How do I get my puppy to stop play-biting (mouthing)?

Question

I need lots of suggestions. I've been trying to get him to stop but I think it's getting worse. He's a 3 1/2 month old Doberman Pinscher puppy.

Answer 1

Johnny's Girl, I haven't had any problems with my pinscher.

Answer 2

You definitely want to stop that behavior now.  I am just starting to get my 8 month golden retriever over biting and jumping.  It is a dominant behavior and when my dog goes to jump or bite, I push him to the floor and hold him by the neck to the floor (gently, but firmly) until he relaxes.  Then I get up and after a few seconds let him get up.  It is working like a charm.  It will take some time, patience and consistency, but I know that it is working.  The durations and ferocities of the incidents are getting less and less.  Since your puppy is still teething make sure he has lots of chews.  I froze whole carrots and gave them to mine.  Very soothing on his gums and fairly healthy as well.  Good luck.  Another tip.  Every time he gets really hyper, to the point where I know he will get out of hand very quickly, I take him for a walk.  My dog generally gets 1-3 hours of walking and/or swimming a day and I find it really helps.  A tired dog is a less aggressive dog.  Good luck.

Answer 3

hi,

Mouthing and biting are natural, normal behaviors; all puppies do it. During teething (generally starting around four months), the urge to mouth is extra powerful because it feels good on your pups' tender gums. Lacking opposable thumbs, puppies also use their mouths to catch, carry, and play, making it all the more crucial that they learn how to control themselves in the presence of human skin.

here's How to treat the problem :

http://dogtime.com/biting-and-mouthing.h...

hope this helps.

Answer 4

well he is a puppy so he will do that. but if its that bad try and every time he does that take him into another room and close the door. when he calms done he can come back into the room. if u bought him to young he might have not got the proper play with the other puppies. and every time he does yelp or make a high-pitch sound. that all i have

Answer 5

puppys play with their mouths because it's natural for them.  you need to teach your dog that that's not okay for people.  

i would suggest playing with him but as soon as he gets mouthy, turn and walk away.  let him figure out that using his teeth will not get him attention like he thought.  eventually, he will learn to be playful without having to bite.

Answer 6

He is getting ready to teethe, but he is also learning what is expected of him. Dogs communicate and learn with their mouth naturally. You need to redirect that to something that is acceptable.

Some are a little hard headed than others when it comes to learning to keep their mouth to themselves. You can start with telling him No, and taking back your hand, and when you see you have his attention and he sees you are serious, praise him and give him something appropriate to chew.

If he doesn't seem to be getting it. GENTLY hold is muzzle when he bites and tell him NO, in a deep and serious voice, looking into his eyes so he can see you are not goofing around... turn from him and refuse to play.

If he is not getting it still, then Tell him NO and get up and leave the room. Show him that you not only do not want to play that way, but you are leaving the room and not going to interact with him at all. Dobermans NEED people and their love, he will not want you to leave, and will not want to give up your attention, so he should decide that biting is not worth his while.

Don't allow people to play tug of war with him, wrestle with him etc. It encourages them to mouth and use their teeth when playing games. You don't want to discourage him on one hand, and then encourage him on the next. Consistency!

Answer 7

That is how puppies explore their world -- simply redirect it to something more suitable for the pup to chew on rather than you.   Any class is better than nothing but depends on the capabilities of the instructor at the particular store and most of those aren't terribly adept instructors.  

add: OMG, do NOT 'push him to the floor and hold his neck' - that is that silly and long discredited 'alpha roll' nonsense and has gotten more people attacked and more dogs destroyed than any other single technique!   He is a PUPPY and he is learning and will not tolerate idiotic training techniques for long.  This will, as most of what has been said, only encourage bad behavior.    Infants of ALL species will use their mouths to 'investigate' and 'interact' with their world -- do you pust a human baby to the floor and hold his neck when it mouths you? ARGH!   Give it something that is ACCEPTABLE to bite and reward that behavior instead of playing some stupid 'dominance' game with it...  but what do I know - I have only successfully owned and trained Dobermans for over fifty years and NEVER had to 'dominate' or 'push them to the floor and hold their necks'!! hahaha

You need to find a good trainer or talk to your puppy's breeder as you are getting a slew of bad advise from a bunch of yahoos.

Answer 8

Tell him NO real loud and firm and pull away from him.

Answer 9

you need to understand that this is TYPICAL for a puppy....wait til his teeth start falling out.....puppy teeth. Then you need some training,,,Try the puppy class at Petsmart....

some dogs are mouthy, but you don't want it to go too long after they are 6-8 months old,,cuz they start biting harder

Answer 10

When people say its a puppy thing thats true but it needs to be stopped now what others have said with The no isnt supposed to be good they say make a loud ouch! or noise they arent accustom to so its more of another dog yelping then stand up and ignore your dog completely for about a minute. Ive been doing it with my 11 week old doberman female and she caught on within a week.

Im very happy you have a doberman they are great dogs and quick learners great  addition to your family

Oh ps  we are taking our other dogs to training class at petsmart and it does work if you have a good trainer but they wont teach the dog they teach you and it will be your responsability to teach the dog outside of class.