I have a 1.5yr boxer/amstaff mix that still is play biting,I have
tried bitter apple and natural orange spray but he has learned by
seeing the bottle to stop for a moment when the spray goes away or is
out of sight he'll do it again, I spent 2 months in training with him
and he and I have definetly learned some things from that. any
suggestions!!

said in rec.pets.dogs.behavior:

I have a 1.5yr boxer/amstaff mix that still is play
biting,I have tried bitter apple and natural orange spray
but he has learned by seeing the bottle to stop for a
moment when the spray goes away or is out of sight he'll do
it again, I spent 2 months in training with him and he and
I have definetly learned some things from that. any
suggestions!!

Is it your hands he's play biting?

If so, at 1.5 years old, it's time to be proactive - mouth on
skin (unless initiated by you) is not to be tolerated. At this
stage, redirecting to more appropriate chew things probably
won't work.

The first thing I'd try is a loud "Ouch!" with an immediate time
out. The next step is to make their mouth on your skin
uncomfortable, but I'll let the more knowledgeable pit bull
people address that one.

--
--Matt. Rocky's a Dog.

Rocky wrote:

The next step is to make their mouth on your skin
uncomfortable, but I'll let the more knowledgeable pit bull
people address that one.

I wouldn't call myself a knowledgeable Pit Bull person, but, I had a
mouthy Pit mix puppy who did *not* get the idea that being bitten
wasn't fun for humans. Whenever he'd bite me, I'd fold his lower
lip over onto his teeth. Whatever pressure he applied was
immediately felt by *him*. Meaning, I didn't press down on his lip,
I let him apply the pressure, so that the little brat hurt himself.
It may seem like a semantic difference, but I thought it was
important for him to be in control of just how much discomfort he
felt like enduring. It took just a couple of repetitions before he
was completely and *forever* broken of play biting. He never
intentionally put his teeth on a human again, as long as he lived.

I suspect that works better with needle sharp puppy teeth than adult
teeth, though.

--
Shelly
http://www.cat-sidh.net (the Mother Ship)
http://esther.cat-sidh.net (Letters to Esther)

On Aug 2, 11:47 am, Shelly wrote:
Rocky wrote:
The next step is to make their mouth on your skin
uncomfortable, but I'll let the more knowledgeable pit bull
people address that one.

I wouldn't call myself a knowledgeable Pit Bull person, but, I had a
mouthy Pit mix puppy who did *not* get the idea that being bitten
wasn't fun for humans. Whenever he'd bite me, I'd fold his lower
lip over onto his teeth. Whatever pressure he applied was
immediately felt by *him*. Meaning, I didn't press down on his lip,
I let him apply the pressure, so that the little brat hurt himself.
It may seem like a semantic difference, but I thought it was
important for him to be in control of just how much discomfort he
felt like enduring. It took just a couple of repetitions before he
was completely and *forever* broken of play biting. He never
intentionally put his teeth on a human again, as long as he lived.

I suspect that works better with needle sharp puppy teeth than adult
teeth, though.

--
Shellyhttp://www.cat-sidh.net(the Mother Ship)http://esther.cat-sidh.net(Letters to Esther)

Yea! my puppy does the same thing! we try the "Ouch" and turning away,
she just bites harder. we've been lettign her go on walks more often,
or do other things to get rid of her energy, and she stops for a
little while. She's only 8 months old though,so that's part of it.
but she'll draw blood sometimes! I just hope she's almost done
teething. A suggestion for your dog tho, make sure he has bones
around, like the neck bones found at your local grocery store's meat
department. that's helped her. maybe that's only because she's still
teething though. To who said " the more knowledgable pit bull
people..." Pit's are not more aggresive, if they are cared for. they
are very loyal dogs, and therefore get a bad rep.

wrote:
A suggestion for your dog tho, make sure he has bones
around, like the neck bones found at your local grocery store's meat
department. that's helped her. maybe that's only because she's still
teething though.

If you are directing that toward me, the dog in question is way past
needing chewies.

To who said " the more knowledgable pit bull
people..." Pit's are not more aggresive, if they are cared for. they
are very loyal dogs, and therefore get a bad rep.

Pit Bulls are many things (I adore the breed), but loyal isn't the
first thing that springs to mind. Attention whores would be more
accurate. As for the implication that they will not be "aggressive"
if they are cared for in a certain manner, that is the sort of
ignorance that costs dogs their lives.

