# Tuck's a biter!



## Brooks (Jun 27, 2005)

Tuck bites! All the time. I’m sure it's my fault because I don't treat him like the "toy" dog that he is, but his little teeth are starting to hurt! It seems like this is the only way he knows how to play. 
I know that he is teething right now (he's only 10 weeks) and my friends say that he will grow out of it, but this is hard to believe when he is snapping at my nose. 
It anybody has any advice for me and my little monster







we will appreciate it.


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## Holliberry (Feb 5, 2005)

I was told by a trainer once that it *is* the only way they know how to play. You need to teach them that its not ok to bite you (hard). I actually would yell and take my hand away when phoebe bit me with any amount of force. it is now at the point that she still will put her teeth on me while playing, but its very gentle. If she gets excited and starts to use force, I yelp and take my hands away for a few minutes to remind her. 

I think its recommended by some, after they learn gentle bite, to just never let them use teeth on you at all, but I am happy the way she is and it doesnt bother me. If you dont teach them gentle bite, they will never know that, and it can be that any bite, even to take a treat, can hurt!


I am by no means a professional trainer but thats what worked for me.


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## puppylucy (Jan 8, 2005)

how young was he when you got him? he might not've spent enough time with his littermates.


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## k/c mom (Oct 9, 2004)

Biting is how puppies play.... even now when Kallie and Catcher play... it is all mouths..... mouths wide open and biting.....

When they were puppies, I found that they didn't respond very well to my methods of curtailing the biting. But as they got a little older... a few months, they seemed to "get it". What I do is stop playing immediately and turn away from them and fold my arms across my chest. This was recommended in a little book from PetsMart on biting. It didn't work at first but it works like a charm now.


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## Scoobydoo (May 26, 2005)

Scooby went through that stage too and nothing we did would stop him trying to nip while playing, but now he very rarely bites at all, like everyone says it is part of their development to nip in play but you need to substitute your hand for one of his chew toys when he starts biting you and tell him sternly no bite. We found that if we couldn't stop Scooby we would put him down and ignore him when he did that and he soon learned that it was not going to be tolerated so he just gradually stopped.


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## Brooks (Jun 27, 2005)

> _Originally posted by puppylucy_@Aug 11 2005, 07:11 PM
> *how young was he when you got him? he might not've spent enough time with his littermates.
> <div align="right">index.php?act=findpost&pid=89654*


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He was only seven week when we bought him. After reading different post on here, i knew he was young, but he breeder said it was fine since i didn't have any children. 

ps. Lucy is too cute!


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## LexiAndNikkisMom (Apr 13, 2004)

One of the reasons most breeders keep the puppies until 12 weeks is because between the age of 8-12 weeks the puppy learns social "skills" like bite inhibition. This is taught by the mother and the other puppies. You will have to teach him this.


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## Brooks (Jun 27, 2005)

Well Im glad to see my little babe is normal. I have been taking my hand away and fussing him, so I guess I'll just keep it up. 
He worries me, because my friends have dog and needless to say he's the smallest, so his little tough guy attitude leaves him rolling on the floor sometimes.
I was convinced he thought he was a min pin. 
We'll keep working on it.
Thanks everbody!


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## puppylucy (Jan 8, 2005)

> _Originally posted by Brooks+Aug 11 2005, 06:49 PM-->
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He was only seven week when we bought him. After reading different post on here, i knew he was young, but he breeder said it was fine since i didn't have any children. 

ps. Lucy is too cute!
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lexi's mom is right, you'll have to teach him the whole bite inhibition thing yourself









and thanks! tuckers a darling.


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## LexiAndNikkisMom (Apr 13, 2004)

Do a search on google for "teaching bite inhibition". there are a lot of articles out there on it.


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## jmm (Nov 23, 2004)

1. He didn't learn about the strength of his bite from his littermates and mom.

2. Biting and nipping is normal dog and puppy behavior.

3. So it is your job to alter that behavior to one you find acceptable. The first thing to try is to act like his mom would. Yelp loudly when he bites, then get up and ignore him for a few minutes. If he is playing in a gated room, you can even get up and leave the room. 

4. BE CONSISTENT. He is not going to simply stop the behavior the first time you yelp. It will take him time to learn that mouthing is not appropriate behavior or, if you choose to let him mouth gently, how much pressure is appropriate (you yelp when he nips too hard). He is a puppy and he is teething. Just keep going and be consistent.

If the yelp/ignore doesn't work, there is another method that can be used but try this one first.


