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The case of the nibbling puppy

Cosmo_ac

4th Level Blue Feather
Joined
May 4, 2001
Messages
5,953
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48
My little sister has recently bought a puppy. It is half-pug and half something else. I believe it's about 4 months old at this point, which means it has two modes. Sleep, and tearing around like a cokehead on speed. However, it has this particuler habbit which seems to calm him down, though he does it both when hyper and when not. He is a bit of a nibbler.

What i mean by that is, he will gently bite down on a persons arm or forearm and simple stay that way, occasionally shaking his body a little. It seems to relax him considerably, and if he isn't too hyper when he does it, he can practically fall asleep like this and will stay in this position for a good amount of time if you leave him. I've never seen this with a dog before, and i'm just wondering if anybody knows/has a theory as to why he is doing it.
 
That's odd Cos, I've never encountered that either. Maybe he's just looking for attention?
 
You should make a video of this and post it to youtube. I'd like to see a dog latch on to an arm and just drift off.
 
Well, I won't go into the rope/tug of war thing - current theory is it actually can encourage dominant aggression. My advise - stop this behavior NOW! It is NEVER cute or acceptable to let a dog put his teeth/mouth on ANY human part. You will turn him into a biter. If you think puppy teeth are sharp, try the adult ones on.

My theory - if he's 4 month's old, he's teething, meaning he's cutting his adult teeth. Get him some ice cubes or a toy that can be placed in the freezer. Do not allow his "play biting" to become a cute little game 🙂

Just my two cents.
 
That's odd Cos, I've never encountered that either. Maybe he's just looking for attention?

Well, he's deffinitly an attention *****, as well as a cuddle *****.

Id get him a rope toy, since it sounds like he likes to tug.

Actually, he doesn't really tug at all. Its actually a lot more like a pacicier. He'l be extremely enegetic, but if you offer him the arm, he virtualy comes to a screaching halt.

You should make a video of this and post it to youtube. I'd like to see a dog latch on to an arm and just drift off.

Who knows, i just might record it, cause it is pretty damn cute.

My advise - stop this behavior NOW! It is NEVER cute or acceptable to let a dog put his teeth/mouth on ANY human part. You will turn him into a biter. If you think puppy teeth are sharp, try the adult ones on

I will pass this advice allong, but truth be told i know the male owner of the dog likes to play with him and get him going, and that usually means like a playbiting/playfighting type of thing, so i don't know how well the advice will be taken.

My theory - if he's 4 month's old, he's teething, meaning he's cutting his adult teeth. Get him some ice cubes or a toy that can be placed in the freezer. Do not allow his "play biting" to become a cute little game

Yes, i think we've all noticed that he is enjoying chewing on stuff a lot lately. He currently has a few sticks that he seems to love chewing on. I'll make mention of the frozen toys idea.

Just my two cents.

And as always, your two cents in very welcome 🙂 .
 
Any time, Cos. How's the kitty doing??

Heh, funny you should meantion that. Kitty lives with my sister as well, allong with the other older cat. As you can imagine, i'm babysitting all of them. The kitty and the puppy got at it a lot, particulerly the puppy likes to stir up shit. The older cat doesn't put up with it though, and has no issues making it known, first vocally, and then physically if the pup doesn't back off.
 
Well, I won't go into the rope/tug of war thing - current theory is it actually can encourage dominant aggression.

My advise - stop this behavior NOW! It is NEVER cute or acceptable to let a dog put his teeth/mouth on ANY human part. You will turn him into a biter. If you think puppy teeth are sharp, try the adult ones on.

This is only something you should worry about in dog breeds with high aggression towards humans or dogs with inexperienced/lazy trainers. I don't know if pugs fit that bill or not. Teething as a puppy does not lead to biting, biting as a puppy does. I had a pitbull for several years (actually are naturally low in aggression towards humans) who would often put his mouth over my hand while playing. Not once did he ever hurt me. I say let the dog do its thing and intervene at the first sign of actual biting.
 
I have experience with pitbulls. I'm a veterinarian. I find them as a breed far more docile than other medium/large breed dogs. Those Am Staffs who have never been exposed to fighting have a great temperament and I agree that the breed gets a bum rap. However, I've had to euthanize far too many dogs due to owners who are irresponsible and don't intervene at the early stages by taking charge. Thanks for sharing.
 
