[KTM450SX]

I'm trying to get my pup 3 moths old to stop biting me when hes playing. He will chase his toys for so long then he gets bored and comes over and bites me or my shoes or my pants...when he starts this nothing I say gets him to stop. I end up having to pin him to the ground until he calms down, but he usually gets right back up after that and goes crazy again on my legs or whatever is closest.

Whats the best way to get him to stop this? his little puppy teeth are tearing my arms up.

Thanks

 

[Sashmom]

Ew I remember those sharp little teeth lol I re-directed the biting by putting a toy in his mouth and give him alot of things to chew on, it takes awhile. I think all puppies chew on people for awhile, their teeth are bothering them?

 

[MaggieRoseLee]

Lucky you! Such a common problem with our puppies we've made it into a sticky. Just go here:

http://www.germanshepherds.com/forum/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=153716&page=1#Post153716

 

[KTM450SX]

When toys dont work, verbal doesnt work, dangling a treat in his face doesnt work wtf do you do?

My puppy is obsessed with biting me and it really hurts. He only does it when we are playing but I will throw a ball to him he goes and chases it picks it up then runs full speed back at me and bites me... I dunno what to do. I havn't struck him at all, sometimes I have to pin him down there is no way else to get him off of me. When i have pinned him down I scratch his tummy and he calms down. He lived in the humane society in a cage his whole 3 months and 9 days until I got him. There was another puppy in the cage with him that he playing with.

Thanks. He bit me really hard today and tore my shirt and pants..I think he thinks he is playing and its probably normal but so far he only is interested in toys for a short time until he thinks im more fun.

The one other thing that sort of works is Bubba Sit..he has Sit down pretty good and if I can get his attention he will stop and sit, but immediatly after i praise him hes back to biting my shoes or pants.


I have another month before he has all his booster shots so I can take him out on walks and to meet other dogs...which may help tire him out. Right now I play with him in my large back yard but he is more intrested in playing with my pants and shoes than anything.

Mabye I will try not getting on my knees, i'm 6'6" and mabye when I get down to his level he thinks its ok to play/bite?

 

[zyppi]

Quote: Mabye I will try not getting on my knees, i'm 6'6" and mabye when I get down to his level he thinks its ok to play/bite?

Yep, an open invitation... LOL, sorry, but it's not hard for a little gator to bring us to our knees.

Quote:
The one other thing that sort of works is Bubba Sit..he has Sit down pretty good and if I can get his attention he will stop and sit, but immediatly after i praise him hes back to biting my shoes or pants.

Attention span of a gnat at his age.

Try ending the game when he bites. Attention, any attention is what he wants. Take it away when he's out of control.

He's just a bit behind because of a rough beginning. He'll be fine, I bet.

 

[MaggieRoseLee]

Quote:I have another month before he has all his booster shots so I can take him out on walks and to meet other dogs...which may help tire him out. Right now I play with him in my large back yard but he is more intrested in playing with my pants and shoes than anything.

Did you mean you are NOT bringing him out on walks because he needs his last shots?

Though I know I have to be careful with my puppies and where they go before they finish up their shots, I couldn't live with them unless I really exercised them. So by even 12 weeks we are off leash hiking. And by 16 week they can go over 4 miles, off leash with other dogs, and it only take the edge off.....Here's Bretta at 16 weeks AFTER going 2 miles, now this is the 'chase the stick/swimming in the River' and we still had a 2 mile walk back that she did with no trouble.

It's not that our puppy can't meet any dogs...... it's that you need to know they are friendly and vetted. So the dogs in the above photos are my friends and I know they are taken care of. And taking my puppies out and about where not many dogs are, like the entrance/exit to Home Depot to meet and greet everyone? Main St, USA to wander around and 'will you pet my dog?'......

Also, you need to be 100% consistant with the biting thing (once you have truly burned off your pups excess energy with the walks/car rides/hikes/socialization trips). Make up your mind what is acceptable and not, and that's it. I found that the yelling and correcting and chasing my puppies down AFTER I got bit didn't work because even that was fun for my bored puppies. The 'even negative attention is attention' was more rewarding for a puppy when I was busy and ignoring it or not playing in a fun enough manner for it. I guess I am very entertaining to them when I get bit and am in pain....

So I keep my house a 'mess' with tug toys on the floor in every room within easy reach. It was also VITAL that when my clothes or body get bit I did not yell/scream/jerk back. All that is exciting and proves the fun game my puppy liked to play. If, instead, I had NO reaction with the bite but would reach over and grab THE TOY to squeak it, dangle it, play with it.................... when I found THE TOY fun my puppy would release my body part and go for it as well....

