# maltese biting



## cheekymaltese

i have a maltese whos 14 weeks old and he will not stop biting me. my boyfriend is always nagging me and wanting me to be really harsh on the dog but i dont want to be. the dog listens to my boyfriend but i would say only because hes always yelling at it and hes mean to it.hes always bitched at me since the day i got the dog at 8weeks old about its biting and hes always been harsh to the dog and all i keep saying is hes a puppy but my bf has no tolerance. he makes me feel like im ruining the dog by not being mean to it like he is. and he is stressing me out and always bitching about the dog. to me its normal for a small puppy to bite while playing and he doesnt bite hard but i need/want him to learn to not bite at all and i cant seem to do it. ive tried things i didnt want to like holding the dog down until he gives up, flicking his nose and saying no bite! holding his mouth closed and saying no bite every time he bites but it just makes him madder and bite more. ive tried putting him in a different room for time outs. ive tried saying no bite and giving him a toy and praising him when he is chewing the right things or being nice. i dont know the right thing to do to actually get him to stop. and im tired of listening to my bf bitch at me and trying the ideas of people who dont even have a dog. to be honest it is frustrating me so much that i just want to cry because nothing works and im bitched at daily.. if anyone knows the proper way to stop him please reply. thanks


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## Zoe's Mom88

First, welcome to SM. I can say that being mean and hitting your puppy is definately something you and your BF should not do. Puppies bite and play, its part of being a pup. Please discourage your BF when he is mean or hits him....that is not the way it should be done. You need to be consistent when telling your pup firmly no biting and say ouch out loud to let him know it hurts and praise him with a treat when he listens. Give him something to chew on as he also is probably teething. Please, please do not hit your furbaby. It does take time for him to catch on but he will. Be patient. 

You can also use the search bar at the top of the page to look for different ways to help you train him. I am sure others will also give you some advice.

Good luck and keep us posted on how he's doing.


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## Furbabies mom

My 15 week old puppy is biting also. It's what puppies do, but it will pass. I always have something for him to chew on when holding him. Do not allow BF to mean to your puppy. It won't solve the problem, but will create more.


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## allheart

cheekymaltese said:


> i have a maltese whos 14 weeks old and he will not stop biting me. my boyfriend is always nagging me and wanting me to be really harsh on the dog but i dont want to be. the dog listens to my boyfriend but i would say only because hes always yelling at it and hes mean to it.hes always bitched at me since the day i got the dog at 8weeks old about its biting and hes always been harsh to the dog and all i keep saying is hes a puppy but my bf has no tolerance. he makes me feel like im ruining the dog by not being mean to it like he is. and he is stressing me out and always bitching about the dog. to me its normal for a small puppy to bite while playing and he doesnt bite hard but i need/want him to learn to not bite at all and i cant seem to do it. ive tried things i didnt want to like holding the dog down until he gives up, flicking his nose and saying no bite! holding his mouth closed and saying no bite every time he bites but it just makes him madder and bite more. ive tried putting him in a different room for time outs. ive tried saying no bite and giving him a toy and praising him when he is chewing the right things or being nice. i dont know the right thing to do to actually get him to stop. and im tired of listening to my bf bitch at me and trying the ideas of people who dont even have a dog. to be honest it is frustrating me so much that i just want to cry because nothing works and im bitched at daily.. if anyone knows the proper way to stop him please reply. thanks


First, hugs to you, and your new baby.

The ONLY thing your boyfirend is doing, and I am so sorry to say this, but is creating, fear and anxiety, in your baby. The baby had NO idea, what he is doing wrong, when your boyfriend, yells at him. All the little guy knows, is that, your boyfriend, is angry at him, and it causes your little guy great fear. If this continues, your baby will possibly be forever an anxious fearful baby.

Please don't think I am being harsh. Just trying to help.

Okay, the way, puppies, play, is by mouthig. On your shocks, your feet, your hands, that is how they play, with their littermates. 

Yes, their little teeth do hurt. But they don't know that, and don't mean it. 

When your baby does this, replace it with a chewy (a bone), keep doing that, until your baby chews on the bone. 

If your baby persist on chewing on you, turn and walk away, no playing with your baby. 

If your darling baby still is chewing at your feet, instead of the chewey, just a 5 minute time out, in the special place you have set up for him. No longer than 5 minutes. Otherswise they forget, why they are on a "time-out.

Let him back out, and start again. It's all a part of training. 

