He wont learn!!!!

My staff is now 8 weeks old and I can not get him to stop biting us!!! He used to go for the feet but I managed to stop that by smacking his back leg but he nips at hanxs and arms all the time. I dont want to have to smack him so have tried telling him no and ignoring him but he just does it again. He also has a habit of turning really agressive in the eavening and I have to lock him in the kitchen until he calms down. How on earth do I get him to learn that I am the boss withought hurting him???

I have the same problem with Alfie, constantly biting wherever he can get to on me, covered in bruises would be an understatement!

You could try ignoring him, and leaving the room. This didnt work for me, I now shut him in a different room for a few minutes - which he hates. He is starting to learn now and the biting has near enough stopped all together.

Just stick at it - he will get the message soon enough

he 8 weeks old pup dont learn over night it take time

http://staffy-bull-terrier.com/stop_your_staffy_puppy_biting

with my boy staffy i just gently gripped the back of his neck and yelped at him apparantely this is what mother dogs to litters when they get to bitey and nippy with her.think this is a cesar milan tip or some other dog expert but it did work for me doesent hurt the dog at all worth a try on your pup my dog was much older when i tried it

Does he have any toys or anything he can chew on? You could give him this when he starts nipping you so he realises hes allowed to chew his toys

At 8 weeks you still have a long time of that sort of behaviour to put up with I'm afraid. Puppies explore with their mouth and tends to be the first thing they do when excited etc.

Patience and consistency is the only thing that will stop him, never get to frustrated either as it will make it worse.

I agree totally with Ellie on trying to distract his attention when he starts with a toy, this is what I did with my Monster.

Ive had him from 4 weeks old as the mother died. I try ignoring him but he wanders off to chew something else. He has a few toys he can chew but will chew anything he can. He just got really agressive with me again and cut a massive slit in my finger but no matter how loud I shout he wouldnt quit so I picked him up and left him in the bathroom until he stopped crying. Im really stressed about it as I cant stroke him withought a nip and If I lock him away everytime he bites he's gonna live in the bathroom!!!! I'll stick with the isolation treatment for now but what else can I do?

Dont panic, it will take time, honestly. Just persevere with it, you may have to do it lots of time throughout the day, one day it will just kind of "click" with him.
Ive noticed that when I shout at my Alfie this makes him ever more excited, so stay calm and say nothing - just pick him up and remove him for a few minutes. You'll get there!

Bonsai wrote:Ive had him from 4 weeks old as the mother died. I try ignoring him but he wanders off to chew something else. He has a few toys he can chew but will chew anything he can. He just got really agressive with me again and cut a massive slit in my finger but no matter how loud I shout he wouldnt quit so I picked him up and left him in the bathroom until he stopped crying. Im really stressed about it as I cant stroke him withought a nip and If I lock him away everytime he bites he's gonna live in the bathroom!!!! I'll stick with the isolation treatment for now but what else can I do?

At that age it won't be aggression so don't worry about that. It is nearly always over excitement. However, as he didn't get to spend enough time with his mother (for obvious reasons) he wouldn't have be learnt the same amount of manors as that of a pup who stayed for 8-10 weeks. The mother begins teaching the pup "bite inhibition" which then makes the puppies owner's life a lot easier, that said however, it still takes a lot of training to break this habit.

The putting him in the bathroom thing is actually a very good way to stop unwanted behaviour so if you feel comfortable doing this go ahead. I do this with Logan's number one bad habit "barking". After a few minutes let him out, and if he's still bad put him straight back in!

Sounds like a lot of work, but when you show him consistency he will soon realise what is unwanted behaviour.

what about using a water pistol for little things like nipping?

I just locked him in the bathroom after biting me hard and let him out ten mins later. He bit me again but was hesitant but went straight back in. Came out and did it again but so soft and slowly it was like he was trying to just see what happened. now he's gone to sleep but I think its working. Thank you thank you thank you thank you thank you

Bonsai wrote:Ive had him from 4 weeks old as the mother died. I try ignoring him but he wanders off to chew something else. He has a few toys he can chew but will chew anything he can. He just got really agressive with me again and cut a massive slit in my finger but no matter how loud I shout he wouldnt quit so I picked him up and left him in the bathroom until he stopped crying. Im really stressed about it as I cant stroke him withought a nip and If I lock him away everytime he bites he's gonna live in the bathroom!!!! I'll stick with the isolation treatment for now but what else can I do?

