My 4 month old pug has a nipping problem.... I have tried EVERYTHING to make him stop but nothing works, his jaws are getting stronger and its pretty painfull now! Also he likes to hang from my nieces skirts.

I have tried loads of different excercises to help him stop it. But nothing is working.
He just a puppy so i dont blame him as he doesnt no and its obvisouly not agressive behavour as he is....a puppy!

when at ringcraft classes he never nibbles anyone, but when at home if i pick him up for a cosy he bites me all the time, hes started to bite down and not let go! I have tried squeeling like a puppy, i have tried time out, i have given him the cold shoulder i have made hissing noises at him, i have tried a water sprayer...he just doesnt stop! If i put him down and say NO BITE he jumps back up as if to say 'take that'!!! He got attitude... lol

If out on a walk and i pick him up, he lets me cuddle him pat him etc etc and no teeth come in contact with me.

Everyone says its just cause hes a puppy and will grow out of it, i just hope he does as i dont like what hes doing. Hes such a friendly little thing he just doesnt no when to stop. Im so worried he doesnt stop and hes like this forever?! I wish he would just cosy in but he doesnt, he just wants to have something in his mouth ALL the time..preferably my body parts. I give him a toy (which he has tons of) once hes bitten  me and i say no bite, but its just not working.

*cookies if you read all this*

I  just dunno what to do!

any advice would be great?!

Lynne

oh and to add i have also tried a few excercises that someone gave me out of there alpha dog book...but still doesnt work!

I think hes just a typical puppy and i really hope he stops it soon. I have never had a puppy like him!!!

I cannot find anything about the Alpha Dog book, so I can't comment on the exercises therein - but the very name of the book worries me!

Can I suggest you read "The bite stops here" - see http://www.cockersonline.co.uk/discuss/index.php?topic=64170.0;wap2

I've always found it very useful to recommend to puppy owners - and have had very little biting from our lab puppy (who is now a Young Lady with a 1st birthday next week!)

Your boy is just being a typical puppy!

> but when at home if i pick him up for a cosy he bites me all the time

In addition to reading 'the bite stops here' do consider that not all dogs like being picked up.  It is the misfortune of smaller dogs that they are of a size to be lifted.  It's a very unnatural position for them to be in and whilst many do get used to it, they should be allowed some element of choice.

Young puppies can be almost irresistible and the desire to smooch them a very strong one.  Whilst you get the biting sorted though do exercise some caution.  Invite him to come and sit beside you for a cuddle rather than scooping him up perhaps?

Try using a toy to redirect his mouth

More info here:

http://www.apdt.co.uk/documents/Playbiting.pdf

Yelping only helps with very young puppies and preferably not terriers, who love the yelping!

Be assured, biting often gets worse before it gets better.

Be sure you show him what you do want him to to as well - ie play with a rope tuggy, lie calmly, etc

Lindsay
x

Dont worry its nothing evil , i dont think its called the alpha dog book as such but its got some usefull stuff in it....which to my pug thinks is a game so doesnt work!

I will give that link a read through.

You are righ thes just a typical male puppy, but he wont even come for a snooze on my lap anymore he just wants to bite everythnig and anything!!! I nipped me last night so i said 'no bite' and moved him off my lap and he then continued to pee on my sofa!! It probably didnt help but i laughed out loud, i couldnt help it, he gave me this cute cheeky look as if to say 'here you go'

I dont always scoop him up he always comes to sit on my knee but while hes sitting hes biting every body part he can get. the only time i lift him is to go up the stairs, put him in his crate or to pick him up if hes hanging from my nieces clothing....

Is he teething?  I can't remember when dogs do.  I think you may also be able to put something on his gums to help with this but can't remember what - maybe someone else can help with this?
I found freezing bones really useful teething gums get hot and the cold helps.

He will be teething yes hes 17 weeks, his teeth are still needle like. I have bought him every kind of teethin toy going!

"The bite stops here" link that Lokis Mum gave has great advice. 

One of the trainers at our local dog class advises that if you can very gently take hold of the puppies lower jaw (so that your hand is across the tongue) when it bites you and say a very firm 'NO' then the pup won't do it again.

I tried it once with my youngest who was a bit of a nipper and he never nipped again.

Make sure you have plenty of toys - a rolled up cloth soaked and put in the freezer is also great.

Good luck.

> One of the trainers at our local dog class advises that if you can very gently take hold of the puppies lower jaw (so that your hand is across the tongue) when it bites you and say a very firm 'NO' then the pup won't do it again.
>
> I tried it once with my youngest who was a bit of a nipper and he never nipped again.

'The bite stops here' is not just about stopping a puppy/dog biting, it's about teaching bite force inhibition - teaching the dog to control the force of it's bite. The danger with doing anything that stops the puppy biting imidiately is that it never learns to control the force of it's bite. Here's a section from 'The Bite Stops Here' :

"Potential problems
Inhibiting incidence before force: A common mistake is to punish the pup in an attempt to get it to stop biting altogether.......... At worst, the puppy no longer mouths people at all. Hence, its education about the force of its bite stops right there. All is fine until someone accidentally shuts the car door on the dog's tail, whereupon the dog bites and punctures the skin, because the dog had insufficient bite inhibition."