Puppies and dogs, DO NOT understand, hollering, they just don't, it just causes them to be fearful and anxious, and they don't know why.

Does your boyfriend live with you. I don't mean to be harsh on him, honest, but he has to understand, that this part of puppyhood, is normal, they are playing, but you can lovinly redirect them.

It sounds like you are doing everything you can, continue to do so. And put your boyfriend on time-out . Just kidding. But has to learn, meaning your boyfriend, that any training, positive or negative, will stay with the puppy, all of it's life. You don't want an anxious baby.

But truly, when pups are with their breeder, that's how they play. They mouth their littermates. It's normal. He's not biting, he's mouthing, playing, yes it hurts. But when we take on the responsiblity of pet ownership, it's up to us, to show them the right way, in a loving way. 

It seems like it last long, but it doesn't.

You can also give your baby an ice cube. Or wet a washwrag, twist it up, and put it in the freezer. Then let your baby chew on that.

Good luck to you, and keep coming back and give us updates.

Try and not let your boyfriend frustate you. Puppy time is such a special time and goes so fast.

Be sure and tell your boyfriend, alhtough, I am not sure he will understand, that the puppy doesn't understand, being yelled at. He just doesn't. It only makes your baby afraid and could make a very anxious baby. You don't want that.

I hope these tips help.

And I wish you all the best.

Much love,
Christine


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## sdubose

I can tell you without a doubt that hitting or screaming will only cause fear and emotional issues with your puppy. The Maltese breed respond much better to positive reward methods. There are great threads on this site on training. All puppies bite just keep using the chew toy. It will get better.


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## allheart

allheart said:


> First, hugs to you, and your new baby.
> 
> The ONLY thing your boyfirend is doing, and I am so sorry to say this, but is creating, fear and anxiety, in your baby. The baby had NO idea, what he is doing wrong, when your boyfriend, yells at him. All the little guy knows, is that, your boyfriend, is angry at him, and it causes your little guy great fear. If this continues, your baby will possibly be forever an anxious fearful baby.
> 
> Please don't think I am being harsh. Just trying to help.
> 
> Okay, the way, puppies, play, is by mouthig. On your shocks, your feet, your hands, that is how they play, with their littermates.
> 
> Yes, their little teeth do hurt. But they don't know that, and don't mean it.
> 
> When your baby does this, replace it with a chewy (a bone), keep doing that, until your baby chews on the bone.
> 
> If your baby persist on chewing on you, turn and walk away, no playing with your baby.
> 
> If your darling baby still is chewing at your feet, instead of the chewey, just a 5 minute time out, in the special place you have set up for him. No longer than 5 minutes. Otherswise they forget, why they are on a "time-out.
> 
> Let him back out, and start again. It's all a part of training.
> 
> Puppies and dogs, DO NOT understand, hollering, they just don't, it just causes them to be fearful and anxious, and they don't know why.
> 
> Does your boyfriend live with you. I don't mean to be harsh on him, honest, but he has to understand, that this part of puppyhood, is normal, they are playing, but you can lovinly redirect them.
> 
> It sounds like you are doing everything you can, continue to do so. And put your boyfriend on time-out . Just kidding. But has to learn, meaning your boyfriend, that any training, positive or negative, will stay with the puppy, all of it's life. You don't want an anxious baby.
> 
> But truly, when pups are with their breeder, that's how they play. They mouth their littermates. It's normal. He's not biting, he's mouthing, playing, yes it hurts. But when we take on the responsiblity of pet ownership, it's up to us, to show them the right way, in a loving way.
> 
> It seems like it last long, but it doesn't.
> 
> You can also give your baby an ice cube. Or wet a washwrag, twist it up, and put it in the freezer. Then let your baby chew on that.
> 
> Good luck to you, and keep coming back and give us updates.
> 
> Try and not let your boyfriend frustate you. Puppy time is such a special time and goes so fast.
> 
> Be sure and tell your boyfriend, alhtough, I am not sure he will understand, that the puppy doesn't understand, being yelled at. He just doesn't. It only makes your baby afraid and could make a very anxious baby. You don't want that.
> 
> I hope these tips help.
> 
> And I wish you all the best.
> 
> Much love,
> Christine


 
I also want to add, I pray, you stay with the site. You will learn so much. I did. Hitting? Did your boyfriend hit the baby? Again, this will cause fear of human hands.

Additionally, the stress your boyfriend, is putting YOU under, is also not fair. 

I pray, again, you stay with this site, again you will learn so much.

