Malinois biting Questions

Discussion in 'Belgian Shepherd Dog (Malinois)' started by Bryan McMasters, Oct 2, 2017.

  1. Bryan McMasters

    Bryan McMasters New Member

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    Malinois biting

    Hello... im having trouble getting my malinois to stop biting and mouthing. Hes currently 4 months old and hes quite playful. I've tried just about everything that ive been recommended to do such as making a high pitched "yipe", replacing the biting with a chew toy, grabbing the muzzle and saying no bite, tapping the nose. ive been told when hes biting my hands to push my hand to the back of the mouth which has not worked. ive praised every time he stops trying to bite me, but the more i try to resist the biting he seems to get a bit more hyper and wants to bite more. If anyone could give some advice on what to do that would be great. Not sure if this is something i should just keep working at? or if that this is just normal puppy behavior and will grow out of it.
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  3. My bear Yoji

    My bear Yoji Member

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    Hey, it sounds to me that you are doing all the right things, don’t get disheartened, stick with it. We have an 8 month old and we seem to be at the back end of that phase, I’m going to stick my next out and say it is normal and yes it will stop. I truly understand your frustration. Yoji still does it occasionally, but, in the main it’s better, in fact, because we used to push a toy in his mouth when he was doing that he now grabs a toy himself and comes to us for a fuss, it’s truly a sweet sight when he does.
    Stick with it !
  4. Bryan McMasters

    Bryan McMasters New Member

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    Thanks for the info... i was possibly looking to resort to a low voltage shock collar. I do socialize him alot and just dont want things to get out of hand when hes a bigger size and more prone to hurt someone.
  5. GsdSlave

    GsdSlave Member

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    Malka and CaroleC like this.
    Its normal puppy behaviour and yes, it can be very trying but persistence and patience do pay off, It doesn't happen over night, it can take months depending on the puppy but I can assure you it ‘does get better.
    I think the goal is not so much to stop them from biting, but to teach them bite inhibition/ bite control.
    Whatever method you choose, the more consistent you are the faster they will learn,

    http://www.clickersolutions.com/articles/spt/SPT_Puppies.htm#BiteInhibition
  6. Bryan McMasters

    Bryan McMasters New Member

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    Just got through the article. Very helpful... Thank you!
  7. My bear Yoji

    My bear Yoji Member

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    FD2BBE96-D137-44AB-9601-F89EC162A5EA.jpeg
    You see there is light at the end of the tunnel, this is Yoji 8 months, he used to ‘ mouth & puppy bite ‘ ever so much, sometimes quite painful. As I said before we used to stand up, say no and push a toy into his mouth.
    Now, he goes himself and picks up a toy, we ask him to sit before we touch him
    This is him this morning when we came downstairs
    Thinking back now, we are quite proud of ourselves how we have managed it
    Stick with it
    Philippa
  8. Malka

    Malka Member

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    I do not agree with holding a puppy's muzzle, tapping it on the nose or using shock collars for any reason, but I do agree with @GsdSlave that the goal is not so much to stop them from biting but to teach them bite inhibition/ bite control,

    Having had four puppies in the last 20 or so years [and a houseful in a previous life] I know that puppy biting and mouthing is normal. My current little dog, who is 2 years and 4 months old is still a mouther but she has very good bite control in that her teeth will touch/hold my hands but not even leave a dent, let alone a bruise, and she has very strong jaws. She did not stop the puppy biting for what seemed like months at the time but probably was not really that long, and my command was, and still is if she gets excited and wants to mouth is "No bite".

    It is mainly when I let her out of her crate in the morning - she leaps on my bed and mouths my hands almost as a sign of endearment, before she stops and climbs on me for a cuddle.
  9. CaroleC

    CaroleC Member

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  10. My bear Yoji

    My bear Yoji Member

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    GsdSlave, Malka and CaroleC like this.
    Carole, he has really grown, we knew he was going to be big that’s why we have both been very intense with how we train him as we need to have him obey with words and actions, man handling is not an option !
    Oh and we think he will grow a little more
    Philippa
  11. Malka

    Malka Member

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    That was my first thought - Wow hasn't he grown!
  12. Chris B

    Chris B Member

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    Unfortunately, all the things you have mentioned that you have tried, is likely to excite him even more. They are a strong-willed breed and rough play is all fun to them.

    Try ignoring - no eye contact, no sound, as little movement as possible - when he goes to mouth you. If he is very persistent even when he's getting no response, walk out the room for 15-30 seconds. At first, you walk out one heck of a lot, but when the light bulb moment happens, the mouthing stops as it's not gaining him any reward.

    Good luck x
  13. My bear Yoji

    My bear Yoji Member

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    He really has Carole, we think there is a bit more to go as well
    Philippa
  14. BronsonTheBulldog

    BronsonTheBulldog Member

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    Stunning dog.

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