10 week old biting, how to pin correctly
Hello,
I got my puppy a few weeks ago and she has been biting since then but it has gotten harder lately as she has been growing. I have tried little swats on the butt with no change in behavior. I have been reading about pinning as a method. Can someone please describe the correct way to do this to a pup?
Thank you.
Comments
Your pup is acting absolutely normal and without the intention to hurt you.
He just does not know how to properly use his “hands” (= teeth) on human skin yet, when trying to grab you or engage you in playful interaction.
You don’t have to nor should you tolerate unwanted behaviors of your dog.
But in terms of training/ correction there always are options available.
As pinning is a rather dominant gesture, I just don’t think that it is really necessary in a lot of cases. Especially with a 10 week old pup it would not be the first thing I’d try. Some owners also find pinning difficult, because of their dog’s strength, some say, it’s just not working for them. Problems often occur when owners either apply not enough or too much force when doing it. It’s a fine line.
If your pup’s intention would be to intimidate you by say showing aggression, growling at you and threatening to seriously bite you, showing your own dominance and submitting him - if done right - would sure be very helpful to make it very clear who’s the one setting the rules in this team.
On a 10 week old pup who just does not know how to play correctly you could also try the following things first, if you have not tried them already:
Loud yelping when he gets too rough. Dog experts say that’s what pups do among each other when one gets too rough during play.
Again, hurting is probably not his intention. So it’s likely that loud yelping or just a loud expression of pain can interrupt or even completely stop him. Also subsequently stopping ALL action and especially play for a few minutes after he hurt you - just ignore him - is often very effective to send the message that he did something wrong.
He is not really able to tell right from wrong yet and needs the time to learn your ways. He will not like being ignored, because he tries to engage you in interaction. Sooner or later he will try to avoid behaviors that lead to an abrupt end of interactions he loves and try more and more of the behaviors that have brought positive responses in the past.
If he tries to engage/ nip over and over after you have tried to stop him, he may as well just be overtired. Pups, like kids, need a lot of sleep, but have a hard time accepting exhaustion.
A time-out in a calm room where he can’t destroy anything or in his crate, if he has one, often works wonders. Just don’t make it feel like a punishment. He should also learn to enjoy time-outs, because in the long run this will help him to calm down.
Also actively praising/ petting/rewarding him every time for calm behaviors and playing without nipping etc. encourages the positive behaviors and helps to underline the difference between right and wrong for him.
If all of that does not work, well, maybe then pinning will.
Phil - How many time have we heard the same things about other Bull Terriers at this age?
I think it's normal to most people to question the temperament of their new Bull Terrier puppy when they growl, bite, and display pure evilness but in truth 99.9% of time it's all in fun for them no matter how it may appear. They are rascals when they are young and just as Phil mentioned above, "it will pass."
The pinning does help but as pups they can be hard headed, some more than others. Just continue to let him know you are alpha and when he's out of line address your displeasure because nothing impacts an EBT more than knowing your are mad at them for unwarranted behavior.
"It's not just a Dog, it's a Bull Terrier!"
www.bulliesofnc.com