Jacinta Posted December 29, 2009 Share Posted December 29, 2009 My new Chihuahua puppy has been biting so hard and often lately that it has gotten completely out of hand. When I first bought her home I trained her not to nip and bite people. That was until my brother ( who is the opposite of intelligent ) decided to encourage her to bite and then reward her for it while she was playing. she now associates biting with playing. I have tried everything to make her stop: The same technique a mother dog uses ( growl and ignore for a few minutes ) she just nips my ankles swapping for a toy ( she prefers my hand ) the spray technique ( spray her with water when she bites ) Rewarding her when she is not biting and putting her in her cage to cool off when she bites. I can't find or think of anything else to do! When I went to pick her up from the breeders they also encouraged biting from their pups and associated it with playing. They said it was " bonding ". I can think of better ways to bond with your pup and I am no breeder. It was fine for them because what could a little baby chihuahua do? I mean they are tiny! But now she is getting bigger and stronger... She also sometimes growls when she bites. Her biting is getting harder and now she leaves scratches and indentations. I am heading up to Yarrawonga with her on January the second so she cannot start puppy school untill a week after that. But I need help fast! Could somebopdy please reccomend a solution, as this is my first dog and I am not a expert at this. Thankyou for reading and please help if you have any answers. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jacinta Posted December 29, 2009 Author Share Posted December 29, 2009 Oh and I also tried to yelp loudly to startle her but she doesn't care. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cosmolo Posted December 29, 2009 Share Posted December 29, 2009 I think given the early experiences the pup has had- being taught biting is a good thing- the best thing you could do would be to have a lesson with a reputable trainer who can tailor a solution for you. The worst thing to do IMO would be running the rough 10 different solutions/ suggestions that don't work and then having a pup much more resistant to change. How old is the puppy? Where are you going to puppy school? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MrToby Posted December 29, 2009 Share Posted December 29, 2009 Our little man Toby bite Connie and myself. I sort of growl at him and he calms straight down. Connie is going to start trying the "Yelping" technique tonight as her growl does not stop him from nipping.Most times i believe he is simply playing, but with new teeth comes pain too, so make sure she has good chew toys stuffed with treats. Give her that when she starts nipping you, then she may hopefully associate nipping with her chew toy, and not your flesh.. I think it is a little hard to "unlearn" something. Kind of like watching the news, then being told to forget everything you just saw. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cosmolo Posted December 29, 2009 Share Posted December 29, 2009 Don't think of it as un-learning. Rather, its about replacing an old habit with a new habit Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jaxx'sBuddy Posted December 29, 2009 Share Posted December 29, 2009 and sometimes yelping can make it worse because it arouses the dog even more. getting a behaviouralist in to observe the dog will give you suggestions tailored to the puppy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jacinta Posted December 29, 2009 Author Share Posted December 29, 2009 I am not sure which puppy school I am bringing her to yet. I was going to enroll her in a local vetinarian's training school. she is about 15 weeks old and yes, she is teething. But she was biting before her teething as well. she is sitting with me right now- still biting. I dont think she cant learn the right behaviour again, because remember, I de- trained what the breeders had told her was okay. she didn't bite after i un-learned that, so why shouldn't I be able to de-train her again after my brother has influenced her biting? I just need to try somthing different and seek the help of a proffesional, unfortuantly, that wont be before yarrawonga. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cosmolo Posted December 29, 2009 Share Posted December 29, 2009 Whereabouts are you located? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dogsfevr Posted December 29, 2009 Share Posted December 29, 2009 I dont believe the breeders encouraged biting & think maybe you have mistaken a form of play & turned into something worse. She is a pup & they use there mouths to experience life,to feel,touch,taste,texture.you cant stop them from doing what is normal but you can train to what is acceptable. The reality is you didnt untrain your pup,most likely you are a quite person which the dog doesnt react to & your brother is more out there & pup has reacted accordingly . Your pup will always need training & at this age you never expect perfection but you dont want to break your pups spirit & take away its personailty,Chis can often be very unsure around strangers & it sounds like you have a happy go lucky pup that enjoys life so far Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jacinta Posted December 29, 2009 Author Share Posted December 29, 2009 I would rather not give out my location on the internet- anybody can access it. I think you are right about the reaction to the different people- my brother is quite crazy at times and I prefer to be a bit more serious. I know about the mouthing, and I do not wish to stop that. But I do wish to stop the very hard bites which cause cuts. When I am going to Yarrawonga and generally anywhere I bring her, parents always want to let their tiny children pat the cute little dog. I am afraid that she might bite them,even tough she is usually a little shy with strangers like her parents. And her favourite place to bite is the nose- so I fear of what may happen if some little child puts their face to close to hers. And I didn't mistake what I saw at the breeders. Biting was an act of kindess in their home, like a lick. Which is all very fine untill they grow up a bit and start to get enough jaw power to rip a few cuts down your hand. So practically to help her I: do not try all the different solutions to confuse her get a dog behaviouralist in to observe the dog and they may give me some feedback on how to control my puppies biting? She is being a good little pup right now sitting in my lap. Wagging her tail, licking and knawing my wrist. I do not mind that gentle knaw, but the nips and bites are not very pleasent for me or anybody else. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Clyde Posted December 29, 2009 Share Posted December 29, 2009 I would rather not give out my location on the internet- anybody can access it. Why would anyone want to? Cosmolo was only asking so she could recommend someone to help you. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dogsfevr Posted December 30, 2009 Share Posted December 30, 2009 And I didn't mistake what I saw at the breeders. Biting was an act of kindess in their home, like a lick. Which is all very fine untill they grow up a bit and start to get enough jaw power to rip a few cuts down your hand. I think you need to seek help on understanding dogs ,you are going to create bigger issues than there is Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
