# help! Still biting at 1 year old!



## nolefan (Nov 6, 2009)

What have you done to work with Morgan on obedience and what commands does she know?

What have you done to work on the problem so far?


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## mhampton (Sep 23, 2015)

She has gone to puppy socialization classes and passed basic obedience. She knows sit, stay, drop, stand, leave it, drop it, heal. She recently went into heat and now 3 months later just been spayed so I probably have gotten a bit lenient on her instruction. As I said in my note, I have sprayed her with Listerine (because my trainer said to increase from 1/2 water/1/2 vinegar). She doesn't like it but still continues her insistence on biting my forearm. 

Maybe re-instructing her on obedience will help. Thank you for your interest.


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## gdgli (Aug 24, 2011)

I am glad that you are asking about this on the forum. Many people have this problem.

Apparently what you have been doing is not working. Time to try something else before you have a real problem. What do you think happens when a one year old puppy bites an adult dog? What does the adult dog do to make sure this doesn't happen again? I would not let this go any further.


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## mhampton (Sep 23, 2015)

I hired a dog behaviorist and he in one lesson did wonders with her. Luckily it is not aggression but a smart dog that wants to show affection. He put her on a prong collar and told her "stop" with a snap of the leash anytime she started to bite or jump up. She quickly learned who was in charge. I am thrilled. It is working - not all the time yet - but we are on the way of improvement. We leave the leash and prong collar on in the house as well and correct her immediately.


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## Sweet Girl (Jun 10, 2010)

When you say she is biting your arm, is she BITING with aggression or over-excitement, or is she MOUTHING with affection and a soft mouth? Different answer depending which it is...


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## mhampton (Sep 23, 2015)

it is not aggression - she wants attention, overexciting I would say. The behaviorist thought it was affection since I am the main care taker and she only does it to me.


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## Sweet Girl (Jun 10, 2010)

mhampton said:


> it is not aggression - she wants attention, overexciting I would say. The behaviorist thought it was affection since I am the main care taker and she only does it to me.


I had a very, very mouthy dog, too - my last girl. Really, the best thing for me was teaching her to hold a stuffed toy ("get a toy"). She did not get pats unless she had a toy in her mouth. It took no time at all to teach (I did it when she was very, very young, because she was extremely bitey from day one). Her entire life, in order to greet someone, she absolutely had to have something in her mouth - and if she didn't have a toy or a ball, it was your arm. So at home, it was a stuffed toy. She never came to the door when I got home without one. If she did - she would turn around and run back to the basket to get one and then come and say hi. If she started to get excited and mouthy when we were already home, I would just say, do you need a toy for that mouth? And she'd go get one. Out on walks, I kept a ball in my pocket in case we met someone, or I'd give her the leash to hold, or a mitt. She was just one of those Goldens who HAD TO BE HOLDING SOMETHING. At all times. And your arm was as good as anything else. She had a very gentle mouth, but not everyone likes having a dog hold their arm. I'd go the stuffed animal route. It takes a lot of patience and consistency, but it really pays off. If you put it in her mouth and she drops it, put it in again and praise and love when she holds it. Say the same thing everytime, so she learns the command without even realizing it. No pats unless she has that toy. At first, you will have to get it and give it to her, but she should catch on quickly and learn to get it first.


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