Ouch! My Puppy Dog is Biting My Hands and Clothes
By Aidan Bindoff

This article explains in plain English the fastest way to stop your puppy dog biting at your clothing, hands or other body parts. If you have “tried everything” or simply have no idea what to do, the answers are all here and made easy. Methods are humane and pet-friendly, utilizing positive reinforcement and ‘time-outs’ instead of spanking or scolding.

All puppies will bite and chew your body parts or clothing. It is just what puppies do. Their sharp, needle-like teeth can cause quite a lot of pain, and clothing can easily be damaged. It makes sense that we want to teach puppy that this is unacceptable as quickly as possible. What’s more, if puppies are allowed to continue this behavior, by the time they are adolescents or adults they could cause some serious damage!

That’s not to say that having a puppy’s mouth on you is necessarily a ‘bad’ thing. Puppies need to learn what we call ‘bite inhibition’, which is a soft, inhibited bite. Why? All dogs will bite under certain circumstances, particularly if taken by surprise. The dog that learns bite inhibition can bite without causing any real damage.

First, some theory. Don’t worry, it’s not long and boring!

If you have read my earlier article “Secrets of Dog Training Professionals – Operant Conditioning” then you will be familiar with the term ‘Negative Punishment’. Sounds awful, doesn’t it? But don’t worry, Negative Punishment simply means that behavior is decreased because we took something away as a consequence of that behavior.

A ‘time out’ is a Negative Punisher when the target behavior is decreased. Time outs are one of the most humane and pet-friendly punishments we can use, when used with thought and care.

Puppies bite at our hands and clothing because that is the way that puppies like to play. It is fun, and they enjoy our attention. They particularly like it if we try to fight them off of us. Have you ever seen two or more puppies playing? They like to fight each other with their mouths and paws.

Normally, other puppies teach our puppy not to bite too hard by squealing in pain. When we take our puppy from the litter, these other puppies aren’t around to teach proper bite inhibition any more. Some people advise trying to emulate a ‘puppy squeal’ to discourage biting too hard.

I don’t know why, but people just don’t seem to be very convincing with their squeals, so I don’t recommend it as a training technique. What’s more, some puppies seem to enjoy it when their human squeals and will get more excited, resulting in more biting. This is obviously not what we want puppy to do! If you can squeal and your puppy immediately stops biting, then this is an acceptable technique. Monitor the behavior long-term, though, to make sure biting too hard is decreasing.

A different, yet highly effective aproach is to say ‘ouch’ in a neutral tone of voice (not loud, not high-pitched and not angry) then walk out of the room, shutting the door behind you for 30 seconds. This marks the exact behavior you are trying to punish, then gives a time-out as a consequence.

It may take puppy a little while to figure out the link between his biting and the time-out, but the marker will make it clearer. It is important to say ‘ouch’ in a neutral tone of voice, and say it exactly at the moment that puppy bites too hard.

Notice that I said “exactly at the moment that puppy bites too hard“? We don’t want to discourage young puppies from biting altogether, this would be bite prohibition. We want to teach puppies to inhibit their bite.

Time-outs should not be excessive. A long time-out can be stressful and lead to other unwanted behaviors. 30 seconds is more than enough and seems to be quite effective. Don’t look back at puppy or try to push puppy away when you say ‘ouch’. Simply get up and leave, closing the door behind you.

If you have family or friends in the room then it might be easier to lead puppy out of the room and shut him out for his time-out. However, this doesn’t seem to be as effective to me.

Remember, it is only punishment if the behavior decreases. Continuing with a punishment which is unclear or ineffective is a waste of time and borders on abuse (although, it would be hard to do damage with a 30 second time-out). Consider your timing, consistency and whether or not there is anyone else in puppy’s life who is not following through with this protocol consistently. It is important that you explain the rules to anyone who plays with puppy.

If all else fails, seek professional advice. Most vet clinics are now offering puppy kinder classes using humane and pet-friendly techniques.

Aidan Bindoff is Editor of http://www.positivepetzine.com your helpful on-line resource for free positive dog training advice that works fast and that anyone can apply today!

