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14 Week Old Puppy vs. 5 Year Old Daughter

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biting
3K views 11 replies 7 participants last post by  engstrom 
#1 ·
Hi everyone! Guinness is doing well and growing up so well (his ears are looking amazing! Just treating pockets but they are almost done...how long does it take btw for pockets to reshape? 4 weeks or so?)...sorry for the segway...



ANYWAY - he has just hit 14 weeks and is obedient, sweet, and very playful. He treats all the kids very well, except for my youngest daughter (5 years). He chases her around nipping at her, when she isn't even interacting with him. I chalk it up to the fact she's small, has a lot of energy, and he thinks she's his puppy playmate. I correct his nipping by having my daughter give him a chew toy, feed him, etc. I discipline him as I believe she is far too young to do so (duh right?) by holding his snout, looking him in the eye and saying "NO bite!" and again, redirecting him to another toy...but all in vain.

I don't think it's a huge deal right now, but as he gets older obviously I'm concerned that his nipping will grow into harder bites and I want the dog and my daughter to have a loving and happy relationship. Any advice would be appreciated! Thanks so much in advance.
 
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#2 ·
Holding a puppy's mouth closed is actually not a great way to teach them not to bite...it can cause them to get "hand shy" of you touching/examining their mouths. Instead, the redirecting to a toy is great, as well as saying "OUCH!" and completely removing your attention and interaction, which most puppies do not like. They learn that if they bite, they don't get to be with you, and that can be pretty powerful.

This is a great article on how to teach puppies to inhibit their bite: Teaching Bite Inhibition | Dog Star Daily
 
#3 ·
What a handsome boy!!

I'm sure someone with more experience will jump in, and if you search nipping and children there are a few good threads addressing it. I just wanted to share what has been working for my dog, since he is the same age as Guinness. I don't grab his snout, because I feel like that is just more instigation of play. Instead, I yip (literally-my neighbors thought I was nuts) all play stops- I stand up, turn my back, or walk away-then come back and redirect to an appropriate chew. When Mac is playing with kids, he definitely wants to romp, but when he nips at their clothes or hair, I tell them to do the same thing- we call it the puppy statue game. Since Mac is around special needs individuals, bite inhibition was really important to me so I did a lot of reading up on it.

Good luck- I don't know about you, but we're teething over here and we just need something in our mouth ALL THE TIME.
 
#4 ·
I would get some bully sticks or a frozen washcloth for him to chew on. He's teething and needs to release the pressure. If he doesn't have a nice bully stick or bone then you're the next best thing. I agree don't hold his muzzle. immediately say "no!" or "ACK" or "OUCH" and end play. if he refuses to end play then put him in a time out where he's away from the action. He might get upset and if he does don't go to him until he quiets down.
 
#5 ·
OMG I know right? I'm glad I came here with this inquiry as before I even got my pup I researched a TON and one of those teachings was to hold the snout - so if it is the old method and not the best method, I'd rather get my **** in check right away lol.

Yes, he's biting everything lol. At least he only chews toys, not the furniture lol. Just have to get him to stop chewing people haha.
 
#6 ·
we basically followed all of the advice posted above, and eventually it stuck. I think Stella was probably 5 months old when we finally made progress with the nipping/biting. She will still nip at me when we play ball, but it is very soft, so I allow it. She also knows to stop when say so. She is almost 11 months now. No issues with her nipping at the grandkids.
 
#7 ·
As an aside, I don't know if you let your daughter and the puppy run around together, but I might not do that right now, until he learns that kids aren't for chasing/biting/etc. I might only have them do "quiet" things together until he's older. She could do things like teach him to play fetch, etc., where he's active, but she's not. There are some good "how kids SHOULD interact with dogs" ideas in this blog post in the poster by Dr. Sophia Yin. It's excellent. My Dog Bit My Child | Lola the Pitty. Other really good resources, too. I'm NOT suggesting your daughter is doing anything wrong, BTW. Just good prevention here. :)
 
#8 ·
That's a great idea too. Yes she comes to the park with my other 3 kids and has Guinness chase her. So perhaps this play should stop for now. I will absolutely implement the other strategy at home though, for saying "BULLY" or "OUCH" (as he's stubborn and doesn't get the yip sound), stop play and leave. Should I crate him so as to not leave him alone in the room (it's a large area we let him play in) - or just leave and ensure the baby gate is up so he can't escape that room?
 
#9 ·
Apple is 17 weeks now and I had the same issue with my 9 year old daughter. We used the "ouch" loudly and stop playing. I also stated I bring Apple to the playground and give her the best treats when she pays attention to me and not the kids. I also have my daughter go to training with us so she has some authority. Be patient, be kind, I often remind myself that this phase will pass soon and then we will be off to the next challenge.
 
#12 ·
One other thing I would add to the excellent advice given. It's just as important to teach what is acceptable as what isn't. If notice your pup chewing on a toy, laying down, rolling over, romping through the room, etc. while your 5 year old daughter is also in the room you should mark (say "Yes!" in a happy voice) and treat. Essentially if your pup is doing ANYTHING acceptable while your daughter is in the room you should reward that behavior. And preferably many times a day. Between getting rewarded for not mouthing your daughter and getting back turns/timeouts for mouthing her your pup should soon put the pieces together.
 
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