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Original poster

How to stop puppy biting me non stop?

19 replies

steptacularr · 27/10/2021 22:19

We have just got a 10 week old whippet pup.
He has so much energy.
He is biting me constantly,he jumps and bites my nose,my ears,my hair,my hands etc etc
Then he jumps down and starts biting on the sofa/the curtains
Two hours now he has been running around like a crazy person.
He won't stop biting everything

Any tips please would be great ?

OP posts:
Halfwreckedbykids · 27/10/2021 22:23

Not sure how this would work on curtains etc.
When our dog bite us as a pup we let out a loud yelp....apparently its how mummy dog would train them. She'd stop straight away and we d praise her. Didn't take long at all to sort out.
Their teeth are killing them and it's just a reaction.
Worked for us.

Returnoftheowl · 27/10/2021 22:25

Might be worth checking out the doghouse section of Mumsnet... Lots of advice on all sorts of issues there.

SummerSeaSwimmer · 27/10/2021 22:42

It's normal puppy behaviour whilst they are teething. Give him lots of chew toys and divert his attention to those. Expect to be nipped to pieces as a puppy owner. By 6 months old that stage will be over.

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Grohlette · 27/10/2021 23:16

You have to tell him off in a cross deep voice every time he does it and move him away. Then praise really good behaviour in a happy higher pitched voice

iloveroastpotatoes · 27/10/2021 23:43

@Halfwreckedbykids

Not sure how this would work on curtains etc. When our dog bite us as a pup we let out a loud yelp....apparently its how mummy dog would train them. She'd stop straight away and we d praise her. Didn't take long at all to sort out. Their teeth are killing them and it's just a reaction. Worked for us.
This. We did it with ours when he was a pup and worked a treat.
Strugglingtodomybest · 27/10/2021 23:45

When our dog bite us as a pup we let out a loud yelp....apparently its how mummy dog would train them. She'd stop straight away and we d praise her.

I did this with my puppy. My puppy training book told me to. It worked.

pistachioicecream · 27/10/2021 23:47

Agree with the tips above and also Grannicks bitter apple spray worked for us. We used to spray everything including shoes and ankles when our puppy was in her really bitey phase. When I look back it didn’t last that long but felt like forever when we were in it! Good luck

AmyDudley · 27/10/2021 23:47

plenty of puppy chew toys and distraction. All puppies do it when they are teething usually stops when their adult teeth come in.
I found a dress I hadn't worn for ages this summer and realised I must have worn it when my dog was a puppy as it has holes all round the bottom edge Grin He doesn't bite at all now, in fact he is very gentle with everything, never destroys toys etc.

Winterfairy23 · 27/10/2021 23:57

Whippet pup owner here. I got mine at 10 weeks and I feel your pain. The helping didn’t deter mine but constant replacing with chews did a bit. Also frozen carrot and cucumber.

For inanimate objects a sharp ‘ah ah’ worked. Also a water spray bottle.

If they’re persistent with biting you ignore them and walk away without making a fuss.

I was so frustrated but it calmed down a lot within a month and now biting is so rare. Once walks are allowed this will tire pup out too. Hang in there.

Winterfairy23 · 27/10/2021 23:57

That should say yelping, not helping!

KILM · 28/10/2021 00:02

Echo the advice up here as it does work although have also been told that some pups see it as playing - ours certainly does.
Whats worked with ours is:

  • Get a puppy pen. Stick them in with a Kong stuffed with smelly stuff. Praise engagement with the Kong.
  • Supply him with plenty of chews (yakkers, carrots, soft toys - get a variety as they need different textures depending on how their teeth are feeling) and always praise when he picks one of those up to chew instead of you. Do this even during the non hyper times - if they pick a toy up, praise. With any luck they will then see it as more appealing to chew the toy than you.
  • Figure out your 'stop biting' cue and get the whole family to stick to it, but remember to praise when she does stop... because otherwise you're just saying a word at her, he wont associate it with the action of letting go. Yes they are young at 10 weeks so you may feel like you are being ignored for a while but they will get it!
  • if you've given the stop cue a few times and no dice, leave the room. This works better than you shoving them in another room as it fully gets across the message 'you've upset me, im leaving'. If the room they are in isnt safe to leave them in, lead them to a room where they are safe and try to engage them with a toy again, and then when they bite you, leave.
  • Figure out how to wear them out mentally as well as physically. Kongs stuffed with food, those toys that dispense food if they are played with, good tug games, finding treats hidden under a towel, giving them bits of cardboard, trying some basic training with some good treats. Wear them out!

