I had trouble with teaching my dog, Trisha bite inhibition. Jack Russells are notorious for being bitey, that is not unheard of, I just didn’t realize how true it was until then.
I had no idea that this 13-pound bundle of joy can make me run away so fast, holding on for my dear life. It didn’t just happen a couple of times – she did it so many times that I am almost at loss of what to do.
Our first few weeks together was a revelation. I understand a great deal about making her to stop biting, but most especially, I learned what to do every time she dashes to test her razor-sharp milky-whites on me.
I admit it took Trisha a bit longer to master the bite inhibition, but it’s mostly my fault. I was giving her mixed signals by running and screaming like a mad man. To make sure you don’t follow my footsteps, here are 5 things you should NOT do while teaching your puppies not to bite.
Stop Running Around Like A Madman
Trust me, it sounds easy but it’s not. We are talking about a puppy here, but these puppies can bite like hell. Their teeth are sharp and it truly hurts, I understand that. Our instincts when they first started biting, is to run away as fast as possible, waving our hands, and screaming as if we are in a Jurassic Park movie.
The trick is to remain calm and not further send off a signal that you are an enjoyable playmate to this biting game. Your dog will perceive your dramatic evading act as exciting. Don’t they love chasing running cats and squirrels in your home? This will only send your puppy into a frenzy mode, and you surely don’t want that to happen.
It doesn’t mean you just let them bite you. Stay away calmly or remove yourself from the situation without exciting them further.
Do you want put an end to your puppy’s aggressive biting problems for GOOD? CLICK HERE to watch this FREE Step-by-Step Video from Doggy Dan!
Stop Screaming or Yelling to Scare Them
We have grown to believe that yelping at a puppy while they’re biting will scare them off and teach them a lesson that biting is not something you appreciate. But, it’s not that easy.
Often than not, it will only stimulate them to bite more. I tried it and did no good to me. Even most of the comments on my post, Try Yelping They Said, indicate that it didn’t work for most of you either.
Could it be that our dogs do not equate our screaming or yelping as a NO sign? Do they think we’re just faking it? My puppy would shortly stop when I yelp, but it will further entice him to continue with her perceived play.
It could be that our high-pitched yelping method sounds to them as a motivation rather than a discouragement. All I know is every time I use that technique, I regret it instantly because she’ll go on a biting rampage.
Offer Your Dogs Other Things to Chew On
Puppies like to chew on things; I have no idea why. If you are the kind of owner, who spend so much money buying them chew toys and balls all the time, you might think it’s enough. Make sure you’re not forgetting one thing — and that is to have it available during one of their attacks.
I’m not saying you should always keep a dog toy in your purse or pocket, just make sure there’s a chew toy nearby when they start munching on your toes.
Trisha is one of those puppies, who are just particularly fond of biting me on a daily basis, could be hourly if I remember to keep track, who knows? I’ve learned the hard way that chew toys really help curb her appetite for destruction.
While you are in this play mode, but they decide to munch on your fingers instead, hand them one of their chew toys. Not all toys are enticing to them, so make sure you choose toys that they would love to stuff on their mouths, aside from your wiggly toes and fingers.
Shake and move it around as if it is running or moving in different directions. This will make the target exciting to them, and if you’re lucky, they’ll forget about your flesh and focus on these toys instead.
Stop Encouraging Them by Roughhousing or Tugging
Playing wrestling or Tug-a-War with your pup can be fun and exciting, but it also overstimulates them. It’s easy for these games to escalate into a biting frenzy.
I constantly play roughhouse with Trisha, who doesn’t if you have this cute and cuddly pup with you. I just learned to always watch her level of excitement while we’re playing. Before she mastered basic bite inhibition, our seemingly normal games serve as initiation rites for a wilder biting game.
There are no specific games that can promise not to overstimulate pups. These rough games are even helpful in teaching your dog manners and impulse control. The trick is when to stop the game before it reaches the point of no return.
You are the only person who knows your dog well. You must observe what makes them riled up the most. If they are not yet trained to not bite while playing, rough housing might be too much.
Watch your dog’s arousal level every time you’re playing tug with them. Pause once in a while to allow them to settle. You can practice a sit or a down command at this point, and reward for doing well, especially of they can stay calm even when you are at play.
Stop Sending Mixed Signals to Your Dogs
One of the most difficult part of training your dogs not to bite is how to be consistent. Consistency is the key in making this journey a success. It means having all the members of your family on board, not just you.
Your set of rules should apply to everyone or else your technique is bound to fail. If you don’t mind your husband being bitten by your shepherd, you would probably not want the same thing to happen to your dear grandma.
Gather all the members of your household, and let them know that you are training your pup. Emphasize how important it is for them to participate, or at least, follow the rules of your training method. So, though it could be fun to see your dogs chased your brother around the house, it may not be so fun if they do the same to your grandparents or the mailman.
Consistency will make a big difference in teaching your dogs not to bite. Everyone must discourage biting by offering a chew toy, and not allow even a small encouragement to slip.
It’s also not fair to your dog if you are inconsistent while training them. Imagine if your dog gets away for a bad behavior, and then get punished for the same thing the next day. These confusing signals will further encourage erratic behavior, and it’s not the kind of learning your dog deserves.
Have You Taught Your Puppy Not to Bite?
Do you know other ways to teach puppies not to bite? Have you also tried distracting them with chew toys? Did yelping help you in some way or did it make things worse? Let me know in the comments below.
Do you want put an end to your puppy’s aggressive biting problems for GOOD? CLICK HERE to watch this FREE Step-by-Step Video from Doggy Dan!
My wife and I socialize puppies for the Breeder who sold us our “boys”. She recommended using your thumb and forefinger to hold the puppies bottom jaw. I curl my forefinger under the jaw, with my thumb flat inside the mouth, under the puppy’s tongue.
Don’t pinch hard, use just enough pressure to hold/control the puppy’s jaw.
The puppy won’t like it, and will try to get away, eventually whining/crying to be let go. (Again don’t apply any more pressure than is required to hold on – the goal is not to hurt the puppy, but to control the behavior.)
Repeat the “control” any time the puppy bites too hard.
Our boys have learned how to play with a very “soft” mouth when mom or dads hands or fingers are involved. They play tug of war with toys as hard as they want, but they know when to soften their “play bites”.
These are good tips, thanks!
Yelping actually did help with my puppy, but he was not too into biting to begin with. We do roughhouse and I let him bite at me, but his bite inhibition is fantastic. I am very interested in hearing more stories where alternative methods were used however, just in case I come across a similar situation in the future! Thank you for sharing!
You are welcome!
I have a 6 month Great Pyrenees pup. She is now about 80 pounds. She has always been a biter and I’ve had trouble controlling this behavior. She no longer draws blood, but it still hurts. She will jump and bite at me, my hands, shoes, clothing, when I’m walking outside. She will bite at me during a game of tug when she gets excited. I don’t know how to stop this behavior. If I ‘freeze’ she will stop. I want to be proactive and stop it to begin with, not always having to react. I get so frustrated with her. Will she outgrow it? I’ve tried Yelping: nothing; shaker bottle: worked for about a week till she realized it just made noise; redirection: worked when she was little. Help!