Don't hold the babies mouth together, just offer an alternative, like a chewy or the frozen washcloth. 

Sweetheart, your heart is in the right place, that is YOUR baby, so you continue to do what you are, and that is doing right by the baby. And try some of the tips. 

When you hold the babies mouth closed, he is not get mad, but just thinks you are playing back. But it's not a good way at all to teach the baby, but you didn't know that.

Not to get into your personal business, but I first want to give you a hug, you do not need your boyfriend, giving you this kind of stress, and God forbid, he ever has a baby, what will he do in the middle of the night, when the baby awakes crying? Dear God. 

Please stay with the site, you will learn so much. I did. And have had fur-babies for years. We learn as we go, but as long as we have love in our heart for our baby, things go so much more wonderful.

I will keep you in my thoughts. And please give us an update.

Hugs.


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## cheekymaltese

i dont hit the puppy. im gentle with him and thats why i assume he doesnt listen to me. i dont personally mind the puppy biting me when hes playing because it doesnt hurt and i know thats how they play. but iam constantly told that he will never stop biting me if i let him play bite me etc. my boyfriend makes me feel like im ruining the dog and he stresses me out all day about it. i recently told my bf that hes not to touch the dog or discipline it because he is the one thats ruining the dog. even when im playing with the dog and he bites etc my bf stares at me and then he will scold the dog and i ask him to not so that i can do it since its biting me and not him. 

is it normal and ok to let the dog bite as long as its playing and biting gently or should he not even bite when hes playing?


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## allheart

cheekymaltese said:


> i dont hit the puppy. im gentle with him and thats why i assume he doesnt listen to me. i dont personally mind the puppy biting me when hes playing because it doesnt hurt and i know thats how they play. but iam constantly told that he will never stop biting me if i let him play bite me etc. my boyfriend makes me feel like im ruining the dog and he stresses me out all day about it. i recently told my bf that hes not to touch the dog or discipline it because he is the one thats ruining the dog. even when im playing with the dog and he bites etc my bf stares at me and then he will scold the dog and i ask him to not so that i can do it since its biting me and not him.
> 
> is it normal and ok to let the dog bite as long as its playing and biting gently or should he not even bite when hes playing?


It is normal for a puppy to "mouth", but no, you want to get them out of the habbit and learn to play, withouth play mouthing. And read some of the suggestions above. They will help.


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## Zoe's Mom88

Maybe you can explain to your BF that you don't have to hit the puppy to make him listen to you. Your right you shouldn't do that. Your pup is really just playing with you but you can teach him properly not to do that. Buy a little something he could chew on in place of your finger. He will not do this forever but scaring him is not good it will make him anxious and fearful. I agree with Christine...stay with this site you will learn a lot and there is always someone here to help.


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## maggieh

Please explain to your bf that the puppy is not "listening" to him, the puppy is now afraid of him. What he is doing is likely to result in a fearful, unsocial dog. 

Please please please find a dog trainer who uses positive reinforcement methods and have them show you the best way to train your little fluff. It sounds like you're new at this and could really use the help of someone who has experience in that area.

Biting is really mouthing and you have gotten some good suggestions here. You will need to be patient with your puppy and help him learn in a good way, not by yelling or punishing.


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## cheekymaltese

i told my boyfriend the things people had said on here to do and not to do and he is being better with the dog. especially since he was trying to get the dog out from behind the couch and the dog bit him on the finger and broke the skin. bit him because hes scared of him and my bf deserved it. 

but he has been alot better with the dog and even coming for walks with us and taking the dog outside etc. other wise if he continued to be harsh and mean to the dog i told him he wasnt even going to be able to touch the dog.

after receiving lots of tips here i decided that i wouldnt listen to my bf's previous demands of how IM the one ruining the dog by being to easy on it etc and i just tell him hes a good boy and praise him when he is being nice and not biting and i give him time outs etc and now he listens to me and is starting to be very sweet and well behaved.

thank you to everyone who took time to reply =]


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## Furbabies mom

I'm happy that your BF is being better with your fluff. It's up to us, as the owners to protect and take care of our fur babies. I'm glad that you talked to your BF about SM!


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## Zoe's Mom88

I am so happy for you and your little furbaby. You have to treat him nice and let him trust you otherwise its no good and your BF should understand that. I am glad that your BF see's the better side of this and hopefully will do the right thing for you and your little baby. Please keep us posted on how things are going. He's just a puppy and will in time get it....some puppies take longer than others but they all do eventually. Keep being your kind self and know your right.... :wub:


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## zoostation

My Daisy was a little vampire hen she first came home at 8 weeks old. I do believe what they say about Maltese's learning their bite inhibition a little later than some breeds, at 8-12 weeks, because she didn't have any! :w00t: yeeeouch!

