# How to teach my 8 month old not to play bite



## angelk

I'm sure this question has been asked before so I'm sorry for re asking it. Feel free to post the link . Anyway I have an 8 month old german shepherd that I just got. And she had a problem jumping on people but easily fixed that. This problem I just can't seem to get her to stop. Whenever I pet her or sit with her she is constantly trying to play bite she always wants to chew on my hands. I've tried tell her no but she just continues until I get up and walk away or stop petting her.. She does the same to my one year old and even though it's not real biting it makes him cry. I've also tried popping her gently on her nose but it just makes it worse because she thinks I'm playing back...I'm guessing her previous owners made it a game of it or something. She has plenty of bones to chew on. I just wish she didn't think of us as chew Toys. Thanks in advance for any advice or links! 


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## Mary Beth

Since you have just got your dog, she is probably still very excited and so the mouthing is worse, and 8 months can be a terrible time for chewing. I suggest you redirect - when she chews or mouths your hands - say "No, Mine" real sharp, then give her a toy (the soft toys that squeak are good for this) make it squeak and say in a happy voice "This is your's" and make sure she bites the toy (it helps to move it by her mouth so she grabs it) then praise her.


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## Harry and Lola

Does sound like her previous owners encouraged it, but sounds like she has learned bite inhibition.

I have had great success with stopping my 2 GSDs by using Vicks Vaporub. Simply put a little bit on what you don't want her to bite like your hand, feet, coffee table leg, lead etc and the smell is so strong it will stop her from mouthing. 

You could put a little bit on your childs arm (do immediately when she is around).

Keep doing this for a while until she has gotten out of the habit, then you won't need to.

Just DO NOT put Vicks Vaporub on your puppy or make her lick or eat it.

It does work, just put it on as soon as you think she is about to mouth you.


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## Sri

Ours did this as well. There is two ways we trained him out of it. 

For when the dog mouths you while you pet her, what we did with ours is to treat him everytime he let us pet/hug him without mouthing. Well, in the beginning we would treat at the same time, but we gradually increased the duration of the hug and then the treat. I use the cue word 'hug' to let him know he is going to get one. Also, 'hold still' when I am petting or checking him.

At six months old, ours got very mouthy and rough and demanding to play(he would grab arms and legs in his mouth, growl and jump up to get us to play with him), like the other poster said to use Vicks I used Bengay, just a couple of times, now when he starts to mouth, just saying 'Bengay' is enough to remind him to be gentle. The kids do this as well. He very rarely mouths us now. 

We also taught him 'gentle' ( taking the treat from our fingers gently) to teach him to be gentle with the kids' dolls and stuffed animals. I use this word to remind him when little kids come over.


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## MaggieRoseLee

Welcome to the forum and you'll be glad to know that this is a common issue with our chosen breed. One of the great reasons we research BEFORE getting a dog so we have a bit of a heads up.

Keep in mind even though your pup is big, she is still a puppy! So the dog classes we need to start up with, tons of real OFF leash exercise/socialization, plus teaching how to play that isn't killing the humans in their life 

Great site with hints and tips is ---> http://www.germanshepherds.com/foru...wner/188549-puppy-biting-hints-tips-help.html


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## Deno

They do all seem to act like this at this age and even later.

I wouldn't advise anything physical with her. All of the ideas given may

very well work with time. But with a one year old involved I would want

instant results. I know I sound like a broken record, but a shock collar

would do the trick. This may sound harsh and simple but the fact is

it's not and it is. You can start out with the buzzer or the vibrate 

mode. If these don't work then you start off with low level shocks. 

You will find a level where she will know better.


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## Mary Beth

I have to disagree with Deno. I would not use an e-collar in this case for mouthing. The dog is probably doing it out of adjustment to his new home and excitement - the corrections from the e-collar can only increase that and also he is too close - how could one correct it with the baby - every time he goes near the baby? That could backfire - associate the baby with the shock. I have used an e-collar mainly to train my Sting not to run deer and for recall. For mouthing, I would not.


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## Deno

Mary Beth, I can only speak to this with my limited experience with the one dog I have used an e-collar on.

But in my opinion the way to do this with the baby is to tell the dog no, if she goes ahead and or continues to mouth the baby she gets a zap.

The dog will figure out very quickly (1 or 2 Zaps at the most would be my guess) that it doesn't pay to do this or to disregard no.

The only thing I can see the dog associating with the baby is she better not mouth him.


