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my puppy is biting everyone

my 11 week old puppy is very sweet and friendly to people, even strangers, however after a few mins of petting her she starts trying to gnaw on people's fingers. at first it wasn't much of a problem as her teeth were tiny but now it's getting worse and i'm concerned if she doesn't grow out of this habit she'll end up biting someone and doing serious damage.

a friend of mine has a golden lab which she takes to training school and was advised by the trainer there to yelp like a dog if the puppy bit her (he had the same habit as Lola) so i tried this out but yelping just seems to make her hyper/giddy as she starts to growl and bark and even charge at me if i do this!

is there any other way i can train Lola to understand that biting is wrong, even in play with people? please help!
 
I have never understood the theory on yelping--- dogs will go through pain and NOT show a sign (showing pain is to show weakness). If a puppy plays too mouthy- I gently grab the muzzle (gently) and I speak in a sharp voice "no bite". I then give them something appropriate to chew on (but our play stops). jmo- Sandy
 
Actually....I combined both. The yelp was usually involuntary! I definitely used "no bite" and then redirected them to something else. If they persisted in trying to bite my fingers....that was the end of play time. To this day....if I hurt myself and yelp....they both react!
 
I had a friend recommend bitter apple on the hands, but won't use this for two reasons:

1. Makes the dog distrusting of your foul tasting hands.
2. If you forget it is on there, man does it taste horrible (nail bitters good way to fix it)

I would try the "no bite" and postive redirection... a cool toy they can chew on... and I really mean Cool as in cold... chilly bones are great for teething dogs... they can be found at www.petsmart.com
 
If you're really having a rough time and unable to conquer it by redirecting her attention to a toy, try putting her in a 'timeout' for a minute or two in an x-pen or in a baby-gated room where she can see you ignoring her. Then let her out, but return her to timeout each time she bites. Eventually she'll make the connection.

Try not to use her crate (if she has one) for timeout, because she needs to have postive feelings about her crate. :flwr:

PS, we were told to yelp once (not screaming) and not to pull our hands or whatever she was biting. Then ignore her for a minute or two.
 
We have found that saying "ouch" in a firm and slightly louder voice helps, but only sometimes. A friend suggested using a yucky perfume or aftershave, and that has really worked. I found an old aftershave of my dh's and sprayed it on fingers, as well as a small wicker table Mr. Quincy had discovered. He has not gone near the table since, and the nipping has settled way down, unless he gets really excited. Then he goes into the x-pen for short stays, which also works as someone mentioned earlier. Good luck!
 
thanks for all your helpful advice. i've started telling Lola "NO" when she begins to chew on my fingers and give her a nice chew toy instead. her behaviour is really improving! she still gives the occasionally nibble but she's learning. :)
 
Maggie was a nipper when she was that age. We did the loud ouch and then we would cross our arms and stand up out of her reach. Ignoring her would make her crazy for a minute an then she would calm down. She no long tries to bite unless there is no water in her bowl. :oops:
 
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