Puppy won't stop biting need help!

[brabus]

Hey I'm new to the site and I just got a rottweiler puppy. He's about eight weeks old and will not stop biting my toes. I tell him no, yelp, put him in time out in his crate, everything else it says to do on this site, and a couple other sites and training books. He's really smart though, because he bit my neck really hard the other night and I gave him a lil spank and then he went and peed in three spots in the house even though he's house trained and knows to go outside! I taught him to sit with one try and he quit whining for food after one try of waiting until he stopped begging and gave him a treat. He doesn't bite my boyfriend like this, but he's out of town for the week. Oh and he has a million chew toys and stuff animals and bones that he'll usually chew on for a couple minutes then he comes back to my pant legs and toes, is he doing this to be bad or just because he's a puppy? (oh and when my boyfriend is actually around, he doesn't bite me as much or as hard......)

[Shelby427]

First of all, you have a PUPPY. 8 weeks old is a BABY. Nipping and biting are normal at this age because this is how they learn about the world. It's YOUR job to teach what is appropriate and what is not. Do NOT spank your puppy! You should be practicing positive reinforcement, not punishment. Have you tried redirecting? When puppy goes to bite you, shove a soft toy in his mouth and praise. Have you ever had a puppy before? This is normal puppy behavior.

Also, I highly doubt your 8 week old is potty trained. He should be going out every hour on the hour at this age. You will need to go outside with the puppy to praise, when you can't actively watch the puppy, in the crate he goes.

Instead of saying "no" try a command that teaches the dog something. If he has something in his mouth that he shouldn't, teach "drop it" - and make sure your house is puppy proofed.

Why was he close enough to your neck to bite it? You shouldn't be putting the puppy to your face...

Read all the stickies in the puppy development forum, there's tons of great information there. You'll learn there that you shouldn't use the crate as punishment, you want your puppy to love his crate. He's not doing any of these behaviors to be "bad" he's a PUPPY!

[AngelBunny]

Originally Posted by brabus

...I just got a rottweiler puppy. He's about eight weeks old and will not stop biting my toes. I tell him no, yelp, put him in time out in his crate, everything else it says to do on this site,....

You've found an excellent place, one that's chock-a-block full of Rottie savvy people. Start reading thru the postings here in PUppy Development and don't stop.

Where did you get your puppy? Is your breeder able to be a resource by answering questions and helping you?

Originally Posted by brabus

......he bit my neck really hard the other night and I gave him a lil spank...

Don't lil spank, tap, or otherwise physically correct your infant.

How would you like it if I spoke to you in Finnish and gave you a lil spank when you didn't do as I asked? You'd think I was a lunatic--you don't speak Finnish and here I am, punishing you when you don't listen to me.

Spanking your infant puppy who has absolutely no idea why you're doing that is inapropriate. Your puppy has only been on this earth for 8 weeks--how can you possibly be punishing something so young?

Originally Posted by brabus

...and then he went and peed in three spots in the house even though he's house trained and knows to go outside!

Please do not delude yourself that your 8 week old infant is housetrained. This isn't possible.

Originally Posted by brabus

......he has a million chew toys and stuff animals and bones that he'll usually chew on for a couple minutes then he comes back to my pant legs and toes, is he doing this to be bad or just because he's a puppy?

Please put all thoughts that your infant is behaving in ways or doing things to be bad! Puppies learn about the world thru their mouths and since your puppy is an infant, he's learning about the world the puppies do this--by chewing everything.

Give him something legitimate on which to chew. Again and again and again and again.

[brabus]

Yes I've been putting toys in his mouth but he still comes back to me, and he was on the couch with me when he was biting at my neck. I think the case is he just doesn't listen to me because he doesn't bite the man of the house like this. He has never pooped in the house and he sleeps through the night now (after a week) without having to go outside or whining or anything like that, he just goes out before and after meals and about ten or fifteen minutes after he drinks so I'm pretty sure he knows his schedule and he knows not to pee inside, he's only done it once when he first got here about two weeks ago and now he whines at the door if he ever has to go out.......