The other consistant thing I did when I was busy and didn't have time to teach the new 'toy' game is CALMLY pick up the puppy to bring it to the crate for a 'time out' so she can mellow out for a bit. NO yelling or 'no' or 'bad dog' as we go. Just a calm pickup and place in the crate. This isn't so much a punishment as a consistant consequence for a behavior. And since a quiet 'time out' is NOT what my puppy wants, this also starts to modify their behavior.

Nothing works though if my puppy is too full of energy. So adjusting my schedule to wear out my puppy is key.

The other problem is when I decided that SOMETIMES it seems like I could play with my puppies mouth with my hands and she was ok and not biting too hard. So SOMETIMES I'd be too lazy to get the toy and allow the mouthing cause it didn't hurt to much...... Clearly this was when I was in my 'Yes, I am an Idiot' stage. Because when sometimes later I would get bit too hard by this same puppy you think it was my puppies fault or mine for giving an unclear message on how to play with me and what was allowable?

 

[KTM450SX]

He grabs my shirt, pants shoes and tugsand growls, he will not stop so i have to remove him from my clothes..which then he gets more wound up and goes right back. He never does this with his toys.. If I try to get him off my shoe he growls. He almost never does anything like this with his toys. I cant say this is any diffrent than the black lab I had long ago, i just forgot how annoying it was. lol

Anyway i have been running him in the back yard and throwing toys for him, I was told by the vet not to take him outside my yard until he has his shots.? The Humane Society told me the same thing. He was also nutered right when I got him so they didnt want him doing a lot of running/jumping.

Other than that he has learned Sit, Lay down, and is house broke in only a week.

 

[MaggieRoseLee]

Quote:He grabs my shirt, pants shoes and tugsand growls, he will not stop so i have to remove him from my clothes..which then he gets more wound up and goes right back.

That above is him playing and (in his mind) you are playing back. Big game and he's winning.

I do NOT remove my dog or touch my dog or interact with my dog in a similar situation. As soon as I do, then I am part of THE GAME. Along with my clothing. My dog has jumped me and invited me to play in exactly the same manner she would her littermates and mom. Only they haven't clothes so she'd be pouncing on their body with the SAME RESULT YOU ARE GETTING.

I do not want to be in that game. So I need to teach her a NEW game. And instead of the 'you pounce/grab me and the fun begins' ...... when my dog puts her mouth on me there is no game. No jerking, no yelling, no hands on, no removing her mouth from me. That is all fun fun fun.

I have to make the body part/clothing NOT be fun. No movement or yelling or interaction. Instead, I need to grab that toy, move that toy, look at that toy, squeak that toy, move that toy, talk to the toy............................... I want 'the toy' to seem to be fun to me so the puppy is now holding the 'boring' (my jeans?) and watching me have a BLAST with the toy!!!!! A smart dog will soon learn (if I do this right) that there's about 10 minutes of active play with me and THE TOY. And zero fun and play from my clothing and body part.

Quote:I was told by the vet not to take him outside my yard until he has his shots.? The Humane Society told me the same thing. He was also nutered right when I got him so they didnt want him doing a lot of running/jumping.

I know the vet told me to keep my girls quiet after a spay for 2 weeks, and I did well if I kept them quiet for a week.

And I absolutely 100% and without a doubt disagree with keeping your dog in the house/yard until they are done with his shots. You are going to be in BIG trouble with socialization issues, fear, aggressions, timidness, not getting along with other dogs, etc. Our young pups quickly go thru stages in their first year that if you isolate them you can NOT regain the ground you have lost. And you have assured your dog may never be 'all the dog he could have been'. ESPECIALLY our GSD's seem to have these fear/agression issues if we fail to socialize them when we are supposed to.

Common sense is key though. Will I bring my puppy to a huge dog park full of dogs I don't know (or their health records?) No way. But will I visit my friends with healthy happy dogs? Yes. Attend a puppy class with puppies who have been vetted? Yes. Take my puppy EVERYWHERE in the car and let her out with me in areas that aren't infested with sick dogs? Yes.

I've raised 3 out of 3 puppies this way and they have never gotten ill and are practically perfect as far as confidence and temperment. My friends (and I'm talking hundreds of friends and acquaintences) have done the same.

