Biting

[Katherine]

Ever since Barnaby has come home he has enjoyed chewing things-AND PEOPLE!
We have been told just to say NO! whenever he does this, and we have, but it doesn't seem to work. He is now still biting and starting to bite harder. We didn't mind at first, but now ITS STARTING TO HERT!!! we are not sure what to do and we are worried that he will still do it when he has his adult teeth, and then it really will hert!!! :x

Advice please :?:                    

[picklesmum]

Hi Katherine - I was just about to type exactly the same message, about my wee rascal, Pickle. He is 12 weeks old, and is constantly biting and nipping and my feet, and the more I say 'no!' the more he does it!! I am not sure how to discipline him - I will absolutely not hit him in any way. I tend to shut him in his crate when he's being really bad, but he just does it again once he's been let out. He is adorable, but like you, I do worry that as an adult, if he bites people, it'll be really bad. I have even threatened to send him to live with Princess Anne! Hope we get some responses here to advise us! Glad I'm not the only one with a crocodile pup, though!
Emma and Pickle                    

[Katherine]

I know wat u mean. When I say NO he just bites harder. I won't hit him either and ppl say not to use his crate as a punishment and even if we did he would drive us mad by barking all the time. It is quite hard to play with him when all he does is bite.

Katherine                    

[Gilly]

Hi Katherine and Emma, welcome to the board  

I think you'll find our FAQ on puppy play biting very usefull, you'll find this here http://www.cockersonline.co.uk/forum/viewt...opic.php?t=2016 But don't despair you have a perfectly normal puppy  :wink:

Gilly                    

[picklesmum]

Thanks for this Gilly - looks like good advice. I think I just worry that I am doing something wrong, or that Pickle doesn't like me, or something. But I am now reassured that he will grow out of this biting habit!
Loved Buttons' web site by the way - Pickle is very jealous! He is also a Lynwater pup (Lynwater Marsh Thistle) but is a blue roan. His mother had the most delightful temperament, so I hope he'll inherit that one day.
Where do you live in Scotland? We are in St Andrews, beside the beach, which will be great for walks once we are allowed out!
Emma and Pickle                    

[Juel]

Hi Katherine & picklesmom,

I had the same problem with my 2 pupps..my breader told me to VERY  gentley grap their ears & give them a little shake while growling at them :shock: , it might sound a bit odd but apparently it's what their mother would do if they misbehaved....i did it & still do & it does work!!....i felt a bit silly doing it at first but i was at my witts end & like you didn't want to smack them........Give it go,i hope it helps!!
luv
juel xx                    

[Katherine]

Thanks for that it looks really usefull.
The only problem is that when I say NO and turn away he just bites the backs of my legs.
when you send him out of the room, will he know that its because he was biting, or will he think that its because he was playing?

Katherine                    

[shonajoy]

Ever since Barnaby has come home he has enjoyed chewing things-AND PEOPLE!
We have been told just to say NO! whenever he does this, and we have, but it doesn't seem to work. He is now still biting and starting to bite harder. We didn't mind at first, but now ITS STARTING TO HERT!!! we are not sure what to do and we are worried that he will still do it when he has his adult teeth, and then it really will hert!!! :x  

Advice please :?:

Hi Katherine,

I posted a similar thing recently, but my pup (15 weeks) has now all but stopped doing it. I just kept saying NO! and ignoring when he did it. I had to supervise constantly for a while with the kids, but in the past 2 weeks he's really calmed down. I do think they grow out of it to an extent, so just be persistent!

Shona x                    

[Jane S]

I had the same problem with my 2 pupps..my breader told me to VERY  gentley grap their ears & give them a little shake while growling at them :shock: , it might sound a bit odd but apparently it's what their mother would do if they misbehaved....i did it & still do & it does work

I have never seen any of our bitches do this with their pups Usually a puppy which gets on Mum's nerves will be be told off verbally in no uncertain manner & will then be ignored - very effective, no pup likes to be ignored :wink: If it works for you, then that's fine but I just be careful with the ear-grabbing                    

[Luvlylady]

..                    

[pwhite48]

Join the club Katherine!

Honey is a biter, too - and she growls with it sometimes :twisted:

We're working on it with her, and I think she might be getting the message - she licked me when I told her off today.  Could she be feeling just a tiny bit remorseful :wink:

Jane recommended me a fabulous book - The Perfect Puppy by Gwen Bailey.  You can get it off Amazon, and I think Cockersonline get a bit of cash of you buy it through the link on this site.  I ordered it at the beginning of this week, and haven't put it down since we got it.  The book gets more attention that the dog :?   But is full of fabulous advice and I would recommend it wholeheartedly.

All the best
Phil                    

[Katherine]

Yeah I've already got it. We bought it a couple of weeks before we got him. I thought it was great too. Because this is my first dog it was a lifesaver. learnt loadsa stuff - about eyecontact and not letting him go through the door before you - that I didn't know before. It made the biting thing sound so easy, but its quite hard when you actually have to get down and do it.

Katherine                    

[Gilly]

Loved Buttons' web site by the way - Pickle is very jealous! He is also a Lynwater pup (Lynwater Marsh Thistle) but is a blue roan. His mother had the most delightful temperament, so I hope he'll inherit that one day.  
Where do you live in Scotland? We are in St Andrews, beside the beach, which will be great for walks once we are allowed out!  

Hiya Emma, I'm in Central Scotland...so only about an hour from St Andrews...I think  :?  :wink:
Nice to have another Lynwater on the board  :wink:  Buttons has a lovely nature so I'm sure that your wee pickle will too...all of the Lynwaters I've met have been lovely  

Gilly & Lynwater Buttons                      

[Kim]

I agree with most that others have said, but does Barnaby know that he is hurting you ?
Try "yelping" just as a litter mate would do, this tends to stop them in their tracks.
I'm not really into the shaking thing, or as some people do - pulling their scruffs.
My bitches will growl at their babies to correct them, but have never seen any physical correction from them.
I was told once, can't remember who by now, that the only reason puppies have such sharp needle teeth, is so they learn that biting or being bitten, actually hurts.                    

[PennyB]

I tend to shut him in his crate when he's being really bad, but he just does it again once he's been let out.

I don't use the crate as punishment as I've always been told not to. I find ignoring my pup works best—I usually stand up and walk away from them, avoiding eye contact until they've calmed down. I even walk out the room if necessary.