Help-Puppy Biting

[koni]

My 4 month puppy is mean!(ok only when he has tantrums, but when he bites it does hurt). My puppy has a biting problem. Sometimes out of no where he bites me and my family(their shoes, arms, and now their legs-even if they wear pants).

I tried everything and I'm fed up: I tried time outs, shaking him, bitter apple, chili powder, using a spray bottle for when he bites, "yelping," and even hiting a newspaper on a surface, and putting nails/rocks in a empty soda can. Nothing works. All of these things seem to make him worst, because he will then bite more frequently.

What can I do? I know I need obedience classes, but right now is not a good time. Could this be an alpa(?) problem?? If so, how do I fix it and asap(even though I know I need patience). Anyone else have this problem?

Oh I forgot to mention(if it even helps) that I got my puppy at almost 7 weeks, so could this be a problem?

[Dax]

If you tried all those things & nothing works - consider did you try long enough. Did anything slow him down - where the time outs long enough. Puppy biting (play) doesn't stop overnite it takes time.

Puppy tantrums are another story... You may want to ask you local shelter for referals to a behaviorist. Sounds like you could be in for more trouble if not nipped in the bud.

[erdog3]

First of all he is not being mean, he is just a normal 4 mo puppy. He is probably starting to teethe again. Your problem needs consistant training, it does not stop in a few days or a week, it can take a couple of months. He is 4 months, so you would only have had him for about 2 max.
First few weeks he would have been settling in, so count them out.
I would say, from my own experience most of my Labs did this till they were 5-6 months old, before they finally got the message.
Your last resort, when he puts his mouth ANYWHERE you don't want, grab his muzzle together, yell no and give him an alternative, somewhere away from you, obviously not at your feet or on your lap. A kong with peanut butter, a bone, etc. something he likes to chew on. when he is chewing it, give praise. You need to be very, very, consistant, it applies to any biting, even trousers.
Give it a bit more time, training is not easy, you won't get results in the same day, or the day after, good memory retaining training can take weeks.
Gosh don't say those words in a hurry, what a tongue twister. LOL.

[koni]

Ok I guess I am just venting, sorry. I am not used to having a puppy, so its all new to me. Thank you for the advice, glad to know there are knowledgeable people who have had experience with puppies/dogs. I'll stick with one method for next few months and see how it goes.

as for the kong with peanut butter, is it reguar peanut butter out of a jar or is it peanut butter flavored treats?

[erdog3]

just your ordinary peanut butter, smooth though, nothing with bits of peanuts.
you should see some improvement within a month of consistancy, if not, you may need a behaviourist. And everyone needs to vent, who ever said owning a pup was easy.

[HeartSong]

You have already gotten some great advice concerning the biting, I would like to address some of the other things you brought up as well.

Obedience doesn't have to start in classes, though they are important to socialize at some point in the near future. If you have the time and patience try to teach some obedience commands on your own. There's plenty of resources on-line on how to teach basic sit, stay, and down commands.

I don't think that the biting is a sign of trying to be alpha, but it is important with any dog to let them know that the humans are in charge. Not only does it prevent them from being dominant aggressive, it also reassures them that they are being taken care of by capable being so they don't have to worry about something going wrong and there being no one to protect him. To do this start him on a lifestyle called Nothing in Life is Free.

If he has a way of demanding attention (pawing, whining, etc.) don't give in. Ignore his demands, this has to be constant because if you give in once he just gets the idea he has to try harder until you finally give in. If you have to, leave the room. But do give him loads of attention, just let it be you to decide when.

Once he has some obedience training, set it up so that he has to do something before he gets what he wants. At feeding time, he has to sit before he gets fed. If he wants to play ball, he has to lay down before you throw the ball. If he gets on the furniture, only when you tell him that he can. When getting into a car, he must wait until you open the door and tell him to get in.

It might sound like a lot but it is really just one thing that applies to everything. And that is that all things good come from you. When everything he wants just appears, he will complain when it doesn't and may try to demand it from someone. When everything comes from you, he will ask you for what he wants.

[sambucca/whiskey]

Nothing in life free or NILF is great, Whiksey has been on it since 3 mth he never tried to go through a door before me walks nicely in heel, waits till I say it is O.K. to eat, sits or downs beside me when he wants to play.

He also showed dominance we will say at 8 weeks so I think the best way to judge if it is just puppy play or dominance is, what is his reaction when you say no?, When you stop him? Has he ever snarled?

[etolar]

The trainer I'm working with for our puppy suggests an "Alpha Roll" for biting. She demonstrated on a hyper 5 month old lab in the class. She basically says "No bite" when the puppy bites. If the dog does it again, she carefully flips her to her back and kneels over her (not on her) and holds her there waiting for her to submit -- i.e. you can pet the top of her head without getting bitten.

It seemed kind of harsh to me, but so far, my puppy isn't a biter so I'm just not worrying about it. Seems like something like that should 1-be a last resort and 2-be done by someone who knows what they're doing.

I personally like the "yelping" method. I do that when they are very very young and slowly start replacing yelps with the word "No!". Odin is only 12 weeks and I can already just say "Odin! No!" and he'll stop what he's doing and look at me and wait for me to tell him what he is allowed to do.

One thing that jumps out is you said you got the puppy at 7 weeks and haven't been taking it to any classes. Which is fine, but does that mean the puppy has had no other dogs to play with? Our puppy knows it's okay to play hard with the other dogs, but he can't with us. If your puppy hasn't been well-socialized, it may not learn the difference between types of acceptable play.

Also, since biting only isn't nec. dominance, look for other signs -- pawing/jumping on you, leaning on you, rushing through doors, etc. Teach them you're the boss in other areas (i.e. you eat first, go through doors first, etc) and maybe they'll learn you're also the boss when playing.

Just some rambling ideas. Good luck.

[PurpleHaze85]

I know a girl who swears buy the flipping dog on back and lean over them. She has had dogs most of her life and always very large dogs, and she said it works. It does not hurt the dog it just shows them that YOU are the alpha of the pack. She would start that as soon as she would bring the puppy into the home.

Good luck with the little guy

[HeartSong]

I have used the alpha roll in condition where a dog was outrightly defying me, but I wouldn't suggest it in just any situation. A gentle roll I think would be more applicable to this puppy. Either pick him up and gently roll him on his back in your arms or slowly ease him into rolling over on his back. Then give him a good ol' belly rubbing. It still puts him in a submissive position and lets him know you are in dominant, but it's a bit less stressful. Also, it's a good way to check personality. A submissive type will be easy to roll over. A more dominant dog may resist and wiggle a bit to try to get up. Start with the least amount of effort and adjust according to the reaction of the puppy.