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Puppy Bites are NOT Love Bites! Help!


gd4

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Help! Just over a week now with our new little girl. She suddenly seems to have turned into a terror! She is very good about sleeping at night and when we are gone in her crate. No messes. During the day, because I work from home, I keep her in a play pen. She will go on the paper inside the pen, if need be. Otherwise, she will potty outside. However, it's the BITING! She is getting really bad about biting. I try to distract her with a toy/s. She will play with her toys in the playpen. However, she may be quiet in our arms for a while but within minutes, she is gnawing at our hands, arms, clothing, etc. I have teething bones but she likes us :( She runs back to us again to nip at our toes, hands, and sometimes, she growls and vocalizes. This is a bit unnerving. I don't recall our other pup being so bad about the chewing/biting. She chews her toys and generally, not bad about chewing things. However, she tries to pull threads in our family room berber carpet and bites our hands, clothes. ect. When she gets too carried away we have to put her back in the playpen. Our hands are literally a bloody mess. HELP!  She was born on 5/31. So, just five months. I'm a bit worried.

Has anyone went through this? Or, is she turning into Cujo, the rabid dog? :)

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14 hours ago, gd4 said:

Has anyone went through this?

Only every puppy we've ever had. I know it sounds simplistic but the only true answer is "don't let them bite you." 

Bite inhibition is something that littermates and mom usually teach puppies during their raucous play.  At five months your pup is only about 20 weeks old and is still  an impressionable baby. Now that she's separated from her littermates and mom, it's up to you to finish teaching her manners, including bite inhibition.

Now *how* is the $64,000 question and the answer differs by puppy.  Here are four methods we've used successfully on one or more of the various vampire pups we've endured:

  • A sharp cry of "ouch!" followed by removal of hand and turning away (or walking away) to not look at (shun) the pup for 15-30 seconds.
  • Circling the thumb and forefinger around the snout of the pup to clamp their mouth shut, give them the hairy eyeball and growl, "NO BITE" and keep holding the muzzle shut for five seconds after the dog starts to struggle ("leggo my snout!"). 
  • A quick bop on the snout (picture one finger, ringing the desk bell at a hotel — this is a light attention-getting bop, not a painful physical punishment), a growl of "NO BITE" and added 15-30 seconds of shunning. At minimum look away; better is to simply walk away as if the pup does not exist.
  • For the brave and desperate: while the pup has its mouth on your hand, shove your hand/finger deeper *into* the pups mouth, forcing and holding the mouth wide open and holding your finger/hand deep at the back of the jaw for about  five seconds longer than the puppy wants. The puppy will generally panic at its loss of control and struggle to back away — don't let it, keep your hand in there as if you're trying to reach down their throat. Your goal again is not to hurt the pup  at all but to give it the idea that while it maybe thought for a moment that it would be great to have your hand in its mouth (bitey bitey fun bitey)  it turns out that you are INSANE and the puppy loses control of the situation every single time so eventually decides, "nah" it's no fun to chomp on you. Give the needle-sharp teeth of puppies, it helps if you are a masochist for this method. There may be blood — yours.

Method one is easiest, usually effective if done 100% consistently by everyone in the house. You're essentially teaching them that humans are wimps with tissue-paper skin that have no tolerance for (normal) puppy play-biting.  

It's also a phase. Virtually all puppies are mouthy and even when they calm down a later phase of teething may restart them for a while

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Brad's reply was right on target. Your little 'darling' 's behavior is typical of many cairn pups and I'm sure pretty much all of us have dealt with the biting. Personally I think even just mouthing should not be allowed either.

Method one worked for me.In addition I actually put Angus physically away for a brief moment. Like many cairns he was a very social friendly pup and he hated to be ignored.

As brad says however this correction must be done consistently and in the same way by all who live with the little biter.At first it seemed to me that was all I did. I sat down he went to mouth and/or chew I corrected and immediately had to do again. It was very frustrating  but gradually he did learn I wouldn't put up with such behavior.

You may have to experiment with what works for you. All pups are different and the homes they live in are different also.

 

 

 

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As always, the dedication and information in our forum is so appreciated by you, Bradl and also, thank you Hillscreek :) My hands look awful, lol. My husband was shocked and I reminded him, hey, you have just forgotten what it is like!

I will put this knowledge to work. It's been a while and a few gray hairs along the way. Again, I'm working on that full head of gray hair right now with this youngster but she is SO smart and cute :) I also plan to enroll her in puppy class soon.

Thank you!

Gina

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We've used Brad's number two suggestions with our Cairn pups and have broken them of their biting.  Grasp that snout, make the puppy look you in the eye and firmly state "NO BITE!" every time the puppy even makes an attempt.
You will see immediate results, you can watch their eyes as they make the decision that nipping at a human hand or ankle is probably a bad idea.

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In conjunction with the above suggestions you should develop a deep, growl-y, loud and intimidating "NO!" voice.  In our house we refer to it as the "demon voice".  

