Dog Training: Stopping Biting

Hey guys,

Just wondering if anyone has any solid resources for techniques on how to get a dog to stop biting. I just got a new dog about a month and a half ago, and I'm having problems with him biting excessively...

when playing he will drop his toys and go after my hands instead;
if he gets excited he will just start nibbling on me and when I try to move away he begins to bite harder (believes I'm playing with him)
If I get up and walk away he will follow me and either try to start biting my ankles or jumping and grabbing my clothing...

I have tried several things that do not seem to be having any real effect, and this is a behavior that I need to get control of asap.
Image Unavailable, Please Login

 

How old is he? He sounds anxious and stressed. It's very common for dogs to display this behavior in new homes, and if you adopted him there's a chance this was already going on. But biting is a serious behavior that needs to be addressed ASAP. Don't screw around with self-help. Find a reputable behaviorist in your area and schedule a consultation. Someone who practices positive reinforcement. They will want to come into your home and observe what's going on.

 

My wife just got certified in clicker training, and I have to say that the results she has obtained on our Great Dane is astounding. Very effective, and non-cruel. It does take some time, however any effective and long lasting results do.

Many people make the mistake that a dog can be instantly trained. That is not the case.

 

When I was training my sheepdog, the vet and everyone else I talked to said to keep a toy in hand when you are playing with the dog and when he/she tries to go for your hand or whatever, stuff the toy in their mouth. Stop them from biting you, make sure they know biting you is wrong (ie scold them), and show them what they are allowed to chew on. It takes time and patients, but it works.

Mark

 

Keep a squirt bottle (sprayer) nearby. Dogs don't like being sprayed with water, so you can hit him with a burst any time he tries to bite at you. He'll get the message and likely won't associate the burst of water as coming directly from you (like a hand slap would).

In general, don't try to pull your hand away from a dog bite. When my dogs put my hands in their mouth (as pups), I'd push my hand in and press down on their tongues. They didn't like this much and quickly tried to get my hand out.

 

I've been around dogs that resemble the pic of yours, and they always nip or try to bite.

 

He is just over two years old now. Its certainly obvious that the previous owner(s) didn't take any time to work with him at all. When we got him it was obvious he had had no training, had been months at a minimum since he had had any amount of grooming because his hair had matted virtually everywhere, and had not been getting fed because when he was brought to the shelter he basically immediately gained a solid 5 lbs of weight. Hell, we are having to teach him how to play fetch. He didn't have a clue what to do when we got him.

I think a part of the issue is that he was taken from the litter and his mother too soon, as he has no concept of bite inhibition. He will nibble lightly to start with when he is calm and will then just start chomping down (I would be fine with the nibbling if that is all he would do... that would show that he has learned to control the strength of his bite), or if he is already excited, he will bite quite hard immediately. He has yet to puncture my skin (he has certainly left some lasting 'craters'), but I have no doubt that that would happen if a child tried to play to rough with him.

He is clearly an intelligent dog. We had had him less then 2 weeks before he was sitting/lieing down on command. Now however, I believe he is trying to assert dominance

I do understand training takes time. I grew up around dogs, but this is the first where I am actually doing the training. I just want to get this behavior stopped as quickly as possible before it progresses any further. As far as dogs go, I'd say I got pretty lucky, since this is really the only serious issue that I am having to deal with, everything else is either minor or a non-issue entirely...

 

What you described is all too common. Usually it starts at a puppy mill--you have questionable genetics to begin with, sometimes even cross-breeding. Puppies spend what little time they have together in a dirty, overly-competitive environment that encourages competition without the proper social-skill-building time that is essential in the litter. This is where puppies learn to control their mouthing, along with other social skills. A puppy removed too early from its litter is most certain to end up as an aggressive adult. But it also sounds as if the previous owners were neglecting or abusing him, and he's probably hesitant to trust people. Another factor can rest with how long he was in shelter. Studies have shown how quickly dogs can begin to break down psychologically when placed in a shelter environment, much like a person in prison. And this can begin happening quickly, within the first 10-14 days or sooner. So it sounds like this guy has been through a lot--as you begin to work with him, you should learn a lot of interesting things about learning theory. It's good that he's smart--it can be very frustrating working with a dog that doesn't have it going on upstairs. Good luck and keep us posted.

