To a puppy, everything is new, interesting, and exciting. This means that our puppy will try to bite, play with, and chew just about anything that he sees.
In addition, puppies have the infinite energy of youth. Like the Energizer Bunny, they can keep going, and going, and going. After a nap, their engines rev-up from SLEEP to GO, faster than you can catch your breath and shout “Stop!”.
Sound and movement are especially irresistible to a puppy.
The more we shout and move our hands, arms, or feet around, the more likely our puppy will get excited, bite, jump, and act even more crazy.
A very important part of training my puppy involves managing his excitement level, and teaching him self control. By doing this, I set my puppy up for success, and reduce out of control biting and jumping, before it occurs.
An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.
~~[Benjamin Franklin]
1. Nothing in Life is Free (NILIF)
NILIF stands for Nothing in Life is Free. It is a great way to train a puppy, build a strong bond with him, and remain sane in the presence of our bouncing ball of fur.
NILIF is simple – we just ask our puppy to do something for us first, before we give him anything in return. This includes food, toys, freedom, and yes, even our affection.
First, I train my puppy to do some very simple commands. Here are three simple commands –
1. Look
Look simply asks a puppy to give us eye contact for a short amount of time.
- I train this command by showing my puppy that I have a piece of food.
- I say “Look”, and bring the food up to the level of my eyes.
- Puppy will naturally follow the movement of my food-enhanced hand, and look-up at me.
- As soon as he looks, I mark the behavior (Good!) and reward him with some food from my other hand.
- As my puppy improves, I get him to look at me for longer, before rewarding the behavior.
2. Touch
Touch asks a puppy to gently touch our hand with his nose.
- Again, I let my puppy see that I have some food in my hand.
- Then, I close my hand, move it a short distance away from my puppy, and say “Touch”.
- Puppy will naturally follow the food. At first, he may try to mouth or lick at my hand. I ignore these behaviors and wait until he touches my hand with his nose.
- As soon as that happens, I mark the behavior (Good!) and reward him with some food from my other hand.
3. Sit
Sit is a useful evergreen command. Even after our dog has matured into an adult, we will still find this command to be very handy.
- To train a Sit, I show my puppy that I have some food in my hand.
- I close my hand and move it over and above my puppy’s head. He will naturally want to follow my hand, which will cause him to turn his head up and move his rump down into a sitting position.
- Some dogs may move backwards instead of sitting. That is fine. I just repeat the motion until I get a Sit. However, it is important not to repeat the verbal command. I only say “Sit” once.
- As soon as my puppy sits, I mark the behavior (Good!), and give him a treat from my other hand.
Once my puppy understands these simple commands, I ask him to do something for me, before I do anything for him in return. For example,
- Ask for a Look, before giving a puppy affection or tummy rubs.
- Ask for a Sit, before we open the door for our puppy to go on his daily walk.
- Ask for a Touch, before we give a puppy his interactive food toy.
This teaches our puppy that the best way to get what he wants, is to do what we want first. When my puppy bites, I no-mark the behavior (Ack-Ack) and give him an alternate command (e.g., Sit). This not only teaches our puppy what not to do (bite), but also what to do instead (sit).
2. Drag Lead
Sometimes, puppies get so excited while playing, that they are no longer able to listen to us. In general, I try to step in and have a play break before this happens. However, we may sometimes miss our window of opportunity, and our puppy becomes so excited that he will not stop biting or jumping.
In such situations, I find that it is extremely useful to have a drag lead on my puppy. By using a lead, I can easily control and stop his bad behavior.
Often, when a puppy bites, our instinct is to try and stop him by using our hands and arms. We push back, shout, and move-around a lot. All this hand and arm movement will only get him even more excited, because he thinks we are playing with him. Furthermore, rapid movement may trigger a dog’s prey drive and get him to bite more, and bite harder.
To stop a puppy from biting, it is important to stay calm, don’t shout, and not move in a fast and erratic fashion. Instead, I calmly pick up the drag lead and move my puppy into a quiet area, where he can calm down.
I use a flat collar with the drag lead. Do not use an aversive collar such as a choke chain or a prong. Such collars are risky. Some choose to use them during supervised walks, but they should always be removed at the end of the walk. I also cut the loop of my drag lead, so that it does not catch on furniture or objects in the house, while my puppy is running around. I only use a drag lead when I am around to supervise.
3. Lots of Exercise & Play
Puppies are extremely energetic and curious. As such, they often need a lot of activity and play time.
If we do not provide interesting and supervised activities for them to do, they will figure out their own activities which will rarely appeal to our human sensibilities. Bored puppies will start chewing on books, curtains, furniture, and people.
To reduce puppy biting, make sure to provide him with a lot of physical and mental stimulation.
Interactive food toys are a big favorite with my dogs. Instead of presenting food to them on a silver dog bowl, I put some of their food into interactive food toys. In this way, they are motivated to work on the toy, and they get mental and physical exercise while figuring out the best and fastest way to get at the food.
Daily walks will also help to drain a puppy’s energy. Make sure that a puppy has had all of his shots before taking him to areas where there are other dogs, and where there is poop from other dogs.
Puppies also love playing with other puppies. Nothing burns quite as much energy as a fun puppy chase and wrestling session. I make sure that all my puppy’s play-mates are balanced, healthy, and have had their requisite number of shots.
Other fun puppy games include soccer, catch, fetch, tug, and flirt pole.
4. Rules and Routine
Puppyhood is the best time to teach a dog new tricks. Puppies learn quickly, and are usually eager to please.
I set up a fixed routine for my puppy as early as possible, and also start enforcing a consistent set of house rules. My puppy routine includes food time, play time, walk time, chew time, grooming time, training time, and most important of all – sleep time. Puppy sleep time is when I get some much needed time-off, away from Energizer puppy. *Hooah!*
In the beginning, it is best to institute more house rules and to address them consistently. In this way, our puppy does not develop any bad habits, which will be hard to break later on.
My dogs have the following house rules –
- No getting on furniture.
- No biting on people or people stuff.
- No pawing on people.
- No guarding of toys or food.
- No bullying of other dogs.
Congratulations on your new puppy! Puppy time is precious and passes very quickly, so enjoy yourself and take lots of pictures. 😀
Hi I have 6 month old staffie and he keeps biting n jumping up ppl I have tryed alsorts 2 try stop this but nothing seem 2 be working he does listen though wen I say get in ur bed u naughty boy but thn he back 2 not listening
Hi! I have a huge problem with my 10 months golden retriever. When he is very excited he won`t stop jump and bite me. He started act this way when he was 6 months., and now it`s even worst. He is not doing this at home or in our yard but only when I`m taking him for walk. At home even when we are playing he won`t bite me at all. He can chase the ball for 15 minutes and without any reason he will start to bite my shoes, pants, and if I don`t react he will jump and bite my legs, and arms. I can`t calm him down at all, and I can`t just not react because it`s very painful. The other thing, that I just can`t leave him and walk away when I`m in the public place or far away from my home. I used almost every method and I totally don`t know what to do…I`m not using any prong collar, e-collar because I don`t believe in that kind of tools but I started to be really desperate. I was taking a toy with me to distract him but he doesn`t want a toy he prefers to bite my arms. I was using water spray, pet corrector and nothing. He knows all comments but when he is in this excitement mood he`s not listening at all. Sometimes he will sit, and after 5 seconds when I move he will start do exactly the same. And yes I`m giving him a lot of exercise, dog park, hiking. Unfortunately, I can take him to any public place or far away from my apartment. It`s so frustrated because he is really great puppy and I totally don`t know what is wrong. I fixed him 2 weeks ago, and actually he is more out of control then before. Any advice?
