Tips on Puppy Biting? (how to stop nipping at hands, arms, clothes, etc.?)

My Border Collie is now 10 weeks old.
I know its normal for a pup to be biting all the time when playing.

Does anyone have any tips for when he he biting at hands, arms, clothes, hair etc....

we give a stern "Scampi NO Biting" then try to distract him with toys and chews for him to have instead, this worked at first for a few days but now he ignores the distraction and continues trying to bite anywhere he can. and his bite does hurt lol

As for trying to ignore him or walk away he will follow whilst attacking my ankles or anywhere he can to try and play OUCH!

I know its because he is just really excited and playful as he is like it the minute he sees me in the morning and getting at my face or hands to greet me. He is going socializing for the first time with my friends 2 dogs today at her house, so i suppose if he bites them too her dogs will tell him off lol.

just wondered what you might try instead, some sites say gently slap them on the nose, but I really dont agree to that plus my almost 3 year old would probably start copying, causing more problems.??

The kids already keep staying away from him on the settee where he cant reach. I dont want them to becaome scared of him but at the same time I totally understand this could take months so just wanted some ideas what other people might do


thanks

Not a good idea to physically punish a puppy/dog for anything

This article on bite inhibition should help if you follow it exactly: http://www.jersey.net/~mountaindog/berner1/bitestop.htm

Have a look at the Dogweb articles. There is one on 'Dogs and small children' which may help you. (If the articles are not immediately available try again later )

thanks shadowboxer

Good tips there although I dont think i'll call him a jerk lol!!

hi my mum has a border collie in canada. when we bought him from a pet shop we recieved a video tape to help train him. on this tape it said to pin the puppy down, or hold him close to you restraining him from doing anything, until he calms down..also to give a little growl as this is how the mother teaches her pups to stop what they are doing. it will take quite a while to get him out of that habbit, but dont worry he should stop.
as soon as he is calm then let him go, and carry on playing. as he is a puppy at first he will keep doing it, but eventually he will realise that you dont like his behaviour and stop doing it.

It really is totally impossible for humans to even come close to imitating the nuances of behaviour of a dam towards her whelps. Saying that the dam will pin the puppy and growl is too simplistic. What she does before she imposes discipline and what she does afterwards is of huge importance. Much of the interaction between dogs is far too subtle for us to understand.

I would forget about pinning and follow the advice of Ian Dunbar on bite inhibition

sorry if my advise was wrong. i had recieved the tape and did what the trainer on the tape did, and it worked. you dont need to use my advise it wont work for everyone. although i dont think there really is a right or wrong way to teach a pup not to do something. it worked for me. good luck though with teaching your pup. im sure which ever way you try to teach him you will get there in the end.

sorry forgot to ad something. one of my labrador puppies kept growling at my 2 year old son when he was near her and she was eating. i held her and growled, then i released her straight away. i did this everytime she growled at him. she doesnt growl at anyone anymore when she has food. not even at the other puppy eating with her. i also teach my son to give them treats but not to take them away. he doesnt touch their food, and they all get on fine.

Hello this may sound a bit obvious, but i suggest when she next does it to shut her away seperatly, but allow her to still see you. eventually she'll work out that whenever she bites you she is no longer allowed to play. I also find a high pitched 'yelp' does work with Roxy, she just gives me that look of 'you soft girl!' but she does stop biting me, eventually .

The time-out method may work but, by the time you have picked up the puppy (can be rewarding in itself) and deposited it in a separate area it has probably forgotten why it has been subjected to isolation So, you have a confused puppy who has been rewarded by being picked up and held in your arms and then 'punished' by being put away?

Sorry shadow, i just took this bit out of my puppy book. But yes i can totally understand where your coming from. This book is a tad bit confusing, on one page it says do not carry the dog anywhere as this causes clingyness. Then in the next paragraph it says 'dont let your dog climb stairs, jump off the sofa or bed, walk on slippey floors etc. always carry it' .