Good luck, it is tiring!!

Furries · 28/10/2021 02:04

I so don’t miss the puppy teething stage, it’s like having a mini Jaws running around on dry land!

Reminding yourself that they’re not doing it to be a pain helps (only a bit!). They’re just trying anything possible to stop the discomfort of teething.

It’s a long time since my girl was a pup, so can’t point you to one specific product. But google “freezable chew toys for dogs”. Was a godsend having one for my girl at that stage, seemed to provide a bit of relief. Also, frozen raw chicken wings were a distraction - they must be raw, never cooked!

Also have a look at a site, such as Green & Wilds, for antler dog chews (they do one suitable for puppies as well as for adult dogs). The great thing about antler chews, as opposed to getting bones from a butcher, is that they don’t “rot” and they don’t smell and don’t attract flies. A normal bone my dog would want to bury after a short while - not so with an antler chew. They might seem expensive, but they last for ages - at least two years here - and are great for her to chew on. They can be useful as a distraction for when you’re leaving the dog on its own. Once mine was over the teething stage, the antler was used as a “treat”. So she didn’t have access to it 24/7 - it was a prime treat for her that was given when leaving her alone. So she was happy to have it, rather than being stressed at being on her own.

icedcoffees · 28/10/2021 08:33

He needs so so much sleep at that age. Around 18-20 hours per day.

My advice is to enforce nap times as stringently as possible - it will get rid of a lot of the overhyped and overtired behaviour you're describing.

FazedNotPhased · 28/10/2021 08:48

What helped with our lunatic whip:

Lots and lots of chews - he only had a short attention span but it would distract from the cycle of bite bite bite
Frozen carrots - same
Blast of training with yummy treats
Yelping / ah-ah noises
Physically putting him away from us eg if on sofa, put on floor, if on lap, put on floor etc.
Enforcing naps (he was crate trained)
Bitter apple spray on furniture

What didn't help us but might help you:
Ignoring him - he just got into mischief
Turning our backs - he just bit the backs of our legs

Chunkymenrock · 28/10/2021 08:57

@Grohlette

You have to tell him off in a cross deep voice every time he does it and move him away. Then praise really good behaviour in a happy higher pitched voice
Very bad advice, please don't do this. The pup is NOT being naughty. It's a natural part of puppy behaviour, which needs to be redirected, in a positive way, onto appropriate chew toys. Please take advice from a respected resource OP, not internet randoms. So much damage can be caused to a very young pup by stupid advice.
PinkFizz1 · 28/10/2021 09:24

Very bad advice, please don't do this. The pup is NOT being naughty. It's a natural part of puppy behaviour, which needs to be redirected, in a positive way, onto appropriate chew toys. Please take advice from a respected resource OP, not internet randoms. So much damage can be caused to a very young pup by stupid advice.

Agree with this. Please don’t “tell your puppy off in a cross voice” for doing something that feels natural to him as his teeth are killing him and he knows no better.

CMOTDibbler · 28/10/2021 09:28

If they've been running manically like that for 2 hours they are totally over tired and need to go in their crate/quiet place for a nap. In my experience the biggest issue with puppies is not getting enough sleep and then they are manic bitey horrors.

DottyHarmer · 28/10/2021 09:32

Agree, @FazedNotPhased - the sheer uselessness of the advice to turn your back! Then you wait for the inevitable sinking of teeth into the back of your leg!

Unfortunately the bitey stage seems to coincide with the jumping up stage and the zoomy stage…. Aaaggggghhhh !!!! At the time I was crying with misery but it didn’t last (too) long.

AmyDudley · 28/10/2021 12:54

Not sure if anyone has mentioned - but I got some teething gel for mine when he was a pup which he liked having rubbed into his teeth to soothe them I think I got it in Wilko's or Pets at Home.

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