I went through a similar thing with my Shiba Inu. He would bite on the leash as well as jump and bite on me. More on our experiences –
http://shibashake.com/dog/train-your-dog-to-stop-biting-on-the-leash
http://shibashake.com/dog/pack-leader-to-an-aggressive-dog#walk
I have e a 13 month old English and American bulldog at night he starts to get mouthy, and he bites at my hands and it hurts now. He’s’ 56 pounds. I say no or leave it or I put him in his crate. When will he stop?
Hi, there!
We have an 8 month old gsd pup. And he refuses to stop biting. We tried bite inhibatition when he was younger and it worked for two days in which after a month of not being able to pet him I was able to have him calmly in my lap. After those two days, the technique lost its hold on him and he would bite harder than ever. Then, a hard bite would scratch but now that he’s older he has started to chew on my arms instead. He has a chewtoy he loves and never leaves and he gets a 25-30 minute brisk walk in the morning and three intense 15 minute play sessions otherwise. I exercise him before and after school timings. In the middle of the mayhem there were days in which his hosting stopped altogether after we moved and he was as calm as a sea breeze but then, without any prior warning, while I sat with him he turned his attention to NY face and began to mouth it. Being COMPLETELY UNACCEPTABLE I got up gave his leash a tug (his leash status on all day now because of this) and he did a nice sit and shake but got right back at jumping, biting and making a chewing motion on my arm. When we let him lose in the yard (which is normally only in play) he’ll run into the yard and then towards me and start jumping and biting. Other than this he’s a gem and I hate that this bit of him overpowers all the good things he does and has learnt. Any help is appreciated.
If I get my dog nurtured will he not be as hyper?
It wont necessarily cure his hyper nature. It’ll help REDUCE humping behaviour and give him one less need to fulfill and so reduce food intake. It may make him less aggressive towards other male dogs but his Hyper-ness is built up energy. Best outlet would be a long run or jog or a game of Frisbee. Something like a lure course or flirt pole would be great for the high drive and if done right, you can teach him to control his impulses. Neutering, if you go for it, is not always suitable for a puppy that’s too young and can cause a lot of problems too if at the wrong age and time. I think he’s too young, judging from the last comment you left. I’m sixteen, got myself in a similar situation with a German shepherd 😛
Hi I am a 17 year old who has gotten herself into some trouble but hoping someone could help me.. About 2 months ago I brought home a husky/lab mix 6 month old puppy. He was chained up all alone in my friends back yard and I just couldn’t take it so I offered to take him off of their hands and bring him home with me. I live on a large farm with fields and lots of room for the pup to play or so I thought. Smokey (the puppy), turned out to be a whole lot more misbehaving than I thought he was. He jumps, bites, scratches and destroys everything!! He really is a sweet dog I can tell he wants to be a good boy but I don’t know how to break these habits. For the past couple of weeks he’s been staying in a fenced area because he runs off and kills our chickens, I have been trying to get him to calm down enough to come in the house and sleep inside but he is far too hyper to even lay down without tearing the room apart first. My parents are threatening to give him away but I just feel like I owe it to this little guy to at least help him in some way, I’m desperate for help!!
What are you doing to “calm him down”? Young huskies need TONS of exercise and they need to be kept busy. They aren’t a dog you can leave outside alone by itself and they aren’t a dog that will lay around the house chilling. Even a fenced yard is often not enough and huskies are often not suitable for off-leash activities because they have an extremely high prey drive. (which you have already seen with your dog) If you want the dog to calm down, you need to spend a couple hours a day running, walking, playing, and training him. A young husky can easily knock out a 8-mile run like it’s nothing, and my dad used to take his husky on long runs like this to burn off her energy. Huskies are very smart and intelligent and get bored easily, so you need to keep him busy with training and activities.
hi,
love your page. we recently adopted a German Shepherd puppy… but WOW! didn’t realize how much energy these pups have! We also have a 8 year old mixed breed, but the 8 year old dog has just as much energy as the puppy haha! so my question is how do I train the puppy the house rules while my other dog is just as hyper. I don’t know how to control both dogs at once.
When I need focused training time with my puppy, we do it in a quiet place away from my other dogs. My dogs will hype each other up when they are together and in a playful mood. 😀
When I am teaching my puppy interaction rules with my other dogs, I keep my puppy on-leash and close to me so that I can easily and quickly control her if need be. I only use a leash under close supervision and only with a flat collar (absolutely no aversive collars). I talk more about how I use a drag-lead in the article above.
I set up a fixed routine, a consistent set of rules, and a consistent form of communication. I use management equipment such as gates, leashes, crates, and more, as necessary, so that I set all of my dogs up for success. If my other dogs are too distracting, then I train my puppy separately first.
I do not leave my dogs alone together until I am absolutely sure that there will be no issues.
More on how I help my dogs get along.
Hello,
I have recently adopted a 5 month old blue nose pitbull. He was taken from his litter at six weeks I’d what I was told. He is a good boy most of the time, but when he wants to play he likes to bite. When I first got him he had no bite inhibition, but has slowly learned a little. He can now mouth without always applying pressure but when he really wants to play he jumps on me and bite my arms with a good amount of pressure. He barks and jumps and bites. I know he is trying to play, but is being way to forceful. If I tell him no he gets more excited. If I put him in time out in his crate he calms down while he is in there and once let out starts again. If I ignore him he will sometimes stop or bite my legs and feet bc that’s all he has access to do. He won’t sit or listen well when he get in these spunky moods. Any suggestions on how to fix this?
My puppy will usually jump and bite when she is excited and has a lot of energy. The more excited she is, or the more energy she has, the more crazy she becomes.
When dogs jump and bite, we usually respond by shouting at them, pushing them back, or moving around a lot. This gets my dog even more excited, and further rewards her jumping/biting behavior, because she thinks that I am playing with her.
I help set my puppy up for success by-
1. Giving her structured and positive outlets for her energy. The more energy she spends doing obedience training, leash training, handling and grooming exercises, working for her food, etc., the less hyper she will be.
2. I manage my dog’s excitement level by throwing in many play breaks. We take frequent obedience breaks during play so that my dog can refocus on me, and calm down.
3. I set up clear play rules. If she breaks any play-rule, I no-mark and temporarily stop play. After I no-mark, I follow up with a simple command, e.g. Sit. In this way, she knows what to do instead and I can reward her well for it. More on what I do when my puppy bites.
4. I minimize timeout occurrences. I don’t do time-outs right away. I start by redirecting my puppy and giving her many many chances to do the right thing. In this way, I can reinforce/reward good behaviors and redirect something negative into something positive. More on how I do time-outs.
5. I set up a fixed routine and manage my dog’s environment so that she knows when is rest time, when is play time, obedience time, etc.
I talk more about some of the management techniques I use in the article above.
Hi There! I LOVE what iv read…. but I am eagerly on a knowledge quest…. My husband and I have two boys 7 and 3, a 4yr old female boxer pit-bull mix AND as of 2 days ago we adopted a 7 month old male husky! We have always wanted a big family and have been talking for a year about finding a new dog to make our family bigger! I told him when the time was right, the right dog would find us. And find us he did!!! This family had this dog who they couldn’t take care of and didn’t have time for. He sent me a pic of him and I seen a dog who was longing for a family to stand by him and give him the life he deserves. So early the very next day we dropped everything and drove seven hours to get him! We knew he would not be fully trained and have some bad habits but it became clear that these people literally paid no attention to him and taught him NOTHING. I am a little concern being he is 7 months old and didn’t even know his name that the other people had given him. That was my biggest shock. I am wondering about what he should know right now, and if he will have any developmental problems from the lack of stimulation and care. No matter what, hes my dog know, his name is Odin, and we are his forever family. He really is a good dog who is a huge lover and is sweeter than any person i have ever met, he wont leave my side, and we can all see a HUGE drive in his eyes and actions for learning. He WANTS to learn. He craves it. I just want to make sure i give him the tools he needs to do that properly. Even though he 7 months old and knows NOTHING do u think he has a good chance to change? and what would be the best way to go about this / what is THE FIRST THING i should start with!?! PLEASE help us! i have a whole list of behaviors and actions i have already witnessed that need help.
thank you for ANYTHING u can tell me!
