Expert: Have4Paws - 6/1/2010

Question
Hi!!
I recently got a 7 week old beagle pup...everything was fine till a week after. He bites a lot and if you shout at him he gets aggressive,barks and runs to bite us. We even bought him chew toys and bones but he does not take interest in them. We tried ignoring him and shouting at him to stop but it just makes him madder.
How do i stop this behavior of his??? Im getting really worried now..i don't want him to be like this when he grows up. We've had three dogs in the past but somehow never encountered this problem.

Answer
Thank you for writing to me, this is something that can be fixed and it is not a reason to give up on him. First a mini-lesson in pack dynamics……………..
Puppies learn what we call “bite inhibition” from their littermates during play and from their Mom when they are nursing. This has to do with knowing just how hard it is okay to bite or nip. Ideally puppies should stay with their litter for 12 weeks, but 10 weeks minimum. Unfortunately, eager breeders (professional and backyard alike) ship them off or sell them at 6-8 weeks to minimize their costs and maximize their profits! This is not in the best interest of the puppies. Crucial socialization occurs in the litter during this time. If the breeder is a good reputable one they will spend a great deal of time handling the puppies so they become well socialized with humans. That said, those of you asking for help with this issue most likely don’t have puppies who had this luxury so we will have to try and correct or teach some of the behaviors they should have learned in their birth pack. Keep one thing in mind however throughout this……….. Nothing we as humans do, will be as good as the learning they would have had in their litter and some puppies “get it” better than others do. Some may have also have been in the litter long enough but had moms or siblings who weren’t as diligent with their lessons. This means even ones who had “ideal situations” can be less than perfect in their learning’s. It doesn’t mean your puppy or dog is stupid just that they learn slower or didn’t get enough practice time.

To correct biting/nipping in a puppy you should use the following standard technique;
The best way for a human teacher to teach bite inhibition is to imitate a pup’s littermates. When a pup bites hard, say “OUCH!” in a loud, high pitched squeaky voice and then remove yourself from the pup’s reach for a few minutes. Then return to puppy play. Each time the pup bites too hard repeat the above sequence. After a few repetitions the pup’s bite will begin to soften. You can repeat the lesson at gradually decreasing levels of bite intensity until the pup learns not to bite at all. If you try to eliminate this behavior all at once you will only frustrate your puppy’s natural biting instinct and fail. At the same time as you are softening the puppy’s biting intensity you should also redirect the behavior towards acceptable chewing items. Praise your pup lavishly when it goes for the appropriate chew item instead of you!

Lastly, and a key issue. You must not rough house with your puppy/dog. They must master “bite inhibition” second-hand since they did not master it in their litter and you are undoing everything you are teaching by roughhousing with it. Natural instinct during roughhousing is to bite (think about what pups’ do in their litter). A dog who learned this well initially in their litter can be ok with occasional roughhousing but YOURS DID NOT LEARN IT OR YOU WOULD NOT BE WRITING TO ME! Remember, you are now their “pack” and the rules have changed.

As well, NEVER chase your puppy/dog to get something away from them. The correct thing to do is to run the OTHER WAY!!! Get them to follow you and then distract them by giving them something else more appropriate to mouth, bite, chew. If you chase them it will become a game and one you will never win at!

If you are experiencing more severe problems than just nipping and biting in a puppy or dog please let me know. It may be that you will need to hire a professional trainer to work with you a couple of sessions. It is essential that any real aggressive behavior (as opposed to puppy play) be dealt with quickly and properly so it is curtailed ASAP otherwise you are setting yourself up for serious issues including the possibility of someone getting bit. So please, if this is an issue contact me again as I have said.

If you follow the above advice consistently for biting and nipping 95% of all nipping and biting can be corrected!

GOOD LUCK!
Have4Paws@verizon.net