Lack or poor socialization is one of the top reasons adult dogs end up in rescues and shelters, so clearly it's much more important than we think when we get that adorable puppy in the house. Here's some sites to explain:

http://www.doberman.org/articles/puppy.htm

http://www.vanerp.net/ilse/GSDINFO/understandyourpuppy.htm

http://www.uwsp.edu/psych/dog/lib-Puppy.htm#soc

I have learned that if I don't keep my puppy both mentally and physically stimulated with new and fun things OUTSIDE the home, I am setting her up for daily failures cause she's pissing me off and making me angry when she's misbehaving all the time. But also for possible failure as being a great family member for the rest of her life if she becomes a fearful dog I can't trust outside the house.

So I exercise exercise exercise (using common sense) and socialize socialize socialize!!!!!!

 

[big_dog7777]

I agree so much with everything MRL said in her two posts above I can't even pull a bit out to quote and emphasize. Screw the vet, and get the dog OUT! Physical exercise - and I'm talking about getting puppies tongue wagging - along with positive mental stimulation from new people, places, and inductive training/behavior shaping along with a crate is the key to enjoying your puppy, keeping sane, and staying 100% patient and positive around them. Non verbal communication (body posture, facial gestures, with holding or giving attention, etc.) is 1000% more effective than any verbal or leash correction for shaping behavior in puppies and dogs that have never been taught manners. You cannot fairly, and therefore effectively correct a dog/pup when they do not have a firm understanding of what you want.

 

[KTM450SX]

Well he also picked up some type of mites at the humane society or wherever he came from that was causing major scratching. The vet put him on meds, but she said it takes a 4-6 weeks to fully clear them out and that he should not be anywhere near any dogs until then. (which by the way is when his boosters will be done too). Its been a week he doesnt scratch at all anymore. But I dont want to risk him infecting my friends dogs.

Trust me I want to take him out on walks, take him out to the snow park etc. And as soon as he is healthy i will take him to puppy class. I think I will try walking him around the neighborhood today at lunch.

Edit: thanks for the tips on saying nothing and trying to get him to think a toy is more fun. I will try that. He does have a couple sqeeky toys that if i smash it up in my hands like it disapears he gets really exited, so mabye if I keep doing that he will quit tugging my clothes. Thanks. Oh yea he found the door stops today LOL i wish that was on video.

 

[big_dog7777]

Before then, take him to the park or a field by yourself without other dogs around, put him on a long line, and play fetch for 15-20 minutes. You want that tongue wagging! It's also a great way to teach recall. Throw the ball or whatever you are playing with as far as you can, and once he gets it give you come command and run the opposite way. He will tear out after you. Repeat 100 times. Next thing you know, when you call him he will be conditioned to FLY to you! All he knows is that in the past when he heard "come" he had to run as fast as he could to get to you.

 

[KTM450SX]

ZeusGSD, we do that in the back yard at least 3 times a day. My yard is big enough that I can throw the ball/toy to him and he does run back..full speed every time, I use a long line as well. However half the time he drops the toy and runs to me and bites my feet lol. I dont have much work on come command yet, he automatically comes racing back to me anyway.(i say it anyway after he gets the ball toy)

 

[big_dog7777]

Saying it every time will do just as much to condition him on what the word means. Add in running away and calling him, it really helps develop speed in the recall.

When he drops the toy and bites your feet do you have another toy? If I were you, I'd keep 2-3 toys/balls on strings/tugs in your pocket at all times when playing. Keep your feet still and move the toy so it's more interesting.

 

[MaggieRoseLee]

Quote: However half the time he drops the toy and runs to me and bites my feet lol.

That's cause he's bored with the game YOU chose, and would rather play the much more fun game of 'Bite Your Feet'.

Can't stress enough why you have to pack him into the car and get him OUT of the yard alot more. He is bored bored bored bored bored. He needs NEW games, new toys (trying more toys like ZeusGSD says should help, but even better in a NEW place, new yard new playground) new sights, new sounds, MENTAL STIMULATION!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

No matter how large and exciting our backyards are, very quickly they are familar, known and boring for our pups. Compare your yard to what we can expose our dogs to in 'the real world' and you'll be amazed. Just check out what the creative people on this site came up with Click here

 

[KTM450SX]

Thanks for all the good responses I will work on it all.

 

[KTM450SX]

Took him for a walk through the neighborhood at lunch, trying to make sure he didnt eat poo or random things (man there is a ton random poo around my house lol).

Best part of it was this HUGE cat came running out of the bushes and licked his face lol... I didnt even see it coming it scared me but my pup just sat there sniffing it. Took about 10 minutes for him to get over wanting to hang out with the cat.

Oh I tried the no verbal and dangle toys, bounce balls when he is biting my clothes, man he's subborn. he will finally let go but i'm going to need a new wardrobe after owning this little fuzzball. lol

Thanks for the help

 

[JakodaCD OA]

I agree with all suggestions,,I have a couple that may "interest" him.

