I'm about to throw my puppy out the window!

murphysmommy · 02-07-2010, 12:24 PM

Murphy is constantly nipping. Every time he is in a playful mood and I try to pet him on the head or body, he mouths me. If he can't mouth my hands, he moves to my arm or clings on to my sweatshirt. It's really really annoying and I'm going crazy. He has billions of toys and bones to chew on. We don't leave them out and I use the special yummy bones for 5am when he wants to play and I want to sleep.
I have tried the "gentle" command with his treats by saying gentle and bopping his nose with my finger when he gets too rough. I am trying to use it the same way with petting and playing but it isn't working.
We have bitter spray, but since I am not holding it 24/7, it isn't really working the way it should.
Does anyone have any ideas???

Lisa · 02-07-2010, 12:42 PM

Sounds like too much freedom and not enough structure.

With all the new members with new puppies , there's been MANY similar threads here in the recent weeks and months. I would definitely look through the old posts in the training section and Bully breeds-General Discussion for more help and info.

Here are a few of the more recent threads pertaining to the topic of new puppies and how to deal with their nipping and other antics. Just thought I would save myself some typing, some of these topics get pretty redundant and I feel like a broken record sometimes...lol.

insparation

Nothing Works What Am I doing wrong????

She's making me crazy!!!

murphysmommy · 02-07-2010, 01:00 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lisa

Sounds like too much freedom and not enough structure.

With all the new members with new puppies , there's been MANY similar threads here in the recent weeks and months. I would definitely look through the old posts in the training section and Bully breeds-General Discussion for more help and info.

Here are a few of the more recent threads pertaining to the topic of new puppies and how to deal with their nipping and other antics. Just thought I would save myself some typing, some of these topics get pretty redundant and I feel like a broken record sometimes...lol.

insparation

Nothing Works What Am I doing wrong????

She's making me crazy!!!

I've read all of these posts already. My problem is more specific to petting him. Anytime I put my hands by him, he opens his mouth and tries to gnaw. I'm wondering if anyone else has had this issue. Is it normal or does he have sensitivity issues. I don't want him doing this to other people that bend down to pet him. He is supervised at all times with the exception of a few seconds or so.

Patch O' Pits · 02-07-2010, 01:32 PM

TRY:
Socializing & Training Your Bully Breed Puppy

Teaching bit inhibition can take time. It doesn't just happen over night especially with very mouthy pups.

How old was this pup when you took him from the litter? How old is he now?

Lisa · 02-07-2010, 01:36 PM

Teething puppies are going to nip, it's just what they do. I know it can be frustrating and painful!

Some people may call me lazy, or have the opinion that I am "avoiding the problem", but I chose to confine a puppy when it starts getting on my nerves. I call it "picking my battles".

As I said before, if I am not doing something specific with a puppy they are either crated or kenneled. If I have them out and are keeping them busy doing something else then it's kind of hard for them to be nipping at me.

This nipping will go away on it's own once the puppy matures and it's adult teeth come in anyways so if they don't want me to pet them then fine, I won't and back in the crate they will go or I will focus their attention to something else like playing or training/feeding.

Some people may come on with some other methods like hitting their nose, pushing their tongue or lip down onto their bottom teeth, etc but that's not the type of relationship I want to have with my puppy so I chose to just avoid the problem entirely.

Some people say ignoring the puppy will stop nipping but some are pretty relentless and this won't work with all pups.

To provide a pup with some relief from their aching gums, I will give them a frozen kong stuffed with some kibble and topped with some peanut butter, liver wurst etc. Frozen soup/marrow bones work well too. Providing them with these sorts of "treats", will make their time in their crate or kennel more enjoyable for them.

murphysmommy · 02-07-2010, 01:50 PM

Awesome! Thanks. We bought his freshly frozen marrow bones so hopefully that will help. I hope it goes away when hes older cuz its sooooo annoying! And he hurts me. He seems to bite me MUCH more than he bites my boyfriend.

BullyLady · 02-07-2010, 01:59 PM

I have a "mouthy" dog also, she was a rescue and was taken from her mom at 3.5 weeks and we adopted her at 4 weeks. She is now two years old, and this "mouthiness" is something we have struggled with the whole time.

