biting/growling.

Yesna3042 · 08-09-2007

i got this new 2 month old puppy, she has biting issues.
everytime i pat her head she turns around and starts biting my fingers.
Then i play around with her for atleast 15 seconds and she starts growling....

what can i do?
how can i stop her from doing that??

poodles_lover · 08-09-2007

Me too!!!!
I have the same issue and I don't know how to stop him from doing that he is only 3 months old!!!!

BobSD · 08-10-2007

My little special girl is five years old now, and for the last four years she has not chew damaged anything but was she some terror that first year. She has left her mark on some really special furniture as a reminder of those good old days. Your dogs are teething , adult teeth slowing coming in very uncomfortable for all babys and puppies. You have to puppy prove your house for that time frame and also provide alot of chew toys. She use to like to attack crumply paper tied in a old sock. As far as the growling goes, she is testing to see if she is the pack leader and this is where you have to let her know you are the alpha. Mygirl once bit me because she did not want to come back into the house so when I went to pick her up that is when she really got me, so I pined ber down on the grass on her back until she stopped fighting me and after that incident never had to discipline again. But do not ever strike the dog with your hand. There are other ways to make your point. This is only a temporary time frame in having a dog, trust me it will change and you will have a wonderfull companion for life!! You may have read or heard about that horrible story about the Doctor and his wife and two daughters, home invaded by two lunatics, and the terrible ending. WHAT if they had a dog??? Things could have turned out with a better ending, Thats another great reason to love your dog, they will be there for you!!!

Yesna3042 · 08-10-2007

oh ok, she has 2 balls to play and 4 plushies. but she likes more my fingers, but ill try to make her stop and is iot good to hit her with the newspaper when she tries to bite me?

BobSD · 08-10-2007

I would put my hand over her mouth closing the jaws, and saying NO BITE, or BAD GIRL. Hold it there for ten seconds see if she gets the message, this way you may not have a news paper handy when the moment arrives, but I personally never used a news paper to hit my dogs with. I know there baby teeth are really sharp, I really bleed alot when she bit me but she got the message and never again. Give it time and do not lost your self composure in front of the dog.

reeskujo · 08-11-2007

First you need to get her some hard chew toys.Like a Kong or hard rubber ball.There are alot of teething toys at stores like Petsmart and Petco some that can even go in the freezer.The cold helps ease the teething pain as well as hard rubber toys.I dont mean to offend anyone but as a professional trainer I can tell you that holding their mouth closed is not a good idea.It will temporarily stop the problem but you risk the chance of making the dog aggressive....Some suggestions...Puppies need to chew because they are teething.It is also an attention getting behavior.You can try giving her a firm "No"and then walking away from her for a few seconds so she learns that biting will not get her your attention but it will make you walk away from her.You can also try giving her one of her own chew toys when she does that and then reward her with a treat when you see her chewing on it.That way she will learn it's ok for her to chew but not on you.If all else fails you can try getting a spray bottle and squirting her in the face with water when she does it.I broke my puppy of many bad behaviors doing that.Now all I have to do is pick up the bottle and she knows to stop.I hope this helps you some.Let me know how it goes.

Northern gal · 09-02-2007

I agree with what all the things each post had to say, except for the holding of the mouth. You have to be the leader, so be calm assertive at all times and be consistant. Giving her lots of chew toys is a plus. If she tries to bite you, redirect her to a chew toy, then she will know that is what she is to do. I have heard of spraying them with water, not sure if it is a good idea. You can also show that you are in control of the situation, by mimicing biting her, by curling your had into a cup, this is like a mouth and the nails will feel like teeth. It doesn't hurt them, but they know you mean business and are in control. This works for all disaplining, like the pups Mother would do to correct bad behavior.

Enjoy your pup