Maisy's "play biting" is reaching new levels

[Beanie]

really not sure what to do with her anymore.

I am sure Maisy is just nipping me playing (her tail is always wagging and it's a kind of come on Mum get up and play biting) but she is really starting to hurt me.  My hands are scratched and bruised but she will bite me anywhere, including my nose this morning which bloomin' hurt    I have tried to talk to her positively, distracting her etc but nothing is working.  She does it at random, when I come in from the Garden, when I am in bed she launches herself at me (I think cause she wants me to get up but take this morning, she got up at 5  had a long walk and breakfast, I got back into bed to snuggle with Rob for ten minutes and she went mental!)  Sometimes she literally stalks me or hangs off my clothes.  We had this when she was really little but she is six months old now!

What am I doing wrong? how should I deal with it?

PLEASE HELP!  I love my dog but i am really upset.  95% it is me she does this with and  no one else, sometimes my nine year old.  Never Rob.

Nina

[skyesmum]

Hi Nina

I had this probelm with little Skye - she started to really bite me and nip at my ankles. I couldn't even walk around the house without her chasing my feet and biting them. 

The vet suggested we hold her head down and this has worked a treat.  You don't hurt her - just firmly hold her neck and force her head down to the ground and then say No.  She might struggle a bit at first - but just keep your nerve and don't allow her to move and then when you feel her body go limp - release her and ignore her for a few minutes.  She will maybe try it again - so you have to repeat the process - but these pooches are clever and she'll soon get the message.  I rarely have to hold Skye down now - as a 'no' usually suffices.

I really hope this works for you.  Let me know how you get on.

Gilly (and Skye!) xx

[michelle p]

Hi, there was a post recently and I think the advice given was, if she nips you let out a high yelp seriously. Youll have to try it and let us know

[Beth]

I noticed on another thread you said that you think Maisy is coming into season for the first time, this could be making the biting worse, i know that with my cavalier she becomes quite frantic in season and will lunge at you, not to bite, but if she didn't know not to i'm sure she would...

I hope you get this sorted soon.

[Beanie]

Have tried the yelping, she stops for a second and then off she goes again!!  Have tried ignoring her but she bites my feet 

[PennyB]

Have you thought of just walking away and leaving the room --- no eye contact or speaking when you do it. You may be inadvertently rewarding her for biting and sometimes the only way is to stop all interaction immediately.

Mine all went through a mouthy phase as adolescents

[jools]

I'm not sure I would be doing the holding the head down thing with a dog of 6 months. I can see how it would work with a young pup, but I would be worried that an older pup might react by getting aggressive.

Milly's biting was always too much, even as a young pup. I know for a fact that, had I held her head down, she would have reacted by taking my hand off!

I think I would go for the ignoring thing, as Penny suggested.

[PennyB]

I'm not sure I would be doing the holding the head down thing with a dog of 6 months. I can see how it would work with a young pup, but I would be worried that an older pup might react by getting aggressive.

Ooops, missed that bit and agree with you I wouldn't do this sort of thing either

[Jan/Billy]

I'm not sure I would be doing the holding the head down thing with a dog of 6 months.

Me neither definately not!  

Wouldn't do it with any dog of any age  

One of the vets in your dog mag wrote about doing this to a puppy and received a lot of critisism for it being published, it was branded irresponsible.

[spanielcrazy]

I would continue with the yelping, make sure to do it every time she bites, this is the only way she is going to know--in her own language--that she's hurting you.

In addition you can try this: make your hand like a dogs open mouth. Put your hand like that over her muzzle, keeping your hand open. You're not wrapping your hand all the way around her mouth, just gently grasping the sides. Gently but firmly push down a little bit--you are not trying to pin her to the floor at all, but if you move her head downward an inch or two thats fine, while telling her firmly "No bite!"

Basicaly what you are doing is imitating a mother disciplining a pup. She gently but firmly holds the pups muzzle in her jaws for a couple of seconds. Your hand is going to be mothers jaws. Done correctly it is not at all painful or scary for the dog and usually gets the message across.

And while I know it's trying right now, Maisy will outgrow this. She's still young 

[skyesmum]

RE: THE COMMENT ABOUT BEING IRRESPONSIBLE


I don't consider myself to be an irresponsible dog owner.. I have had dogs all my life and would never ever do anything to hurt them.

I do know that this has worked for me and I have  14 week old puppy who can sit, stay, lie down, give a paw, go to bed when told and who can be let off the lead and 100% comes back every time. She also gives lots of kisses and cuddles, has loads of toys, visitors round and has fun in our house.

[PennyB]

I would continue with the yelping, make sure to do it every time she bites, this is the only way she is going to know--in her own language--that she's hurting you.

In addition you can try this: make your hand like a dogs open mouth. Put your hand like that over her muzzle, keeping your hand open. You're not wrapping your hand all the way around her mouth, just gently grasping the sides. Gently but firmly push down a little bit--you are not trying to pin her to the floor at all, but if you move her head downward an inch or two thats fine, while telling her firmly "No bite!"

Basicaly what you are doing is imitating a mother disciplining a pup. She gently but firmly holds the pups muzzle in her jaws for a couple of seconds. Your hand is going to be mothers jaws. Done correctly it is not at all painful or scary for the dog and usually gets the message across.

And while I know it's trying right now, Maisy will outgrow this. She's still young 

Trouble with this method it can make them handshy for life --- the way dogs do things and the way we interpret dogs doing things is very different and sometimes a bit more subtle.

You may use this method but personally I would not advocate using it as someone reading this could get it really wrong and end up with worse problems.

[Nicola]

Have you thought of just walking away and leaving the room --- no eye contact or speaking when you do it. You may be inadvertently rewarding her for biting and sometimes the only way is to stop all interaction immediately.

This is what I would to as well. Under no circumstances would I force my dogs' heads down to the floor or hold on to their noses, imo this would just be encouraging them to bite me more and I wouldn't blame them for doing it. I can also imagine ending up with some very confused and upset dogs who would be worried every time my hand came near their head or neck that they were going to be pushed down to the ground.

[Beanie]

ok so the general consensus is that I should walk away and ignore (I do think some of the others may work for younger dogs but Maisy has a lovely set of big teeth  )  I have tried this and she generally starts to bite my feet and legs.  it can been quite scary although I can see she is in play mood if you know what I mean.

Would seperating myself and leaving her in another room help do you think?

Nina

[PennyB]

ok so the general consensus is that I should walk away and ignore (I do think some of the others may work for younger dogs but Maisy has a lovely set of big teeth  )  I have tried this and she generally starts to bite my feet and legs.  it can been quite scary although I can see she is in play mood if you know what I mean.

Would seperating myself and leaving her in another room help do you think?

Nina

If she continues to bite then may be actually leaving the room for a short while then walking back in without acknowledgment then if she does it again walk away again --- bit like a timeout really. There are also some other methods that could work but this is only one I can think of for now