[ilene]

Hi I have a 3.5 month poodle who does not stop biting/teething especially with me. He does not stop biting me when he's hyper. How can I get him to stop. He seems to listen to my husband more.

 

[Dianaleez]

I gently encircle my pup's muzzle with my hand and say "No biting!"

You've got to let your dog know now that you come before him in the order of dog life.

When we first married we had an Irish Setter that I tried to control by being polite. "Please stop" got me as far as you think it did. Establish now that you outrank him.

 

[Vee]

I used to shout AH!... NO! That quickly worked. Offer him a chew toy too

 

[Dogs4Life]

I think you will find more suggestions for this behavior in the "general training obedience" section.

My almost 8 year old poodle will still chew on people when she gets excited, but a "no" will usually correct this behavior. Puppy behavior is very different!

 

[ilene]

Thank you all for your advice

 

[PeggyTheParti]

Everything that's been described here would have made Peggy bite more at that age.

I follow Ian Dunbar's methods.

Have you read "Before And After Getting Your Puppy"? I'd have been lost without it with all my puppies.

After reading that book cover to cover, I'd ensure you have LOTS of chew-safe toys around. Every texture you can find. Always have one within reaching distance. And when your puppy puts his mouth on you, you pop a toy in his mouth and PRAISE.

If he bites you again, you remove the fun (i.e. you). Get suddenly very boring and turn your back. Or walk away if turning your back invites more nipping.

I find this method works best with an indoor exercise pen. If you play with your puppy in the pen, it's very easy to walk out and separate yourself.

Count to 30 or so and then return. If the puppy plays nice, yay! Otherwise, repeat as necessary, giving the puppy a little more time to cool down. But always return so he has a chance to do the right thing. Otherwise he'll never know what the right thing is!

One of the greatest pieces of puppy wisdom I've heard is that there are INFINITE reasons to say no to a puppy. You could say no allllllll day, every day. So it's much easier to teach him what you do want him to do—to teach YES—and it's much less frustrating for both you and the puppy.

Setting boundaries with things like exercise pens is a great first step.

 

[ilene]

Everything that's been described here would have made Peggy bite more at that age.

I follow Ian Dunbar's methods.

Have you read "Before And After Getting Your Puppy"? I'd have been lost without it with all my puppies.

After reading that book cover to cover, I'd ensure you have LOTS of chew-safe toys around. Every texture you can find. Always have one within reaching distance. And when your puppy puts his mouth on you, you pop a toy in his mouth and PRAISE.

If he bites you again, you remove the fun (i.e. you). Get suddenly very boring and turn your back. Or walk away if turning your back invites more nipping.

I find this method works best with an indoor exercise pen. If you play with your puppy in the pen, it's very easy to walk out and separate yourself.

Count to 30 or so and then return. If the puppy plays nice, yay! Otherwise, repeat as necessary, giving the puppy a little more time to cool down. But always return so he has a chance to do the right thing. Otherwise he'll never know what the right thing is!

One of the greatest pieces of puppy wisdom I've heard is that there are INFINITE reasons to say no to a puppy. You could say no allllllll day, every day. So it's much easier to teach him what you do want him to do—to teach YES—and it's much less frustrating for both you and the puppy.

Setting boundaries with things like exercise pens is a great first step.

Thank you. I had a traine and he told me something similar but it's just not working. I will continue and get the book.

 

[PeggyTheParti]

Thank you. I had a traine and he told me something similar but it's just not working. I will continue and get the book.

That's great that you're seeking help from a trainer! We have a great one, too. I still like having a book to refer to, though, to really understand what I'm doing and why. That deeper understanding can help you problem solve and adapt to each new challenge.

And I get it - it can feel like a slowwww process. You're at a very fun but very challenging age. Especially with a smart, mouthy poodle. I've just recently come through it myself. Peggy will be 8 months old on Sunday.

But if you're being consistent, it will click. I promise.

Of course, that's not to say consistency is easy. It's definitely not. But dogs are pretty simple in that they don't like doing stuff that doesn't get them results. So if your dog keeps doing something you don't like, ask yourself: What's he getting out of that? What need is being satisfied?

Some examples.....

If he wants attention, "No!" is attention.
If he wants physical contact, holding his muzzle closed is physical contact.
If he needs to chew because his mouth hurts and puppies NEED to chew, you are a great chew toy.
If he's bored and restless and wants to play, you shoving him away or reacting with a shriek or waving your hands or yanking away your clothes....well that's just a puppy JACKPOT. Wheeee!! Playtime!!

If you consistently make sure your puppy's needs are being met, and also consistently and consciously reward only the behaviours you like, you'll see progress. Maybe not every day. And maybe there will be steps back. But overall you'll be moving forward together.

 

[ilene]

That's great that you're seeking help from a trainer! We have a great one, too. I still like having a book to refer to, though, to really understand what I'm doing and why. That deeper understanding can help you problem solve and adapt to each new challenge.

And I get it - it can feel like a slowwww process. You're at a very fun but very challenging age. Especially with a smart, mouthy poodle. I've just recently come through it myself. Peggy will be 8 months old on Sunday.

But if you're being consistent, it will click. I promise.

Of course, that's not to say consistency is easy. It's definitely not. But dogs are pretty simple in that they don't like doing stuff that doesn't get them results. So if your dog keeps doing something you don't like, ask yourself: What's he getting out of that? What need is being satisfied?

