Puppy Biting

Poppys_no_1

Hi all, I'm a new bull terrier owner. We've had bullies at home for years but this is my first puppy. We got her two weeks ago when she was 8 weeks old. When she arrived she was very quiet and placid but she has started to bite really aggressively over the last few days. I don't ever remember any of our other bull terriers biting like this when they were pups. Is this normal and will she grow out of it?   

Seon

Raider is 32 weeks old and still "knaws" the hand every now and then, especially the wife's hand.  But's not as painfully as those sharp puppy teeth >:D<.

Poppys_no_1

I'm not too worried about the nips all puppies do it, but she's growling and biting really hard so hard that she broke the skin on my foot today. 

philsergeant

Yes. You have got to show her in no uncertain terms that it is wrong and it won't be tolerated. She will learn fast if you correct her solidly and immediately, every time.

Seon

.. but she's growling and biting really hard so hard that she broke the skin on my foot today. 

Now that's entirely different.  Got to pin her down to show that you're the Alpha.

Quinnofhearts

I think mouthiness is common for bull terriers. When mine was little I was afraid I had a terrible aggressive dog as she would growl and bite me very hard, sometimes relentlessly coming back for more even after I had scolded her. You just have to be very persistent and firm with them and hopefully she will grow out of it.

philsergeant

Yes, very fortunately they do grow out of it, unfortunately, in Bullie fashion, no matter how persistent you are, the timing is of their choosing... but if you are not persistent, the time will never come,.... and that, is a run-on sentence.

mbgood

Many of us here are proponents of pinning. It works and you don't have to use the method for very long (usually) because your bully will fairly quickly learn to stay within limits and that you are Alpha. You will both be happier for it. They get all hyped up and are incapable of calming themselves down. You just provide the mechanism for your pup to get calm and regroup.

BulliesofNC

@mbgood - That's a good way of putting it and very true.

Poppys_no_1

Thanks a million for the advice everyone, the pinning did the trick she is such a pleasant dog now it took a couple of weeks for her to catch on but I just have to say stop now and she's down. She's even great with my nieces and nephew. This was her today 13 weeks old. Such a cutie pie

philsergeant

Oh! I just hate it when a plan comes together !!!! And such a beautiful little girl she is too ... Better be weary of "beautiful dog" thieves everywhere. I bet she gets lots of compliments. Once they understand who the chief is they are happy to behave ( for the most part). Her ears are up perfectly. You've got to stop using that polar bear spray though... I had to put my sunglasses on! B-)
P.S. You might want to leave the collar off whenever practical... Leads to better neck fur.

Poppys_no_1

You're not the first person to say she's like a polar bear, but she doesn't stay that white for long... She loves a good muck roll and loves to share it with me. I have her well guarded she's being watched all the time if she's not with me, she's with a family member and she sleeps on my feet.

Thanks for the collar tip too   

erikashea

She's gorgeous! Looks alot like my bianca

Wrightkylej

I know this thread is "being raised from the dead" but I thought I'd offer even more input. Not that My expertise is near that of some others on the site. Little Freyja is a "biter". She just gets excited. Not out of the ordinary for a pup. Her playful biting gets responded to in the manner as explained above. She does great about sitting on command if she wants attention,but if you squat to her level, she gets super excited and has some impulse control issues. But she makes progress every day and yours (or whoever reads this in the future will too). Where the learning takes a little longer is the affectionate biting. When she was a baby, she'd nibble on the chin, ears, and nose. I'm guessing hoping for some milk (Freyja had some issues with her mothers feeding, etc). Of course, it could just be affection. She knows now that licking the neck and cheeks is ok if the person doesn't mind. But she still struggles with the earlobe and nose. Sometimes chin. Like everyone has said, just show them that isn't something that is acceptable and they'll learn. For me, I am more about letting them know what I do want, rather than what I dont. For instance, if she gets nibbly on my hand or arm while playing, she'll get a "no". As I assume everyone does. And she knows that I don't want that. But if she licks my hand or arm, she gets a "yes" and a pat and a treat to let her know that is what I want. I think that once they know what you want them to do, they learn much quicker. Rather than finding out a million things that you dont want them to do.

Djammy

Well spoken

I am always happy that "positive reinforcement" really enjoys widespread acceptance as a training method. When called "clicker training" and involving a small piece making crackling noises, somehow it can become a little harder to get one or the other to like it.

In one aspect however, I may have to burst your bubble:

When it comes to displays of affection, your earlobes may never be safe.