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Thank you! I think my husband used his "demon voice" last night. He became quite frustrated and surprised at this tiny terror. I told him, lol, Trinity has returned to remind you of a Cairn's pup years. Trinity and me had quite a few challenges up until about two years! Then, she turned into the best little girl a mom could ask for,  right up until her death. I didn't think it could be possible to still grieve so much and love a new puppy but I am doing both. We have big hearts for Cairns. <3

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yep, you have a totally normal pup and lots of great ideas here. i found brad's #1 --OUCH!-- followed by shunning, if needed, worked. i don't think my terriers understood that their bites hurt --they are covered in a thick fur of armor and think it is all in good fun. my dogs could not stand to be ignored, so a brief time out usually made the point. different methods for different dogs. try them all and find out what works. 

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Your little darling ( vampire, JAWS, and the list goes on) 

I always found it funny that my little 4 to 6 pound darling, could make my 6 foot 175 pound husband scream while jumping up on the couch to get away from little darling. hehe 

She was known as JAWS at our house and we used Brads #1 and #2 they worked great on Kelly.

It became less as she got older. I want to say it only lasted a couple of weeks, then she started chewing up everything else in the house. LOL

Good luck and just know you're not alone. 

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LOL, Thanks PK and Lynn! I get a kick out of your comment regarding your husband, Lynn. My husband was screaming last night, too. JAWS, yes, this is my Trina Joy. Trina is named after my beloved girl, Trinity (in the pic) who I lost on Labor Day. I recall Trinity having chewing episodes but it didn't last long. We've had this pup for just over a week. Maybe, the period will work through - SOON! LOL.

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Sam who is 6 months  old now has stopped mouthing our extremities, however anything else in the house is fair game. Pillows, clothes, and anything that happens to be laying around. Some things he gets ahold of give me nightmares....twist ties from packages, coins and the big scary one is meds. Strict orders in the house when taking a prescription...no dogs in that room. Like all youngsters, equine or canine, you wonder how on earth they ever reach adult hood in one piece. One good thing is that the house has never been as tidy since SAM came home...everything is put away, or at least I hope it is.

The spray bottle of death (water) works wonders in our house. I just have to pick it up and both dogs head for the hills...or under furniture.

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Until one has loved an animal, a part of  one's soul remains unawakened.  - Anatole France

Adventures with Sam &Rosie

 

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Hi Terrier lover! Wow, I get it! Trina is about five months. I am so careful to pick-up things (based on our other little girl, Trinity,  who was a scavenger and had IBS). I make myself sick with worry wondering what Trina picks up. No matter how hard I try, it seems she "finds" things. Last night, we found something sticky, it looked like a small piece of gum on her whisker. I freaked out! I know how dangerous certain gums can be. Later, I heard her cough several times and I feared that she would vomit. This kept me all night. However, she hasn't coughed anymore -- and no vomit at all, never was.

Perhaps, the scariest thing for me is that my husband has hearing aids. Therefore, we must be extremely careful of button batteries. He is very mindful but this could be fatal if one were to be dropped. For now, I keep Trina in a puppy play pen unless highly supervised. In the evening, she goes to sleep in her crate which is locked. Of course, there are baby gates all over the house. Another puppy pen is on order :)

YES! Our former dogs feared the "squirt gun" aka our name for the spray bottle. This may be a good resource to take out again in the future :) Gina

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Love the squirt bottle!  Also grabbing the nose and saying "NO"!!!  They are absolute terrors at this age (5+ months) - grab and run away with anything not nailed down!!!! Everything in the house is at least 4' off the ground - no pillows or blankets on the couch are safe!

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Pepper's Mom

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This topic sure brought back memories for me!  Not just the scratches on hands and wrists, but also the holes in socks, leggings, long sweaters -- from where they latched on and would not let go. All three cairns we have had as puppies went through that biting phase. 

The "ouch" technique worked with Oban, but we stopped our earlier cairn, Allie, with the second technique.  Any loud noise, including a yell of "ouch," just excited her more. 

And with all of them we used the water bottle (leading, sometimes, to a very wet seat on the couch -- we finally put a cover on it) and also Idaho Cairns "toss," though ours tended to be a dish towel rather than a hat -- just closer.

I guess what I am saying is use any and all of these techniques, and understand that within a few weeks the pup will be over this, and you will move on to the next training challenge...each dog is different, and you need to figure out what your dog will respond to.

Oban is four now, and I am still working on training challenges...

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  • 10 months later...