Heh, funny you should meantion that. Kitty lives with my sister as well, allong with the other older cat. As you can imagine, i'm babysitting all of them. The kitty and the puppy got at it a lot, particulerly the puppy likes to stir up shit. The older cat doesn't put up with it though, and has no issues making it known, first vocally, and then physically if the pup doesn't back off.

🙂 Glad to hear they get along as well as they do instead of fighting like... well, you know 🙄
 
Oddly enough my wife's cat does the exact same thing, he's about 14 months old and he'll be fine one minute and is like lightning another running from room to room chasing after absolutely nothing at all and even the nibbling thing he's doing too, wish I had a answer for you
 
Well, I won't go into the rope/tug of war thing - current theory is it actually can encourage dominant aggression. My advise - stop this behavior NOW! It is NEVER cute or acceptable to let a dog put his teeth/mouth on ANY human part. You will turn him into a biter. If you think puppy teeth are sharp, try the adult ones on.

My theory - if he's 4 month's old, he's teething, meaning he's cutting his adult teeth. Get him some ice cubes or a toy that can be placed in the freezer. Do not allow his "play biting" to become a cute little game 🙂

Just my two cents.

I've raised three dogs from puppy to adult; one German Shepherd (Akela, from Kipling's Jungle Book) and two Dobermans (Dillinger and Ty) and played tug of war with all of them. None of them ever displayed any aggressive or dominant behaviour. If fact they were all big babies who thought they were lap dogs to my later regret. Ty was the biggest Dobie I've ever see at over 110 pounds, and he was not fat. Just my personal experience.
 
I've raised three dogs from puppy to adult; one German Shepherd (Akela, from Kipling's Jungle Book) and two Dobermans (Dillinger and Ty) and played tug of war with all of them. None of them ever displayed any aggressive or dominant behaviour. If fact they were all big babies who thought they were lap dogs to my later regret. Ty was the biggest Dobie I've ever see at over 110 pounds, and he was not fat. Just my personal experience.

Don't get me wrong, I'm just quoting what the behaviorists say and what things people might want to avoid. It's such a different dynamic nowadays I find. The family dog has taken on new meaning. I certainly played tug of war with my dogs when I was a kid. Aggression was never an issue. But since then, puppy mills, in-breeding, and people just making lousy, irresponsible choices are creating more behavior problems than ever. I mostly wanted to point out that the biting, while deemed "cute" -is anything but. And when I have a puppy who comes in and uses me as a chew toy during my exam, you better bet I correct it and show the owners how to do so. I also can tell you by the last puppy visit how well socialized that pup is and what his temperament will be like when he comes back in a year... I had one puppy who by 12 weeks of age was not play biting, but growling/lunging and puncturing skin. I see that dog now only when it gets into trouble - and only then if I can sedate it. And that dog's a beagle....:banghead:
 
just curious, but what is the best method to correct such behaviour as the biting?
 
Good question! What I do during my exam is to hold the pup's mouth shut and say "NO! No BITE!" Then, when the puppy is calm, I feed him treats. Give him something he can chew on, show him HIS toys, and you'll have a better shot at correcting this. For young kids, I often suggest they sit on their hands to keep fingers out of reach. When all else fails, a time out in the puppy's crate is always a good back up plan - not punishment, but I look at it as "not rewarding bad behavior." Withdrawal of a positive thing (i.e. playing) is a decent training method. Try the pup again in 5 minutes, and see how it goes. Be consistent - everyone in the family must do the same thing. Some breeds are very hyper and need a "job" - so find some interactive toys like kongs and such to keep them occupied when you can't 🙂 Hope this helps!
 
Walks and games of "chase" may also help to tire the puppy so they don't have as much energy and won't be as hyper. I agree with Des though. Although puppy's biting can be cute, everything you allow them to get away with at this age is setting them up for what they're will grow up to believe is acceptable when it's gets older.