I SUGGEST TRAINING AT PETSMART OR LOCAL BIG FRANCISER PET ONCE A WEEK. THEY LEARN TO INTERACT OUTSIDE YOUR ENVIROMENT AND OTHER DOGS. GOOD LUCK I LOVE MU HUSKIE THE BEST DOGS EVER
Congratulations on your new Husky puppy! I am so very glad that he has found such a good and happy forever home. 😀
He is still very young, and Huskies are an intelligent and independent breed, so he will probably learn fast. With a new puppy, I usually start by setting up a very simple but consistent system of communication (with a mark and a no-mark). Then I start teaching very simple commands, e.g. Look, Touch, Sit, which I outline above.
More on how I establish a mark and no-mark.
I also set up a very fixed schedule and a consistent set of rules. Consistency is very important, so I make sure that everyone in the household enforces the same set of rules, and in the same way. I also set up clear rules of interaction with my other dogs. I supervise closely to make sure that everyone is following the rules, and I manage my new puppy very well, so as to set her up for success. In this way, my dogs know exactly what to expect from each other, what to expect from me and others in the household, and what I expect from them in return. This creates certainty, which helps to reduce stress and conflicts.
More on how I introduce a new dog into my household.
I do not leave my new puppy with my other dogs alone or unsupervised until I am very very sure that there will be no issues.
Bite inhibition exercises and puppy socialization exercises have also been very useful for my dogs.
More on how I deal with puppy biting.
ASPCA article on puppy socialization.
Finally, I start small, go at a comfortable pace for my puppy, and always try to set her up for success. Learning is a lot more fun when it is positive and very rewarding. I start with the more important problems that I see first, and then work my way forward with each success. Of course the behaviors that I start with depend on the dog, her environment, routine, etc.
Big hugs to Odin!
Has Odin been to the vet for a check-up? I also visit the vet for all new dogs just to make sure everything is ok physically.
hi!!
I have recently adopted a husky puppy at a tender age of 40 days. Her mother is no more and i could really use some help with advice on their initial fooding habits and how do i get it to socialize. Also, i am getting the puppy home tomorrow, so could you please advice on what do i buy before hand for the puppy.
I have already bought a bed, some toys, a finger toothbrush, food bowls for water and cerelac, two boxes of cerelac and a brush with both metallic bristles and soft bristles. Should i buy a crate for her crate training? anything else i should keep in my.
I am a bit nervous, but i could not see the puupy in that state.
Please advice..
Hello KK,
Kudos to you for helping out a young puppy in need. I got my pups at around 8 weeks, so I don’t have experience with caring for younger puppies.
Where did you adopt the puppy from? In terms of feeding and care I would get help from your vet and a good responsible breeder.
Here are some things that I bought for my puppy.
In terms of socialization, this article from the ASPCA has some good information on socializing puppies.
http://www.aspca.org/pet-care/virtual-pet-behaviorist/dog-behavior/socializing-your-puppy
Remember though that puppies do not have fully developed immune systems yet, and are more susceptible to diseases. Therefore, we want to make sure to socialize our puppy in a safe environment, and with other dogs/puppy that are healthy and have proper vaccination records.
More on dog socialization.
My dog Crystal is a year and a half and now she is a first time mom. We now have 2 of her baby pups and she plays with them but idk if she might be hurting them because it looks like she bites them and the pups start barking at her? They are about to be 2 months and are still smaller than her. Also how do I control the pups from crying whenever I see them and them wanting to go inside the house?
I am not a breeder so I do not have experience with this. I would try to contact a good AKC breeder (of the relevant breed) for advice on such matters.
Here is an ASPCA article on newborn puppy care-
https://www.aspca.org/pet-care/dog-care/newborn-puppy-care
Hi there.
I have a 10 month old pup. And theres a bit of a story to this.
He was a rescue pup, he was stuck in a kennel for 18+ hours a day, and due to his previous owner, he had lost his eye, and thats how i got him.
he was about 5.5 months when I got him.
and i have tried everything to make him stop biting and jumping. Hes gotten to the point that he bites to play and my poor mother is bruised to high heavens. I walk him, i reward him for good behavior, take him to the dog park with other dogs, what more can I do? I love my little guy, very much, but his attitude is terrible! Please help!
Some things that help with my dog in terms of biting-
1. We do bite inhibition exercises so that he learns to control the force of his bites, especially with people.
http://shibashake.com/dog/bite-inhibition
2. Redirection and no-bite training
http://shibashake.com/dog/puppy-biting-how-to-stop-puppy-biting
3. A fixed routine and a consistent set of rules. I motivate my dogs to follow rules by following the Nothing in Life is Free program with all of my dogs. I talk more about this in the article above.
When I get a new dog, he does not know what is the proper way to interact with people. People have thinner and much more sensitive skins than dogs, therefore I start by teaching him how to properly and safely interact with people, and how to be successful in a human world.
More on how I deal with dog jumping.
More on how I trained my puppy.
Hi I have an 48 days old german shepherd it keeps byting and does not play with toys but it prefers hand finger and foot if i leave it in cage it keeps shouting kindly suggest what has to be done
http://shibashake.com/dog/how-i-trained-my-husky-puppy
http://shibashake.com/dog/bite-inhibition
http://shibashake.com/dog/nothing-in-life-is-free-dog-training
Help please. I have a 12 week old Siberian Husky puppy called Phoenix. I make sure she is well cared for, played with everything, but lately she has started to bark at me and family member and even tries to bite you if you don’t back down at her. She has been trained in how to sit, and that she doesn’t get a reward unless she has done something good. Feels like I am doing some thing wrong other than this little problem she is a great dog, very friendly to strangers and loves being around children.
What do you and other family members do when she barks or bites at you? In what situations does she bark or try to bite? What is her daily routine like? What are her house rules?
My Huskies do well when there is structure and a fixed routine. I set up a set of consistent rules and keep to a regular schedule. I also follow the Nothing in Life is Free program. I talk more about these things in the article above.
What I do when my Husky puppy tries to bite at me.
I also do bite inhibition training with my dogs.
Consistency, timing, technique, and repetition are all very important while training my Husky. Everyone in the house uses the same training techniques and enforces the same rules so that there is consistency, and my puppy does not get confused.
When in doubt, I consult with a good professional trainer because dog behavior is very context dependent. When I was having issues with my Shiba Inu, we visited with several trainers. It was also helpful to have someone there to help me with timing, technique, and consistency.
Congratulations on your new Husky boy and big hugs to Phoenix.
Hi I have a 7 month old husky called Titan I love him to bits but I can’t get to stop biting I have tried all sort e.g using toys, spray bottle, a loud “ouch” and putting him in is cage for a time out. But still he bites and it is getting harder and hurting I am scared when I have visitors with there children, that he will hurt them xx
What is Titan’s daily routine like?
Some things that I do with my Husky pups –
1. I set them up for success by setting up a structured, consistent, and calm environment. I have a fixed routine and consistent rules. Managing their environment, and following the Nothing in Life is Free program is a big part in keeping my Huskies calm and motivated to follow house rules, including how to behave with people. I talk more about how I manage their environment in the article above.
2. I train my dogs to have a soft mouth through bite inhibition training.
http://shibashake.com/dog/bite-inhibition
3. This is what I do when my Husky puppy bites on me.
http://shibashake.com/dog/how-i-trained-my-husky-puppy#bite-training
I *do not* use crates for timeouts because I want my dog to associate his crate with being calm and positive experiences. I use the crate for transportation and management, so I want it to be a relaxing space.
More on how I do timeouts.