The thing that seems to work the best, and has gotten it mostly under control, is ignoring her. If we go in for a petting and her mouth pops up to nibble then we pull our hand away and turn or walk away from her. This sends a very clear message that mouthy behavior results in loss of good things, like petting. Same goes for playtime, if her teeth contact with skin the toy is taken and we walk away.

It works well for us!

paulnzeus · 02-07-2010, 02:10 PM

Your best solution is to give him to me

I love the puppy stage, it's a short time especially compared to humans but I love watching them develop. I can't believe how many new puppies have visited my store in the past couple of weeks. I pretty much did what Lisa suggested, if Zeus was getting carried away I would just ignore him which seemed more affective as he was very demanding for my attention. I didn't punish him for biting but I would let him know what pressure was acceptable or not. I also remember directing his biting to a toy or bone. Not only are they exploring with their mouths (as they don't have hands) they need something to chew on during their teething stage. Zeus was actually pretty good compared to Zero, he could get pretty rough and draw blood. Both of them lost this after the puppy stage, Zero is still a bit rough when taking treats but Zeus is extremely soft mouthed.

murphysmommy · 02-07-2010, 02:10 PM

I have no clue when Murphy was taken from his mom, we got him as a rescue at 2.5months and he was originally from a breeding facility. I ignore him when he gets bitey too. Its not hard because I get so annoyed with him!

Krames · 02-07-2010, 02:27 PM

Sounds like the exact thing I went through. She doesn't do it to me as much as my fiance. I think thats because she knows I don't let her get away with it. I'm much louder also. When he bites I'll say ahhh loudly, then give her a toy to chew on while I pet her. If she refuses to stop biting I will give her a pinch behind her front leg. That usually stops her but if she still doesn't get it I put her back in her crate. I also only have her out when I am doing stuff with her. If I'm not she goes in her crate. They get into too much trouble if your not always watching them.

02-07-2010, 12:24 PM	#1 (permalink)
murphysmommy Senior Member Familiar Face Join Date: Jan 2010 Location: Milwaukee, WI Posts: 210	I'm about to throw my puppy out the window! Murphy is constantly nipping. Every time he is in a playful mood and I try to pet him on the head or body, he mouths me. If he can't mouth my hands, he moves to my arm or clings on to my sweatshirt. It's really really annoying and I'm going crazy. He has billions of toys and bones to chew on. We don't leave them out and I use the special yummy bones for 5am when he wants to play and I want to sleep. I have tried the "gentle" command with his treats by saying gentle and bopping his nose with my finger when he gets too rough. I am trying to use it the same way with petting and playing but it isn't working. We have bitter spray, but since I am not holding it 24/7, it isn't really working the way it should. Does anyone have any ideas???

02-07-2010, 12:42 PM	#2 (permalink)
Lisa Senior Member Distinguished Member Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: Canada Posts: 7,409	Sounds like too much freedom and not enough structure. With all the new members with new puppies , there's been MANY similar threads here in the recent weeks and months. I would definitely look through the old posts in the training section and Bully breeds-General Discussion for more help and info. Here are a few of the more recent threads pertaining to the topic of new puppies and how to deal with their nipping and other antics. Just thought I would save myself some typing, some of these topics get pretty redundant and I feel like a broken record sometimes...lol. insparation Nothing Works What Am I doing wrong???? She's making me crazy!!! __________________ A GOOD dog is not that easily ruined. http://b2.boards2go.com/boards/board.cgi?&user=Frabo

02-07-2010, 01:32 PM	#4 (permalink)
Patch O' Pits Senior Member Distinguished Member Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Northeastern USA Posts: 2,601	TRY: Socializing & Training Your Bully Breed Puppy Teaching bit inhibition can take time. It doesn't just happen over night especially with very mouthy pups. How old was this pup when you took him from the litter? How old is he now? __________________ "When Life Rains On Your Parade... Play in the mud with the APBTs and smile!"