Some examples.....

If he wants attention, "No!" is attention.
If he wants physical contact, holding his muzzle closed is physical contact.
If he needs to chew because his mouth hurts and puppies NEED to chew, you are a great chew toy.
If he's bored and restless and wants to play, you shoving him away or reacting with a shriek or waving your hands or yanking away your clothes....well that's just a puppy JACKPOT. Wheeee!! Playtime!!

If you consistently make sure your puppy's needs are being met, and also consistently and consciously reward only the behaviours you like, you'll see progress. Maybe not every day. And maybe there will be steps back. But overall you'll be moving forward together.

Thank you. I should have paid you lol..thats just about everything the trainer told us but it makes sense from you. I do get frustrated I'm a perfectionist lol.. I'm 48 and this is the first time I have ever owned a dog and I'm afraid of making a mistake and having bad behavior down the road.

 

[PeggyTheParti]

Thank you. I should have paid you lol..thats just about everything the trainer told us but it makes sense from you. I do get frustrated I'm a perfectionist lol.. I'm 48 and this is the first time I have ever owned a dog and I'm afraid of making a mistake and having bad behavior down the road.

What's your puppy's name? I believe dogs always come into our lives at the perfect time.

Your puppy's going to teach you there's no perfection. And you're going to teach them that the world's an awesome, fun, friendly place! There's nothing to be afraid of. You're in it together. Yes, there are boundaries, but you're going to explain them fairly, in puppy language. You can be trusted. And good things will happen when rules are followed!

Have you signed up for socialization classes? If not, I'd suggest that be your top priority at the moment. You'll get to connect with other puppy owners and learn that all your worries are normal.

Dogs are lovely and resilient, and as long as your puppy has a positive social foundation, most anything else can be worked on in the future.

 

[lily cd re]

I agree with Peggy for the most part.. If you are consistent and persistent Ian's wisdom with prevail. Pretending to be hurt and yelping or "yelling" NO or OUCH is engaging and will attract attention for a pup. Boring is the best thing to get them to break out of the crazies. I would also suggest a game called "It's Yer Choice." you can find lots of videos about it on YouTube/by Googling.

I will say that at 3.5 months old your pup is too old for most puppy socialization classes. At my training club when we do a puppy only socialization based class the upper age limit to start is 18 weeks and we prefer them to be more like 10-12 weeks old. Rather than a puppy socialization class I would suggest a good R+ based obedience class to help you work on focus attention and good core obedience.

 

[PeggyTheParti]

Our trainer runs puppy classes for puppies age 2-5 months. I guess she's an anomaly They included light obedience work, but it was mostly about positive exposure to a variety of real-life situations.

I guess it's always worth checking to see what's available in your area.

 

[lily cd re]

I am sure different trainers and facilities have different age limits, but since I know you are familiar with Ian Dunbar You should know he (and actually lots of other people) consider(s) 12 weeks to be window that closes true puppy socialization opportunities in the way I think most people think about socialization.

 

[PeggyTheParti]

I am sure different trainers and facilities have different age limits, but since I know you are familiar with Ian Dunbar You should know he (and actually lots of other people) consider(s) 12 weeks to be window that closes true puppy socialization opportunities in the way I think most people think about socialization.

Absolutely. I should be more careful with how I toss the word around.

It's just that when I hear "first time owner," I tend to assume they've unintentionally missed that window and try to stress the importance of playing a bit of catch-up. Dunbar's gentle about it, but he certainly puts the fear in you if you read his book for the first time after your puppy's passed 12 weeks!

I got my first puppy at 16 weeks, read his book for the first time shortly thereafter, and truly thought I was doomed. Luckily I was saved by her beautiful temperament.

 

[lily cd re]

I know that Ian can scare the pants off of people on that concept. In personal conversation with him he is rather a bit gentler, but still emphatic. I also have a vet friend who I once had a conversation with about why vet are so scary around the idea of keeping puppies off the street until they are fully immunized. Both with Ian's writing and my friend answer to the immunization question the answer about their emphasis is that they would rather tell people things that are more cautious and restrictive than permissive. Of course the things we conversed about are contrary to each other in many ways!

We were pretty restrictive about taking Lily and Peeves out when they were very young. Javelin started going to my obedience club with me when he was barely 11 weeks old. My thinking really evolved between our older dogs and the young man.

 

[Vee]

I will be getting a fell terrier pup in a few weeks I certainly won't ignore it biting hands. I know it also won't be doing within a few days. I've never had a problem in any dogs I've had. It's also widely used method here and top trainers use this method

 

[PeggyTheParti]

I will be getting a fell terrier pup in a few weeks I certainly won't ignore it biting hands. I know it also won't be doing within a few days. I've never had a problem in any dogs I've had. It's also widely used method here and top trainers use this method

Congratulations on your new addition! Which method are you referring to?

 

[PeggyTheParti]

Oh I see now. The shout/NO/chew toy combo. I think the key there is you're simultaneously teaching an appropriate behaviour. Some people miss that part.

 

[Vee]

Congratulations on your new addition! Which method are you referring to?

Oh I see now. The shout/NO/chew toy combo. I think the key there is you're simultaneously teaching an appropriate behaviour. Some people miss that part.

Thank you. I didn't really go in to much depth either. I praise when the good behaviour occurs. I failed to mention the most important part, ?‍♀ maybe because it's just something I do naturally. And also encourage to use the chew.