter even thou she is three.   If she wants to play with him, play when there is a toy in his mouth.   Maybe a tug will be good for her since he will have one end and her the other.   And he will not try to use her as the toy!  

If he is barking he is barking for attention and you are giving it to him when you look at him.   Dont look at him, he may bark for a bit, but you are not giving in and he will not try to talk all over ya.   Gotta love puppies!!!  ha ha

 

[Brandi]

i will try and get a video of this behavior today so you can all see what is going on.. its much better than trying to explain