Puppy mouthing

[Huey's mum]

Has anyone got any tips of getting my 13 week pup to stop biting people? He's getting better but at times he's really mouthy. Usually when he's most excited. I think he equates biting with affection. I've tried a little squirt of water at him and saying No! and it does work but having the spray on me all the time is not practical. Think he's quite a dominant wee guy. read lots of books etc and they all say similar like yelp or make a high pitched noise, he doesn't bother really just keeps going.

Any useful tips would be great.

thanks

[Lisa/Colin]

Our wee staffy Millie used to do this when she was a puppy and now at 11 months when she gets really excited she reverts back to this, she's not being aggressive just excited. I deal with it by saying 'no!' loudly then turning my back on her and totally ignoring her until she calms down, she eventually gets the message.

If you feel that your dog is dominant at the moment I think you really have to be strict with him. I have a 3 yr old Great Dane Hektor who even now if he gets an inch, will take a mile! You are not being cruel putting them in their place and you will save yourself all sorts of trouble later.

For example I had been letting him sit beside me on the couch but last week Millie walked too close (in his opinion) to me as we were sitting there and he had a go at her. Nothing serious, not even connected with her, but she got the fright of her life. This happened twice more in the next couple of days so we had to go back to basics. No more couch for the dogs and reinforcing the pack order.

Hope some of that helped!

Lisa

[Huey's mum]

thanks for that. He's a Bernese Mountain Dog so he'll be a big guy just like your Great Dane. He's very good with everything else because I have been very strict with him. it's just the mouthing i'm sure we'll get ther tho.

thanks again!

[Laura-Anne]

Such a gorgeous breed of dog

Id agree with Lisa. You say its mainly when hes excited so Id make it when he mouths fun time or the thing hes excited about stops abruptly. He'll soon get the message If your down at his level and he mouths at you the second he does stand up and ignore him until hes calm again.

Good luck
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[Suzanne H]

I used to squeal loudly and stop playing with them or left the room. They soon get the message.

They do this with their littermates so they don't think it's wrong until you tell them it is. Pups don't like having attention taken away from them.

Same trick only the other way round when getting them to take things nicely with their mouths and not snap ie they only get the treat if they take it nicely.

[John Thomson]

I would agree with the advice given..........any time the dog mouths ALL attention is withdrawn....positive and negative attention.
Even if we think we are giving the dog into trouble for an action it is still giving the dog attention for his/her action........( later in life a correction would be used).

Stick to strict pack order as well.

John
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John Thomson
www.cumbernaulddogtraining.co.uk

[Huey's mum]

thanks again, really helpful

here he is!


[img]http://i963.photobucket.com/album/ae117/forourke/9a2c3545.jpg[/img]