When I had a "jaws" puppy, he loved playing with "junk"..Store bought toys held little interest,,but give him a plastic soda bottle, with kibble inside (for noise) and he'd be amused for hours! Old socks with a tennis ball inside also held alot of interest. Also, socks tied together, made for good "tug" toys,,maybe he thought he' was chewing my clothes and loved tugging those socks..

Just a thought!
diane

 

[KTM450SX]

Well still none of this is working at all. my hands and arms are covered in cuts and scratches. He likes to play tug with his rope toys but only for a 30 seconds hen he decides to jump and bite me or my clothing.

I took him for a long walk the other day and he got to meet my friends 1 year old boxer (who isnt that much bigger than him). He did well the boxer likes to jump on other dogs. My pup would just lick the boxers face then lay on his back. He did nip the boxer and she got mad at him and growled and snapped. However when it was time to go and we walked home whined and cried for about 5 blocks and then started biting me. Took forever to get back home stopping every bit to try to get him to quit biting me.

I've started with timeouts now the last couple days. I just say KENNEL UP!, and he runs into his pen. I dont know if this is the right thing to do but it seems like its the only thing that calms him down from biting me.

I also got some penaut butter flavored rawhide chips, he loves those and thats keeping him off me a bit more than his toys were.

Hopefully he grows out of this? How long does it normally take?

 

[Ardatha]

Actually time outs in the crate aren't a bad idea. When Shadow would become too frenzied in his 'biting sprees,' I would send him to his crate and give him a couple of treats after I shut the door so he wouldn't see the crate as punishment, per se. Then I would leave him in there for five minutes or so and when I let him out he'd be a lot calmer.

I know it's really hard to do but if you can 'vacate your body' for a short time when he starts using you or your clothes as teething aids, it makes a big difference. I would cross my arms, turn my back to him, and mentally 'go away.' This was immediately after a sharp yelp of pain, though. The mental going away is important, it would seem, because they do read our body language quite accurately. By mentally 'going away' I mean ignoring their existence, totally. Don't think about him, don't acknowledge his presence, wipe your mind clean, if you will. This had the biggest impact on Shadow.

Also, ice cubes... these are the greatest teething aids you can find or simply an alternative to biting you. Shadow loves his ice cubes and will happily chew on several in a row. I swear his ice cubes saved my hands and arms from those sharp little teeth!

Keep away is a game they seem to love when they're puppies. It took Shadow a while to warm up to fetch the ball and I only got it after rubbing hot dog pieces on his ball before I threw it. Keep away is great because they have something in their mouths which keeps you from getting bitten during the game. You don't really have to take it away from them, just pretend like you want to. They'll happily accept that.

Keep away can also be an extension of tug o' war. You play tug for a few minutes then let him 'win,' then chase him around 'trying to get the tug toy away from him.' Once in a while you can win then throw the tug toy for him to chase, too. This will incorporate 'chase the ball' into the game, as well. Shadow will play in this fashion for hours, if we had the stamina to do so! LOL

In the process I also taught Shadow the command 'no bite.' At eight months old I don't have to use it much anymore. If he does put his mouth on me he is very careful to be quite gentle. Once in a great while he gets a little enthusiastic about it and I'll remind him with the no bite command. He'll immediately release and play in a different way. The next time he does put his mouth on me, he'll be very gentle once again. They don't want to hurt us, but we have to be able to communicate to them in a way they understand that they are hurting us. Usually, once they fully understand that concept they are much more likely to be gentle and careful with their human toys.

 

[wrenny]

I so know what you are going through, you probably have another 3-4 mos to go through this....Lex is 6 mos and were still going through this stage-gosh I hope its a stage. You wouldn't believe how many holes in my clothing too! I hate to buy anything new because I know he'll put a hole in it.

We have tried everything!!! From spray bottles, walking, holding him down, the whole shoving a toy in his mouth-which is so stupid to me!! Cuz the dog is chomping at my hand not the toy!! Everyone seems to have there say it seems. The things that people tell me to do there like I did this and it worked and I just laugh, cuz its NOT working for me!

I have so many black and blue marks from his biting/nips that he gives me on my legs and arms. It gets so frustrating and the tears that I have shead, cuz I just want a "normal dog." I just wanted to know that I feel for you and your not the only one out there. If you find anything that works, PLEASE,PLEASE let me know. As I type this now Lex is sleeping-ahhhh finally peace at last..
Good luck!!
Renae