how do i stop my maltese from biting??? tucker is 11 weeks this sunday we have had him only for 6 days and five nites i love him to bits but he is driving me crazy!!! he bites my feet and anywhere else he can as well as every person he interacts with!! tucker also bites shoes, wires exc.. very rarely will he bite his toys, hell only use them if i put it in his face when he goes to bite!! please help me!! ill do anything to stop the biting we are expecting in november and i want to have him trained by then!!!!!!!!!! thankyou for your time!!!!!!!

Jenn!! mcmanus

labman

Young Labs, which I know best, and other puppies tend to very bad about
biting. You see a litter of them, and all the ones that are awake are biting
another one or themselves. I am not even sure they realize that when they are
alone, if they quit biting, they would quit being bitten. At 3 to 4 months
they are getting their adult teeth, and it seems they spend every waking
moment biting or chewing. One thing you can do at that stage is to knot and wet a piece of cloth. Then freeze it. The cooling will soothe the gums. Only let the puppy have it when you are there to watch it. I maintain a Lab's favorite chew toy is another
Lab. Otherwise they settle for any person they can. They keep hoping to find
one that won't yelp and jerk their hand away, or growl "Bad dog." and clamp
their mouth shut. Then offer a chew toy. They keep trying despite hundreds
of corrections. Another good technique is to quit playing and go away. Be
sure to praise them when they are playing nice and not biting.

You just have to keep on correcting them, hundreds of times, not dozens.
Provide sturdy, safe toys such as Kongs and Nylabones. Avoid things they can
chew pieces off and choke on them. Keep them away from electrical cords.
Crates are essential for most young Labs and other dogs.

The thread on the puppy with the runny nose has gone off topic into biting too.

chico_28

is he free inside your house? if so dont let him, place him in a den.. you said he is biting wires and everything else.. Well that's the habit of my lab pup, he died due to poisoning i dont know but thats the findings of the vet. Before he became ill we found out the torn cable wire that we surely suspected that the lab pup did it. For me it is the best if you place your pup in the cage. Let him age for about 3 mos, Vet says pups cannot digest everything that comes into them, (so there are chows that is made only for puppies)
suggestions are
1.Put him in a den
2.have a weekly checkup for your puppy
3.complete his shots (deworming, anto-rabies etc.) ask your vet about this.
4.we you going to leave him free inside your house accompany him.

hope this one helps..

labman

I guess I looked at the hand biting and ignored the other problems. He needs careful supervision, and to be crated when you can't watch. Other dogs may
not be as bad as the young Labs I am plagued with. Still your house and dog
will be much safer with the dog in a crate when you are away. The dog may be
happier in its den than loose in the house. It relaxes, it feels safe in its
den. It rests, the body slows down reducing the need for water and relieving
its self. Dogs that have been crated all along do very well. Many of them
will rest in their crates even when the door is open. I think the plastic
ones give the dog more of a safe, enclosed den feeling. They are harder for
dogs to open too. Metal ones can be put in a corner or covered with
something the dog can't pull in and chew. Select a crate just big enough for the full grown dog to stretch out in.

Leave it some toys. Perhaps a Kong filled with peanut butter. Don't leave
anything in the crate the dog might chew up. It will do fine without even any
bedding. You will come home to a safe dog and a house you can enjoy.

Accidents and damaged possessions are the fault of whoever was watching the puppy. When you are watching it, immediately correct it as soon as it goes for anything except its own toys. In a quiet, but firm voice ''Bad dog, its name drop!''. Gently remove what ever and replace it with one of her toys, or if older, hold eye contact until the puppy drops it.

A dog that has not been crated since it was little, make take some work.
Start out just putting its toys and treats in the crate. Praise it for going
in. If you have been able to trust it with any bedding, put that in the crate.
Feed it in the crate.

There is some more material that may help in the sticky starting at http://www.askmehelpdesk.com/dogs/in...tml#post251802