I've had dogs all my life, shepherds and poodles mostly, and Daisy my first Maltese definitely had the prize for most nippy. And that's saying something because shepherd pups love to test you and also to mouth. What I did was I would simply cease play, look away, and for 5-10 seconds stop showing her any attention whenever she did it, the instant she did it. I coupled that with a simultaneous strong verbal "no!" (spoken, not shouted). We might go back to playing 30 seconds later, but there was a temporary cessation of fun immediately linked to the behavior. She figured it out real quick. Now the biting is nonexistent, without her being traumatized by the training.

Of course, you do not want to use physical discipline on your little dog, at all. It will only succeed in making her mean, or fearful, or both. Like I said, I've raised a lot of dogs, most of them large shepherds. This breed is very, very sensitive compared to most others, not to mention fragile.


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## StevieB

cheekymaltese said:


> i have a maltese whos 14 weeks old and he will not stop biting me. my boyfriend is always nagging me and wanting me to be really harsh on the dog but i dont want to be. the dog listens to my boyfriend but i would say only because hes always yelling at it and hes mean to it.hes always bitched at me since the day i got the dog at 8weeks old about its biting and hes always been harsh to the dog and all i keep saying is hes a puppy but my bf has no tolerance. he makes me feel like im ruining the dog by not being mean to it like he is. and he is stressing me out and always bitching about the dog. to me its normal for a small puppy to bite while playing and he doesnt bite hard but i need/want him to learn to not bite at all and i cant seem to do it. ive tried things i didnt want to like holding the dog down until he gives up, flicking his nose and saying no bite! holding his mouth closed and saying no bite every time he bites but it just makes him madder and bite more. ive tried putting him in a different room for time outs. ive tried saying no bite and giving him a toy and praising him when he is chewing the right things or being nice. i dont know the right thing to do to actually get him to stop. and im tired of listening to my bf bitch at me and trying the ideas of people who dont even have a dog. to be honest it is frustrating me so much that i just want to cry because nothing works and im bitched at daily.. if anyone knows the proper way to stop him please reply. thanks


Maybe just hold the bf's mouth closed and say, "No bitch!" Then hold him down and flick him on the nose. That's what I would do. :HistericalSmiley: Juuuuust kidding. I'm glad you're seeking out and getting good advice. PLEASE do not let your boyfriend be harsh with the puppy, it can cause your dog to be forever fearful of or aggressive toward men and will cause you many problems down the road. If the puppy frustrates him and he tends to react harshly I'd advise allowing him limited contact with it until it gets older. I'm sure he means well but some people just don't have the patience to deal with the youngsters. And don't ever take dog training advice from people who know nothing about dogs. That's like taking child rearing advice from someone who has no kids! Nonsense! Just my two cents.


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## NicholeAdriana

cheekymaltese said:


> i have a maltese whos 14 weeks old and he will not stop biting me. my boyfriend is always nagging me and wanting me to be really harsh on the dog but i dont want to be. the dog listens to my boyfriend but i would say only because hes always yelling at it and hes mean to it.hes always bitched at me since the day i got the dog at 8weeks old about its biting and hes always been harsh to the dog and all i keep saying is hes a puppy but my bf has no tolerance. he makes me feel like im ruining the dog by not being mean to it like he is. and he is stressing me out and always bitching about the dog. to me its normal for a small puppy to bite while playing and he doesnt bite hard but i need/want him to learn to not bite at all and i cant seem to do it. ive tried things i didnt want to like holding the dog down until he gives up, flicking his nose and saying no bite! holding his mouth closed and saying no bite every time he bites but it just makes him madder and bite more. ive tried putting him in a different room for time outs. ive tried saying no bite and giving him a toy and praising him when he is chewing the right things or being nice. i dont know the right thing to do to actually get him to stop. and im tired of listening to my bf bitch at me and trying the ideas of people who dont even have a dog. to be honest it is frustrating me so much that i just want to cry because nothing works and im bitched at daily.. if anyone knows the proper way to stop him please reply. thanks


