I can not adequately answer this question. Personally I never have a problem with this, but I can not explain why. I need some help in answering this. I condition the puppies to be handled with several particular exercises and I know that is a big part of it.
Here is the question:
What to do if the pup insists on chewing your hand even after you replace it with a chew toy?
Here is my answer:
Don’t let them chew on your hands.
Julie, my two cents:
Exactly- don’t let them chew your hand. Instead of simply letting the dog chew on a toy, learn to play tug (properly) with the dog. It’s been my experience they’re looking for a reaction and they get it when you move the hand that’s been bitten- it just keeps stimulating their prey drive. I’ve also found that they outgrow it but it takes a while. I’ve had good luck with a puppy tug, bite rag etc.
Alan
I would say try to find a toy that has a different texture, or freeze a chicken piece, or put some peanut butter in a Kong.
As hard as it is when they are little, if they bite or chew on you, try to make your hand go limp, don’t wiggle fingers or try to pull away, and don’t say ouch or make a noise. They have to understand that hands are not fun anymore.
I go to the butcher and have them cut me an appropriate size bone for my dogs, from the day they came home, and this helped a lot!
What Alan says is absolutely true.
Kapone wouldn’t even be chewing on me, because I won’t allow it, but his teeth would still rake me, and scratch me, but he did grow out of it.
Remember they are teething, let them have the frozen bone and after while, stick it back in the freezer, being cold helps ease the gums.
Good Luck
I’ve read that as a last resort for some people they used leather gloves or wrapped towels around their hands.
This might seem like a rather flip answer, but keep your hands out of the puppy’s mouth. What are you doing that the puppy is grabbing your hand? Is it when you are trying to handle it?
Usually when I’m sitting down on the floor playing with the puppy with a toy. I also have the bad habit of playing with my dogs mouth with my hand. I was also told during a puppy class that we should let our puppy chew on us until a certain age so they learn bite inhibition.
Jennifer, I have heard of that and when it was first introduced, I couldn’t understand it. Yes, I understand the theory behind it. Let them bite you squeal like another puppy and stop playing with them..like another puppy would. Yet the same people promoting this made fun of a book, named something like “Mother Knows Best” advocating acting like the mother dog with your puppy. We are neither their mother or their littermate, both of which innately can communicate infinitely better with each other then can.
The only time I have problems getting bit on the fingers or hands is when they are learning to take treats or they take a treat with a hard mouth (meaning not gently). But I can not explain why or what I do.
Thank you for responding Julie. Maybe you don’t have a problem because you work your dogs and make sure their needs are met. I don’t know.
I do have that problem with Wally and taking food/treats. His food drive is crazy high. I was working with him and “fuss” and I think he took a layer of skin off.
Something backfired on the bite inhibition. Playing with your pup’s mouth with your hands and allowing your puppy to chew on you has created a fun game for the pup. And now that it is teething time, flesh is even better. I don’t play with a pup’s mouth. Although, my pups learn from the very beginning that I can look in their mouth or at their teeth, but it is all done quietly and calmly.
While you are playing, if the pup spits out the toy to grab your hand, end the game. Walk away AND take the toy with you.
Do you know how to play tug with your pup and how to properly end the game?
Just for the record, I’m not the one Julie is referring to but I did have this problem awhile ago so I want to learn as much as I can from you guys. Do you take the breed of dog into consideration? I did the no biting and not letting my sheltie touch me with his teeth in any way. I have zero trust with him and biting. My other sheltie got away with bloody murder. He was allowed to chomp on me anywhere he wanted and I pretty much ignored him. When he was around 7 months old I started to feel a little pain so I would either suck in my breath or say ouch. He noticed when I did that and adjusted his bites so I wouldn’t react in pain. I trust him 100% to not get me on accident. Keep in mind these are shelties. For example their first reaction is to bite/nip when they get stepped on.
Do I know how to play tug? I don’t know. I thought I did but honestly I don’t know. When I’m done playing I stop.
Tug:
http://raisingk9.blogspot.com/search/label/TUG
Thanks! 🙂
Roman was more of a leg and ankle man.
This I have been a victim of, but it is also an easy fix.
My experience has been the same as Julie, with all three puppies (Nikon, Pan, and for a short time Ana). No mouthy, no nipping hands, no grabbing pants. There are occassional “tags” when taking treats or a missed target when using a ball for play/obedience, but even in these cases when the dogs make contact they recoil because they know they’ve hit something that doesn’t feel right in their mouth. I don’t know what it is because I don’t overtly work on this, the puppies I’ve had just don’t mouth me. I give my puppies/dogs quite a bit of freedom and leeway compared to some owners, and do not use corrections on them, but they just haven’t been mouthy. I figured I just got really good puppies every time, but Phil (husband) says it’s something about the way I handle them or the way I am with them. All three of the puppies had/have ball and prey drive so it is not that they are just overall more subdued. I think it must be a combination of things: I just don’t LET puppies mouth on me, tug on my pants, nip at my ankles; I have plenty of dog toys *everywhere*, even before we got Pan and had the three adult dogs there were always toys scattered around the house and yard; I do think it helps that I have multiple dogs. On one hand I try very hard to form close bonds with each dog individually and manage them so that we don’t end up with a pack of dogs that only care for each other, but I also believe that there are dog-dog interactions that we humans cannot substitute. I think dog interaction and play is really important throughout life, not just the initial bite inhibition phase with littermates.
Mine was similar as well. Apollo was like a furball with baby alligator teeth. I would always use several toys when taking him out of his crate in preparation for the inevitable burst of energy which always includes their jaws. Find out what motivates your pup the most. Chew toys, tugs, freeze dried liver, etc. and always have it on hand. If I did get chomped I issued a “no” followed by a toy distraction. Once he latched on to the toy, he got to play tug and got some praise. He loves to tug… he had hardly any interest in food reward but would go crazy for a quick toy and tug session as a reward!