[brabus]

oops I don't know if my reply got posted! oh well here's what I said:

I have been redirecting EVERY time and he just loves to chew and bite my feet especially my slippers even after I sprayed them with stuff that makes him supposed to not chew (guess he likes the flavor lol) but today I went and got him a BIG sweetest softest lamb of his own and he loves it......and I don't understand why he can't be potty trained he whines at the door if he needs to go out and has never pooped in the house just peed the first night he got here (about two weeks ago) cuz he didn't know where to go, and then when he got mad last night. I joined the site last night because he was being so crazy I didn't know what to do! He's never left alone except maybe for an hour when I go to the store, but he's being MUCH better today.... I've been playing with him so much he just comes inside and goes to sleep at my feet instead of biting them! Oh and I've been letting him chew softly on my fingers I think it might be soothing is that a bad thing to let him do?

[brabus]

dang How long does it take for a post to show up! I wish it was instant! And as far as me having a puppy.....ummm....the only puppy I've had was a pug! his bites didn't hurt and he wasn't very smart, but he was nice! This is the first big VERY smart puppy I've had, but I've always wanted a rottweiler (since kindergarten)! He's about 16 pounds right now and his daddy was 140! But don't worry too much about him! My boyfriend has raised many big dogs his most recent was a Great Dane who is one of the best behaved dogs I've been around....he's just out of town this week I was worried maybe the puppy didn't like me or something thats why he wouldn't listen to me but he'd listen to my boyfriend......

[Diva Satanica]

Although most of this has been said in the previous two posts, there is no way the pup is house trained at 8 weeks. Even if he were house trained, dogs don't pee in the house to be vindictive. I have a nine week old male and I have been dealing with the nipping, chasing, biting, etc. Re-direction needs to be constant, constant, constant. I know it seems that its not working, but it WILL work. He's still learning and he needs time to understand whats expected of him. You need to remind him constantly, what is appropriate and what isn't.
I don't let my pup jump up near anyones face, nor do we put our faces down near his. Again, with this whole learning process, he has yet to be taught that biting the neck, face or anywhere else on your body, isn't appropriate.
Keep your chin up (literally.....LOL) and know that if you teach your pup with patience and consistancy, in turn he will become a well behaved and faithful companion.
This whole site has some amazing threads with tons of helpful info. When I find myself getting frustrated, I remind myself that I need to read more, learn more and implement more.

[AngelBunny]

Originally Posted by brabus

...I've been letting him chew softly on my fingers I think it might be soothing is that a bad thing to let him do?

Think about what you're doing.

You complain about his nonstop biting of your toes and you don't like him biting your neck, yet you let him chew on your fingers. Don't send your puppy mixed messages. He's not to chew on any part of a human. This means don't let him chew on your fingers and don't hold him up to your face so he bites your neck. Dogs live in a black and white world--it can't be OK to chew on your fingers, but not on your toes or neck.

Instead, give him a toy on which he can chew. Redirect him.

Start reading thru the postings here in Puppy Development. You have a wealth of info at your fingertips.

[harleychik66]

You may always have some problems with his biting.

You say you got the pup 2 weeks ago and he is now 8 weeks old. He should have stayed with his littermates till 8 weeks. This is when pups learn from their siblings about bite inhibition. He has missed out on many things being taken away too early.

Stay patient-he's still just a baby. Wear shoes and redirect, praise, redirect, praise repeat as necessary.

[poohbearsmom]

Originally Posted by brabus

Hey I'm new to the site and I just got a rottweiler puppy. He's about eight weeks old and will not stop biting my toes. I tell him no, yelp, put him in time out in his crate, everything else it says to do on this site, and a couple other sites and training books. He's really smart though, because he bit my neck really hard the other night and I gave him a lil spank and then he went and peed in three spots in the house even though he's house trained and knows to go outside! I taught him to sit with one try and he quit whining for food after one try of waiting until he stopped begging and gave him a treat. He doesn't bite my boyfriend like this, but he's out of town for the week. Oh and he has a million chew toys and stuff animals and bones that he'll usually chew on for a couple minutes then he comes back to my pant legs and toes, is he doing this to be bad or just because he's a puppy? (oh and when my boyfriend is actually around, he doesn't bite me as much or as hard......)

You haven't tried everything if you havent' enrolled him in a puppy kindergarten class where YOU can learn properly how to redirect the little darling. The puppy is attempting to interact with you in the only manner he knows how. It's up to you to learn properly how to channel his energy, set boundaries, and so forth. What you put into your puppy now, you will get back from your dog later. How this turns out is entirely up to you. There is no puppy on this planet that intentionally tries to be "bad".

[Anne]

Please take time to read through the puppy development section of this forum.

Your puppy could not be house trained at this age. He is a baby and has no control over his bowels or bladder, just the same as a human baby has no control.