Note however, that dog behavior is very context dependent so each dog and each situation is different. I always make sure to adapt techniques to suit my dog and my environment. When in doubt, I get help from a good professional trainer.
https://apdt.com/pet-owners/choosing-a-trainer/
I supervise and use manage equipment such as leashes, gates, and more as necessary to make sure that everyone is safe.
More on how I deal with bad dog behavior.
Hey ,
I am so glad I found this website !!!
I got an 8 week old husky puppy 3 days ago , he s name is Skye and he s lovely , but i m really having difficulties in teaching him to not pee everywhere 🙁 , i try redirecting him all the time to the place where he should and i treat him when he does good , any additional tips please??? also when i try to caress not just play but he doesn t stand still and just bites everything on me all my clothes and especially my hands …. what to do:( , i try to say no but he keeps biting…. again any advice please?:(
Thank you for everything !!!!!
Regards
Iulia Neagoe
Congratulations on your new Husky puppy!
In terms of potty training, I find that supervision is key. I need to be watching my puppy so that as soon as I see her show any of her potty signals, I can quickly take her outside to do her business. Then, I can reinforce the behavior by rewarding her *very very well* for it with a lot of fun play, affection, and treats. The more successes we have, the more she learns that going outside is the right thing to do. Similarly, if she goes in the house and nobody is there to supervise her, then she will think it is ok to go in the house.
I also set up a fixed routine for my puppy, so that her potty schedule also becomes more regular. Here is more on what I do to potty train my puppy.
As for puppy biting, this is what I do when my puppy bites on me. My puppy also does better when she has a consistent structure, rules, and a fixed routine. In this way, she knows what is expected of her and also what to expect from me. I follow the Nothing in Life is Free program with all of my dogs. I talk more about what I do in the article above.
Here is a bit more on how dogs learn.
I have a 3 month old Boxer who has aton of energy but the problem I have is the leash. She loves to bite it and it get wrapped around her legs. She also has this thing about grabbing my pant leg and going to between my legs when outside walking. How do i get this under control? Please help
Here are some of my leash-biting experiences with my Shiba Inu.
I have a 4 month female Labrador , I don’t know if you know about them much but she is quite a handful and sometimes it gets annoying. She does not obey my command or when she actually listens to sit is when I have food in my hand plus she has a bad biting problem with just me she also tries to grab my legs and does not let go and she’s super hyper … I don’t know what to do . Please help.
This is what I do with my puppy to teach her not jump and bite on me.
Here are a few more things that helped with training my puppy.
I also follow the Nothing in Life is Free program with all of my dogs, and I try to give them many structured outlets for their hyper puppy energy.
Visiting with a professional trainer can also be helpful.
http://www.apdt.com/pet-owners/choosing-a-trainer/
Hi there,
I need some serious help. I have an almost 4 month old husky puppy that we got when she was 2.5 months old. Since day one almost she has been a biter and I did a lot of research on Siberian Huskys and found that they we’re great dogs for kids which I have 2 6 and 3 year old girls but I did not see this problem coming as I have never experienced it in other puppys I have owned in the past and biting was corrected fairly quickly. But she is getting to the point where she is inflicting damage. For example my youngest was sitting at the table coloring and I was doing the dishes and she came up to her grabbed her by the arm and yanked her off the chair ( I can not figure out why ) she broke skin, then tonight my daughter was sitting on the couch and the puppy comes full speed out of our bedroom jumps on the couch grabs her by the arm again and pulled her down off the couch and started dragging her I was so petrified because my daughter was screaming but nothing was coming out and I looking at her arm and you could see each individual tooth impression and the fangs punctured her skin again. Now I understand not freaking out pulling your arm away screaming but how are small children supposed to act when being attacked out of no where and it is extremely painful. Also my husband scruffed her because she was not letting go and she turned around and bit him and drew A LOT of blood from him. Here’s what I have done so far stuck with one command for a few weeks NO BITE firmly…No results at all next I tried holding her muzzles for a few seconds for another few weeks no result. I have also tried puppy time outs and she yelps very loudly scratches the door to the point where the paint is coming off. As far as her home life goes I walk her 4 miles everyday, she has an abundance of toys and plenty of attention since I am a stay at home mom. I am at a loss I have tried to yelp and it futher excites her too, but I am so upset because we may have to give her up if we can not get this under control because it has already become a danger to my children since she is breaking skin now and I can’t have that happening no matter how much I love her. I just feel like she is taking over the house because we are all being bitten for no good reason my kids are terrified now because they have taken bite after bite from her and she’s not even four months old. Any Advice?
Hello Sarah,
My youngest Husky, Lara, was also pretty mouthy as a puppy. She is very energetic and would often get bitey when she wants to play and interact with me. She uses her mouth to play with my other dogs, and she also tries to play with me in that way. Some things that help with Lara-
1. I do a lot of bite inhibition training with all my dogs. Bite inhibition teaches a dog to control the force of her bites when interacting with people.
2. I put a drag-lead on Lara during her training period. I *only* do this when I am right there to supervise, and I make sure to use a flat collar (not an aversive collar). If she gets mouthy while interacting with a guest, I will no-mark the behavior. If she does not stop, I calmly lead her away using her drag-lead. Then, we do simple some obedience commands, which helps her to calm down. I make sure to reward her well for doing commands and being calm. Then she stays with me for a while. When she is fully calm, I let her try again. In this way, she learns that –
3. I set up a fixed routine for puppy Lara and teach her interaction rules with people and other dogs. To do this, I need to supervise her very closely during interaction. If I am too busy to supervise, I keep her with me in the kitchen or computer room. In this way, I am always right there if she plays too rough, and I can properly correct the behavior in a calm way, and teach her what to do instead. After she learns the rules of play and knows what is expected of her, then I *very slowly* give her more freedom.
4. I play structured games with Lara – this is a good way to train her to control her bites even when she is excited. For example, when we play tug, the rule is no getting teeth on me and no jumping on me. If she does any of these things, I no-mark and briefly stop the game. I also manage her level of excitement by throwing in lots of play breaks, where we do some simple obedience commands so she refocuses on me and gets a chance to calm down. I make sure to reward her very well during play breaks, so she is very happy to follow commands. After a short break, we start the game again. Playing structured games helps to teach her impulse control.
5. I follow the Nothing in Life is Free program with all of my dogs. It is a very good way to teach them and motivate them to follow house rules and interaction rules.
6. If Lara bites or jumps on me, this is what I do.
7. Giving Lara other outlets for her wrestling and rough-play energy also helps. She got lots of supervised play sessions with my other two dogs, and we also took her to puppy play-groups in a nearby dog daycare center. I visited the daycare place first, and made sure that everything is well run, clean, all the puppies are healthy and properly vaccinated, etc.
To stop biting, being calm is very important. If there is a lot of shouting and moving around, that will get Lara even more excited, and she would want to bite and play more. What works best for her, is to be calm, to quickly no-mark the behavior, and to be right there to stop her and teach her what to do instead. Timing, consistency, and repetition are key in puppy training.
This is where the drag-lead is very helpful. In the beginning, I used to grab my Shiba Inu (during his puppy days), and he would redirect his excited energy onto me. He never broke skin because of bite inhibition, but it was not very pleasant. He also got very sensitive to handling because he associated people touching him with punishment. Using a drag-lead helps me to avoid all that, and get him under control quickly. If he is too excited, I just walk him around for a while with the lead, so that he can release his energy.
In addition, I try to manage my dogs so that they don’t get into a high state of excitement. When they play with each other or are interacting with people, I throw in many play breaks. Each break helps them to calm down and refocus on me.
For this to work, I also make sure that my guests understand the right way to interact with my dogs. For example, no rough play, no teasing them with food and toys, and no corrections. I correct my own dogs so that there is consistency in their training, and so that they always know what to expect from the people around them.
Here is a bit more on how dogs learn.
