# Puppy won't stop biting, have tried everything... Help



## mrozdak

I've recently purchased a 10 week old mal German shepherd named shadow 7 days ago. He has a great temperament, and is a quick learner with sit, stay, lay down and come. But every once in awhile he gets in this aggressive mood where he bites me and my girlfriend. I've tried everything to make him stop. Saying "No!", yelping like a dog would, putting chew toys in his mouth. I got frustrated today because he bite me really hard and cut me again, so I smacked his face, he didn't stop, so I help him down and he stopped... I do not want to use this method. Maybe he doesn't understand "no" yet, idk. Do you have any suggestions? Also.... He eats everything.. Paper, plastic, etc, this can't be good for him, any suggestions there?

I know these things are normal for a puppy but he isn't picking up that there bad, thanks for your help.

Dakota


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## beverley

there is a really good sticky on here about bite inhibition, read that. my dog is now 17mths and will still eat anything if we let him, we dont. there is nothing left lying around as anything is fair game to him! he is also still crated if he's going to be left for more than 10 minutes. have you thought about crate training? or maybe the pup could be sectioned off in a smaller room with a baby gate?


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## troglodytezzz

Please don't hit or alpha roll the puppy, it's not helping. It sounds like normal puppy play to me, nothing aggressive.

The yelping method works fine, however, yelping alone isn't enough. After you yelp you must withdraw attention. Separate yourself from the pup by either leaving the room (blocked by a baby gate) or crating the puppy for 2 minutes. After 2 minutes go back to playing with him. This way he will eventually learn that biting you means that the fun ends. Give it time, he is only 10 weeks old. 

Puppies explore the world with their mouths. Mouthing paper, plastic and other things is normal too. The first thing to do is make sure that he can't get to them in the first place (keep stuff out of his reach). When he is mouthing something say "out" and put a treat to his nose. He should drop it and eat the treat. If not then use better treats, cheese or ham should work, cut some up in advance so you are ready. If the thing isn't too dangerous give it back and repeat a few times.


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## hanksimon

The referred-to Sticky is The Bite Stops Here, in the New Owner section. Read over that carefully. As Trog wrote, there are a few tweaks to that Sticky that may help:

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. Nipping is a form of play. Don't yell at the dog and don't strike him... He may think that your method of play is to play roughly. Let us know what happens... BTW, follow these instructions carefully, and ask, if you don't understand. Don't improvise.

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....


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## doxiemommy

Seven days isn't very long for a puppy to adjust to a new home, where everything is completely different than everything he was used to. On top of that, you're trying to teach him things. That's a lot for a puppy that young. Patience and consistency is the key.
The sticky on "The Bite Stops Here" is excellent. But, don't be in a hurry or impatient. As I read your post, you have tried several things, you yelp, you give him a chew toy, you hit him, you held him down. All in 7 days. You aren't sticking with the GOOD things you're doing (yelping and offering a toy) long enough for them to start working. 

It's a common problem. Lots of people want their pups to stop biting and they want them to stop biting NOW. But, as hanksimon says, you have to give it time to sink in. You're not just trying to get the biting to stop, you're trying to TEACH them something. When was the last time you learned something new, something completely foreign to you, without lots of tries?

So, yelp, loud enough to get his attention. If he does it again, yelp again, and this time leave the room for 20-30 seconds. Then come back and start over. If he bites, start with the yelp, if he does it again, yelp and leave for 20-30 seconds. As many times as it takes.
With our first puppy it took 4 weeks. Seriously. (Probably because my fiance wasn't super consistent, he HATED having to leave the room every couple of minutes, it interrupted his TV watching!) Our second pup, just about 1-1.5 weeks. The foster we have now, about 2 weeks.
You've had yours for 7 days. Give it a chance to work. Biting is super normal to puppies, it's how they play, and how they explore the world. It's like how a human baby wants to put everything in their mouth. So, you are trying to teach him NOT to do something that seems natural to him. It's hard work! Don't give up, and be patient!


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