# Is it ok to hold puppys snout shut when biting?



## Ruby'smom (Feb 4, 2008)

we used to put Ruby's own front paw in her mouth when she was biting so that she knew how sharp her teeth were 
or we put a toy in her mouth so that she knew what she was allowed to bite and what she wasnt 
as for time out if Ruby was being very trying and insisted on keep biting then we turned away from her and refused to play with her she soon learnt that if she wanted us to continue playing with her she wasnt to bite us 
if she likes her crate it sounds harsh to use it to punish her and in my opinion everytime you have to put her in it for her own safety ie when your not at home she will think she is being punished for something


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## FlyingQuizini (Oct 24, 2006)

Grabbing the snout is generally ill-advised. You want your pup to think a hand coming toward him is a good thing, not a punishment. Plus, many pups end up snapping right back as soon as you let go b/c now they're frustrated by the previous shutting of the mouth.

Keep a bone or toy handy at all times and constantly redirect her to it. For those times where you just can't get her to choose a bone or toy (after really, really trying) then simply say too bad and calmly place her in her crate. They learn that rough play = being alone. They only learn to fear the crate or consider it punishment if you get all angry when you put them in there. Often, a little "alone time" is just what they need to re-boot the mental computer, in which case, it's one of the kindest things we can do for them.


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## MittaBear (Mar 9, 2010)

We have toys scattered around the house and will always put a toy in Chester's mouth if he's biting someone.

He's usually pretty good, but there are definitely certain times during the day when he is just way too over excited. We will put him in his crate, but we won't yell at him. We praise him for going in his crate and will give him a cookie so he doesn't see it as punishment. This gives him a chance to calm down a little bit.


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## Lilliam (Apr 28, 2010)

I would suggest that punishing a puppy for doing something that is natural for them to do and which he has not been trained not to do is as ill advised as punishing a baby for crying when he's frustrated. Depending on the age of the puppy it may not be fair. Moms don't hold the snout but they do hold the bridge of the nose if a puppy is getting out of control. However, I would still not do that.
Depending on the age of the puppy a redirect to something that is OK to chew is best. The worst thing you can do to a puppy who wants to play is not to play, so if all else fails simply get up and walk away, arms folded, and completely ignore him. He willl follow you and bite your ankles and it will hurt. The second it stops praise the living daylights out of him. It is not as immediate as a correction, but corrections on a baby are really not a good idea. 
As far as the crate, you're right, he shouldn't get the idea he is going in because he is being punished. If he's really trying your nerves, put him in with a fantastic toy he really adores.
I wouldn't do anything harsh to a new puppy, simply disengage.


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## tippykayak (Oct 27, 2008)

Listen to Quiz's advice. If your pup is only 10 weeks old, you haven't had enough time to really try a method and stick to it long enough to work. A puppy's undeveloped brain isn't likely to "get" the rules yet. Two solid weeks of a good redirecting plan should work.

I don't do exactly what Quiz does. We freeze when we're bitten so the pup learns that biting makes us boring. Then we wiggle a toy and come back to life when the pup accepts it. Bite = boring. Toy = playtime. They usually get the idea pretty quickly, but it does take a great deal of consistency. All family members have to do the same exact thing, and your timing has to be really good.

The foundation of both methods is the same: you take away what the pup is trying to get with his biting (playtime), and then you give it to him when he interacts in the desired manner.


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## Dallas Gold (Dec 22, 2007)

Chew toys and chew bones saved my arm many bite marks over the years, as well as keeping the furniture legs free of bite marks...sturdy chew toys are your friends, as is time, as they eventually outgrow it.


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## Nicole74 (May 30, 2009)

What saved us were larger stuffed animals.  We always had a large stuffie in our hands when playing with Bailey. If she ever touched our skin, we'd let out a huge yelp! It worked. Plus, I taught no bite.


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## GoldenJona (Apr 3, 2010)

I know exactly how you feel. I have a 9 week old pup and we try putting a toy in his mouth but he will grab they toy for a second let it go and go right back to biting. I also tried the holding his mouth shut but he comes back even harder. I tried standing still but he just starts humping my leg. When he's really into biting he wont even acknowledge that the toy is there and just keep biting. This is when I just pick him up and put him in the crate.


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## Lucky's mom (Nov 4, 2005)

The good advice given to me was...firm yet gentle correction, toy replacement and patience. Putting puppy in the crate for a break from the biting is not a bad thing.

At about 14 weeks....things will start "clicking' for puppy and he/she will grab a toy instead of gnawing at you.

With Lucky...anything physical like snout holding made him more 'Play agressive" and excitable. In short, I do think we have many techniques because all dogs are different. Keep in mind that if what you do makes it WORSE...then it probably isn't a good technique.


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## FlyingQuizini (Oct 24, 2006)

FlyingQuizini said:


> Keep a bone or toy handy at all times and constantly redirect her to it.


BTW, it's worth mentioning that you'll feel like you've done this 1,456,875 times before you actually think it's starting to work! Don't worry - that's normal!  Just be consistent and he'll get it eventually. Consistency and emotional maturity will start to work together.


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## RedDogs (Jan 30, 2010)

Another piece to think about: we want our dogs to love our hands and think that hands do great things for dogs. If hands sometimes do good things and sometimes not fun things.... there will be conflict and you may see undesirable behavior. We also want our dogs to love having their mouths and heads handled.


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## OriJames (Jan 23, 2009)

Strangely, Ori has never been a biter. When he first came he wasn't much into playing with anything but his toy. However, if he does get a little rough, it's more in his movements and "slapping" of teeth rather than actually biting down. What I did was yelp or say "OW" very loudly. Pulled back and show that it hurts. 

Puppies when in a litter, they play and they learn if they're too rough when their "wrestle" partner yelps and jumps back. If you mimic that, they learn how rough to play or not. However the toy and redirection advice is just as handy. 

I don't advise *ever* using your pup's nose to correct him. Some dogs become so afraid of the hand and I've seen it so bad that dogs don't even like a hand coming towards their head. They winch as if they're expecting to be struck even in a kind gesture, and it can not only frighten them, but make them more liable to snap out of fear.


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