Because you've had him for so long, he hasn't had a chance to learn bite inhibition from his mum and littermates, so you have to do it. It could take a good while, but if you're consistent, keep at it. No hitting, no shouting, none of that. Just say "No" or yelp, and turn away and ignore him or shut him in another room for a little while. It won't happen overnight. I got Loki at 8 weeks old and it took a good few months for his biting to slow down to notice any difference. It's hard work but once you get there, it's worth it. And it isn't aggressive, it's him being playful in the only way he knows.

Bonsai wrote:I just locked him in the bathroom after biting me hard and let him out ten mins later. He bit me again but was hesitant but went straight back in. Came out and did it again but so soft and slowly it was like he was trying to just see what happened. now he's gone to sleep but I think its working. Thank you thank you thank you thank you thank you

Great! Keep it up, he will get there

Excellent news. By keeping this up you'll see a massive difference

Good luck, hope the new training goes well

Good luck - follow the advice given and you will get there it just takes time. Keep us updated

Bonsai wrote:what about using a water pistol for little things like nipping?

Please don't!

I know it's a pain (literally) when puppies nip but they're only doing what comes naturally. Everything a puppy does is a behaviour, neither right nor wrong. It's up to us to get the dog to understand what is acceptable to a human and what isn't. At 8 weeks old your puppy is only just getting to a stage where he can learn things like that. If you use a water pistol or other spray at that age all you will do is frighten him, or even worse you might agitate him & he'll attack the water pistol!

Bonsai wrote:I just locked him in the bathroom after biting me hard and let him out ten mins later. He bit me again but was hesitant but went straight back in. Came out and did it again but so soft and slowly it was like he was trying to just see what happened. now he's gone to sleep but I think its working. Thank you thank you thank you thank you thank you

Just be calm, consistent & persistent! He will soon start to understand what you want.

By the way, what do you feed him on?

kooky1 wrote:with my boy staffy i just gently gripped the back of his neck and yelped at him apparantely this is what mother dogs to litters when they get to bitey and nippy with her.think this is a cesar milan tip or some other dog expert but it did work for me doesent hurt the dog at all worth a try on your pup my dog was much older when i tried it

Yes, a mother will do that to a dog, but we're not the pup's mother and neither are we other dogs. Scruffing a pup can make that pup fearful. Cesar Milan uses out of date and discredited methods of training, I wouldn't listen to a word he says about puppy training.

The ignoring or putting him in a seperate room methods both work well. I like the ignoring better so you can keep an eye on them. At 8 weeks he is still very young and should only now be leaving his parents and littermates. He missed out on learning bite inhibition and some other behavioral lessons as well.

It takes time for them to learn and any negative reinforcement will only make it harder on hom or have him react in fear of punishment or pain which you don't want.

Also keep the teething phase in mind because they will start to nip again then because of the pain.

Im feeding him dry food at the moment from the vets. he also has 1 bowl of baby milk before we go to bed. is this ok? I'll forget the water pistol idea then.... He forgot what I taught him yesterday but I did teach him to sit and fetch today

Bonsai wrote:Im feeding him dry food at the moment from the vets. he also has 1 bowl of baby milk before we go to bed. is this ok? I'll forget the water pistol idea then.... He forgot what I taught him yesterday but I did teach him to sit and fetch today

What Caryll means is what brand do you feed him on. Some are better than others, and som can make dogs very hyperactive, and that just makes your job much harder.