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Another Way to Handle Puppy Biting is a post from: Training Dogs Blog

• Cars stop and start.
• Rock music blares out as a teenager practices drumming.
• Cats, squirrels, birds, and other animals move around.
• Greasy papers from a fast-food joint are lying in the gutter.

Once your puppy is old enough to go out into the world with you, who knows what you will encounter and how your puppy will react?

You want to start getting your puppy used to the world, bit by bit. This takes more effort than doing a little training at home during the TV commercials (something I also recommend) but it pays off big time in later life. You get a more confident dog, more at home with whatever comes about.

Start small with walks in your neighborhood or a park, then as the pup gets used to those, try more stimulating and chaotic environments. Always pay attention to how your puppy is reacting and don’t let it get over-stressed.

I remember when our Basenji was a puppy, she had been for many walks around our urban neighborhood – we lived in Olympia, Washington, at the time – and she knew a lot of the dogs, kids, and grownups in the area. So when there was going to be a parade with lots of children in it downtown, we took her. She hated all the noise and costumed kids running around screaming. We left very quickly! (As I remember, my husband said “I told you so,” but hey, I thought it was worth a try.)

Don’t be surprised when the puppy pays a whole lot less attention to you than when you are at home. There is so much else to see, smell, and taste! You will need to be on your alert so your puppy doesn’t get a chance to eat those greasy papers or anything else.

I like to use clicker training during these outings, after the puppy is used to it at home. For a good resource on why clicker training is a great way to go, and many step-by-step guides to all aspects of dog and puppy training, do take a look at Clickertraining: the 4 Secrets of Becoming a Supertrainer.

Getting Your Puppy Used to the Big Wide World is a post from: Training Dogs Blog

But what to do?

The OUCH AND AVOID method works really well.

1. The puppy bites you or mouths you in a way that causes pain.
2. You say OUCH! just as you would if something else hurt you. I remember getting bee stings as a child and use that rather drawn-out tone of complaint and surprise!
3. You walk away from the puppy.

You may have to do this many times. If the puppy spent its first couple of months or so with other puppies in the litter, this is pretty much what they all do when they hurt each other with their new and ever-so-sharp teeth.

Over time – and it may seem like an eternity – the puppy will bite more softly. It is developing bite inhibition. Now you can say OUCH even when the bite only hurts a little. And eventually you can say OUCH to all bites, even painless ones.

I have used clicker training in connection with my puppy bite training as well. Since the click is saying “Yes, that is what I want,” how would you use it with a puppy who is biting? I use diversion. I get out one of the puppy toys and click when the the pup plays with it… this is after I have done the basic process of teaching the puppy what the clicker means. The diversion also works because you are giving the puppy something else to do, something else to chew.

For more on handling puppy biting and everything else that comes up with puppies and dogs,  I really like Clickertraining: the 4 Secrets of Becoming a Supertrainer.

Puppy Biting is a post from: Training Dogs Blog

If you would rather read than listen — or want to do both — this audio is based loosely on this page of my website: Puppy bites and people.

By far the best resource that I know of for really mastering puppy biting — and puppy socialization — is the classic DVD Sirius Puppy Training, with the great dog trainer Dr. Ian Dunbar.I am happy to say that hundred of copies have been sold through my website… I think it’s the best-seller from here, and I think it is that important!

Click on the image to find out more at Amazon:

If you would like to download the audio on this page to listen to on an mp3 player, for example, here is the direct link to it. Just right-click or the Mac equivalent to save it to your computer.

http://www.training-dogs.com/sound-files/puppybites.mp3

Puppy Bites is a post from: Training Dogs Blog

Teach Your Young Puppy to Sit is a post from: Training Dogs Blog

If you are the sort of person who would rather read than watch a video, or if you want to copy the list, here it is on this website: puppy proofing.

Puppy Proof Your House is a post from: Training Dogs Blog

This website, and many others you will find around the internet, are dedicated to helping you train your dog or dogs. Since I used to be a librarian, one of the ways I do this is by drawing your attention to books, ebooks, and some of the outstanding dog training websites. I’ve never been a professional trainer, but I’ve done enough training that I also write some how-to articles.