persephone Posted December 30, 2009 Share Posted December 30, 2009 I would rather not give out my location on the internet- anybody can access it. we are not asking your address- region/nearest city will do Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
elsa Posted December 30, 2009 Share Posted December 30, 2009 I have recently had a litter of German Shepherd puppies. I taught them all not to nip or bite. My rule is - skin and teeth dont mix. While it might be cute when they are puppies, it is not a habit you want an adult dog to have - of any breed. There are critical periods in a puppies life. Human Socialisation is from 7 -12 weeks old, and once past these critical periods, it is a lot harder to fix a problem. With my pups, what I did when they bit or mouthed, was to say "Arggh" loudly and then say NO. Then I followed what their mother did to reprimand them, and that was to place my hand over their nose, hold it firmly and take their mouth away from my skin. For the odd one that continued and mouthed my hand, I held their bottom jaw firmly, but gently until they settled and then let go. Mostly the first technique worked well. When they all went to their new homes, they all knew the word NO for anything they were doing that might be unwanted behaviour. You say you don't mind the gentle mouthing. How does the pup know what is gentle and what is harder? They don't understand different levels of the same thing, so you need to have a rule, no teeth and skin. If your pup is teething, give him a bone to chew on. Your brother needs to be educated as well, as it is pointless trying to break this habit, if he is going to reinforce it by continuing his 'play' The 12 to 16 weeks period is called the Seniority Classification Period. To quote "This phase of the puppys development is also known as the "Age of Cutting", cutting teeth and cutting apron strings. The puppy is no longer a "puppy" and should be equated with a pre-pubic 10 to 12 year old child, from whom the parents would not tolerate cheeky, pushy behaviour. The young dog mya ttempt dominance! Play biting is no longer play! It is a test of superiority! Do not permit growls or bites from this period on. If the young dog growls or bites during handling or training it should be disciplined, by using the scruff shake. By 16 weeks emotions are fully developed" This was an excerpt from Puppy Critical Periods. Take your pup to a dog obedience class near you. Trained instructors will be able to assist, but you still need to start at home. Good luck. Its all patience and consistency, and it usually comes out good in the end. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jacinta Posted December 31, 2009 Author Share Posted December 31, 2009 Thankyou, yours is the best reply yet. Your advice is good- I will try it out- I hope it works! It is going to be tricky to hold a tiny chihuahua dog's snout though! Doggie ( I guess I cant call her puppy anymore ) IS growling sometimes when she bites. This must be the dominate thing. She doesn't growl or bite my father who is obviousley way too big for a little chihuahua to take on and she rolls over in submission- I guess this really is that stage. She has alot of toys and flavoured bones to chew. So she can chew them if she gets teething pains. I don't think it is a good idea to use the scruff shake because I tried that a few times and she always yelped loudly as if she was in pain- altough I was being very gentle but firm. Is this just because she doesn't like it or because it hurted her even though I did it so gently? I wouldn't do it now though because she is recovering from her second vaccination and her scruff hurts if too much pressure is applied to that area. I am enrolling her into doggie school two weeks from now. PS: Trust me- I am trying very hard to educate my little brother as well... Not as easy as it sounds. Thanks again Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jacinta Posted December 31, 2009 Author Share Posted December 31, 2009 I would rather not give out my location on the internet- anybody can access it. Why would anyone want to? Cosmolo was only asking so she could recommend someone to help you. Why would anyone want to?Well how should I know what they want with it ? People could easily be wanting to steal my chihuahua from my house. Not talking about anybody here in particular but anybody can see it. I did think he meant address for some reason, but even a city is enough to locate where someone lives with my information, my name and birthdate, which is shown on this site. sorry if you got the wrong idea- not trying to be rude or anything. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
persephone Posted December 31, 2009 Share Posted December 31, 2009 jacinta- on your profile- there is no information ... if you have used your real name- then you may be able to change it if you are so concerned... but honestly- with one first name, and a city/town population..how on earth could anyone find you???!!!! your dog would have to be a very valuable and special one for someone to go to all that trouble Most folks here give an area, or a city-- it is of GREAT assistance if info is required for vets,obedience classes,trainers, boarding kennels.... all that sort of thing Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jacinta Posted December 31, 2009 Author Share Posted December 31, 2009 Maybe I am just being paranoid I thought I did put my birthdate and other info on there... Oh well! And I dont know how they do it, but if they realllly want to, they CAN track you down if they have your birthdate, name and city. But I guess it is of no importance if my info isn't up there. I live in Melbourne. But I already know what school she is going to. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jacinta Posted December 31, 2009 Author Share Posted December 31, 2009 I just tried that snout holding technique with doggie and she didn't calm down. If anything she tried to bite me harder. she was growling alot this time- I guess she really does think she is the top dog. Doesn't it work the first few days? But it isn't really working... She just wriggles out of my grip and if she cant wriggle out then she will thrash around like crazy until I have to let go. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
persephone Posted December 31, 2009 Share Posted December 31, 2009 Please- if you are at all unsure of exactly WHAT your dog is thinking- get a professional to come and spend time with you, at home ... an obedience 'school' is often not the best answer for problems such as this Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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