At eight weeks old he still has a lot of learning to do about what is acceptable and what is not, have you tried making a high pitched yelp noise when he does it and instantly turning your back and ignoring him?...his mother and litter mates would make an instant noise if he did this to them, failing this removing him from the room for a few minutes (not too long or you will only stress him) or if you use the 'crate' instantly putting him in it .however if you intend crating him when you are out of the house this would not work, because the crate (or cage as we call them) should be a place of security for them)..eight weeks is very very young.I found the 'yelp' noise very effective...mine is now six months and we are still learning...both of us! Good luck they are great dogs.

Young pups are like human teething babies ! They want everything in their mouth ! This is how they explore - and how a pup learns bite inhibition. When he nips you - u need to 'yelp' LOUD - this will shock him and make him think 'wtf did i do?!' stand up - walk away.

Most of all be super assertive - be dominant - smacking pup, shouting wont work.

Calm assertive consistency will work BUT expect it to take a few weeks x

Im so frustrated!!! Nothing is working and I just found out my stepson is ignoring him all day while Im in work but giving attention while we are home so he's basically been alone all day!!! Also my misses insists on saying NO repeatedly before putting him in the bathroom which to me suggests he has forgotten what he's done by the time he's locked in there. Ive tried forcing my hand to the back of his mouth but he just chews away. I tried water wich stopped him for a while but I dont want him to be scared of water. He's causing rows between me and the misses and I dont know if I can do this. What do I do??

I really don't know what you expect! He's 8 weeks old - a baby!

It isn't his fault, it's yours for not being patient enough. Does a baby learn not to touch something in 3 days? No. Neither does a puppy, especially one as young as yours. For pity's sake, he should only now be leaving his mother & you're complaining that he isn't trained.

You've been given lots of advice, including patience & consistency.

Maybe he's broken. Take him back to the shop. Hope you kept the receipt.

he's not broken at all. ive never had a dog before.

He is clever tho.... he learnt to sit in one day and still does it on command as long as he is calm. its frustrating me because I try to ignore him and he carries on

like you said tho. patience and consistency. I just hope my misses can be patient with him.

Anyone know how to train women??? lol

Firstly, anyone who takes home an 8 week old puppy will have a lot of nipping going on for a few weeks at LEAST. And that's with them being taught bite inhibition from their mum and siblings. Your puppy has had none of that taught to him, so it's going to take him a while to learn. Is a three year old going to learn not to put things in their mouth after a few days, or even a week? Not at all. You expect too much of him, you have to be the one to teach him, and yes, it will take a while and it's frustrating, but that's your job. You have to be patient, he'll learn.

Oh, and if you want a bit of moral support: Loki used to bite me constantly, I have scars from him biting too hard and he's caused all sorts of injuries. He was a terrible biter. But now he doesn't do it at all (unless he's very excited, but he stops when told). So it definitely gets better, you just have to work towards it.

Bonsai wrote:

Anyone know how to train women??? lol

Ooooh, not a good question when most of the answers you've had have been from women..... >

Seriously, you really are expecting too much, too soon.

Put a pink jumper on the puppy and a glittery collar and mrs will become more. Interested :p

@tara

I know (bad dad!)

He is smart and will learn eventually. I aint getting rid of him so he will have to. The misses might get rid of me tho lol (her loss)

We just spent half hour playing with a rope
he kept running off with it so I chased him and tried to get it. Right fun it is. he dropped the rope eventually and went for me instead so hes in the bathroom while I type this n I'll try again with him. He's ace when he wants to be

I think I'll re phrase the women training question then lol (sorry)

Does any of you have any advice on how to keep the misses happy???
(someone take this shovel off me)

He aint getting any pink anything!!!

Bonsai wrote:

Does any of you have any advice on how to keep the misses happy???

Ask her to read what people here have said!

Bonsai wrote:
He aint getting any pink anything!!!

I can't say I blame you on that!

Bonsai wrote:Does any of you have any advice on how to keep the misses happy???

No chance with that fella, much harder to handle.

Take the good advice above and you'll be 100%.

Caryll wrote:

Bonsai wrote:

Does any of you have any advice on how to keep the misses happy???

Ask her to read what people here have said!

Bonsai wrote:
He aint getting any pink anything!!!

I can't say I blame you on that!