It was also helpful to consult with professional trainers during my difficult times with my Shiba Inu-
http://www.apdt.com/pet-owners/choosing-a-trainer/
I have the same problem but not that bad. She is a husky too and she is 8.5 mouths old now and still doing it she is getting better. What we did is get her a kneel that will help with your door being damaged and make sure she sleeps in it too. Every time my dog gets excited or starts to bite in the house that’s where she goes and she knows she’s in trouble. But sometimes she bites for other reasons like instead of waiting at the door and she comes up and bites me I try to ignore and then she well usely give up and go to the door and bark and if she doesn’t give up in the kneel she goes
I really hope this information is helpful I love my dog too it does get better I promise the first three mouths were treable but now she is doing so much better I’m only 14 years old and I have to go to school and then I do volunteer work on the weekends. Then your a stay at home mom you have so much more time that you get to spend with your dog.
It also helps when she gets all excited that you put a leach on her to have her calm down
I recently brought home my 8 week old Shiba, Kira, and believe that she is the most interesting little thing! She is so entertaining to play with and watch but she likes to chew on EVERYTHING! Especially anything that is hard (metal chair legs/tv stand, concrete, and the wood platform for a chair), along with this she’s starting to nip at people near the face. How should we get this behavior to stop?
Congratulations on your new puppy!
With Sephy, timeouts work well for controlling his people biting behavior. Here is more on what I do.
For biting on furniture and other things, I no-mark, body block him away, and redirect him onto a toy. If he redirects, I make sure to reward him well with a fun game. If he keeps going back to bite on the furniture, then I limit his freedom and keep him in the kitchen with me using a baby gate. In this way, he learns that-
Bite on toys = Get rewarded with games and attention,
Bite on furniture = Lose freedom to roam in the furniture area.
I also follow the NILIF program, set up a fixed schedule, consistent rules, and many of the other things that I describe above.
Big hugs to Kira!
Hi, I’m really pleased to have found your site, we just re-homed a saluki/lurcher puppy. She is 7 months and came from a home with young children, who couldn’t cope with her anymore. We’re only at day 3, and you tips will really help. They are clear and not complicated like some advice. Looking forward to putting everything into practice!!
Sarah
Four paws up for helping out a dog in need. I am glad that your puppy girl has found such a good home. Big hugs to her! 😀
Thanks, we also have a retired racing greyhound called Ash, he is getting to know her, and I just found your second dog section so will be using that too!!! x
I was so glad to find your website! It’s given me renewed enthusiasm and cleared my head a bit with training my dog
I have a 13 week old Rottweiler x Border Collie who is not only remarkably strong and unusually large but also one of the most intelligent dogs I have known. He is going to puppy school at the moment and is certainly giving the trainer a run for her money. He has quickly worked out right and wrong and ways to circumvent the rules.
Biting is our only issue. The power of a Rottie bite even of a puppy is quite something.
As it is just me and him and I know that he is teething / playing / working out his role in the “pack” I’ve come to recognize the different types of bites he has and that some techniques are better than others at dealing with them. It’s the aggressive biting where he growls and then leaps at me from nowhere and I have to pry his jaws apart which is the one that nothing seems to stop. For instance this morning he was having a great time running around the park and after 45minutes he latched onto my leg, started thrashing around and it took me 15 minutes to calm him down. Not before inflicting cuts and bruises on my leg. I have no idea what triggered it.
I’m told it gets better and that he’ll calm down as he gets older. I certainly hope so! Anyway thanks again for your site
What I have noticed with my Shiba Inu, Sephy, is that he would get especially mouthy when over-excited. What I try to do with him, is to manage his excitement level and always introduce structure into his routine; especially during play-time where he is most likely to get excited.
For example, during play, I would throw in many play breaks. I call him to me, we do some obedience commands so that refocuses on me and is able to calm down. I make sure to reward him very very well during breaks then he can go back to playing. I also institute and teach him clear rules during play. If he does not play nice, I end the game, so he is very motivated to follow play rules.
Parks are often very high stimulus, so I usually start training with Sephy at home first, then I *very slowly* increase the environmental challenge once he has learned the rules of a particular activity. I pick his environments carefully and don’t expose him to more than he can handle. In this way, he does not keep practicing bad behaviors, and play-time can be a positive learning experience.
Here is more of what I do during our play time.
We got a pug cross with American kelpi, we are struggling to the point where she has so many behavioural problems we might have to start putting her in the dangerous dog category. She jumps up and ifher teeth don’t get you she will make sure her claws get you on the way down, she always jumps up its like she has a coiled spring up her arse, she bites every chance she gets despite us spending over 200quid on loads of bones,toys, other distraction bits but her only goal seems to be to bite, we tried the techniques about jumping up and it just turned her into a harder biter, she has now started going for my groin, our clothes are not safe our hands,feet,cats, shoes are all targets.
She constantly eats stones and no matter how we tell her no she will guzzle them down. She knocks her water over so she isn’t drinking. We brought 6 different bowls but they all end up over the floor. Causing a slippery surface and then when your trying to clear it up she tries to bite you or trip you up, if she trips you up she is going for your face. She is 3 months old and we are already considering having her destroyed. I’ve had dogs before but never this bad
I would get help from a professional trainer.
http://www.apdt.co.uk/dog-owners/choosing-a-trainer
This is what I do to stop my dog from biting. However, dog training is very context dependent and each dog and each situation is different. A good trainer can visit with the dog, observe his body language, routine, environment and more, to identify the source of his problem behaviors.
Here is an article on why dogs eat rocks and what we can do. Rock eating can be very dangerous to a dog because it can obstruct his stomach or intestinal tract. I would put a lead on my dog and supervise him closely to prevent further rock eating, as well as get professional help as soon as possible.
Hello,
We have a 10-wk-old Shiba Inu female, and she is extremely mouthy since we brought her home two weeks ago. I would say that 98% of the time I cannot even pet her without her trying to bite me! I have read your articles and tried all the steps, but we are seeing no change in her aggressive behavior. Sometimes she gets into “running fits” where all she does is run around the house, stopping occassionally to bite our hands/feet, or chew furniture, so we catch and crate her until she calms down.
I’m just very worried because if we cannot control this bad behavior before she grows up…we are just concerned. We don’t want to give her up or get sued for dog bite. How long, or at what age, should we expect to see her calm down? Thank you!
Hello Abigail,
The running around behavior is very common for a Shiba, especially a young Shiba. This is often called the Shiba 500. Sephy also did a lot of that when he was young and he was also very mouthy. Sephy didn’t particularly like much affection, and he is very stubborn. He is better with affection now, and even seeks it out sometimes, but still less so than my Sibes. I had to do a lot of touch and grooming exercises with him to get him comfortable with being handled.
When training Sephy, I learned that dog behavior is very dependent on timing and context. Therefore, details on exactly what I do, when I do it, what Sephy is doing in response, and the surrounding context are all very important.
In terms of biting, this is what I do –
1. I no-mark the behavior, and redirect Sephy into doing something else (e.g. a structured game or doing alternate commands).
2. If he redirects, then I reward him by continuing our game.
3. If he does not redirect, and continues to bite at me then I withdraw my attention by standing up, folding my arms, and turning away from him.
4. If he is biting, running around crazily, and I want to stop him, then I step on his drag-lead. I step when he comes close and slows down, or when he changes direction and slows down. After I stop him, I get him to do some commands with me. I *do no* chase him. Sephy loves to play chasing games so if I chase him, I would only get him more excited, he would run more, and I would be *rewarding* his crazy behavior by playing chasing games with him.
Note – I only use a drag lead with a thick flat collar that is properly sized and *NEVER* with an aversive collar. I only use the drag lead when I am supervising Sephy. I make sure there is give on the lead and I step hard enough that he can’t escape, but not too hard that he is forced to make a hard-stop; which would not be good for his neck. This is also why I wait until he slows down. Details are very important in dog training.