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## Scoobydoo (May 26, 2005)

> _Originally posted by Brooks_@Aug 11 2005, 07:56 PM
> *Well Im glad to see my little babe is normal. I have been taking my hand away and fussing him, so I guess I'll just keep it up.
> He worries me, because my friends have dog and needless to say he's the smallest, so his little tough guy attitude leaves him rolling on the floor sometimes.
> I was convinced he thought he was a min pin.
> ...


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Brooks I just wanted to show you a picture of Scooby, when he was Tucker's age, they are so alike in this picture
























These are puppy to just a few days ago.


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## Brooks (Jun 27, 2005)

> _Originally posted by Scoobydoo+Aug 11 2005, 09:05 PM-->
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Brooks I just wanted to show you a picture of Scooby, when he was Tucker's age, they are so alike in this picture
























These are puppy to just a few days ago.
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Oh My God, you're right. I'm a little freaked! They could be twins! At least now I know how cue tuck is going to be when he gets older!


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## Scoobydoo (May 26, 2005)

Yep he sure is now and will be then Brooks, that pic of him on the right is one of his stare, the one he gives me when he is ready for bed at 10.00pm every night. He sits on his daddy's recliner, right up on the top of the backrest and glares over at me in my recliner until I give in and take him out potty and we all retire to his bed, which we share with him, according to Scooby's philosophy.


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## paris (Apr 8, 2005)

> _Originally posted by Scoobydoo_@Aug 12 2005, 09:22 AM
> *Yep he sure is now and will be then Brooks, that pic of him on the right is one of his stare, the one he gives me when he is ready for bed at 10.00pm every night. He sits on his daddy's recliner, right up on the top of the backrest and glares over at me in my recliner until I give in and take him out potty and we all retire to his bed, which we share with him, according to Scooby's philosophy.
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I get the same look from Paris when SHE is ready for bed. Isn't it something how they have us wrapped around evey paw they have !


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## Scoobydoo (May 26, 2005)

Paris, Scooby has this unique glare that only means he wants something, but the night time one is always at the same time every night. I think he has a built in alarm clock that goes off at 10.00pm every single night. I will say one thing they have a routine and we have to adhere to it or suffer the glare until we relent. He has this other ability too that has just come to light, if I ask him what it is he wants he will only acknowledge the correct question with a slight nod and a blink of his eyes. We laugh so hard when he does that, I will ask him if it is bed time and he just slightly nods his head and blinks his yes, and he only does this at bedtime.
What amazing little characters these little furkids are.


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## Brooks (Jun 27, 2005)

> _Originally posted by Scoobydoo_@Aug 12 2005, 12:14 PM
> *Paris, Scooby has this unique glare that only means he wants something, but the night time one is always at the same time every night. I think he has a built in alarm clock that goes off at 10.00pm every single night. I will say one thing they have a routine and we have to adhere to it or suffer the glare until we relent. He has this other ability too that has just come to light, if I ask him what it is he wants he will only acknowledge the correct question with a slight nod and a blink of his eyes. We laugh so hard when he does that, I will ask him if it is bed time and he just slightly nods his head and blinks his yes, and he only does this at bedtime.
> What amazing little characters these little furkids are.
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> ...


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Oh my goodness...I die everytime I look at that picture. That is too funny!
Tuck has never glared at us to go to bed, but he does bark when he's ready for us to get out of bed.
This morning I was getting ready for work while my husband was still sleeping. Well Tuck started to bark his little head off, Clay said he was just sitting there when he opened his eyes and then he started to bark, kinda like "hey daddy, get your butt out of bed and come and play with me!''
They have so much personality for such little dogs!


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## ClareBear (Jun 18, 2005)

I just wanted to share this trick to b/c it worked for me and I hope it works for you!









My friend is taking her lab puppy to Petsmart Puppy Training. One of the things the trainer said would help with bad habits (i.e. biting, chewing, jumping, barking etc) is to take a tin soup can, empty out its contents, place a handful of coins in it and shake it at the puppy whenever he/she is doing something you don't want them to do.

She shared this with me because she said it was working miracles with her dog. I was convinced that it wouldn't work, but I tried it anyway and it worked!! :lol: I don't know what it is about it, but Duke doesn't like it at all and will immediately stop whatever he is doing when I shake it. Before, I had tried everything - yelping out loud when he would nip, saying "NO!" in a stern voice, ignoring, etc. but nothing really seemed to work. 

After using the can, I thought maybe its newness would wear out after a day or two, but a week later... its still working! His behavior has changed IMMENSELY this past week - its amazing.







Maybe this might help with your little one! If anyone tries this, or has tried it before, let me know if it worked with your baby!


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