How do I get my puppy to stop bitting me?

[Erika]

My boyfriend and I got a puppy a little 9 days ago. She's a border collie mix (with lab perhaps). We've bought her a lot of toys and everytime she tries to chew on something she's not supposed to or tries to bite our hands, legs, toes etc. We've been giving her her toys to chew on instead. We always firmly tell her no/off when she bites us but since it wasn't fazing her I started gently pinning her on the ground for a few seconds (after the advice of my father who's raised two puppies and now has a great dog.) That seemed to work for a little while, but now half of the time she responds by becoming agravated by the gesture, trying to bite more and running uncontrollably around the house. She doesn't calm down until we either let her run around the yard for 10 min. or put her in her kennel for the same amount of time. I don't know what to do, I don't want her to bite me, her teeth are sharp, but nothing seems to work. Any advice?:badpc:

[puttycat2k]

Hi i have a black lab mixed with collie. I used to have some promblems with biting too. It seems like you are doing everything right to me. but it takes time. Dogs like attention so when you put them in the kennel then hopefully they will relize when i bite i dont get the attention i want. Good luck.
Cristy

[cleolover]

I hug the Jaws of Death and tell her " be nice" week 2, and I no longer have to use bandages :) I think they are often just doing a " taste test" and will push until you scream! Bean wants to see how far she can push it; I was hoping the Chow would teach her manners, but apparently he just goes " ah, a pup, how cute" Meanwhile, how you feel about housesitting mine? :)

[Erika]

Thanks guys! I guess it's just a phase that takes time to work through. On the plus side I'm starting to see some improvements, she usually lets go after I say off a few times. I can't wait until she's a little more grown up and well behaved, though I'm sure that when she gets there I will miss her puppy days :)

:apart:

[luckycanuck]

My Australian Shepherd pup just turned a year old and I have to say I'm happy he's past those puppy days!
He was a monster with those sharp needlelike teeth.
My arms are scarred from his teeth and nails.
If I told him no/off/no bite whatever, he'd seem to get worse.
I honestly considered giving him up because I couldn't handle him. The vet told me to isolate him, give him time out, which worked much better.
Sounds like you are doing all the right things.
Good luck. They grow up so quickly.

[PetLover9294]

Shes just theeting we've had a puppy who would always bite you it'll probably stop until shes about 4or 5months old Shes bitting you because her gums hurt just let her bite you.

[Roz]

One thing that may help you teach your pup to stop biting you, Erika, is everytime she bites your hand, simply wrap your fingers around her lower jaw and hold onto it for a few seconds. My Australian Cattle Dog was a mouthy puppy, and I used that method to break him of biting my hands in less than a day. They learn quickly that in biting you, they make themselves vulnerable, so rather than seeing biting as a way to make another creature vulnerable it makes themselves vulnerable.

I also had to use that method on my cat, Omen, who had a horrible tendency to claw you and then bite you if you swatted his clawing paws away. He learned quickly that in biting me, he made himself vulnerable, and all I had to do was gently but firmly hold onto his jaw.

[Canislupess]

I have owned and raised a lot of puppies and bred litters myself in the past too and I can safely say they all had that same habit as pups and all grew out of it. When pups, they bite in play but they are not yet aware that biting too hard inflict pain on others. That is something they have to learn. I watched pups do it to each other or their parents or one of the other adult dogs and see how they reacted. Dogs know best how to teach their own kind and I would witness pups yelp and struggle to get away then, when they did, they would go off and refuse to play further. If they were hurt more badly by a hard bite, they would have a right go at the pup who did it and that would normally put them in their place, then, again, they would go off in a huff and ignore them. If a pup bit an adult too hard, they would get snapped at and maybe even pinned down. Thats how they learn from other dogs not to bite.

Thing is, dogs do it different to us. If we do it, the pup just seems to think we are trying harder to win the fight so they try harder too, LOL. I think it is the way people do it compared to dogs. Pups have to leanr our basic language too which, I suppose, takes a little longer. Your pup will grow out of it.

I have Border Collies and they are what I bred and I know how much energy they have. Pups can be right little sods for that, LOL. Some more than others.
They do grow out of it. Just refuse to play if they start biting too hard. AS they get older, they learn automatically to control their bite in play.

[brandy pup]

BITE INHIBITION
http://www.shirleychong.com/keepers/archives/bite.txt

http://www.k9web.com/dog-faqs/new-puppy.html#biting

BITING MOUTHING
http://www.dogmanners.com/biting.htm