Bitting puppy.....

8 years ago

My son just adopted an English Bulldog puppy, the 4th one he's had over the years, just loves them and has given them all long, loving lives...BUT, this little adorable fur baby is a bitter and he doesn't know what to do, never had this problem before...Little Kessie is about 3 months old, sweetest little thing, when she's sleeping but has taken major bites on son's legs and arms, lol....Is there any kind of discipline other than putting her in her crate, that might help...The favorite saying is, "If she wasn't so darn cute"......

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User

8 years ago

last modified: 8 years ago

Past (English) Bulldog exhibitor and breeder here.

At three months those teeth are still needle sharp. Were she still with her mother you would cringe at the way the mother would "teach" her pups not to sink those needle sharp teeth into her, particularly if seeking nourishment.

You will receive advice suggesting that you re-direct her biting to an inanimate object. In principle that is fine, in practice is very difficult to redirect the biting immediately.

There is virtually no way on-line to suggest an overt physical corrective action without being viciously attacked as advocating beating the dog or other cruelty.

That said, I'll try. (After making one other suggestion.)

Think "teething." Take a small wash cloth and soak it thoroughly in water. Tie a single overhand knot in the wash cloth. Put it in a plastic seal-able bag. FREEZE IT!

Give to dog to teeth on. The cloth will have creases and folds and be able to fit between gums. You will see blood appear on cloth, actually a sign that it is working! When thawed or the pup loses interest, depending on how fastidious you are, simply rinse off and re-freeze as before.

Now back to the cruelty. If a pup nips at me from about four weeks of age and on, I do what the mother does. I pinch her lip on to her tooth and say, "No!" (The mother actually growls ferociously and bites down on the jowls of the offending pup.) It is very hard for me to clearly convey how hard to pinch her lip on to the tooth, but it certainly is possible to do it too hard. You may find a local breeder to help you with that.

When mother does it, the pup typically yips in distress. They do not when I do it. (As I say, if you've never had a litter, you would likely be shocked.)

This is not a one-time thing. You and your entire family must be consistent.

I hope I have been able to avoid the wrath of the well intentioned dog cruelty police. Just 50 years of experience speaking. Also, there are likely other suggestions out there that will be valuable... lets see.

PS I am a huge advocate of proper crate training, but I NEVER would put a pup/dog in a crate as a punishment for nipping or biting.

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Comments (6)

sunnydj23
Original Author
8 years ago
Thank you so much for the advice, the wash cloth does sound do able.....I had told them to have a spray bottle handy but they told me the little bugger loves water, lol...And, as you said about the crate training, I have a feeling, the baby also likes the crate and doesn't feel she's being punished...I will make sure to give my son your post and hopefully it will work....I think he's tired of going to work looking like he's been in a terrible accident, covered with band aids...Not sure just what it is about Bulldogs but I've always said, they are so "ugly" they are cute and this one sure is a cutie....thanks again.....
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User
8 years ago
last modified: 8 years ago
The cold wash clothe with the small hard crevices is soothing and yet effective in getting in at the gums and between the teeth. I usually don't wash the cloth after use, just thoroughly rinse and re-freeze.

I pups seemed to actually like them to teeth on.

BTW, some human mothers use the frozen knotted wash cloth for infants. (They probably wash them between uses.) lol
Mrs. S
8 years ago
I have 2 pieces of advice that really worked for our puppy (now an adult non-biting dog). The first one was to put a collar on her. Honestly, the fact that I could hold her back by the collar took her surprise, and it pretty much changed her demeanor. And maybe, when supervised, a leash, so she understands she's gonna have some limits, and won't be the dominant character around the family.

Secondly, it is not clear to me, whether your puppy is BITING (like a mean bite, an attack) or just rough-housing biting which is too hard(?)

if it's simply teething, I agree with getting a teething toy instantly into puppy's mouth, but also, definitely give out a big high-pitched "Yipe!" to startle her, at the moment she bites. And then walk away--don't let the bite lead to fun tugging and playing. Puppies learn bite-inhibition via play, and that's how dogs teach each other the limitations. (Explained to me by one of my several smart dog trainers). Anyway, made sense to me.
User
8 years ago
"if it's simply teething, I agree with getting a teething toy instantly
into puppy's mouth, but also, definitely give out a big high-pitched
"Yipe!" to startle her, at the moment she bites."

Excellent advice!
havingfun
8 years ago
loud whining and crying out, you are hurting me works too. they can actually feel when you are hurting, so make it as believable as possible.