# Puppy biting help, please!!!!



## LJones5 (Apr 5, 2012)

Hi there, 

Our little Penny is 5 1/2 months today! She is beyond adorable... as you all know.  However-- she is STILL biting. Is this normal?? I should mention that she has not lost any of her puppy teeth yet- at least not that we can tell, and we try to check pretty often. 

She seems to bite A LOT. I know it's just "playing" but as you know, it HURTS. And she also jumps up on us, etc. (which we're working on...) but if she's in her playful mode she'll bite our clothing and has ripped a countless number of clothing articles!! 

We have tried everything we've heard of to get her to stop: the yelping/crying when she does it to show her it hurts us, the NO! and then ignoring her, just ignoring her all together for awhile, time outs, spray bottle, closing snout so she can't bite, ... hmmm.. maybe even some other things. And it just seems like NOTHING is working. Any tips you guys have would be wonderful as well as just to tell me if it's even normal she's still doing this.... 

Thank you so much for any help you may have!!


----------



## flynnandlunasmom (May 28, 2012)

Unfortunately for you, it sounds normal to me. It will pass but it's still early.


----------



## NeverGiveUpRAC (Aug 27, 2012)

I had the same problem! I was frustrated and beyond annoyed because nothing seemed to be working. We also did everything. The yelping thing just made him bite more. I think what really started to sink in was telling him no, if he continued we started saying "No, bad boy! No biting!" and put him in time out. I know you said you tried that but it really did start working eventually. He did NOT like timeout room, (not his crate). Don't let then out till they sit and relax. I make him wait when I open the door and he stays until I say "ok". 

Flynnandlunasmom is def right! It WILL pass! Its hard to believe but it will! Haha just hang in there and stay persistent! 

We are now using timeouts for his attention grabbing bad behavior! I hope it works the same.

Another thing that might have helped...Cole plays with our other dog, Bella. She taught him not to play so rough. Its amazing what they can learn from each other! Maybe set up some play dates!! <3 Good Luck and update us! Cole is now 8 months so it took a while!


----------



## NeverGiveUpRAC (Aug 27, 2012)

I was thinking...there's more you can try. 

It was very hard to get Cole to listen once he got going...maybe Penny needs help learning hoe to calm down. I had to hold my boy on a leash inside for the first month or two I had him(got him at 5 months). If it was time to relax he was put on the leash as we sat in the living room or outside, whatever. He would smell around, try to knock stuff over and play and bite us, but after about a week he gave it up and would lay down and relax. He would stop fighting it.

Another thing I was doing...when he would get too rough ( we never rough housed with him!) get out the treats and channel that energy into positive things. He would immediately sit and we would do the tricks he knew maybe try a new one and the last one we would do was "leave it".

"Leave it" taught him patience. I would set a treat on my knee and tell him to leave it. If he went to grab it I would say no...and push him back a bit. Five seconds goes by, treat, 15, treat, 5, treat, etc. He would actually end up falling asleep when I first began. 

So, next time she starts biting, try "No..." if she starts jumping on you and biting your clothes tell her to sit... only give her the treats or show her the treats if she does it. You dont want get to get the idea that when she bites she gets a treat!! She gets a treat for stopping the biting and listening to a command. 

Try different things as long as she hears no she'll get it, eventually! Hope I was of some help!


----------



## LJones5 (Apr 5, 2012)

Thank you so much... that is a great help. And it's also so good to hear from both of you that this is at least normal. I was starting to get worried she was just aggressive... but it sounds like this is fairly typical. 

I am definitely going to try ALL of those tricks and hopefully it will start to work!! 

Thank you again!!


----------



## NeverGiveUpRAC (Aug 27, 2012)

I started thinking I didn't get the gentle, affectionate kind of Vizsla I so badly wanted. My dog used to say, SOMETHINGS gotta be wrong with him! 

This forum gave me the encouragement I needed to stick it out and not give up on him! So I try to do the same, pay it forward! I would really love an update! <3


----------



## SteelCityDozer (Aug 25, 2011)

My penny is 23 weeks old today and is EXACTLY the same (except has no puppy teeth left). It WILL pass. Keep at it.


----------



## abatt (Jul 10, 2012)

That sounds so much like our 4 month old puppy. Good to have heads up that we have few more month of this. I should probably wait a little bit before replacing my ripped wardrobe.


----------



## threefsh (Apr 25, 2011)

Good reference for puppy developmental stages:

http://www.diamondsintheruff.com/DevelopmentalStages.html

What you're experiencing is completely normal. 

Here's a good video from Ian Dunbar on teaching bite inhibition:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6vrPDMc-I-k

We know that it works because a few months back Reuben was on a hike with Riley - he accidentally stepped on her paw (HARD) and she bit him in reaction, but did not break the skin or even bruise him. That is the result of successful bite inhibition training.


----------



## mswhipple (Mar 7, 2011)

LJones5... YES, it's normal.


----------



## jujuli (Sep 20, 2012)

I can really relate to what you are going through too. Time out has worked for us too, along with turning our back and folding arms until she is calm. When I do this now she sits still and looks at me. Entering the house was bedlam with the 2 dogs scrabbling for the first hello with Amber biting and jumping like anything. With this I trained the clicker as soon as I walked in, BEFORE she has a chance to jump then drop the treat on the floor and keep clicking and dropping the treat on the floor, if she attempts to jump then stop treating until all four feet on floor. We couldnt yelp because it set our other dog into a frenzy which in turn made Amber even worse! I am pleased to say that we have turned corners. Its such a test of patience! :


----------



## LJones5 (Apr 5, 2012)

Thank you all SO much! That is very encouraging! Just since I posted this... she has started losing teeth! I think she's lost at least 3 or 4 that we know of. Still lots to go, though.  

We will definitely keep up the no biting training and trying all your suggestions! 

Thanks again!


----------



## NeverGiveUpRAC (Aug 27, 2012)

Aw, that's good to hear! I can't wait to hear how she progresses with the training!


----------