 

It sound's like he has found a loving and supportive home and that will also be a huge factor in his progress. I'm still working with my dog Max who I rescued last year but with patience and time he improve's with each passing day.
Image Unavailable, Please Login

 

You need to get a professional trainer ASAP to help you out. Rigby (My Queensland Heeler) liked to bite a lot when she was a puppy. The trainer got her to stop biting after repetative "NO BITE" and a quick finger pop on the nose. After a few sessions, Rigby would respond to "NO BITE" whenever she started to do that and each time was followed by a puppy treat when she backed off. This took about a month of training. Other than Rigby nipping at everyone's heels when walking around (A very inherant and annoying habbit for this breed, as by instinct, they want to 'round up' anything that moves!), she has been VERY good with the biting thing*. Another thing I did at home in getting her to stop chomping on my hands was by putting either Mongolian Fire Oil or a pepper spice on my hands at playtime. This helped her to cease the biting. The fire oil also worked on her leash. She use to attack her leash during walks (kinda funny to watch) and the oil did away with that problem too!

* She has been good in not biting people until last weekend, when she nipped the nose on a buddy's 4 year-old daughter (who was petting her). Rig's broke the skin slighly and drew a couple drops of blood (No big deal in the big picture with gog bites). I contacted animal control. They came to my house, quarantined Rigby for ten days and did a bunch of paperwork. It's a big deal in our county, as there have been eight rabbid skunks found this year to date. As I'm sure Rigby was only playing, but the flip side is that if the bite was worse and it happened to somebody I did not know, the thought of a lawsuit for a dog attack is pretty sobering! You are doing the right thing in seeking advice and the assistance of a professional trainer in order to stay a responsible dog owner. Good luck!

 

Somewhat off topic .

Just bought a macaw, coming home next week. Another lady bought one too. Her's tends to "nibble." It was cute listening to the breeder expalin how she needs to be careful, because the Macaw can take 2-3 fingers "clean off" with 1 bite... Some how, a dog bite sounds preferable...

Good luck!

 

In our town, 2 bites and the dog is put to sleep. Its the law... Be careful, you have 1 strike against you... Good luck

 

Buddy at work just got a new training kit. The dog is about 9 weeks and has been on it for a week and he says the dog is already doing amazing. I just bought it today for my 1yo pup. It's called The perfect dog system.

http://www.thane.com/products/promos/perfectdog-nv/perfectdog-nv.php?utm_source=play&utm_medium=video&utm_campaign=videoNOstart

 

That is lucky, because it's at least a Level 3 bite which authorities take seriously.

Here's a big problem with different training tips that aren't coordinated: there's a tremendous difference between positive reinforcement and negative reinforcement. And without realizing it some of the tactics mentioned in this thread cross lines. Negative reinforcement is not recommended not only because of the obvious implications but more importantly because it is much more difficult to do properly. It works, but only in the hands of someone experienced. If you are not absolutely 100% spot-on with this approach, you will confuse your dog and create more negative associations. In positive reinforcement, the worst that can happen is a dog getting rewarded for the wrong reason. Next time, you don't reward the behavior, and the dog will not associate the behavior with the reward. In negative reinforcement, you are inflicting punishment for undesirable behavior. And if your timing is off in the slightest, you are punishing the dog for the wrong reason. You can't undo negative reinforcement. The classic examples are dragging a dog to a spot where it peed and rubbing its nose in it or calling a dog to you and disciplining it for something it did earlier.

A good trainer won't actually train your dog, they'll train you.

 

I read through his FAQs and Myths, and while his "Basics" may work well, he has a lot of inaccuracies in there that are proven to be wrong. This is why Made For TV fix-all tipsters are dangerous. Right now, anyone on this board is entitled to hang a shingle on their door and call themselves trainers. The industry is unregulated.

 

Hi,

I just tend read Ferrari chat and use it as motivation. This thread caught my eyes though as my fiancé is dog mad !