5. If he escalates his behavior and jumps on me or bites me when I am holding his lead, then I calmly say “Timeout” and take him to a low stimulus timeout area. I *do not* use his crate for timeouts, because I want his crate to be a positive area that he associates with sleeping, eating, and safety. Here is more on what I do with timeouts.
Dog behavior is very dependent on context and on the temperament of the dog. In my articles, I describe my experiences with Sephy, Shania, and Lara. However, I *do not* do exactly the same things with each dog. Each dog is different, each dog has different priorities, and are motivated differently. I adapt my training to properly suit the temperament of each dog.
When Sephy was young, we visited with several professional trainers. A good trainer can observe Sephy, read his body language, and get to know his temperament. A good trainer can also help with timing, technique, and more, all of which are very important in retraining a behavior.
http://www.apdt.com/pet-owners/choosing-a-trainer/
Things got better with Sephy after I learned how to properly handle him, set up a fixed routine, established consistent rules, and properly motivated him to follow those rules.
Energy wise, Sephy calmed down some at around 1.5 years old. Then he calmed down more as he got older. He needed a lot more structured exercise and structured activities when he was young. However, even today, I have him on a fixed routine and consistent rules.
With Sephy –
1. Part of it is about his youthful energy and redirecting it into positive structured activities,
2. Part of it is about controlling my own internal energy, as well as learning when and how to properly handle Sephy,
3. Part of it is about teaching him house rules, and motivating him properly to follow those rules.
I have a 9 week Cocker spaniel, new to the family and now part of our pack. She is a hyper little thing and seems to have bonded with me specifically. She seems to have separation anxiety when I am not any where she can see. I cant even leave her in the kitchen with her food with baby gate up or she will whine, nor leave the living room as she does the same, I have tried distraction, and get her to play with my older dog and always wait till shes ignoring me when I leave the room but she just cries till I return. If my partner is in, she sometimes doesnt bother if Im not in the room with her but others times she goes crazy. Ive tried not returning till she is quiet and doing it alot but I dont see the difference. I think I might be comparing her personality to my older dog (rottweiler/gsd) as he didnt bother when I left him etc, just worry that its going to be a bigger problem when shes older. Any advice would be great thanks.
What helped with my Shiba Inu in terms of separation anxiety are desensitization exercises-
http://shibashake.com/dog/separation-anxiety-dog-why-how-reduce-dog-stress#desensitize
I also did a lot of socialization exercises with him, which helped him to build confidence and made him more comfortable with new experiences. He really enjoyed his Sirius puppy class and getting to socialize with other dogs and other people. I made sure to pick a good class, where the instructor checked for puppy vaccination records for all the dogs.
http://shibashake.com/dog/dog-socialization-what-why-how
Here is some more general information on dog anxiety.
Hope this helps. Good luck!
I have a 3month old husky, he wines so much while in his kennel. I knew from the start that huskies would be vocal but geez, I need sleep also. What can I do????? I tried frozen Kong toys, regular toys everthing right now I need some new ideas before I start to cry myself.
Yeah, puppies may whine/cry, especially in the beginning, because of anxiety and stress. From the puppy’s perspective, he has just been separated from his mother and siblings, is now in a totally new environment, and with people that he is not very familiar with.
To help my puppy through this transition, I find that it helps to have him in the bedroom with me at night. I put him in his crate and place the crate in a place where he can see me and is fairly close to me. This helps to reduce anxiety and can also help with bonding. Puppies don’t have very big bladders, so I usually have to wake up a couple of times at night to take my puppy outside to do his business.
Now that my Huskies are older, they prefer being downstairs or outside in the enclosed yard, where it is cooler. I let them decide where they want to sleep.
Here is a bit more on dog anxiety and separation anxiety.
This article describes the first 10 days with my Husky puppy Lara.
Hello,
I have a 9 week old Siberian Husky and everytime he sees me he bites me. I have many scrateches and bite marks on my legs and arms. What can do? Please Help!
Hello Alice,
My Sibe Lara was also very mouthy when she was a puppy. Several things that helped with her –
1. Bite inhibition training.
http://shibashake.com/dog/bite-inhibition
2. Giving her an alternative command. Here is a step by step of what I do when Lara bites me-
http://shibashake.com/dog/how-i-trained-my-husky-puppy#bite-training
Some repetitions may be needed before puppy understands what behaviors are desirable by us, and which behaviors are undesirable. Consistency is also very important.
Congratulations on your new Husky puppy. Big hugs to him!
Thank you!
Also, I noticed that my Siberian Husky has shown food possessiveness near my other dogs. He gets along with him, but when they try to eat from his bowl he starts growling at them. When I place my hand in his bowl he does not growl. I don’t want this to become a problem in the future. How can I stop him from doing this?
Hello Alice,
Some things that have helped keep the peace with my dogs-
1. No stealing rule – I do not let them steal from each other. During meal times, the each work on their own interactive food toy. I am there to supervise and make sure there is no stealing.
2. Group obedience exercises – I reward them very well when they are calm together and working together for me. This shows them that being calm and working together gets them the most food and attention.
3. I resolve resource conflicts – When there are conflicts over resources, I will step in and resolve things *before* they start to use aggression. I teach them that I am the one that handles resource issues so that they do not have to do it themselves.
Here is more on what I do with my dogs-
http://shibashake.com/dog/second-dog-introducing-a
Help. My siberian digs. Plants outside, lights what can I do?
http://shibashake.com/dog/puppy-obedience-training/comment-page-1#comment-5264
I have 2 ten week old husky pups and i am trying to train them on a leash but they pull back away from me when i try to get them to walk beside me but they wont what can i do to get them to walk beside me
Here are some of my experiences with leash training and pulling-
http://shibashake.com/dog/leash-training-your-dog
http://shibashake.com/dog/stop-dog-pulling
Hello… I have a beagle puppie and i have this sitiation that when my kids want to play with him he start biting and he bite hart but he think he is playing with them but after playing my girl start crying because he bite a lit and hart. And he is only 7 weeks. Please help me i really need help i dont want to give him in adopcion but if he does not change this behaivor.. Please helpppppppp
Hello Hachi,
Bite inhibition training really helped with my dogs during puppyhood. Bite inhibition teaches a dog to control the force of his bites during play.
http://shibashake.com/dog/bite-inhibition
Here are some of the things that helped me train and manage my puppy-
http://shibashake.com/dog/how-i-trained-my-husky-puppy
http://shibashake.com/dog/puppy-obedience-training
Hi there. The boyfriend has very little interest in taking care of the dog. I was the one who wanted a dog (I waited 15 yrs!) and so I try to not burden him with day to day activities. He almost never joins us on walks (although I would have liked the company) and rarely feeds or teaches the dog. He does sometimes play ball with him, which the dog truly loves. Their relationship was rocky from the start… he was not prepared for the biting and sometimes feral nature of a Shiba puppy. Neither was I frankly, but I have an enormous amount of patience when it comes to animals. Not so much with humans….
At any rate, before aquiring a dog, we watched tons of Dog Whisperer and discussed every episode. After getting the dog, he decided that the show seemed unhelpful in the puppy phase, and stopped watching. I read tons of books on dog training and he occassionally skimmed one or two for choice bits.
He’s very fond of informing me that he did “not want this animal.”
Although there are times when they get along beautifully and he’s very good with Maverick (the dog). But overall… it’s been a rocky road between the two of them.
With regard to Cesar Millan (whom I greatly admire) – the alpha roll has only caused chaos in our home. Maverick responds horribly to it and the violence only escalates.
What I take away from the show is keeping my intention in my mind and trying to focus on my energy and what I want the dog to do or not do. It seems to work really well. I just can’t seem to make the boyfriend believe this is a great way to connect with a canine.
And yes, we’ve discussed the incident quite a bit.
He claims the dog was in no danger and (after a rant about how it was a human’s right to kill a biting dog) he insisted that he would always lash out when feeling cornered and attacked, but not with deadly force.
