# Puppy won't stop biting feet/legs?



## northghosts (Sep 13, 2017)

I have a 10 week old puppy and I'm having a lot of trouble with his biting. I'm aware puppies teeth and nip but I think it's getting a bit out of hand here?

He will bite me (mostly me, sometimes other people) even when I'm simply petting him. When I'm laying down, he will bite the back of my head, my ears, my nose, etc. Which is painful.

The serious biting problem I'm having however is that he will constantly bite my feet and my legs. He will bark and growl (doesn't usually do this when biting me anywhere else) and jump at me. I have tried yelping, he ignores it. I've tried ignoring him so he doesn't get attention from it, but that's a bit hard when there's sharp little teeth digging in you. I've tried putting him in a time out place, giving him toys. Nothing seems to be working.

If anyone has any advice as to how to stop this, let me know.


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## Lillith (Feb 16, 2016)

Sounds like a normal puppy.

Often, yelping and squealing can get the puppy more excited. They know we're not dogs, so the yelps that their littermates let out to communicate their hurt are not the same as a person yelping. They often seem to think the high-pitched noise a human makes is an invitation for rougher play!

First, if puppy starts biting you, redirect to a toy. If he keeps biting, get up and walk away at once. Close a door, step over a baby gate, withdraw attention for a few minutes before trying again. This takes a ton of time. Expect him to be mouthy until 4-6 months of age, perhaps longer. It will get better, the bites will get lighter. It just takes a super long time for those dumb little puppies to get it.


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## apmmoc (Sep 25, 2017)

I remember being so frustrated with this same thing when we got our puppy at 8 weeks old, and he is now 6 months. My husband asked me the other night, "remember when he used to bite our ankles all of the time when we would walk him?" Thankfully he did out grow this - I don't know if it was anything that we necessarily did. He still nips and bites other body parts once in a while, but it has definitely gotten better. Just wait it out!


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## SaintDame (Sep 24, 2017)

I actually came to post the same question! My 9 week old puppy was really getting out of hand with the nipping today. I've been doing the yelping, the redirect, the walk away and today for some reason he started nipping at my legs anytime I'm walking. Its not just me, he's really trying the patience of the dogs as well, I'm hoping their corrections will also help curb this behavior asap.

Solidarity OP, I literally feel your pain!

PS, if his barking and growling seems more threatening then playful I would recommend bringing in a trainer pronto. While Im getting frustrated with Ziggy, its very clear he is doing it all in good fun...well in his mind anyway.


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## olliedogsmum (Aug 13, 2017)

My 11 nearly 12 week old is exactly the same and is also trying to chew low shelves and the bottom of the sofa. Really frustrating and I'm just hoping she's going to get the idea that biting means no fun as soon as possible!


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## hanksimon (Mar 18, 2009)

The term to search for is Bite Inhibition. I think Ian Dunbar first wrote about the method, and other trainers added to the method. 1. Don't not ignore a puppy nipping ... as you've seen, they think people taste good and have satisfying and crunchy bones ;-)
2. If you can re-direct with a toy, then do it. Otherwise, say "Ouch" or yelp, or "$#$!!!" to indicate displeasure, and then leave the area, preferably out of sight, for 15 - 30 seconds. This process mimics what happens in the litter - a pup will yelp when hurt, so the 'aggressor' will stop. If everything is OK, play resumes just a tiny bit more gently. If the aggressor continues to be too rough, then ALL puppies in the litter will avoid playing with him, and Mom will reprimand him sharply ... so most pups learn to be careful about nipping. And, they can generalize the process, eventually learning that nipping you means that you will 'punish' them by withdrawing attention and leaving.
3. If they are trying to be more gentle [and don't want you to leave], sometimes they may 'apologize' by play bowing or by barking when you yelp, say Ouch, or leave. It's hard to recognize an apology if you aren't watching for it.
4. Pups learn faster after a good night's sleep ... so they may not immediately understand why you left. Your consistent vocalization marks the undesired behavior (the nip), helping them to predict that you will withhold attention and leave, if they nip. Assume that it can take 3 days before the pup begins to make the connection, and 6 weeks before you see a slow decrease in pressure. In fact, with good timing and experience, Dr. Ian Dunbar could make significant progress in a few minutes. However, most of us [any of us???] don't have a Ph.D. in dog aggression and more than 40 years in near forefront dog training, so it may take more than a few minutes ;-)
5. @olliedogsmum - If your girl is a Lab, then you have a unique situation. Labs are not the only needle-toothed, fuzzy piranhas, wrapped in a happy, adorable fur coat but hey can be the most persistent. Happily [???], one of the best forms of 'punishment' for a Lab is to withdraw attention ... anything else is just a game [Eventually I will post a video of swatting my 75Lb pup with a branch from a pine tree ... as one of his favorite games!]. So, you want to be persistent about giving her a consistent vocal mark for nipping, and then withdraw attention [or pick her up and move her to a different location ... not necessarily the crate].
5a. In addition, a Lab NEEDS chew toys that she can destroy [and not swallow] - hard rubber bones, Kongs, maybe some tough Tug toys [ask the Vet about appropriate type toys]. And re-direct from furniture to toys for a strong chewer.


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