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Rat-Terrier.com
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plshrk
Rattie
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| 09/12/2007 10:23 AM |
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Alright I have posted here before about the biting. He is 3.5 Months old and he is just biting and biting. Previously I owned JRT and he was bitey also but I dont remember him being this bad. I have really been waiting it out and maybe I just need to give it more time. Its the wife that is fed up with him and it worries me because she gets angry and he doesnt understand that. I only discipline him if he bites hard and is trying to hurt you. I guess I think that if he is just mouthing you he is just being a puppy, after all he is only 3.5 Months old. I know all he is doing is playing but he bites our friends to get their attention. He knows the spray bottle means no biting but its near impossible to have one near you all the time.. Any sugestions would be greatly appreciated!  |
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rattytatty
Newbie
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| 09/12/2007 11:42 AM |
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First and foremost... GETTING ANGRY won't help. All the puppy knows is that you (or your wife) is angry. Let's try to turn that anger into something positive.
Biting (or "mouthing" as I call it) is a natural behavior for puppies. Puppies naturally love to play, and enjoy interacting with people. But they are also impressionable, so if you teach them right from wrong early on and enforce it consistently, then they will not develop bad habits such as biting.
Have toys available for your puppy to play with, and do not allow any games that have the puppy biting a person (such as tug of war or wrestling). If the puppy does bite you, even in play, immediately give a high pitched "NO BITE" loud enough to startle the puppy. Your puppy will actually recognize what you are doing: when puppies play with each other, they let one another know that they've been hurt with a loud whelp. So do the same, and your pup will learn to stop biting. Pull away when you say "NO BITE"... but NEVER punish your puppy physically, as this will just provoke him and develop a long-term fear of you that will take much hard work to reverse. Instead, just verbalize, and ignore the puppy for a few minutes. Repeat this a few times and the puppy will quickly learn that people won't stay and play if they are bitten. Since puppies love attention, this lesson will be quickly learned. Avoid games like tug of war or games that involve taking items out of the puppy's mouth, as this can lead to biting and start bad habits.
Everyone in the family should be consistent with this training. You didn't mention children, but if you have them, children should be taught how to handle a bite from a puppy, and should be supervised when they are playing with the puppy. The children may have to learn how to play with the puppy just as the puppy needs to learn to play with them. Be careful not to allow the puppy to mouth or bite on your fingers. Some people mistakenly see this as affectionate or cute behavior. It is, in fact, teaching your dog that it is all right to bite people, and can develop into serious dog aggression if untreated... NOT a message that you wish to leave with your puppy!
If after trying this for a week or so and your puppy does not stop biting, you can discourage the biting by loosely holding his lower jaw between your thumb and forefinger--after he has taken your hand in his mouth and say emphatically "NO BITE". Don't hurt him by squeezing too hard; just gently hang on so that wherever his mouth goes, your hand goes too. Ten seconds of this and your puppy should get the idea. When you next put your hand near the pup, if he ignores it or licks it, PRAISE IMMEDIATELY.
A second option (and one I would consider a last resort) is Bitter Apple or other aversive substances (I've used alum before). Put on a pair of gloves and coat them with whatever substance you choose. Every time your puppy tries to bite, he should be repelled by the taste and stop biting. When he stops biting, say emphatically "NO BITE". When he backs off... immediately praise him heartily and give him a treat. This is correcting an unacceptable behavior and negative training with positive reinforcement.
In my opinion any negative should always be followed by a positive.
Good luck to you!
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plshrk
Rattie
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| 09/12/2007 12:27 PM |
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| Thank you so much! I will keep you posted on how he is doing. I really appreciate it. |
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plshrk
Rattie
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| 09/12/2007 5:40 PM |
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| This may be crazy but I am already seeing results! |
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rattytatty
Newbie
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| 09/12/2007 9:07 PM |
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| Not crazy at all.... the key is consistency. Am so glad you are already seeing progress! |
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NikoWafer
Terrier Terror
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| 09/12/2007 9:36 PM |
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| Yay, I'm glad things are working out. Nora gives GREAT advice. |
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Victoria
Goodnight, sweet princess. You are still on your own; be stoic, dont panic; get through this hell to the generous sweet overflowing, giving, love of spring. - Sylvia Plath
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JB
Ratterific
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| 09/13/2007 1:24 PM |
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| I'm having the same problem with JB and he's almost the same exact age as your little guy. Thanks for the advice Nora. : ) |
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Nazy- Proud Momma to little rattie JB & Toby |
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