We can’t really seem to agree on what transpired.
I would love to hire a private trainer but was out of work for 6 months and money is very tight right now, so I’m still reading up on dogs and more training advice. And looking for a new place to live…. As I’ve just grown so weary of the constant fights… most surrounding how to raise a dog. And then reminders about how he never wanted one. I’m sensing I need to find a new bf that truly loves dogs – and most importantly – can exercise restraint and extreme patience with them.
I notice that you’re located in CA. If you can recommend a great (positive reinforcement) trainer in the LA/OC area, I’d be very curious to talk to them.
Yeah, I had the same experience with Sephy.
That is very well said. I think that is the crux of the issue.
I am actually in northern CA. I have only visited LA a couple of times, so I don’t know the area well. The trainers that I liked most either work in a well-run shelter, or are in charge of a good dog daycare center. In both these cases, they had a variety of balanced dogs that could work together with my dog.
Hi. I’ve read a great deal of your training advise and have found it very helpful. My 10 month old Shiba is a fantastic dog about 70% of the time and the other 30% he’s a serious handful. Maybe that’s a good ratio for a Shiba? He’s the first dog that I’ve raised so I don’t have much to compare him to and I’m kind of making things up as I go. He’s learned quite a bit and bites far less than he used to (those puppy teeth were brutal) but he still chases and tackles the cat (when he’s not grooming the cat) and unfortunately it causes my (ex) boyfriend to become enraged. He has far less patience than I do, and as a result he’s much more frustrated by my Shiba’s less than perfect behvior. This past week he tried to protect the cat, got bit, and then seized the dog by the scruff of the neck, lifting him high into the air. When I complained, he tossed the dog down the hallway. I was horrified. I can’t risk having my dog injured by my loved-one and I broke up with him the next day. We’ve been together 3 years and have been living together the last 2. I realize this is not a relationship advise column, but what I’m looking for is a way to convince him (and future suitors) that the dog requires patience and that anger only heightens his bad behavior. I figured it was worth a shot to reach out to an outside source. I’m fiercely protective of my animals, and I fear that the next man might do even worse…. So here I am seeking human-animal relationship advise. Any words of wisdom welcome.
Hello Sasha,
You pose some really interesting questions.
1. Calm energy.
I think one thing that all trainers can agree on is that calm energy is important in dog training. One thing that helped when we got a Shiba, is that we both watched dog training programs together. Then, it becomes a joint activity, and we discussed the various techniques after the show. Discussing a program provides a nice, and less personal framework, for getting different people on the same page.
We also read various dog training books and discussed those as well.
2. Being calm and controlling our anger can be difficult.
I have a worse temper than my partner, so being calm does not come easily. However, I really love my dogs, and I could see that whenever I lost my temper, it really caused them stress. That really provided very strong motivation for me to change my ways.
Depending on temperament, I think some people may need extra help and motivation to manage their anger.
Did you talk to your bf after the incident? What did he say? Was he interested in discussing the issue?
What kind of relationship does he have with Shiba? Does he feed, walk, or play with Shiba?
3. Getting everyone involved
I do more stuff with the dogs, but I make sure to include my partner in doing things with them every day. He feeds them breakfast every day, and walks one dog in the morning. During the weekends he spends extra time with them. In this way, the dogs bond with both of us, and there is less of a my-dog-your-dog situation.
4. Getting a professional trainer.
Getting advice from an outsider and an expert can also help. Disagreements on bringing up a dog can often be taken personally when it comes from a loved one, or someone in the family. Often, it is easier to take such advice from an outsider.
Hope this helps. Would be interested in hearing your further thoughts on this as well.
My family just bought a 2 month old German Shepherd pup who just loves to bite me and my things but even my simple comand of ‘NO!” doesnt work on him all that much.
Hello Marissa,
If my puppy does not stop biting after I non-mark her (No or Ack-ack), I follow-up with some action.
First, I withdraw my attention by standing up, folding my arms, and turning away from puppy.
If my puppy stops biting and calms down, I praise her and start giving her attention and affection.
If my puppy escalates her behavior, jumps on me, and bites my clothes, I take her to time-out.
http://shibashake.com/dog/puppy-biting-how-to-stop
hi i just got a new dog and he is trying to bite people and he whines but he doesnt play that much also he is around 6 weeks old and a yorkie
Hello I have a deer head chihuahua who is a little over a year old. She is so adorable and lovable, whoever she has this one biting issue!! She’s not aggressive at all. Well when we come in from being out at say the store or something. Naturally she is excited when we return. She’ll do the whole run around crazy and jump on things but then as she’s sitting on the couch or bed as you walk past she bites you. Not hard or aggressively but bites. My biggest concern is she loves children but when she first meets them she jumps up and bites their hand. It’s kind of like her little greeting. Now she never hurts anyone while doing this but I hear ” oh she bit me not hard but she just nibbled on my finger.” Help!! I know she isn’t hurting them but I still do not want her doing this. What if she does this and someone decides to be silly and make an issue of it. What can I do?
What has worked well with my own dogs is to do-
1. Bite inhibition training. This teaches a dog to have a soft mouth and to control the force of her bites.
http://shibashake.com/dog/bite-inhibition
2. I also teach my dogs that it is not acceptable to bite on people. As you say, dogs may inadvertently hurt seniors and children even when they are just trying to play.
Here are some of my experiences with puppy biting-
http://shibashake.com/dog/puppy-biting-how-to-stop
I have a 2 year old Pit Bull Terrier mix and just recently got her from a shelter. Things were going good for a while but now she is biting constantly… she bites on her bed, my clothes, and ME. I am covered in HUGE bruises all over and I don’t know how to get her to stop. She is so loving and follows me everywhere but when ever I play with her this happens. She is high energy and i like to take her out for a walk and play but I have stopped playing cause of what she does to me. Im assuming she is just playing but i need this to stop. Ive tried just about everything “timeouts”, sprays, giving her a toy instead, holding her mouth…. everything i have done has made it worse. HELP!!!
Hello Samantha,
What has helped with my dogs is bite inhibition training. Bite inhibition teaches a dog to control the force of his bites, especially when interacting with people.
As for playing, I always have very strict rules with my dogs during play. I also have many breaks in-between so that they learn to calm down and to listen to me, even when they are excited. As soon as I notice the dogs starting to get over-excited, I stop play and do some obedience commands.
http://shibashake.com/dog/dog-play-fun-games-to-play-with-your-dog-or-puppy
Finally, what has made the biggest difference with my dogs in terms of biting, is for me to stay calm and to always be consistent. Every time my dog bites, I non-mark and withdraw my attention. If he continues, I calmly say timeout and remove him to a timeout area. If he starts biting again when he comes out, he goes in for a longer timeout. Then I just repeat.
How often we need to repeat this will depend on the temperament of the dog. Stubborn dogs will require more repetitions.
i was wondering when you put your dog in timout, do you close the door so he cant get out? If you do close the door how long do you keep him in there.
http://shibashake.com/dog/puppy-biting-how-to-stop-puppy-biting#timeout
Hi, I have a 11 week old Pomeranian lately she’s been very aggressive, yesterday she bit me in the foot!! What can I do to make her stop? Also, me and my fiancé are trying to potty train her but she still pees and poops everywhere!! She chews and drags the puppy pads!! Please help!
Here is more on how to stop puppy biting.
For potty training, I usually train my puppy to go outside.
http://shibashake.com/dog/dog-potty-training-facts-and-myths
Hello! I have a super cool malamute/husky pup who is just 4 months old. He is really smart and playful, a bit stubborn, but I have patience. One thing though I am having issues is his biting…but only with me! lol. He lives with my and my fiance and he only mainly bites me. I have set rules, I taken away play time. I am very firm. but he still bites me when I walk. I sometimes wonder if its a “I love you so much I want to bite you” situation lol? if that even exists? the reason I say this is because I am his sole caretaker, I am with him 24/7.
