Help!! Puppy nipping and it hurts!

3_cheeky_princesses

Hello

We have a 13 week old puppy (olde tyme bulldog) and he is constantly nipping / biting us! It really hurts too! He will nip hands, feet, legs face - he is not fussy!

We have tried ignoring him when he does it & he has loads and loads of toys, chews, teddys which he does chew and play with.

We have tapped him on the nose but we dont like doing that plus it makes him worse. We have tried firm no's but he will just bark and lunge at us again. We dont think he is being malicious he just seems to get overly excited but it is constant at the moment.

Any ideas how to stop him? Apart from this he is very well behaved and very loving. He seems to be already toilet trained, eats well and adores our family and children but we woudl just like to stop this nipping / biting.

Thanks for any advice.

Hintza

He needs a sharp no and grabbed by the scruff a slight shake (to get his attention) and sat down with another no. Repeat ad infintum until he stops. It might also pay to put him away and let him calm down if he gets too excited.

The children aslo need to know when things are getting out of hand the process repeated with them.

I suggest you also start his training quickly as he is laready thinking he is the boss. Get him to sit and wait for his food and only let him start eating when you say so and build from there.

giantmutantbroccoli

What Hintza said! It's vital he learns this lesson now, while he's young and still only nipping at you.
I found the easiest way to train my dogs was to bring myself down to their level. The next time he nips at you, you must respond instantly and negatively. Stand up if you're crouched down with him, or crouch if he's worrying your ankles - the movement should be sudden and startling for him - and growl. Don't worry if you're not a great dog impersonator, just make the lowest angry-dog-type-noise you can manage. The usual "No" command, delivered in as low-pitched and loud a tone as you can manage should work if you're not comfortable doing this. If he reacts to this by appearing frightened (cowering, rolling over etc) then you can wait a few seconds, and comfort him - but keep the whole thing very calm.
The important thing is you make him aware that what he is doing is Very Wrong and it has made you Very Angry, which is about the right level of understanding for a young dog. You don't have to stay 'angry' at him for longer than a few minutes, providing you don't make too much of a fuss over him once you've forgiven him.
I put 'angry' in commas because I know how hard it can be to actually be angry at a mischievous puppy. You don't have to actually BE angry, but you do have to pretend.

Incidentally, if you tell him 'no' and he doesn't stop doing whatever-it-is you must physically stop him doing it immediately, otherwise the word no will rapidly lose any meaning for him. It has to mean "Stop doing that or I will make you stop" not "Please don't do that, I don't like it - but I'm not going to do anything about it"

supermezzo

I've always opted for the same high-pitched 'eek' or yap that the puppy's mother and litter mates would make to signify that you had had enough. When he nips (which is perfectly normal at this age btw, albeit very tiresome) simply let out a yap and remove yourself from him. Give him no reward at all for what he's done - no toys, eye contact, nothing. Even shouting and saying no or removing him and touching him is a reaction and therefore he learns that that is how he gets your attention. BUT when he is playing with his chews, toys etc then praise him and he'll get the gist soon enough.
Just a different point of view...

3_cheeky_princesses

Thank you all. It is hard to tell off the big puppy eyes but last thing i want is a unruly adult dog biting and nipping us so we need to stop it now.

I will perserve and keep on with the NO but will reinforce it with the suggestions you all have made. My 6 yr old did ask if she could bite him back the other day! :eek: :rotfl:

As i said he is really well behaved apart from this. Also he never ever nips our 14 month old! She can take his toys, bones and he doesnt bat a eye lid it is just my older children and myself he nips and bites not so much my husband either (saying that i wouldnt want to bite him! )

I will let you all know in a few days how we are getting on with it. Thank you again :T

rolleypolleypud

We have a Golden Retreiver pup who was exactly the same when we first bought him home we tried shouting no! but he seemed to think that was an encouragement to carry on. We did as the above post says and yelped at him as if we were dogs. We also put his paw in his mouth so he knew how it felt. I'm happy to say he has now stopped although he has developed another disgusting happit of eating his poo :eek: which we are working on breaking at the minute.
Don't worry the nipping won't be forever.

3_cheeky_princesses

rolleypolleypud wrote: »

We have a Golden Retreiver pup who was exactly the same when we first bought him home we tried shouting no! but he seemed to think that was an encouragement to carry on. We did as the above post says and yelped at him as if we were dogs. We also put his paw in his mouth so he knew how it felt. I'm happy to say he has now stopped although he has developed another disgusting happit of eating his poo :eek: which we are working on breaking at the minute.
Don't worry the nipping won't be forever.

Awww I love golden retrievers :T Our pup was eating his poop when we brought him home from the breeder but when we swapped over his food he hasnt done it since. I think i read you can also get something you put in their food so it doesnt smell "nice" to them and stops them wanting to eat it.

janninew

What fun your going to have with a bully!! They are such little characters, I totally agree with whats being said already. When my boys use to nip, I use to say 'no' in a high pitched voice! It is perfectly normal for pups to nip, and fortunetly they do grow out of it! Though it bloody hurts, their teeth are like little razors! My boys where right monkeys as pups, they use to cling onto clothing, swing on my skirt! I can have a laugh now, but at the time it drove me mad!!

Enjoy your little pup, they grow so quickly!

3_cheeky_princesses

janninew wrote: »

What fun your going to have with a bully!! They are such little characters, I totally agree with whats being said already. When my boys use to nip, I use to say 'no' in a high pitched voice! It is perfectly normal for pups to nip, and fortunetly they do grow out of it! Though it bloody hurts, their teeth are like little razors! My boys where right monkeys as pups, they use to cling onto clothing, swing on my skirt! I can have a laugh now, but at the time it drove me mad!!

Enjoy your little pup, they grow so quickly!

Thank you. He has grown so quickly already. He is a real character & very loving too (apart from the nipping). He is a real joy and such a big part of our lifes already. Saying that he is a real wuss with other dogs and at the vets!

Will keep perservering with the high pitch no and will try the yelps too. :T

supermezzo

Try also getting the routine of yelping and then pulling your hand/toes/feet away once the pup has let go. Much kinder to your skin if the teeth have been removed from it before you pull away.

Aberdeen_Taff

I've always found that having a bottle handy with water in it and squirting the dog with it (along with a firm 'no') has rectified any problems we've ever had with dogs - jumping, chasing strangers, nipping etc.

It's pain free but every dog we've had hasn't liked it and the production of the bottle itself has usually sufficed after a short amount of time.

Friends of ours have a Rhodesian Ridgeback and tried this to stop him runing at and jumping up on people entering the garden and it worked brilliantly.

It's something else to think about if your other plans don't work.