It's important to set boundries and limitations now while they're still a puppy and "impressionable" rather than letting them get away with murder and than dealing with the after math when they're full grown and still not out of the "biting stage" ... As puppies teeth they will naturally want to chew things. I think setting the boundries that the puppy is only allowed to chew on their own toys is a good idea. Also, you can teach them to have a "soft mouth" meaning when they do "play bite" they don't bite down with so much pressure (This is more for when they're older), When the puppy is playing and is being bitey, say "OUCH" very loudly and and give them a "corrective touch" which is just a two finger touch. This is used to distract the brain and snap them out of the bad behavior. It's important to be consistant with this and soon the puppy will learn how much pressure before they hurt the human, and they will also learn that enough means enough.

Dogs see you as a "pack member". Other dogs in the pack will correct a dog's behavior if they see it be unacceptable. It's important as an owner that you now take on that responsibilty as becoming their "pack leader". Having a "calm assertive energy will you help to gain more respect as well as obedience, as dogs can sense our energy. The more frustrated you become, the more likely your dog will continue to exhibit the bad behaviour.

Remember though, Puppies are cute, but if you wouldn't let your child get away with being "bitey" why let your dog?! ... It might sound strange, but dogs need boundries and limitations just as much a small child does. They only get away with what you're willing to let them.

Make sure you're not giving affection to an excited state or to an action you don't want them doing. If you want the puppy to stop biting make sure you don't give affection until it does. Giving affection to an excited state that is exhibiting a bad behavior provokes confusion. When we give affection to a dog we're saying "this is the behaviour I want" ...

Goodluck!

Also, Pugs tend to be medium energy dogs. It's not so much that they don't have alot of energy, but they go through burts of energy however they can tire out very easily. Pugs for the most part are a pretty easy breed to train as they are eager to please and fairly low maintance.
 
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Yeah, i'm trying to work with him, telling him "no!" when he bites and such and giving him a little tap. Something i've found is that i tried ice cubes after Des suggested them. He fucking loves ice cubes! I hand them to him, he takes them, lickes them, munches them, then goes scurrying around wondering where they have gone once he's done like a crack fiend looking for his pipe. I'll deffinitly pass that info allong.
 
Walks and games of "chase" may also help to tire the puppy so they don't have as much energy and won't be as hyper. I agree with Des though. Although puppy's biting can be cute, everything you allow them to get away with at this age is setting them up for what they're will grow up to believe is acceptable when it's gets older.

It's important to set boundries and limitations now while they're still a puppy and "impressionable" rather than letting them get away with murder and than dealing with the after math when they're full grown and still not out of the "biting stage" ... As puppies teeth they will naturally want to chew things. I think setting the boundries that the puppy is only allowed to chew on their own toys is a good idea. Also, you can teach them to have a "soft mouth" meaning when they do "play bite" they don't bite down with so much pressure (This is more for when they're older), When the puppy is playing and is being bitey, say "OUCH" very loudly and and give them a "corrective touch" which is just a two finger touch. This is used to distract the brain and snap them out of the bad behavior. It's important to be consistant with this and soon the puppy will learn how much pressure before they hurt the human, and they will also learn that enough means enough.

Dogs see you as a "pack member". Other dogs in the pack will correct a dog's behavior if they see it be unacceptable. It's important as an owner that you now take on that responsibilty as becoming their "pack leader". Having a "calm assertive energy will you help to gain more respect as well as obedience, as dogs can sense our energy. The more frustrated you become, the more likely your dog will continue to exhibit the bad behaviour.

Remember though, Puppies are cute, but if you wouldn't let your child get away with being "bitey" why let your dog?! ... It might sound strange, but dogs need boundries and limitations just as much a small child does. They only get away with what you're willing to let them.

Make sure you're not giving affection to an excited state or to an action you don't want them doing. If you want the puppy to stop biting make sure you don't give affection until it does. Giving affection to an excited state that is exhibiting a bad behavior provokes confusion. When we give affection to a dog we're saying "this is the behaviour I want" ...

Goodluck!

Also, Pugs tend to be medium energy dogs. It's not so much that they don't have alot of energy, but they go through burts of energy however they can tire out very easily. Pugs for the most part are a pretty easy breed to train as they are eager to please and fairly low maintance.

^ This is good stuff 🙂:wave:
 
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