# Puppy biting hands when putting on leash or collar



## etcoffey (Nov 18, 2016)

I posted a bit on a different thread about working with our 10 week old puppy on bite inhibition. So far it's going _ok_ and getting better than it was when we first brought her home (definitely still in land shark phase, but she's mostly responding well to redirection, asking her to sit, us loudly saying ah-ah-ah, etc). However, there is one aspect that I'm struggling with: she often bites our hands when we try to put on her leash and/or collar. I try asking her to sit, or giving her a toy to distract her, but I think because our hands are so close to her mouth she just gets excited and goes after them. I know I'm supposed to ignore her, leave the room, even put her in her crate when she puts her mouth on us to teach her it's never ok - and normally we do that when this occurs while playing, but we can't really do any of those things in this situation as I'm putting the leash on to take her outside to potty (our backyard is not fenced in, so we need to put the leash on her every time we take her out). I can't exactly leave the room or turn my back on her because I know she needs to go and I'm worried if I do she'll have an accident! Anyone have any advice on how to handle this (other than to just be patient until she grows out of it)?


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## Cpc1972 (Feb 23, 2015)

Since she is so young what about leaving the leash on her. It's a good way to keep a eye on them. The only thing is of course is you cant leave it on when you put your pup in a crate. But you could try leaving it on when she is outside the crate. Even hooking it to you.


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## puddles everywhere (May 13, 2016)

At this age you might purchase an inexpensive halter and leave it on until bedtime or as long as you are with them. This way they are already "dressed" and ready to go. It also removes your hands from the buckling of the leash to a collar around the neck. 

Using my hands for chew toys wasn't much fun so taught them to "touch" my hand for a treat. After just a few tries she figured out that just a nose touch was rewarded but biting ended the game. (ending the game just meant folding my arms & protecting my hands for a minute or so) 

She soon learned to sit quietly at the door to have the collar slipped over her head. I used a Martingale collar (about 16 weeks) so it was big enough to go over her head but did not allow it to slip off while we walked. Google clicker training to learn the touch, I'm not coordinated enough to deal with silly puppy, collar, leash, treats and clicker so just marked the behavior with a very excited YES. 

She is now 10 months but if she is excited or wiggling around when I go to put the leash on I just stand up and wait for her to sit and calm down. If they are calm before going out they are less likely to pull on the walk. If they pull I just stop and stand there. Works every time. Good luck!


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## solinvictus (Oct 23, 2008)

A video by kikopup on getting a dog comfortable with touching and grabbing a collar. 







You can add on to this exercise after the pup is comfortable with you touching/grabbing the collar to adding the leash to the collar.


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