Someone please help! I got my ACD about 3 weeks ago, she is 8 weeks old and has some serious biting issues, and they're not with the furniture they're with my hands and feet (mainly my hands). Now i'm a smallish female and I have some very sensitive hands, and my puppy LOVES to use them as chew toys. Now I could understand this if she didn't have upwards of 10-15 chew toys lying around the house, but she does. Almost every time I try to pet her she has to bite my hands, and by bite I don't mean nip, I mean breaks the skins, leaves a mark bite. She hasn't really been around/ played with other dogs yet, which I do intend for her to do soon, so its pretty much only her and I that interact. I have tried the whole "yelp/cry" when she bites too hard method (act as a puppy being bitten would) and she seems to only become that much more aggressive by either biting harder or getting even more excited, to the point that she actually even began to hump my arm while making this "yelp" noise. I really need to find a solution or training method to stop the painful biting she is doing, I understand that puppies need to chew/ nibble on things but it would really be great if these weren't my hands. Any advice or tips would help!
Sounds harsh but as soon as she bites walk away from her, or put her in time out either outside if secure or in another room (not a cage if she sleeps in one) also try not allowing her on sofa chair bed, put her back on floor if she gets on them.
The yelping often adds to the 'game' so is counter-productive. The moment teeth touch skin, ignore. No eye contact, no movement etc. If pup has already latched on, try to extricate yourself as 'boringly' as possible. When pup stops teeth touching skin, go immediately back to normal, ignoring again the instant pup starts up the biting again. If you have a very insistent pup, then remove either yourself or the pup from 'striking' distance for a few seconds. If pup starts mouthing when up on the sofa, remove to the floor as soon as biting starts. Pups are often a pain until they grow out of teething. Persevere - you will get there
My 10 week old puppy is just starting training on this with us. If she nips I've been putting her in her kennel - it's the only place I feel I can put her on time out. I live in Utah and we have a couple feet of snow outside right now. I'm worried she'll associate her kennel with time out all the time and won't be able to send her there when I need to leave her. She sleeps in her dog bed next to my bed at night...Any suggestions?
Put pup in another room ie kitchen close door behind pup & say "time out" giving pup reason why they are on their own
I see this is a PitHeeler. I am not sure whether this will be a short coated dog, but think that at 10 weeks, she is going to feel very cold in the conditions you describe. Also, by the time you have got her into an outside kennel, she will have forgotten any connection with the time out and the behaviour that caused it. It is only necessary to use the time out for short periods, just stopping the behaviour by closing a door between you for a minute or so is enough. Play biting is normal behaviour for young puppies, so make sure you have a selection of tough toys like tuggies and chewables. Whenever possible deflect the biting on to these by having a little game with her, then letting her settle with something interesting to chew on.