Please do not smack your puppy, you'll make him afraid of you.

[felicityjay]

hello...don't worry! as long as you follow the advice in the forums you will soon get past this bitey phase but it will take patience and time. Raising a puppy is hard work but it will be worth it in the end!

I think you are managing your puppies housetraining by predicting when he will go and letting him out (which is fantastic) and if you keep it up he will learn that is the right thing to do but at the moment he hasn't got proper bladder control...even if he is already getting that he is meant to go outside he isn't mature enough to be fully trained yet. Some dogs wee more when they are nervous - never to get revenge or anything! if it was unusual for him to do so and it was just after you spanked him perhaps he was worried after you gave him a little spank - he wouldn't be sure what he had done wrong remember!

Make sure that you get to classes when he is old enough and be persistant with the redirection and he will stop... eventually! my continued to bite my partner much more than me for a while but then i found out that he let her 'nibble' his fingers sometimes!!!! i never did... i always redirected or moved away and ignored...you just need to have consistency between you... as soon as your pup looks about to bite give him a toy and praise praise praise! make it a game!

good luck x

[Shelby427]

Originally Posted by brabus

Yes I've been putting toys in his mouth but he still comes back to me, and he was on the couch with me when he was biting at my neck. I think the case is he just doesn't listen to me because he doesn't bite the man of the house like this. He has never pooped in the house and he sleeps through the night now (after a week) without having to go outside or whining or anything like that, he just goes out before and after meals and about ten or fifteen minutes after he drinks so I'm pretty sure he knows his schedule and he knows not to pee inside, he's only done it once when he first got here about two weeks ago and now he whines at the door if he ever has to go out.......

Get the puppy off the couch - he should not be allowed on furniture or beds at all as it's an earned privilege. Also, it's concerning because the sire was 140lbs, that's grossly overweight or overstandard. You may have other issues with this puppy since he came from a BYB. (Hips/elbows/heart/eyes/temperament issues)

Get enrolled in puppy classes and continue on with OB for a few years...you need to learn how to teach this puppy manners and rules. You will have to redirect behavior for MONTHS before puppy understands, this will not happen overnight. Stop letting the puppy close to your face! Stop letting the puppy chew on your fingers! You are letting him chew on you! That's why he's confused on what is ok to chew on and what is not. You need to be consistent.

At 8 weeks, he might be picking up on housetraining, but he's no where near trained. Continue to take him out every couple of hours, after eating/sleeping/playing.

[Inga]

Originally Posted by Shelby427

Get the puppy off the couch - he should not be allowed on furniture or beds at all as it's an earned privilege. Also, it's concerning because the sire was 140lbs, that's grossly overweight or overstandard. You may have other issues with this puppy since he came from a BYB. (Hips/elbows/heart/eyes/temperament issues)

Get enrolled in puppy classes and continue on with OB for a few years...you need to learn how to teach this puppy manners and rules. You will have to redirect behavior for MONTHS before puppy understands, this will not happen overnight. Stop letting the puppy close to your face! Stop letting the puppy chew on your fingers! You are letting him chew on you! That's why he's confused on what is ok to chew on and what is not. You need to be consistent.

At 8 weeks, he might be picking up on housetraining, but he's no where near trained. Continue to take him out every couple of hours, after eating/sleeping/playing.

I agree completely! Even if you do wish to allow your dog on the furniture later in life, you should not allow the puppy up until he/she is completely trained and has earned the right to do so. You should also teach him that he can only come up when he is invited. This puts you in the boss position. Hitting an 8 week old puppy to correct it is unexceptable IMO. When allowing your puppy to do things like chew on your fingers think about how that is going to be when he is also over 100 pounds. All behaviors that are unexceptable as adults should be the same as puppies. Please get your puppy into a puppy socialization class and continue on with obedience. You should be the one to take him in and work with him as you said he doesn't listen as well to you. He must learn to listen to all humans. Good Luck with him.

[4zenuff]

Give yourself and your puppy some time and listen carefully to all the advice given to you on this post! It's really good advice that has been given to you.

I haven't been blessed with a rottie yet. God willing I will finally get mine next month, but I do have experience with a biter/nipper. My dog Roscoe took MONTHS upon MONTHS to stop nipping. I never thought it was going to end. He occasionally tries to do it "in play", but I just correct him. The teeth never hit skin, but I just don't like it. I have taught my children how to correct him also and he listens.

Just give it time. Eventually it will come.