lab/pit mix puppy won't stop biting

addie · 10-18-2010

Recently found a stray lab/pit mix who is 3 months old. She is only aggressive when we are outside kicking the soccer ball. She bites very hard. I say no and ignore her and might start spraying her with water. She is very great with other dogs- doesn't bite. Is she too old to train not to bite?? Not sure about her history- can't imagine she was trained to be aggressive. Are there any better ways to assert dominance with a puppy that age without really knowing much about her background???

angiesample · 10-18-2010

Is ur dog trying to play with u and just getting to rough? U say its only when u guys are playing soccer.. is she focused on the soccer ball and u guys get in her way?

u said shes only 3 months old.. so shes not to old to learn new things. I dont really think there is an age where a dog is unable to learn. You need to be very consistant in what u do. Try to focus on the positive when ur dog does the right thing praise her and give her treats. If she is still bitting u need to take her out of the situation.. she needs "calm down time". Remember she is a puppy she not going to be perfect.. u need to be firm but not mean.

moxie · 10-18-2010

She is 3 months old? Still has razor sharp puppy teeth? I am not any expert, but I have been taking my newly adopted puppy to kindergarten... She gets very nippy when over stimulated or tired, so she gets a time out and either goes to sleep or realizes we don't want to play if she is going to bite. I also let out a "yelp" and she seems to respond that she is hurting me. Hope this helps a bit.

addie · 10-19-2010

just took her to the vet yesterday and found out she is actually 17 weeks. I have found that training her with food by saying "off" and "take" is helping with the biting and so is "ouch" My main concern is less that I can train her and more of not knowing her previous training...chances are she was a yard dog with a lot of other pit/lab puppies on a bad side of town... ya know? Just really trying to be consistent about her not biting and jumping. She is socializing with a pit/lab that lives across the street and is sometimes timid but others times very aggressive. I know puppies are like this, but once again..not knowing what she came from, and fearing the worst I want to make sure she grows into a friendly dog around people and other dogs

angiesample · 10-19-2010

Try not to worry about ur dogs past. All u can do is focus on the future. Your dog is still very young so its not like this dog is a lost cause. I volunteer at a local shelter in my area and we get dogs of all different ages with all different backgrounds. But we treat all of our dogs the same... we are firm and consistant with our training...

socialize the heck out of ur dog. Introduce him to as many dogs as u can. Let ppl pet him so he gets use to different ppl. Make sure he gets enough exercise everyday. Since he is still very young, as far as training i would do 2-3, 10 min. sessions of training a day. If he is food driven than stick with food being his reward. Be consistant and firm. Focus on rewards rather than punishment if possible. I would look into obedience classes with your puppy, it really helps with his behavior as well as the bond between u and ur dog. Oh and most importantly is have fun with your dog.

Lunareclipse · 10-19-2010

Did you bite him back? :lol::lol:

skivvies · 10-21-2010

Like moxie said, try letting out a yelp. That's how puppies let each other know that their play bites hurt.

You can also try stopping play immediately whenever she starts biting.

DawnieDogg · 10-21-2010

Hey ladies! I'm new to this forum. I've been an animal care specialist/groomer for 15+ yrs. I would like to offer some advice.
1ST. Addie, you need to establish your domanice ranking soon. Here's why: even though your pup is a little "over-board" while playing w/ the ball...YOU are her Mom, her master. She should be listening to your commands. What you say goes.
I would advise to choose 1 KEY WORD/PHRASE. I use "EH-EH", with a high pitched, sharp & sudden voice. Then follow w/ a stern NOOOoooo.... remember, only praise good behavior, ignore bad. If you & your pup can play for 2-3 seconds w/out a nip/bite...INSTANT reward. Is she a food motivated dog? If so, AS SOON AS the right, desired behavior is shown, reward her instantly. Don't make her food/treat rewards too big! Just use a little bite. If its too big, by the time she's done eating it, she won't remember why she got it in the 1st place.
I also agree w/ Angiesample. Removing her from the situation does help. Down time is good when she loses control of herself. Show her that biting too hard will result in no fun playtime w/ the ball!
Lastly, (thanks for hanging in w/ my long reply) Try to be quick w/learning your pups body language. If you can learn to tell differences between bodie postures, you will know she's up to something bad before she even does it! Increasing your reaction time to un-desired behavior.
K, night everyone1

CJdoglover · 01-01-2011

Were sitting pretty much in the same boat. After we lost our compagnion of over ten years due to several spider bites, we got a puppy from the shelter - Lab/Pit mix. First of all we did not remember how sharp puppy teeth can be, went through everything from pants to sweaters and most of all hands. He was a biter but only when we played in the yard. Frustrating, up to a point where I lost it and told him in a very mean tone that I did not like him '...you are mean and baaad....' Turned around and was going to leave him. Something clicked when I said that. He plopped down on the ground, stopt what he did (biting) and was excited waiting for the next 'comand' to come. Comands like 'sit', 'stay', 'paw' or 'down'. It is working for the last two weeks. And, play-time in the yard works best AFTER a run in the field or park. Respect not fear, strikt and consistand this is how your puppy will love to learn from you. Right now we learn 'heel' his leash over his back. He is now 14 weeks and he will be a good dog, even so he is part pit. Just be patient.