Do you know any more jokes!!! Part of the argument is she is shouting at me sayin I dont know what Im doing but I have copied EVERY training guide on this site and put it on my kindle (read her kindle lol) and she still has'nt even looked at it!!! Im more frustrated with her I think

Maybe you can ask her to join the forum and speak with us personally so we can talk to her and explain it to her?

Absolutely - get her to join.

I think all you can do, seriously, is to tell her what we've told you - a puppy - especially one that has been taken from its litter 2 or 3 weeks too early - takes more than a couple of weeks to train.

Sure, you can beat it out of him so that every time you (or anybody else) raises a hand he cowers to the floor. But do you really want that? Wouldn't it be far better to win his trust & get him to do what you want because he wants to please you?

The biting/nipping is normal puppy behaviour, something he would do with his litter mates in play. If he hurts them they will yelp and move away from him so that the game ends. He then learns that nipping too hard stops his fun (bite inhibition learning) and so he goes gentler.

That's what you and your oh have to do. Every time he nips just say "No" (or yelp like a pup) and turn away from him - no contact whatsoever, don't even look at him - until he's calm again & then gentle praise. You'll have to do that every time, though, or he'll get mixed signals & will be confused. If he doesn't stop biting just put him out of the room for a few seconds or leave the room yourself if that's easier.

Believe me, they all do it and with consistent training they all stop!

Training women is impossible
Keeping women happy is impossible

Just say yes dear and they eventually go away

As far as pup is concerned then keep up with the patience , it took us a good 6 months to get Tommy totally out of being nippy but even at 1 if he gets a bit over excited he can be mouthy . You will get out of this as much as you put into it and its so rewarding to get pup starting to listen and do stuff , plenty of play , if he's getting nippy in some play like tug etc then look for the stuff that doesn't get him to react like this. He's not a little monster he just has to learn , and you all have to teach him as poor little fella didn't have his mum to do it

Hello You have had lots of great advise already here! I just thought i would sympathize with you, our pup is just 16 weeks and was nipping a ridiculous amount (even pierced my dads earlobe with his little nippers..).

I have found a combination of
time out in the laundry (2-3 mins seems to work for duke)
Yelping when he bites
Replacing my hand/body part he's biting with a chew toy

I also found that when he's in the spaz crazy mood and not listening after time out giving him a frozen damp tea towel seems to calm him down. I think he goes crazy from his sore gums from teething.

I live with my partner and my brother, so I have had a few discussions with them about "this is how we are going to do this, do you have any ideas?" and we all brainstormed the training words, and what we do when he misbehaves, so he has consistency

I hope this can help you or at least let you know your not alone!

kc wrote:Hello You have had lots of great advise already here! I just thought i would sympathize with you, our pup is just 16 weeks and was nipping a ridiculous amount (even pierced my dads earlobe with his little nippers..).

I have found a combination of
time out in the laundry (2-3 mins seems to work for duke)
Yelping when he bites
Replacing my hand/body part he's biting with a chew toy

I also found that when he's in the spaz crazy mood and not listening after time out giving him a frozen damp tea towel seems to calm him down. I think he goes crazy from his sore gums from teething.

I live with my partner and my brother, so I have had a few discussions with them about "this is how we are going to do this, do you have any ideas?" and we all brainstormed the training words, and what we do when he misbehaves, so he has consistency

I hope this can help you or at least let you know your not alone!

Good responsible post with some great info / tips kc

I have read this thread with interest. Firstly, he is a baby and babies nip and bite as it is how they explore the world. He is also an orphan who has not had the benefit of his mother and littermates to learn appropriate behaviour. My new boy is now 5 months old and he is probably the most arrogant Stafford I have owned to date. He doesn't bite so much but he is a barker. This behaviour is typical puppy behaviour, however you must all be on the same page when it comes to training as consistency is the key to changing any behaviour. I see you are talking about all the punishments you use to try and stop the behaviour but are you praising and rewarding him when he behaves appropriately? A good dog is the same as a good child, they are very easy to ignore, good behaviour needs to be rewarded as well