My puppy bites me hard, drawing blood. What's the best way to train him?

Is the biting aggressive or puppy behavior? If you are seeing snarling, bared teeth, growling and then biting to the point of drawing blood, that indicates an aggressive approach and you should consult with a veterinary behaviorist in your area ASAP. If it is the typical puppy behavior, usually done with hopping and nipping, wiggly body, while playing, etc, then it seems that you just need more time and patience with Papi. Puppies explore their environment with their mouths, so making sure he has plenty of appropriate chew toys can help curb the behavior. If he does get too nippy, yelping loudly, and then getting up and walking away (and thus ending play) is best to help teach him that too rough of play ends the fun. You can then praise and give treats for times where he is quietly playing with a toy or with you. Puppies do go through a teething stage at about 6-7 months of age, so the chewing and nipping behavior can ramp up again at that time. Sticking with your training can help ensure the nipping behavior stays minimal.

It sounds like Rosey needs some guidance on what is and is not considered appropriate behaviour for a puppy. Puppies use their mouths to play and to explore the world around them, but need to learn that it is not ok to bite humans. It is important to help her develop bite inhibition and redirect her to an appropriate activity, as well as to teach her that biting humans means they won’t play with her until he calms down. Visit the following link for more information on how to work on these goals at home https://www.aspca.org/pet-care/dog-care/common-dog-behavior-issues/mouthing-nipping-and-biting-puppies. I also strongly recommend working one on one with a reputable trainer to help set boundaries for Rosey, as basic puppy classes at a pet shop are good for socialization, but may not be enough to address Rosey’s biting problem. Visit https://www.aspca.org/pet-care/general-pet-care/behavioral-help-your-pet for information on how to find behaviour help near you. You can also work directly with a board certified veterinary behaviourist, as they are the experts in the field, and have resources and training available that make them the most likely to be able to help Rosey. See the following link for more information http://www.dacvb.org/resources/for-the-public/Regular exercise and enrolling Rosey in a puppy class to help her burn off some excess energy and learn how to play appropriately are also important steps you can take to help her succeed. It is also essential to make sure she is up to date on her vaccinations, particularly her rabies vaccine, as a dog who bites (even in play) can be a potential health risk for animals and people around them.

That is a lot going on and it sounds like Oggy would benefit from a visit with a trainer or veterinary behaviorist in your area, especially if she is being aggressive to the point of bruising or drawing blood. Aggression usually looks very different from play/exploration biting and can include low growling, stiff bodies, showing the whites of the eyes, hair raising on the back, baring teeth, and then nipping or biting. This is unusual in a puppy of this age, so if it is happening, it is best to seek professional help in person ASAP since it is a complex issue that needs to be worked with. If the nipping is just puppy nipping, and she is also chewing on lots of things, it could just be normal puppy behavior and a puppy kindergarten/training classes is a great way to establish some ground rules and get used to interacting with each other in a positive manner. I'm also including some articles on general puppy nipping/chewing that may help as well. https://www.petcoach.co/article/puppy-biting-nipping-of-hands/ https://www.petcoach.co/article/puppy-biting-when-does-it-stop/ https://www.petcoach.co/article/chewing-in-puppies-how-to-control-it/ https://www.petcoach.co/article/6-tips-to-help-prevent-destructive-chewing/ https://www.petcoach.co/article/how-to-choose-a-dog-trainer/

There is a risk that the bites could cause an infection. Make sure to clean the wounds thoroughly and monitor for signs of infection. That is very concerning that the puppy is biting hard enough to make you bleed and you should consult with an animal behaviorist to help resolve this behavior before he is fully grown.

Oh no! This depends greatly on whether she is biting out of fear or if she is play-biting and getting too rough. This is a complicated subject and the best I can do without a detailed consult with you is to have you consult this great veterinary behavior website: dogstardaily.com. Look for info on puppy biting and fear aggression, and try to figure out which issue is going on with Honey. This website is a fantastic resource and you can solve a lot of behavior issues by following Dr. Dunbar's instructions. Hope that helps!

First off, I highly recommend a beginner training class with Nero, and also getting him into something fun and active such as agility or flyball, as Sheepdogs are extremely smart and extremely prone to boredom. Sometimes, having a focused training class or activity can help get out that energy and put your dog to work so they are less likely to become bored and destructive. As for nipping, there are a few things you can try out: Have a toy or bone handy that you can put in Nero's mouth when he gets excited to give him something to chew on and be mouthy with other than your hands/arms. If he picks up a toy on his own, be sure to give him lots of praise to help teach him this is a good thing. If walking away or yelping doesn't help, teaching him something such as "settle" can help him to focus on calming down and relaxing instead of ramping up the behavior with more excitement. Grabbing his collar and holding him down is likely just exciting him more, but focusing on training such as sit, down, settle, etc can divert his focus into something productive instead. Practice "airplaning" treats. This involves having Nero sit and slowly bringing a treat down to him. If he jumps up or gets excited, you have him sit again and start over. Once he can focus on staying still, he gets the treat. This can help teach some impulse control and reduce excitement behavior. Give him a job! Redirect his attention by telling him to go find a specific toy or bone. This can help him get out that excited energy and focus on chewing on the toy, instead of jumping all over you.

I am so sorry that you are experiencing these problems with biting with Darby. I am sure it is very upsetting for you. First of all rest assured that this is a very normal puppy behaviour. Puppies learn through play biting and it is part of our role as pet parents to help them learn limits. The biting behaviour will diminish with age. I would not attempt negative reinforcement such as striking Darby or speaking harshly as this will potentially create more serious behaviour issues such as anxiety and fear-aggression. Try some calm corrections and positive reinforcement. If Darby bites you, simply say in a calm voice "no" and stop interacting with her for a few moments. This over time will teach her that biting is not a desired form of play. Also try reinforcing her as she starts to play in a good way by not biting, and give her a small training treat. If Darby does manage to bite hard enough to break the skin be careful of a possible infection. Monitor your wound for heat. Swelling, or discharge. Make an appointment with your doctor if this occurs. If you are struggling with the biting after a couple of weeks of the above suggested training methods, consider puppy socialisation classes or potentially a few sessions with a behaviourist. Distraction, increased exercise, and redirection will also help. Other games which may be fun with Darby are hide and go seek either with you and another person, or you hide her toys and she has to find them. Or classic fetch. This resource should help! https://www.petcoach.co/article/10-ways-to-stimulate-your-dog-s-brain/ I hope this was helpful!