# Dog keeps biting feet and hands, help please!



## AlanK (Jun 28, 2008)

Welcome to the forum. I wish I could give you advice on this. Hopefully some of our training experienced members will see this.


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## RedDogs (Jan 30, 2010)

It sounds like he really wants to play and interact, and this was the best he could come up with.

This is not an unusual problem, but it is very annoying!

1) Consider a basic training class to improve your communication with your dog.
2) Be sure you are providing adequate physical and mental exercise for your dog. Off property leash walks, training, games, etc...
3) Make a list of all the times he does this or when he is worst. I know it feels like "all the time" but I promise it isn't! 
4) Look at that list and figure out a way to use management and training to help.

Example for if this is happening a lot when people arrive home:
Management: The first person home should take him out on leash to potty and then bring him in. Give him a kong toy that had been filled with canned dog food and then frozen (so it takes longer for the food to come out). he can be gated/crated so that he cannot access the door. Do not give him a chance to even be wild.
Training: When he is calmer, and when people have been home, practice greetings. See my post in the Wild greetings thread (anyone have a link?). Essentially, we need to teach him that sitting when peopel arrive is a good thing and a more appropriate choice.
If you mess up: And he does start biting/mouthing/jumping, quietly lead him by his leash or collar (leave a short leash on if that will help) to a separate room/crate (not as a punishment but so that he has a chance to calm down) OR you step out of the room and close a door. 

The goal is that you should use management and training, and VERY rarely use your "I messed up" plan. 

We want to use management so that we don't hurt the training (biting and mouthing and tugging clothes is fun, so every time he does it, it will take a greater amount of training to undo that fun) and so everyone is safe and so he doesn't practice the behavior.

Your dog really wants to interact with you, we just need to show him better ways of doing so.

I would stop with the punishment attempts (squirting, etc) as that can increase his frustration and that would likely increase the frequency/intensity of his mouthing/biting.


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## soccerdude3216 (Feb 4, 2011)

I'm in a similar bind, but with a 8 week puppy. I would like to make sure I understand what you are saying. The best way to having an obedient dog is to train him constantly? when we wake up - train. when i come home for lunch - train. when i come home from work - train. after dinner - train. Is this what you are saying?


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## mylissyk (Feb 25, 2007)

soccerdude3216 said:


> I'm in a similar bind, but with a 8 week puppy. I would like to make sure I understand what you are saying. The best way to having an obedient dog is to train him constantly? when we wake up - train. when i come home for lunch - train. when i come home from work - train. after dinner - train. Is this what you are saying?


 
There is a HUGE difference between a 1 year old dog doing this and a puppy. Some of what Reddogs posted will be ok for a puppy, but just be sure you modify it for his age and attention span, he won't have the attention span or the physical stamina to do all of it. Training should be fun and happy for a puppy.


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## Colorwolf (Feb 21, 2011)

Umm... not sure if it works with all GR's, mine has the problem but I show him that biting hurts, by... well biting him back. Normally on the ears. Its not really a full strength bite. just enough pressure to show him that it hurts. Considering that Buddy is a 16 week puppy, so he does for get it but he does not do bite as often as before.


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## LDGrillo (Dec 20, 2010)

Colorwolf said:


> Umm... not sure if it works with all GR's, mine has the problem but I show him that biting hurts, by... well biting him back. Normally on the ears. Its not really a full strength bite. just enough pressure to show him that it hurts. Considering that Buddy is a 16 week puppy, so he does for get it but he does not do bite as often as before.


I am totally not dissing that way of teaching, but I would think that biting back would make a puppy think you are playing with it! To me, the more interaction you have while trying to correct, the less of a message it seems to send to the pup. But if it works for you that's good! 

With my puppy, when she would attack feet/pants, I would give a firm no, and make Starla sit down and be still for about 7 seconds. Then calmly walk away.


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## Elisabeth Kazup (Aug 23, 2008)

Our Penny has been a foot girl since the first day. DH used to come out of the bedroom in the morning with a Golden puppy attached to his pant's cuff, sliding on the floor like a dust mop. She will even go so far as to wrap her paw around my ankle (from the back) to slow me down. She puts on the same show of wanting to play...and it IS only play, not aggression, complete with the growling, snarling and barking. She's nine and still goes for the feet when she gets really excited.

The only thing that works is obedience. We started her with puppy kindergarten as soon as she was old enough and continued with obedience classes for over 2 years. She is a lovely, well-mannered Golden now.

We let her play bitey with our feet when we're in the mood. She thinks the best chew toy is slippers ON our feet. It's just part of her personality so we've learned to work with it. But, because of her obedience training, I can end the play by saying "That's enough" and she will trot off to find something else to do.

Until you get to that point in obedience, make sure you give your Luke plenty of exercise, mental as well as physical. If you haven't started obedience classes, find one that uses positive reinforcement and get started.


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