--
Shelly
http://www.cat-sidh.net (the Mother Ship)
http://esther.cat-sidh.net (Letters to Esther)

said in rec.pets.dogs.behavior:

To who said " the more knowledgable pit bull
people..." Pit's are not more aggresive, if they are cared
for. they are very loyal dogs, and therefore get a bad
rep.

Much of that is true. Do you find something wrong with me
asking more knowledgeable folk to address specifics?

--
--Matt. Rocky's a Dog.

wrote:
I have a 1.5yr boxer/amstaff mix that still is play biting,I have
tried bitter apple and natural orange spray but he has learned by
seeing the bottle to stop for a moment when the spray goes away or is
out of sight he'll do it again, I spent 2 months in training with him
and he and I have definetly learned some things from that. any
suggestions!!

A firm NO helped my pitty x boxer stop the play biting but I never really
let him do it I got him at 4 weeks and at 1 he was a little **** but didn't
touch teeth to skin.
--
~shady angel~

wrote:
On Aug 2, 11:47 am, Shelly wrote:
Rocky wrote:
The next step is to make their mouth on your skin
uncomfortable, but I'll let the more knowledgeable pit bull
people address that one.

I wouldn't call myself a knowledgeable Pit Bull person, but, I had a
mouthy Pit mix puppy who did *not* get the idea that being bitten
wasn't fun for humans. Whenever he'd bite me, I'd fold his lower
lip over onto his teeth. Whatever pressure he applied was
immediately felt by *him*. Meaning, I didn't press down on his lip,
I let him apply the pressure, so that the little brat hurt himself.
It may seem like a semantic difference, but I thought it was
important for him to be in control of just how much discomfort he
felt like enduring. It took just a couple of repetitions before he
was completely and *forever* broken of play biting. He never
intentionally put his teeth on a human again, as long as he lived.

I suspect that works better with needle sharp puppy teeth than adult
teeth, though.

--
Shellyhttp://www.cat-sidh.net(the Mother
Ship)http://esther.cat-sidh.net(Letters to Esther)

Yea! my puppy does the same thing! we try the "Ouch" and turning away,
she just bites harder. we've been lettign her go on walks more often,
or do other things to get rid of her energy, and she stops for a
little while. She's only 8 months old though,so that's part of it.
but she'll draw blood sometimes! I just hope she's almost done
teething. A suggestion for your dog tho, make sure he has bones
around, like the neck bones found at your local grocery store's meat
department. that's helped her. maybe that's only because she's still
teething though. To who said " the more knowledgable pit bull
people..." Pit's are not more aggresive, if they are cared for. they
are very loyal dogs, and therefore get a bad rep.

I agree and yet there are exeptions with certian pit's they and geneticly
fuked in some way.
Drawing blood by gods I'd hate to see the puppy when he's my dogs age! 3
years never tasted blood! apart from meat as in dog meat!
--
~shady angel~

Shelly wrote:
wrote:
A suggestion for your dog tho, make sure he has bones
around, like the neck bones found at your local grocery store's meat
department. that's helped her. maybe that's only because she's still
teething though.

If you are directing that toward me, the dog in question is way past
needing chewies.

To who said " the more knowledgable pit bull
people..." Pit's are not more aggresive, if they are cared for. they
are very loyal dogs, and therefore get a bad rep.

Pit Bulls are many things (I adore the breed), but loyal isn't the
first thing that springs to mind. Attention whores would be more
accurate. As for the implication that they will not be "aggressive"
if they are cared for in a certain manner, that is the sort of
ignorance that costs dogs their lives.

God I agree with you too!
My boy is as loving as you could get but he can be an aggressive little ****
when he wants to be.

On Thu, 02 Aug 2007 14:47:43 -0400, Shelly wrote:

Rocky wrote:

The next step is to make their mouth on your skin
uncomfortable, but I'll let the more knowledgeable pit bull
people address that one.

I wouldn't call myself a knowledgeable Pit Bull person, but, I had a
mouthy Pit mix puppy who did *not* get the idea that being bitten
wasn't fun for humans. Whenever he'd bite me, I'd fold his lower
lip over onto his teeth...

I suspect that works better with needle sharp puppy teeth than adult
teeth, though.

It does work faster on puppies, but it works very fast on adult dogs,
too, doesn't it!



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