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Foot biting?

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Marigold
(@marigold)
Posts: 3
Active Member
Topic starter
 

My dog keeps trying to bite my feet when she gets excited. I think she's playing and I want to keep doing positive training. How do I teach her that I don't like this without being mean to her?

She's only a puppy, about seven months old and a mix of a bunch of different breeds. What shows in her looks is mostly yellow lab and husky. She's very loving and mostly sweet as pie, but I can't let her keep biting; she's big enough to do damage if I didn't wear boots.

 
Posted : 17/05/2016 12:32 pm
Jezeray
(@jezeray)
Posts: 37
Eminent Member
 

Teach an alternate incompatible behavior or direct her to do something she already knows. For example, if she's sitting, she can't bite your feet because her head should be up. When she gets wound up, ask her calmly to sit and reward for that. If she knows "go to your bed/crate" that would also work well.

The other option that you may have overlooked is working on bite inhibition. When a puppy is with her littermates and gets too rough, they yelp loudly and then move away/stop playing for a few minutes. A high-pitched "ouch" or "eek" followed by a withdraw of attention for a few minutes after a bite is similar. Don't keep being loud or try to push her away, which she may interpret as playing. A dog can learn to inhibit their bite to only touch gently or learn not to ever put their mouth on a human (depending on your training goals).

When withdrawing attention, do it in a way that is clear to her. You ignore when biting and then immediately reward as soon as she stops. If you're using a clicker, keep one in your pocket so you always have that marker so she knows what she did right (stop biting).

Think about her triggers and make a plan. If she's so excited that she's biting, why is she excited? Were you playing? Stop and give her zero attention, don't try to move her away, don't yell, don't even look at her. When she backs off, start the game again. Are you feeding her? Stop. Freeze with her bowl in your hand and ignore her until she stops biting and gives you a puzzled look. Great job! click and give her dinner. Basically, your goal is to make the over-excited behavior unrewarding and then give her something she wants once she has calmed down a little.

 
Posted : 17/05/2016 2:10 pm
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