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## Mary Beth

My point is that the dog is doing the mouthing out of excitement and possibly nerves -not misbehavior.The op's dog is also adjusting to a new home. I cannot see using the e-collar for this when redirection or putting the salve on the baby will work as other posts mentioned who have done it with babies and chidlren. You are also guessing and that can backfire. You are not speaking from experience as you admitted. To guess with the e-collar, and if your guess is wrong, the dog pays the price.


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## selzer

Some 8 month olds are mouthy, not all.

I would NOT train this with an e-collar. An e-collar can actually increase the reaction and intensity if you do this with the wrong dog. 

Instead I would teach the dog the GENTLE command. Teach the dog to take treats out of your hand super gently. Use the word GENTLE a lot while doing this. Start very easily with an open palm, and always tell the dog good GENTLE. Make it harder by covering it with a thumb, and then make it harder by putting it between your index finger and thumb -- offering a lot of finger for a snatcher. But remind the dog with the word GENTLE and praise the dog when he takes it gently. 

When the dog is taking a higher value treat very gently out of your fingers, you can start using that GENTLE command for more stuff, like GENTLE with my fingers. GENTLE with the baby. 

You can teach a dog to avoid the baby with an e-collar, or you can teach the dog to be gentle with babies. I am sure there are other things you can do, but I enjoy teaching them to be gentle with the treats.


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## doggiedad

popping a dog on the nose isn't a form of correction
that i would use. when your dog nips/bites pull her back
by her collar or neck fur and say "no biting". that's what
i did when my dog was in the nipping stage. it didn't stop
him from nipping immediately. i did it over and over and over.


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## Deno

Regardless of why the dog is doing it, a zap would stop it.

The only thing I am guessing about is would it take one or two 

corrections to stop completely. As far as anything backfiring 

goes, what's your worst case scenario? please explain. 

You seem to have misread my post, I said my experience is 

limited to one dog as far as the e-collar goes, Dex just happens to

be one big bad bold alpha male who behaves like a dream.

Dex gets very few corrections, when he does, he just lowers

his head and looks at me like OK, I won't do that anymore.

The dog that doesn't come when called and gets hit by a car pays a price.

A dog that accidently hurts a child pays a price.

A zap here and there is a small price to pay for a well behaved and well trained dog.


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## selzer

Deno said:


> Regardless of why the dog is doing it, a zap would stop it.
> 
> The only thing I am guessing about is would it take one or two
> 
> corrections to stop completely. As far as anything backfiring
> 
> goes, what's your worst case scenario? please explain.
> 
> You seem to have misread my post, I said my experience is
> 
> limited to one dog as far as the e-collar goes, Dex just happens to
> 
> be one big bad bold alpha male who behaves like a dream.
> 
> Dex gets very few corrections, when he does, he just lowers
> 
> his head and looks at me like OK, I won't do that anymore.
> 
> The dog that doesn't come when called and gets hit by a car pays a price.
> 
> A dog that accidently hurts a child pays a price.
> 
> A zap here and there is a small price to pay for a well behaved and well trained dog.


I have a number of well-trained, well-behaved dogs, that are safe with children, and perfect so far recall, that have never been zapped or had an e-collar on. Dogs can associate children with discomfort, and the e-collar can make the behavior worse. Dogs are much more likely to bite (not mouth), when they are scared than for any other reason. If they associate babies and children with zaps, they will avoid babies and children. They will become nervous when babies and children get close to them. And when a situation presents itself that they cannot avoid, that association can be disasterous.


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## David Winners

Deno said:


> Regardless of why the dog is doing it, a zap would stop it. The only thing I am guessing about is would it take one or two corrections to stop completely. As far as anything backfiringg goes, what's your worst case scenario? please explain.
> 
> 
> 
> This type of correction is called suspicious learning, and can go extremely well, or extremely poorly. The worst case scenario is that the dog associates the pain with the child and attacks it. You simply can not tell what the dog is going to associate with the correction. This is why careful training is done prior to utilizing an e-collar, so the dog understands how to turn the stim off. The type of training you suggest is very outdated because good trainers now understand the dangers of suspicious learning.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> You seem to have misread my post, I said my experience is limited to one dog as far as the e-collar goes, Dex just happens to be one big bad bold alpha male who behaves like a dream.
> 
> 
> The idea of alpha males has also been relegated to past misunderstanding because it was based on unnatural science and has since been disproved.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Dex gets very few corrections, when he does, he just lowers his head and looks at me like OK, I won't do that anymore. The dog that doesn't come when called and gets hit by a car pays a price. A dog that accidently hurts a child pays a price.
> 
> 
> The child that gets bitten in the face because of a misunderstood painful experience pays the price. There is a reason that e-collars are never recommended to correct aggression. The dog may redirect on anything when using the collar as a correction.
> 
> 
> 
> A zap here and there is a small price to pay for a well behaved and well trained dog.
> 
> 
> A few sessions with an experienced e-collar trainer is a small price to pay for the knowledge necessary to correctly implement the e-collar into training.