Starting Off Right

Young puppies are so cute that it’s easy to not bother with training the cute little fluffball. But do begin as you want to things to turn out. Do you want your huge dog on the couch? No? Then make it off limits right from the start.

If there are good puppy classes where you live, that is a very good option, as socializing your dog to various kinds of people and dogs will make it much easier to take him anywhere in the future without worry that he will be aggressive or timid.

You can start training even before your puppy has developed an immune system strong enough to go off to classes. I always start my puppies right away, with enjoyable little interactions involving yummy treats. My smart little Basenji thought she had me trained to give her treats whenever she sat, within a week of when we got her. She even had me trained to click a clicker!

A great DVD for puppies!

In my opinion, the very best single resource for getting your puppy off to a good start is Sirius Puppy Training, a DVD featuring Dr. Ian Dunbar.

Literally hundreds of copies of this program have been bought from my recommendation on various pages of this website, and actually it’s one of the things I’m most proud of!

So do train your puppy, using kind and loving methods like those in that program. If you are interested in clicker training, get my free ebook on clicker training or the comprehensive ebook, Clickertraining: the 4 Secrets of Becoming a Supertrainer.

Of course, you will have plenty of challenges along the way, but there are few things in life more satisfying than raising a puppy who turns into a great dog!

Puppy Training is Essential is a post from: Training Dogs Blog

• A mother dog will permit her pups to mouth her, but if one should hurt her more than she thinks is okay, she will let the puppy know by growling or perhaps by grabbing and holding the puppy.
• Another adult dog may act in a similar manner, with a young or a more mature puppy. It might also snap at the youngster.
• Littermates playing together sometimes cause pain, and typically the hurt puppy will yelp – and loud enough that there is no doubt that it is unhappy. It may also move away from the puppy that bit it. So it doesn’t take long for most puppies to begin developing bite inhibition, so others will play with it.

Chances are that any puppy you get that grew up in a litter did begin to learn the mouth more than to bite. But it won’t know if the same rules apply to humans.

That’s where your work begin. Try yelping when bitten, and once the puppy responds to that – which may take some practice – then try yelping when the pup even mouths you. You can try growling too. I like yelping better because I find it easier to make a quick loud noise at the very moment of the bite, so the puppy understands more easily what I am indicating. I’ve also used moving away from a puppy quite effectively, because then the fun stops.

One of my very favorite puppy training DVDs, Sirius Puppy Training, talks about bite inhibition and other important puppy socialization lessons:

Bite Inhibition: Teach Your Puppy Not to Bite is a post from: Training Dogs Blog

When one puppy does hurt another one, often the hurt one will stop playing for a while and move away. By this happening repeatedly as the litter grows up, puppies learn bite inhibition, that if they pretend to bite but use less force, the games continue. So the puppies begin to develop what’s called a soft mouth. This is one of several reasons that it’s important for puppies to stay with their mothers and littermates for a couple of months or so after birth.

The puppies’ mother or other adult dogs in the household will also correct the mouthing. If a puppy bites them, they may growl, curl their lips at the puppy, or get up and walk away.

Your Role in Training Bite Inhibition

If you get a puppy of whatever age, one of the first things for you to do — and it will naturally happen in the first day, most likely — is to determine just how far along your pup is in learning bite inhibition. At this stage, you are not looking for NO mouthing or biting. It’s actually much better for their training process if they will learn to develop a gentle bite. This is because if your dog should bite later on in life, the bite will do far less damage if the mouthing process has been allowed to develop into that ability to bite gently.

Of course, all this takes time and you will be enduring some sharp nips in the process.

Puppies often mouth when they are excited, or when they first wake up to an exciting new day. At those times, or at any time that your puppy mouths, here is what you or your children can do. Kids are more likely to be mouthed than adults because they are more lively than we are.

Say “ouch!” or yelp like another puppy would. Or say NO in a stern voice. Then stand up if you aren’t standing, and turn away from the puppy. Put your arms around your chest, to be less interesting to the pup. Stay like that, silently ignoring your puppy for around half a minute. Then resume interacting in a gentle manner.

