[cbr600_kitty]

Alrighty, so I brought home my Malinois about three weeks ago....he's the cutest little dude EXCEPT.....he bites/chews on me all the time.

I know its meant to play and try to be dominant, but it hurts and its not cute. Every time I play with him i have 2-3 fresh bruises and some good sized scrapes on my arms.

I have tried squirting him in the face with water, an empty soda can filled with pennies, turning away from him and ignoring him when he does it, bopping him on the side of the mouth, getting him to let go and holding his muzzle shut, telling him "no" or "uh uh" real loud. Nothing seems to be effective....

Looking for ideas....just really dont want a 60lb dog that likes to eat me when he's older. Help plz? LOL

 

[Amaryllis]

That's puppies in general and Mals are intense on top of it.

You just have to have patience. Teaching bite inhibition takes time. It's natural for dogs to bite and explore the world, and you, with their mouths and puppy teeth are super sharp so that makes it worse.

People underestimate how much time teaching anything takes, so they switch methods after a day or two and end up confusing the dog. Read the sticky "The Bite Stops Here" do what it says and have patience. It will take time. Like weeks, maybe months. It will work, just stick with it.

 

[hanksimon]

The sticky "The Bite Stops Here" is in the new owner section. It can take 3 days before your pup bites more softly and can take longer to stop the play nipping.

Read this and note the 3 days and the apology....

Some Tweaks to Bite Inhibition (to get him to stop biting when he wants to play):
1. When the pup bites, then yelp. It should sound about like what the pup does when you step on its paw... don't step on his paw for a sample . When you yelp, the pup should startle briefly and stop nipping. Praise and pet. He'll bite.
2. When he bites the second time, Yelp. When he stops, praise and pet. He'll nip again, although it may be a little gentler. ...
3. When he bites a third time, Yelp (see a pattern?). But this time, turn your back for 15 - 30 secs. If he comes around and play bows or barks, then that is an apology. This is important. Accept it, praise and pet... and cringe in expectation of the next nip...
4. When he bites the 4th time, Yelp, then leave the area, placing him in a 2 min. time-out. It is better if you can leave, rather than moving him. Then, return and interact. (He's still hungry...)
5. When he nips the fifth time, yelp, and leave the area, stopping interaction for now.

Pups need to sleep over night in order to learn their lessons. So, keep doing this for 3 days. By the third day, you should notice signficant Bite Inhibition. He may still nip, but it will be softer and he won't draw blood. Keep up the training and make sure that everyone yelps.... Very powerful method.

If you learn the technique, then you can apply the "yelp" to other circumstances, also. I believe that "yelp" is "Please don't do that, I don't like it." in dog communication. I currently use the yelp when my dog plays tug, then runs with the toy, when he fetches and keeps it out of reach or when he takes a treat too quickly....

Let us know what happens each day.... it can be confusing at first, especially with very intelligent pups.

 

[doxiemommy]

I agree. Read the sticky Amaryllis mentioned. Basically, it recommends making a noise when the puppy bites/nips, loud enough to startle or interrupt the puppy. Then, if the puppy goes right back to biting/nipping (which he probably will), you make the noise again, and this time leave the room so that he can't follow you.

Usually the noise recommended is a yelp, like a puppy would make if you accidentally stepped on his paw. BUT, for some pups, that noise actually excites them more, and makes them bite more. For our current foster puppy, we say OUCH loudly but not angrily.

The thing is, you have to be consistent. You have to do the same thing EVERY time he bites/nips. Biting/nipping is what puppies do. It's a form of play, and the way they explore their world, the same as human toddlers like to put everything in their mouth. It's not about dominance.

If you switch methods every couple days because nothing seems to work, all you're doing is confusing the puppy. Remember, you're not just trying to stop him biting/nipping at that particular moment, you're trying to teach him a concept that will last the rest of his life, and that takes time and repetition.

For our first pup it took 3-4 weeks of doing the same thing every time he bit. My fiance HATED this part of having a puppy, because it cut into his tv time to keep leaving the room. But, it did work, over those 3-4 weeks the biting got less and less until it was gone. The second pup took about 1-2 weeks, but I'm convinced that our older dog helped speed that process along! The foster pup, about 2-3 weeks.

Some of the things you've tried could end up backfiring, so try "The Bite Stops Here."