I brought my puppy home at 12 1/2 weeks, and he thought I was the best toy in the house.  My hands, fingers, and even my arms had nip marks and bruises.  It hurt like the very devil, as well.  The vet shared the technique suggested by Brad here, and while it is scary to have your finger in the Cairn's mouth, it seems to get my Toto's attention when nothing else will. I also try to remind him, now that it has become less frequent, NO BITE.  Not sure how long that will last.  I try to be consistent, as well.  I re-direct the biting to one of several chew toys, and praise him like mad when he takes it, chews it, and plays without biting me.  The other two techniques of holding his snout, and 'settling' him work well, too.  The 'settling' is a technique a trainer had us learn, and comes in handy for a number of situations, including other aggression, but you do have to be confidant you can do it.  You literally flip the dog over onto its back -- submissive position -- and lean over him, holding him (for all you're worth) until he calms down.  It may even take a few minutes, and I do not let up until I feel the dog relax, and is calm.  You must be 'alpha' or you will set yourself up for all types of problems.

 

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I tried that “settle” thing with Nikki and he never relaxed. It freaked him out and made him mad at me. Sticking my hand further in his mouth or holding his tongue did get him to stop biting when he was in his Jaws phase. I’d forgotten how bitey puppies and rebellious adolescents are until I read this thread and refreshed thirteen year old memories.  Lol Cairns do seem to unanimously be mini sharks for a period in their lives. Other dogs can be, too.

I remember my husky was nicknamed “Gator” since he was a mischievous nipper for six years. He liked to dart in and nip people on the rear. That was a big joke for him. I remember how much his eyes sparkled when he made someone squeal in surprise. It was never malicious but he literally zipped across the room once to sneak a pinch on a kid who was on the floor pretending to be a dog. Thankfully she knew he wasn’t trying to hurt her but gracious. What a brat dog! Lol. 

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Hi all,

I chuckle now but I know how annoying this can be. Since my original post last year, little Trina Joy and I have come a long way. So many things that seasoned Cairn owners shared here that I had forgotten. It was near 14 years since our last set of Cairns, that we met little Trina. I was truly exhausted and still grieving deeply after the loss of our senior pups who died within three months of each other last year (May and Labor Day). I can now say that little Trina is doing much better. Few, if ever, potty accidents in the house. She is not nipping as she once was and is a little joy just like her name illustrates. We still cannot trust her with the free run of the house; she likes to put everything in her mouth which can be dangerous. We've had a few scares that thank goodness, objects have passed (whew)! What I find that truly helped our little girl most was sending her to doggy daycare once per week. The socialization with other small dogs and petsitter of the pack, really helped her. She learned so much and of course, was exhausted on her return home.

I cannot say enough about investing in a few daycare visits per week for highly energized Cairn pups. It was a blessing for us :)

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Like gd4 I found doggie daycare excellent for Angus  - lots of play and socialization with other dogs. He went once a week for three hours in the morning for a few months. Chance to meet new humans also. I don't remember the exact age when I took him maybe about eighteen months. He loved it. Would have done more but it was expensive and quite a long drive to get there.

Only thing I would caution would be to say check out the place very carefully. Are dogs required to have proof of vaccination? Are they supervised all the time by trained people? Is emergency vet care available? In addition Angus was evaluated by one of the staff before he joined. They liked to get an idea of a dog's temperament so as to put him/her with a compatible group. I was anxious about this as you can imagine. Would they take my wild one? What did they know about terriers and cairns in particular? I needed not have worried. The evaluator had him sized up in no time and said "He'll be fine. I know just which doggy friends to put him with". It was as bad emotionally as sending my kids to pre-school:crybaby: but like with my kids so it was with him. Everything worked out fine.:lol:

 

 

 

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YES! I agree on everything mentioned regarding the doggie daycare, Hillscreek. I am fortunate that we have a reputable facility near our home. They meet the requirements of all stated. Trina was also evaluated by the manager prior to entrance for temperament. Also, the first week or two, she was not allowed to stay for a full day. It seems almost an identical scenario as you described with little Angus! :) It was a win - win.

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I am thinking as Toto gets older, he might benefit from a play-date, but he is only 17 weeks now, and I can keep him entertained so far.  I still can't take him around too many other dogs, as the vet divides his shots into 3, spread over two weeks between them.  He gets his rabies shot in two weeks, and then finishes the lepto vaccine two weeks after that.  He can be around friends' dogs, who I trust to have been properly vetted.

He wants to play rough, naturally, and his Weimaraner-brother keeps him in-check.  When Rupert has had enough, he walks away.  So far, Toto seems to understand he needs to let Rupert alone for awhile.  But, I do think he would benefit from being around other dogs to let him know what is acceptable v. not -- without putting my dog in harm's way.  We appear to have some nice facilities here.

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I found puppy classes the best way to socialize a youngster. Other puppies and a safe environment 

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Until one has loved an animal, a part of  one's soul remains unawakened.  - Anatole France

Adventures with Sam &Rosie

 

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Good suggestion, too. I would enjoy it, myself.

Toto can't go until he has finished his shots -- about another month or so.  Our vet divides the lepto vaccine into two shots, and does the rabies separately.  I think that must be easier on the puppy, but it does push the shots out a bit.

 

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