We have our second EBT now.

Both of them well trained and worked with. However, numb earlobes are always part of the deal, when they got/get carried away with affection. I figure, we're not exactly sending the most clear messages at that moment ... laughing and at the same time yelling "no" or "leave it!"

We just can't help it. Affectionate outbursts are chaos here.

So, if you like that your dog is a joker, make sure you have strong earlobes.:)

apanich

@Djammy

I can totally relate to the earlobes comment. Prada's love really hurts sometimes  

Quinnofhearts

Earlobes are also in danger in our household...my poor dad ended up with a bloody earlobe from a moment of a little too much excitement... :-\"

Poppys_no_1

Thanks everyone, she seems to have calmed down a lot now. The only time nibbles happen is when she's extremely excited and even then it only takes a stern STOP and she relaxes again. She has such a beautiful temperament now and is so affectionate loves a big cuddle. I just know in my heart she's gonna be one of the great one's. 

P.S. 

erikashea, yes they are quite similar, your Bianca is lovely too. 

DoylerandDave

So, after years of wanting a dog and always admiring the bull terrier, I have finally had the chance to bring home Dave, the 8 week old bundle of fun on Friday evening past

DoylerandDave

Don't know what happened there I had a long post wrote out with a pic added but it didn't all post? Anyway, Dave has been nipping and grabbing my partner and daughters house robes and he also goes for the hand and arms when he is being petted sometimes. I tried pinning bug I kind of get the feeling he doesn't like it and he will go for me or something when he gets up. And last night me and my partner were in the living room with Dave, he started chewing at the rug so I stamped my foot and pointed at him saying "no!" He looked up at me then got down low and kind of growled at me then he like jumped about while still looking at me and growling sometimes, anything to worry about? Other than that he's a great guy so far, toilet training going well and he loves the crate

DoylerandDave

DoylerandDave

Apologies for the multiple posts guys, seems to not post the end of my comments or something? Anyway, that's Dave and his "rug"

philsergeant

Dave, Welcome!!! You will become accustomed to the site as well as your Bullie... First, at the top of each post, to the right of the word "quote" there is a hidden button that allows you to edit your posts.
Back to the important bit.... all mentioned behavior is normal and typical. (I imagine it must be really funny owning a Bullie for the first time, but only to me, I am sure to you it's a bit of a shocker).
You are going to need to keep him away from the rug (or similar objects) if you treasure them.  You'll never be able to supervise him enough to let such things in free range. Get a pen that you can put on tile and only allow destructibles inside) He is meant to not like the pinning, and you must get him to understand that growling back is also not acceptable... It's all about who's the BOSS! It must be all the family members that come above that gorgeous bundle of trouble. He will learn fast if you teach him, he will drive you crazy if you don't. There's no half teaching a Bullie. Once he knows that you own him with lots of love he will become yours.
Seeing as you're Irish ,I bet you by the time St. Patrick's Day arrives in about 6 weeks, everything will have changed!
)

DoylerandDave

Thanks for the tips

SunnyBull

I know this is an extremely old thread, but i have a relevant question.

Once you have the pup pinned, If he/she gets more agitated, what do you do to show them this is not acceptable?

BulliesofNC

The pup will settle down when held and will submit. This is an old method but it is effective despite what many others think. Maybe not for all breeds of dogs but for a stubborn Bull Terrier determined to show unwarranted dominant or aggressive behavior it works.

SunnyBull

Thanks for your reply. I tried it out and the pup in question seemed to get a more intense growling. My husband was unsure of this method after seeing the pup react like this. After reading your reply, I decided to give it another try. I had to do it three times in one day, but I followed through, I didn’t let him up when he got more upset. Instead I held our positions firm, him to the ground and me holding him there. Once e realized I wasn’t letting up this time he quickly entered a calm submissive state! I let him up and he resumed whatever he was doing but in a calmer manner. I was so happy to see it was effective!! Even note importantly my husband saw it in action, and that it worked. I think he is starting to see that bull terriers are a special breed. They need a little (or a lot) of extra firmness to be shown manners. I’m glad I came across this thread, and forum in general! It’s been a lot of help already.

Thanks again!

BulliesofNC

I'm happy to hear that you tried this technique and found it to be effective. You'll have to continue the technique as Bull Terrier pups can be stubborn and hard headed. But in due time he'll figure out what is and what isn't tolerated. Bull Terriers strive off of the love and affection from their owners and when they figure out what gets them in trouble they will adjust their behavior.