02-07-2010, 01:36 PM	#5 (permalink)
Lisa Senior Member Distinguished Member Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: Canada Posts: 7,409	Teething puppies are going to nip, it's just what they do. I know it can be frustrating and painful! Some people may call me lazy, or have the opinion that I am "avoiding the problem", but I chose to confine a puppy when it starts getting on my nerves. I call it "picking my battles". As I said before, if I am not doing something specific with a puppy they are either crated or kenneled. If I have them out and are keeping them busy doing something else then it's kind of hard for them to be nipping at me. This nipping will go away on it's own once the puppy matures and it's adult teeth come in anyways so if they don't want me to pet them then fine, I won't and back in the crate they will go or I will focus their attention to something else like playing or training/feeding. Some people may come on with some other methods like hitting their nose, pushing their tongue or lip down onto their bottom teeth, etc but that's not the type of relationship I want to have with my puppy so I chose to just avoid the problem entirely. Some people say ignoring the puppy will stop nipping but some are pretty relentless and this won't work with all pups. To provide a pup with some relief from their aching gums, I will give them a frozen kong stuffed with some kibble and topped with some peanut butter, liver wurst etc. Frozen soup/marrow bones work well too. Providing them with these sorts of "treats", will make their time in their crate or kennel more enjoyable for them. __________________ A GOOD dog is not that easily ruined. http://b2.boards2go.com/boards/board.cgi?&user=Frabo

02-07-2010, 01:59 PM	#7 (permalink)
BullyLady Senior Member Distinguished Member Join Date: Aug 2007 Posts: 3,520	I have a "mouthy" dog also, she was a rescue and was taken from her mom at 3.5 weeks and we adopted her at 4 weeks. She is now two years old, and this "mouthiness" is something we have struggled with the whole time. The thing that seems to work the best, and has gotten it mostly under control, is ignoring her. If we go in for a petting and her mouth pops up to nibble then we pull our hand away and turn or walk away from her. This sends a very clear message that mouthy behavior results in loss of good things, like petting. Same goes for playtime, if her teeth contact with skin the toy is taken and we walk away. It works well for us! __________________ Shelby - CGC American Bulldog mix 2 yrs www.hijackedunlocked.com

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02-07-2010, 01:50 PM	#6 (permalink)
murphysmommy Senior Member Familiar Face Join Date: Jan 2010 Location: Milwaukee, WI Posts: 210	Awesome! Thanks. We bought his freshly frozen marrow bones so hopefully that will help. I hope it goes away when hes older cuz its sooooo annoying! And he hurts me. He seems to bite me MUCH more than he bites my boyfriend.

02-07-2010, 02:10 PM	#8 (permalink)
paulnzeus Senior Member Distinguished Member Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Toronto Posts: 6,775	Your best solution is to give him to me I love the puppy stage, it's a short time especially compared to humans but I love watching them develop. I can't believe how many new puppies have visited my store in the past couple of weeks. I pretty much did what Lisa suggested, if Zeus was getting carried away I would just ignore him which seemed more affective as he was very demanding for my attention. I didn't punish him for biting but I would let him know what pressure was acceptable or not. I also remember directing his biting to a toy or bone. Not only are they exploring with their mouths (as they don't have hands) they need something to chew on during their teething stage. Zeus was actually pretty good compared to Zero, he could get pretty rough and draw blood. Both of them lost this after the puppy stage, Zero is still a bit rough when taking treats but Zeus is extremely soft mouthed. __________________ Last edited by paulnzeus; 02-07-2010 at 02:31 PM.

02-07-2010, 02:10 PM	#9 (permalink)
murphysmommy Senior Member Familiar Face Join Date: Jan 2010 Location: Milwaukee, WI Posts: 210	I have no clue when Murphy was taken from his mom, we got him as a rescue at 2.5months and he was originally from a breeding facility. I ignore him when he gets bitey too. Its not hard because I get so annoyed with him!

02-07-2010, 02:27 PM	#10 (permalink)
Krames Senior Member Familiar Face Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: Minnesota Posts: 365	Sounds like the exact thing I went through. She doesn't do it to me as much as my fiance. I think thats because she knows I don't let her get away with it. I'm much louder also. When he bites I'll say ahhh loudly, then give her a toy to chew on while I pet her. If she refuses to stop biting I will give her a pinch behind her front leg. That usually stops her but if she still doesn't get it I put her back in her crate. I also only have her out when I am doing stuff with her. If I'm not she goes in her crate. They get into too much trouble if your not always watching them.