# Puppy Biting, Help!



## Ichigo (May 20, 2014)

We have a 5 month old puppy that we rescued from the shelter, and in the last week or so he has starting using my 5 year old daughter as a chew toy. He'll relentlessly jump at her and bite her hands and legs. He grabs at her clothes and knocks her down. I know he is just trying to play with her, but it's to the point where she is getting scared of him. The second they are in the same room together he starts in on her. 

In my house it's me, my husband, our 5 year old, and a 1.5 year old. He NEVER does this to my husband. He'll grab my pant legs only first thing in the morning when he wants me to feed him, and some times he'll grab at my hands, but stops as soon as I tell him to. He'll bite my 1.5 year old if she sticks her hands through the bars in the gate that keeps him out of the living room (he's not potty trained yet), and some times he'll bite at her legs like he's trying to herd her... the 5 year old though, he just doesn't stop. As soon as they are in the same room he is all over her. 

I've tried to get her to play with him using a rope toy and that goes great till she stops, then he instantly turns on her. He's not trying to be mean (his tail is always wagging), it's just highly overwhelming for her and he has gotten her pretty good a few times. I have no idea what to do. It's to the point that as soon as he gets near her she starts screaming and crying. It's not fair to either one of them. Also, once he gets ahold of her clothes (usually a dress) I have to physically pry his mouth open to get him to let go. 

He wont listen to commands. I've tried working with him on "drop it" and "leave it", he just wont stop when she's involved. 

Please help!


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## texasred (Jan 29, 2012)

I would enroll him in a group obedience class, and have you and your 5 year old daughter both attend the class with him.
At home until he improves keep a short rope attached to his collar. It just makes it easier to get control over him. If you attach him to you, you will always be close by to work with him.
See if a squirt of water from a spray bottle gets his attention. A good many do not care for it, and the spray will make them stop what they are doing. Tell him Leave it, and spray him. If it works buy 3 or 4 of them and place in each room of the house. As a last resort you can have your daughter put on pants and long sleeves. Spray the clothes with a mosquito repellent. I have never met a puppy the likes the taste of it, and you would only be doing this while working on correcting his behavior. 
Make sure the pup gets plenty of exercise to tire him out.

It goes without saying that you never leave a puppy and child unattended. I would also put up a second gate so the baby can not put her hands and fingers in to where the pup is confined.


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## Ichigo (May 20, 2014)

Thanks. I'll try the squirt bottle idea. I have one for my cats, but never thought to use it on the dog! I plan to get him into a class as soon as I can find one in my area. 

They are never alone together, the problem really occurs mostly when I'm in the kitchen cooking. That's where he is and she always wants to help me cook.


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## mlg1900 (Jun 12, 2013)

I would probably try to avoid tug of war games. Maybe try throwing a ball instead.


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## mlwindc (Feb 8, 2013)

I have a five year old and a 18 month old V. My son spent a lot of time on the back of the couch when Wilson was about 4-6 months old.

Some ideas:
-spray bottle
-have your husband discipline the dog when he goes near the kid (my husband would pull Wilson off my son and put him in a down). We did this right off the bat and the dog has never bothered my son (he was worst with me). This has proven to be very useful because whenever my son has a friend come over who is afraid of dogs, Wilson is naturally very excited to see a new person. I put him in a down and make him stay until the kid has warmed up a bit. He doesn't get to greet ANY little person (except my son, of course) without permission. We started from day 1 and it really has come in useful
-spray bottle - let your daughter squirt him. I once dumped an entire water bottle onto Wilsons head when he went nuts on me (shark attack!) at the park. He still loves water and stopped shark attacking after that
-cans of compressed air - the noise and air will startle him; you can also have a few laying around and just let go when you see him going after your daughter
-pennies in a coffee tin - put a few of these around the house and shake or drop on the floor when he starts misbehaving. same idea as the spray bottle or the compressed air
-time outs. W would get put in his crate when he was being bad. I never shoved him in it - just gave him a treat and closed the door (he went voluntarily), but he learned quickly that the fun would stop and he'd be in time out if he didn't behave
-no tug of war. It's sad, but i didn't let my son play with Wilson until Wilson was almost a year old and had calmed down significantly. He pet Wilson and they snuggled, but they did very little playing. Now that W is 18 months, he is SO GOOD with my son and his friends. He's gentle, sits, lets them pet him, and will even wear stuff that the kids put on him (like sunglasses!)


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## mlwindc (Feb 8, 2013)

Ichigo said:


> Thanks. I'll try the squirt bottle idea. I have one for my cats, but never thought to use it on the dog! I plan to get him into a class as soon as I can find one in my area.
> 
> They are never alone together, the problem really occurs mostly when I'm in the kitchen cooking. That's where he is and she always wants to help me cook.


If the pup doesn't belong in the kitchen, you can start teaching him "place." our trainer recommended putting W on his bed in the living room with a leash on and wrapping the leash around the couch (or even a tie in - he has a few in his house). That way the pup learns to stay out the kitchen during dinner prep time. Just a thought.


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## Ichigo (May 20, 2014)

Thanks mlwindc! Those are some good ideas! I will definitely be trying those! He already gets put in "time out", he knows when I say "bed" to go get in his crate and he runs right in.

The kitchen is his room. That's where his crate is, and the only room he's allowed to run "free" in. The problem is, my daughter has to go thru the kitchen to get to the bathroom...


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## mlwindc (Feb 8, 2013)

Another thing too is that my son really had to learn that a lot of things were off limits due to the puppy. No balls or jumping off beds or other wild behaviors. He and dad wrestle only behind closed doors or when I have the pup. Wilson is old enough now to know that he's not one of the kids, but it's hard at five months. The pup just wants to play and have fun, but you have to teach them dog versus kid time. I also cannot underscore the importance of enough exercise and stimulation. Your pup needs to be able to get his jimmies out to calm down in the house. As with kids, though, they get over tired and melt down. Delicate balancing act!


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## Ichigo (May 20, 2014)

Haha yeah, I've been treating him just like one of my kids. He gets "nap time" just like they do. 

I've already noticed a huge improvement after only one day of using a squirt bottle when he bites at people. He stops instantly. It's great! Thanks!


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