I found the distraction method worked well with my little dog.  She loves rawhides, so I started luring her away from biting me with a yummy chew.  It took a lot of perserverence, and at nearly 2 years old she does still try and nip sometimes, but I always have a rawhide handy and it does seem to work for me.

Have you tried chew stop spray? It is bitter apple spray which can also be sprayed on hands, just make sure that it doesn't get on the palm of the hand as it really tastes horrible. My border collie bitch used to chew my hands like mad when she was a puppy and I tried the spray and she then started realising that biting hands isn't very nice and she stopped...

i might give this a try....the thing is hes not chewing them its a quick nip so theres not enough time to try anything like hold the jaw etc (plus have you seen a pugs face?!) that would be nearly impossible!!!

I have stopped picking him up as much so im not getting nipped less, I don't blame him though hes just a wee pup.

I love it when he jumps up and sits on my knee and licks my hand, just wish he done this more often, I tell him how good he is when hes licking but he just cant help himself with his knashers.

I think i will give the cloth in the freezer a go.

Great tip with the cloth in the freezer, it should help soothing the teething pain...

My bitch is fine now, she's nearly two now, saying that she wasn't all that bad with chewing/biting things. Thankfully she didn't damage an awful lot with her puppy teeth apart from my hands at the time but I managed to stop her from it - it didn't happen over night but with a bit of time and the spray she let off. I did offer her loads of chewies though which as well helped a lot. - I shall do the same with my 3 month old dog puppy - he investigates everything with his mouth but this time my hands don't seem to be very interesting (yet...)

The holding the jaw is truly not possible with a pug...

it is indeed! poor little flat wrinkly face!

I do work with him alot and try to teach him, i spend hours and hours with him! Im sure it will ease with time.

But cute little flat wrinkly face...

Don't give up your hard work. Stay positive and consistent and you will see a light at the end of the tunnel. I thought the biting or nipping will never stop but it did. And they grow out of it as well.

Sometimes its so frustrating tho!! Expecially when he gets you good, little pig! haha

thanks for your advice.

Lynne

Yep it can be frustrating but don't show him your frustration. This would be showing weakness to a dog and they easily pick up on this and learn to use it against you. Show him who's boss from the beginning. I know it can be difficult with such little cute creatures but in the long run it's best for you, others and your dog.

Yeh your right, i dont show him my anger, i tend to just put him down and leave the room, which he probably doesnt like! so hopefully he will get the hint lol

I see in your picture you have collies, my friend shows her Collies, shes going to crufts this year. I must say i havnt come across a collie that tolerates pugs yet! haha

The way with leaving him is good. They will soon realise that they can't do what they want. A dog would do the same to them in a pack...

Yeah I have a two collies now. But I have them as pets not for showing or breeding. I do obedience training with my bitch - I also started with agility but due to injury (myself not the dog) I have to put this on hold for at least September...I will start with the puppy as soon as he's completely vaccined. I only had him for two weeks (he's nearly 112 weeks old now) and must say it's great fun with them two. My bitch loves every one and everything really she loves other dogs I never had any problems with her. If she gets growled at by other dogs, that don't really like dogs, she'll force them to like them... I do know other collies though that are the complete opposite. We used to have a pug in training class and we even went out on long walks together. They were best buddies

Her dogs are both bitches so maybe thats why there not to keen?!

I like collies though, real good fun dogs.

Bitches can be a bit more difficult, especially when they are not spayed. They tend to be less tolerant. Mine is spayed so her hormones can't "bitch" her up... She's very patient with the new puppy, I always say that if I was a dog, I'd have snapped long time ago, but she's just a big softy and she's a big playmate for the little one.

They are great to work with and very trainable but also very demanding as you really have to keep their brains going and always think of something new to do for them. I've trained her up to bring me different toys. She knows her toys by name and I am currently training her to tidy up and put all her toys back in a bucket. I've also tried these Nina Ottoson toys but she's figured them out even before I put them down for her to sort out so they are too easy The little one is already copying her. He does do a recall and sits right in front of me just like the big one does. It is so much fun...

See that is amazing knowing her toys by there names! My pug knows ball and biscuit but thats it, i think collies are far more intelligent!

Agility looks great fun to. Once hes one im going to try him, i think he would love it! Pug agility LOL

It is amazing but also quite scary in a way...it is like she's the mental stage of a human toddler ha ha.

Yeah give it a go, it's great fun and as long as the dog and of course you enjoy it go for it. Pugs are quite energetic aren't they? Well the one at our training class was...

He VERY energetic. I feel sorry for him as i know he wants to go out on walks for hours, but his joints are to young to take it. Cant wait till hes old enough as he adores the beach. We live on the beach front so in the summer he will love it. Hopefully he doest get to hot though, pugs tend to over heat quite easily, doesnt help that hes black. Poor pug!

Yeah I know what you mean. My bitch wanted to run all day long when she was a puppy, the new dog is more chilled, he sleeps instead but this might change once he's discovered the great outdoors... We live by the sea as well and I really hope that the puppy will love water as much as my bitch. She goes into every puddle of water just to get wet feet. It's great exercise for them, too.

Ive been told to take him on 3 x 10 mins walks a day, i never knew this and at the weekends we walked for an hour along the beach.

Feel really bad for doing this, but at least i know now!

woops.

yeah, at the beginning, smaller but frequent walks are better. I think sometimes with smaller dogs, you forget how old they only are as they don't grow as long as bigger dogs