Ian Dunbar has a wonderful DVD on training puppies which explains this in a lot more detail. Bite inhibition is actually one the very most important things you need to teach your puppy, and he explains why. See my review of Sirius Puppy Training here. One of the things I’m happiest about regarding this website is that hundreds and hundreds of people have bought this program and presumably gotten their puppies off to a better start in life. But with or without that DVD, keep at the bite inhibition process and within weeks you will see progress.

Puppy Training Tips: Bite Inhibition is a post from: Training Dogs Blog

A new puppy is so exciting! It’s like getting a big chief notebook and being the first one to draw in it. Puppies are babies, and as such, require some effort on your part.

The first thing you need to buy is a crate. It drives me crazy when people tell me they “just can’t” put their puppy in a crate. Yet, these same people have no problem putting their human baby in a play pen or car seat. Why do they do this? To keep them safe! That’s exactly what a crate does for your puppy. A dog is a den animal and needs its own den. The size of the crate for most puppies should be about 36″ x 23″ x 26″, but that may vary depending on your puppy’s size. When your puppy is not under your direct supervision, it should be in its crate, or “house” if you prefer.

A puppy should be fed three times a day. Strangely enough, your puppy will tell you when it’s ready to eat lunch. Put the puppy’s food down, leave it there for 15 minutes, and then pick it up. A dog should not be fed like a cat and nibble all day.

Housebreaking your puppy can be accomplished quite easily. Early in the morning, probably around 5 a.m., get your puppy up out of the crate and take it where you want it to go potty. Put it down and wait WITH the puppy until it eliminates. The minute it does, start the parade! Give it lots of praise and pats, and maybe even a treat or two. Take your puppy back inside and feed it. Put it back in the crate for 10-15 minutes and then take the puppy outside again. Same program: it goes, you cheer.

Now it’s play time! Play with your puppy as long as you can. Show it during this time what is appropriate for it to chew on. When the puppy grabs the corner of your Oriental rug, make a soft scolding sound and distract it with a puppy toy. If you have to run errands or go to work, take the puppy out one more time and wait for it to go potty. Then it’s inside and back in the crate. A 12 week-old puppy should be able to stay in its crate for about three hours. The rule of thumb is one hour per month of age.

If you keep a diary of when your puppy goes potty, you will easily see a pattern within three days. This is very easy to do since you are with the puppy when it goes potty, and not just sending it outside. One last note on potty training: If you take your puppy outside for the night at about 10:00 or 10:30 they should be able to last until 5:00 or 5:30.

Now every time you put the puppy in the crate, it’s no big deal, just like putting the baby in their crib for a nap. Taking the puppy out is no big deal either. The minute you take the puppy out of the crate, pick it up and take it to go potty.

The crate or “den” is a wonderful way to build a wonderful positive relationship with your pet. Since it is safe in its crate, your things are safe in your house. When you come home, there is never a reason to scold or get upset. Your interaction with your puppy is always positive. Your puppy learns to look forward to you coming home.

A short story here about puppies and crates. Several years ago I had a client who simply could not bring himself to put his young dog in a crate. He had just bought a brand new house and insisted the pup should enjoy it. And, enjoy it she did. The first week she enjoyed chewing on all the lower kitchen cabinets. The next week she enjoyed chewing on all the lower window sills. The next week she enjoyed tearing up the brand new carpet in the living room. The next week she enjoyed gnawing the corner off the new coffee table. The next week he put her in the bathroom where she managed to get those cabinets doors to match the kitchen cabinets. The next week when I came over, he had purchased a crate, and there she sat, happy as a clam! Of course, this was after thousands of dollars of damage had been done.

(Then there was the guy who wouldn’t consider a crate. After his dog did damage to the home, the dog was put to sleep. I guess he thought that was a kinder, gentler way to solve the problem. )

So, there you have it. A positive way of bringing up puppy.

For more on crate training puppies, see my page on the topic by clicking the link. Also see my main page on potty training puppies here. And again, Marcie’s website is http://camprunapup.com/wp

The rule of thumb that she gives for how long a puppy can stay in a crate would NOT mean that a 10-month-old puppy could stay in for 10 hours. In my opinion, that is too long and you should have a neighbor, friend, or pet care person give the pup a break during the day.

Welcome, Puppy, To Our Home is a post from: Training Dogs Blog