I have tried the suggestions above, but still only bites me. Is it something that just goes away as long as I continue with my strict rules on biting? Any help is appreciated! 🙂
Hello Stef,
Have you tried using timeouts? When my Sibe puppy bites me, I non-mark her (Ack-ack) and give her an alternate command, e.g. Sit. If she does this she gets rewarded with affection and sometimes a treat.
If she continues with her biting I fold up my arms, stand up, and turn away from her, thereby withdrawing all my attention. Usually when puppies bite they are just trying to get attention and play with us. By withdrawing my attention I teach puppy that sitting calmly gets her attention and affection, but biting on me gets her ignored.
If she escalates her behavior and jumps and bites my clothes, then I say time-out and lead her to a boring timeout area. In this way she learns that when she jumps and bites she not only loses my attention but also her freedom in the house.
http://shibashake.com/dog/puppy-biting-how-to-stop-puppy-biting#timeout
Thanks for the tips, you confirmed my suspicion that my puppy bites when play sessions are overdue. This is my first dog (since I was a kid anyways) and I got him from a shelter that had no background info on him (e.g. Abuse, neglect, ect). He seems very loving but sometimes I worry he has other behaviors I am yet to see. Thankfully he is pretty young (18 weeks) and still impressionable.
Hello Sara,
Congratulations on your new puppy.
My Sibe puppy is now about 8 months old. She is a lot of fun and is always brimming with energy. She is also pretty food focused, which really helps with training.
What is your puppy’s name? He sounds like a lot of fun as well. Definitely take lots of pictures and share a link here when you have the time. They grow up very quickly. 🙂
Hi We have a 15 week Malamute/Husky male called Teeko. He is good when we say sit which is before all meals. BUT.. he just won’t stop biting. Everytime he starts we put him outside, but he just doesn’t seem to learn that this is a punishment. What can we do ? He gets taken for walks, lots of ball play, lots of praise but still the biting. He is so nice when he’s asleep. Even if we just want to have a pat he turns the head and starts chomping.
For my dogs going outside is actually a fun experience so they don’t see that as a punishment either. In terms of timeouts I usually put them in a boring low-stimulus place where there is nothing to do. My usual timeout area is the laundry room. I make sure it is safe in there, but there is nothing to chew on or play with.
Bite inhibition training is also very useful for my dogs. This teaches them to control the force of their bites.
Another thing that helped a lot with my dogs is following the NILIF (Nothing in Life is Free) program.
Here are some things that helped with my dogs when they were puppies –
http://shibashake.com/dog/puppy-training-tips-and-advice
hi my puppy is only 11 weeks old and we have almost had him for three weeks. He was perfect for the first week aand a half. His name is bruno and he is a german shepherd dog. Everyone loves him but recently my dad went away on a business trip and he went nuts, now he is non stop biting and chewing and barking back when we tell him off, what should we do? he also has a knack for biting feet
Hmmm, that is very interesting.
It sounds like perhaps your dad is the one that sets up structure and routine for the dog so he is probably a bit stressed and testing his boundaries with the changes.
In general, what has worked out best for me and my dogs is for everyone in the family to use the same training methods and set up the same rules and structure. Consistency is very important for dogs. Following the NILIF (Nothing in Life is Free) program helps a lot.
Also, I have found that it is best to stay calm when interacting with my dogs. If I get stressed, angry, or frustrated, they get even more crazy.
When my new puppy bites, I calmly non-mark her (No or Ack-ack) and I redirect her onto biting something acceptable, e.g. a chew toy.
If she continues to bite, then I withdraw all my attention from her by folding up my arms and turning away.
If she escalates her behavior and jumps and bites then I say time-out and calmly take her to the time-out area.
Here are some more things that helped with my puppy –
http://shibashake.com/dog/puppy-training-tips-and-advice
my pup Roxy is very cute but she bites and I can’t help her anymore this training prosses is kind of working I wish there was an easier way!!!
Hello Catrina,
It gets better with time.
Usually, the most difficult time of training is at the beginning. Once our dog learns her boundaries and gets used to her routine, things will get a lot easier.
Good luck and hugs to Roxy. 😀
hiya i have 2 jack russells both girls lady is 4 and bonnie is 6 months old, bonnie is constantly play biting with lady and it concerns me that lady is going to get stressed as bonnie has only been with us a week what can i do to stop her any help would be appriciated i have tried saying no to her but she just carrys on thanx claire x
Hello Claire,
When I got my new Sibe puppy (she is now about 7 months old) she did the same thing to my two adult dogs.
One thing that really helped with her is to put a drag lead on her (only with a flat collar and not with an aversive collar). Whenever she was overdoing it with my other dogs, I would non-mark her (Ack, ack) and lead her away using the drag lead. Then I would engage her in doing something else.
I also set up a very fixed schedule for puppy so that during rest time she is tethered in the kitchen with a frozen Kong (under my supervision). That way my other dogs have some peaceful time as well.
When I am not home, I usually put puppy in her crate so that she can’t get into trouble. 🙂
Here are a few more things that I do with my puppy –
http://shibashake.com/dog/second-dog-introducing-a-second-dog
http://shibashake.com/dog/puppy-training-tips-and-advice
Hugs to your dogs.
I have a beautiful Shiba, and she certainly has lots of the behaviors you have described. She is definately a handful. But she captivates me. You have given me some good ideas and advice. Isabelle screams when she meets or sees new people and other animals. It is very annoying and we wish we could stop her from that. she also howls, which is a more pleasant sound. We have a 10year old Chihuahua, that she loves, but to say the least doesnt like her. She doesnt give up though, even though the chihuahua bites her, she yipes then goes back for more. She has started humping so I need some good ideas how to stop that. She bites my teenage boys feet and pants, and when he tries to pick her up she growls and snaps at him. She now a year old and I have spoiled her but have trained her to sit, lay down, dance, and shake paw to hand. I love this dog and want her to behave, but when I let run threw the house she runs to every room and grabs something and wont drop it when I tell her to she runs from me. I know I’m doing something wrong, Please Help?????
Hello ILUVIZZY11,
Yeah Shibas really can be a BIG handful. But as you say, they are also very funny and lovable. 🙂
Like your girl, my Shiba also loves stealing things and starting a catch-me-if-you-can game. The thing that was most helpful for us in terms of stopping his behavior is the drag-lead.
When Shiba Sephy was young, I put on a long drag lead whenever he was in the house. If he starts his stealing game, I would just step on the drag lead and them put him in timeout. He stopped stealing after a while because he learned that he could not get away with it.
http://shibashake.com/dog/puppy-biting-how-to-stop-puppy-biting#timeout
Drag leads should only be used with a regular flat collar (not an aversive collar) and only under supervision.
Here are some other things that helped with my Shiba when he was young –
http://shibashake.com/dog/puppy-training-tips-and-advice
Let us know how it goes. Big hugs to your Shiba. 😀
I have a 3 year old American staffordshire terrier and he is starting to bite people!! What can I do to stop this?
Hello Jessica,
The best way to help a dog with biting issues is to first identify why the dog is biting. Often, dogs bite out of fear, especially when they feel they are cornered.
One of the best ways to deal with fear aggression is to slowly desensitize the dog to people using distance, focus, and rewards. Desensitization exercises help the dog to re-associate people with positive experiences so that ultimately he will no longer fear it.
Given the bite power of the American Staffordshire Terrier it is probably best to get help from a professional dog trainer. A trainer will be able to observe the dog in real-time, read his body language, and identify what exactly is triggering the aggression.
One of my dogs, a Shiba Inu, was very mouthy and reactive to other dogs. Getting help from positive reinforcement trainers helped me a lot in terms of retraining him.
http://shibashake.com/dog/finding-a-dog-trainer