Sorry to bust your chops. Many people read these posts, and I felt it necessary to point out how wrong this type of correction can go. I'm glad it worked with your dog, but I would hate to see someone try this after reading your advice and have a child injured because of poor training.

David Winners


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## Deno

David, you are not busting my chops, I love a good debate. You know I can 

understand a dog reacting to a physical correction as you describe in your 

worst case scenario, but I can't imagine a wireless one causing this, has this 

ever been documented or is it conjecture? 

I used the e-collar to keep Dex out of the garbage and to stop him from biting 

at my motorcycle when I would leave, not once did he ever act like he wanted 

to attack either, he just stopped doing it. As far as careful training to teach

him how to turn off the stimulation off goes, Dex just stopped whatever it was 

he was doing bad or he did what I told him to, he got it from the get go. I do 

think there is a lot of bad science out there, anyone who has ever owned a

big bad Alpha male knows they exist.


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## selzer

Deno said:


> David, you are not busting my chops, I love a good debate. You know I can
> 
> understand a dog reacting to a physical correction as you describe in your
> 
> worst case scenario, but I can't imagine a wireless one causing this, has this
> 
> ever been documented or is it conjecture?
> 
> I used the e-collar to keep Dex out of the garbage and to stop him from biting
> 
> at my motorcycle when I would leave, not once did he ever act like he wanted
> 
> to attack either, he just stopped doing it. As far as careful training to teach
> 
> him how to turn off the stimulation off goes, Dex just stopped whatever it was
> 
> he was doing bad or he did what I told him to, he got it from the get go. I do
> 
> think there is a lot of bad science out there, anyone who has ever owned a
> 
> big bad Alpha male knows they exist.


I have a friend who uses an e-collar mostly to ensure the dog does not chase after deer. But they had a friend over that the dog has always been a bit nervous about. The dog was with the wife, who was talking to this friend and the husband was calling the dog over because the dog was next to his wife. Unfortunately, he hit the remote, and the dog took it that the guy he was already leary of punished him, and he went forward and nipped him. That dog had never nipped anyone before or since. 

E-collars can take an ordinary siutation up a notch. Using an e-collar to train boundaries, to keep a dog out of the trash or off the counters, well, that is a method of training, that probably works. Using them for behavior modification around babies or small children, no, I wouldn't encourage that. Some things you can't take back.


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## Saphire

This dog is a puppy who IMO has not been taught his biting inappropriate.

I have a problem with this dog having access to a one year olds hands when it clearly hurts the child. No more access to babys hands until trained to not play bite....period. So not fair to the toddler.

I would start at the beginning like you would an 8 week old puppy who does not know better. Redirect and exercise until he/she understands. Do you know what age this puppy was taken from littermates? Possibly to early and did not learn bite inhibition...just a thought.

There is no reason to use an e-collar for this...to me its a bad idea and is playing with fire. 

I am not against e-collar training but what I have read about it does not imply zapping each time the dog does something you don't like. Developing a relationship with your dog is a very important step towards all training. Work wih this puppy, redirect when biting and build a solid relationship wih him and you will see success.


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## Deno

selzer, after hearing your story it does sound like an insecure dog could react like this.

I just wonder how many other stories are out there like that, I wouldn't think this would be the norm. 

From what I have seen on the net, It seems like all the people who actually use them really love them and seem to be problem free


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## Suka

I wish that only professionals well versed with e-collars could sell them because no one should be picking up an e-collar and figuring it out on their own. In my humble opinion, these collars should only be used under the guidance of a professional trainer.


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## OriginalWacky

Suka said:


> I wish that only professionals well versed with e-collars could sell them because no one should be picking up an e-collar and figuring it out on their own. In my humble opinion, these collars should only be used under the guidance of a professional trainer.


I am fairly secure that I could easily use an e-collar appropriately, yet I'd still want to work with a trainer well versed with them before launching out on my own with it. Not so much because I think I'll screw up a dog, but because an impartial observer can help me zero in on the little things I can be doing better. That's why I also take any dog I get to an obedience class, even though I know I could do it on my own.


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## Baillif

In the later half of the video is a good way to teach the off command. The dog will probably still mouth you from time to time trying to start a game, but I've found it is a great way to get them to understand you want them to knock it off without having to get physical with them


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## David Winners

I started a new thread in the equipment section on superstitious behavior to avoid a thread hijack.

David Winners


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