# Play biting...when is enough enough?



## moveqik (Feb 4, 2008)

I assume like most 9 week old puppies, ours likes to bite when he plays. Obviously those puppy teeth are sharp! How do we curb the biting? You can pretty much assume that if he is playing with you, he is engaging his teeth. Today, he went after a ball that a neighbor kid was playing with and started going for the kids hands. It was totally innocent on the puppy's part but those sharp teeth did indeed hurt the kid. We have tried turning our hands(and bodies) away but it doesn't seem to phase him.

Advice?


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## winewinn (Jan 7, 2008)

Hi,

Here's an article on bite inhibition that I have enjoyed myself -- http://www.canismajor.com/dog/bite2.html

Best of luck to you!


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

Don't get discouraged it will take a while. Lucky was about 13-14 weeks when I started seeing great improvement. And my kids couldn't touch him...


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## wagondog (Aug 24, 2007)

Dogs can be conditioned to soft bite even as puppies. This ensures that if your dog does bite some day (and some do) the bite may not be as severe as a bite from a dog that has not been conditioned to "soft bite". All dogs will bite, they have no hands to touch with so the mouth is their sense of feel. You just need to work on getting that bite as gentle as you can.


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## kellange123 (Apr 13, 2007)

wagondog said:


> Dogs can be conditioned to soft bite even as puppies. This ensures that if your dog does bite some day (and some do) the bite may not be as severe as a bite from a dog that has not been conditioned to "soft bite". All dogs will bite, they have no hands to touch with so the mouth is their sense of feel. You just need to work on getting that bite as gentle as you can.


I agree that you can train to soft bite. Daisy play bites as in putting her mouth around your arm, but she doesn't bit hard. When she does and we say "ouch" really loud she will let go. You could work on replacement with toys when he is biting. Or you can also give him a toy and say "hold it." Daisy is trained to soft mouth what she has, as we use her for upland and waterfowl hunting. She is a little over a year and will every once in a while in the heat of dog wrestling (where me or hubby roll around on the floor with her) she will bite down a little too much. She knows "ouch" means no biting.


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## Brady's mom (Dec 20, 2007)

Brady is also mouthy. We've tried squirt bottles and yelling "OUCH!" and neither worked well. Today in puppy class we learned another technique that mimics how mamas treat their pups. When he starts to bite, we poke his rib cage with all 5 fingers and hold them there to simulate a bite from mom. You have to jab somewhat hard, and the puppy might yelp, but this really gets their attention. Brady is doing really well with this technique (for today, anyway!)


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## gold'nchocolate (May 31, 2005)

Hi Michael....and welcome to Golden Retriever Forum. You've gotten some good advice so far. Here is another couple of sites that teach about bite inhibition:

http://www.jersey.net/~mountaindog/berner1/bitestop.htm

http://www.westieclubamerica.com/behavior/nipsandbites.html

Don't forget to post some pictures of your little _pirahna_ (sp?) ooops--I meant _puppy_.


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## goldensmum (Oct 23, 2007)

I found that if Quinn used his teeth a little too hard, a loud "Ouch" worked - he would stop immediately.


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

goldensmum said:


> I found that if Quinn used his teeth a little too hard, a loud "Ouch" worked - he would stop immediately.


I'll tell ya...when he was a small pup, Lucky would get excited and bite harder when I said ouch or yelped. I started thinking I had a sadistic puppy......

But NOW he is very sensitive to the "ouch" and looks almost ashamed ....


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## moveqik (Feb 4, 2008)

Thanks for all of the feedback. We'll start trying some new stuff tonight.


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## winewinn (Jan 7, 2008)

Another thing with kids is make sure they aren't screaming and running away when puppy "attacks" them. This is a game of fun to a pup with some prey drive. 

Also, have each of your kids feed him to ensure he doesn't exhibit food aggression in the future. Hold him by the collar, tell him to sit in front of the empty food dish. Have each of your children place a piece of food in his dish so he sees them doing it. Reward good sitting behavior by letting him eat.

When "ouch" doesn't work, I grab the pup by his muzzle and take him to the floor and hold him (not hurt him) firmly down by his muzzle to the floor until he settles down on his own. Once he settles I release him. I repeat this until he catches on. This may be something some of your older children may be able to do -- depends on their age (and pup's strength), and you may need to help them with this if this is the method you want to try.


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