Here's her tips:

The dog has no respect for you (hence the biting) and he thinks he's the king / top dog.

1. When the dog bites you, you should give off a high pitched yelping noise. When dogs play fight in the wild a dog will wince with a high pitch if they are hurt, this tells the other dog that they have gone too far.

2. If you can't give off a high pitch yelp, tell him "NO" -"NO BITING" etc, but keep the word consistent.

3. As soon as he stops biting, and I mean immediately give the dog a small treat and lots of praise. No smacking and definitely no water spray (only to be used by a professional).

Keep repeating as it takes a dog 500 reps at certain skills to permanently remember the action.

Good luck
James

 

Why do you propose that water is reserved for professionals?

 

There are some good tips in there, but also some inaccuracies/over-generalizations. The Respect/Dominance belief is often misunderstood and used incorrectly. Dogs don't bite out of disrespect. They bite out of feeling fearful and/or vulnerable. If a dog doesn't respect you, he'll just ignore you. Remember that fighting (which is what a bite is essentially an invitation to do) is in the worst interest of a dog and its survival instincts. It's a waste of resources and puts it in a position of potential harm. But when a dog is biting, look for the signals that it is giving off beforehand. I've got some great videos--I'll try to post some.

The high pitched noise method can work, but it's used for puppies and is a learned behavior that they must acquire in the first 12 weeks of development. It's just one of many crucial behaviors that puppies can't learn if they're removed from their litter too early and not allowed to socialize during those crucial first 3 months. Once that window is shut, it's shut for good. You can still raise a good, obedient dog. But it will not have learned these basic rules of behavior with respect to other dogs. If you want to learn more about puppies and development, look up Dr. Ian Dunbar. Something else that is commonly misunderstood is the myth of pack order in dogs, which studies have long-since discredited.

Something important to remember during training is that you need to respond to a dog's action within 1.5 seconds in order to properly praise or correct it. This is why clicker training is so popular, because it can more accurately mark that moment. Consistency with your commands is a very good point to bring up. We see so many owners complain about (as an example) how poorly their dogs walk on lead. They ask for help, and the first thing I'll have them do is demonstrate. It's like a one-sided negotiation: "C'mon, heel. HEEL. Over here...I said, will you listen?..." And so on. Repetition is also important, but don't overdo your training sessions. Finish on a high point, when the dog is still eager and wanting more treats/training. If you push things too long, the dog will fatigue and no longer enjoy the training. Don't get into spraying with water. It's a lazy alternative to positive reinforcement, it can be cumbersome (plan on always have a spray bottle with you, 24/7?), and every once in a while a dog will actually like it. Then what?

All that said, these are all things to use when you're training your dog. Addressing the issue of biting is not training, but rather behavior assessment and (hopefully) modification. Again, I can't stress strongly enough, don't screw around with aggressive behavior.

 

What kind of macaw? (we have 8 of them, and breed them too).

Clicker training works on macaws as well.

 

The Hyatt in Key West had one in a cage and they'd wheel him out near the pool every afternoon. He was really mean and noisy and scared the crap out of all the kids. Great tourist attraction!

 

We use these in our training materials to demonstrate canine behavior and communication signs. The first one features a reporter talking with a K-9 officer. We use it as an attention-getter.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hQS_W4BxUvo

What looks like an act of random aggression is actually well-telegraphed by the dog, who goes through a quick yet full sequence of warning signs.

This one is amazing. It's hard to believe that this was being filmed without intervention. Yes, that sound you hear is the dog. The woman was called out to conduct a behavior assessment on Gunner and just kept filming.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6GxZBpVm_Gs

This is probably the most restrained dog I've ever seen. He's giving off every sign there is, yet never goes to the level of biting. It's hard to believe the child was allowed to just stand there. For the record, this was in Australia.

 

I have 2 Great Dane rescues from Robin of Batman & Robin TV series. Great dogs but are a constant "works in progress." These dogs rarely bark. In fact, they'll bark once, then they'll go. They usually just go for the throat. Tiny is 32" and about 120# and Sky is 37" and 175-180#. Both males. Black and Harlequin.