You should keep in mind that Maltese are a very sensitive breed, and some of the easiest to train. Truly, they take things "person"ally and are just so smart - any type of physical discipline will not do a bit of good, rather, it will create more problems (e.g. depression, anxiety, aggression). They have emotions, just like us. Also, these are tiny, tiny dogs - they have itty bitty bones, some tinier than the ones in your fingers, and are very easily injured. (Try to keep your baby away from small children for this reason!) Please remind your boyfriend of your baby's sensitivity and tiny bones, and the fact that this is not a stubborn hound dog or a sled dog - this is a toy puppy. Patience is the KEY with a puppy, and if your boyfriend does not possess that virtue, he might not need to be around your baby. A dog can tell by the tone in your voice whether you are happy with him or not, and eventually he will live to please you. There has actually been tons of research indicating that they even read your facial expressions! Yes, they will test you as pups, but they will also thank you for your patience down the road  Continue talking to your fluff, and keep his mouth preoccupied to prevent the biting, but please, don't allow anyone to physically reprimand him/her!


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## NicholeAdriana

StevieB said:


> Maybe just hold the bf's mouth closed and say, "No bitch!" Then hold him down and flick him on the nose. That's what I would do. :HistericalSmiley: Juuuuust kidding. I'm glad you're seeking out and getting good advice. PLEASE do not let your boyfriend be harsh with the puppy, it can cause your dog to be forever fearful of or aggressive toward men and will cause you many problems down the road. If the puppy frustrates him and he tends to react harshly I'd advise allowing him limited contact with it until it gets older. I'm sure he means well but some people just don't have the patience to deal with the youngsters. And don't ever take dog training advice from people who know nothing about dogs. That's like taking child rearing advice from someone who has no kids! Nonsense! Just my two cents.


:clap: Oh, so glad I joined this site!


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## ffalcon

Please don't let your bf hit your puppy even softly. Maltese are already an anxious breed without actually being afraid of being hit. My Daisy is afraid of falling leaves sometimes and will get anxious at any loud noise. And this is all with never hitting her at all. 

Now, when she was a puppy and even today she likes to bite and play aggressive. I tried all different methods of getting her not to bite me like replacing with a toy, giving a treat, time out, etc, but I found the method that worked the best for me and still works is letting her know that it hurts. Puppies play with other puppies and if they get to rough the other puppy will let out a loud squeal to let its brother or sister know that he bit too hard. I tried the same technique with my Daisy. When she bites too hard, I start crying and whinging and pull my hand away. At first she didn't get it, but eventually she caught on and would stop right away biting and even come over to give my hand kisses. She still does this today. If we play and she gets a little too rough, I'll cry and then she'll give me kisses instead. It's worth giving this method a shot just remember to be patient and consistent with whatever method you use. And the most important thing is not to let other people come over and play with your puppy and then let her bite them hard because they don't mind. Always use that same method with everyone, so your dog won't get confused.

I hope this helps. And tell your bf imagine what it would be like if a giant yelled at him or hit him? It would be frightening I"m sure. That's what I always said to one of my housemates who was a little less than patient with my dog. Every time I remind him that he's trying to bully a poor little 5lb dog, he feels bad and stops. I wish you all the best luck with your new puppy! I'm sure your bf will understand if you two talk calmly about the problem.

~Daisy's Mom


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## Mia's Grammy

Hi, 
So glad to see your post. I joined SM when Mia was 6 weeks old with the same horrible biting habit. My husband gets so frustrated with her. Her nickname around the house is Taz manian Devil! Mia is 16 weeks old and I have tried everything. She is better with me but I am with her all the time. Mia is GOOGLE EYED over my husband and absolutely loves him. I know he is frustrated because she goes crazy for him as soon as he comes in from work and wants to play but as soon as he acknowledges her and tries to give her attention her fangs come out. I shared your post along with everyones responses to him tonight. He is going to continue to try the stop playing and petting when she bites. I am hoping her hard biting ends soon too. Good luck and keep me posted as well on how your fluff is doing.


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## SammieMom

You gotten all great advise. I have a male too. I'll tell ya they are love bugs. You are in the bonding stage. You dont want anything such as you described with your bf to jeoparize the special relationship that to come with your maltese. They are incredibly loyal and sensitive dogs. What a privilege it is to have my Sammie. These little guys grow up fast and all this is a memory before you know it. But every thing that you both are doing is forming his personality. It can be impossible to turn back the clock if he is affected negatively. They pick up fears very quickly. I would not leave my puppy with anyone unless they treated him as I do. I can tell you love your puppy and just want the best for him and you. 
Good luck.


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