Bad behavior or just being a puppy???

[Sarayray]

My mom has been on my case lately about my 4 month old pug puppy because he's SOOO hyper. He never sits still and he's really hard to hold because he wriggles and flops around so much that you have to really hold on tight or risk dropping him, and he just tears all over the house and he BITES a LOT, and it HURTS. I'm COVERED in bruises from him biting me and at first my mom was just like "he's just a puppy he'll grow out of it" but now she's nagging at me that I need to train him but I'm not sure if he needs training. You can't even really hold him at all because he moves around so much and I don't like holding him because he bites so hard, so it is a problem because I feel like I should be interacting with him a lot more. I still play with him but most of the time I end up getting annoyed because he'll bite me hard and I get frustrated and just enclose him in a room to play by himself, but he's so attached to me I feel bad not spending as much time with him.

So is this something he'll grow out of or is it poor behavior that needs to be stopped??

Thank you!

[Latrans]

When he bites, yelp and walk away--the fun needs to end. If he continues, put him in a play pen/crate and give him a 30 second time out.

Look up clicker training!

[VonVix]

Love Walks In

My mom has been on my case lately about my 4 month old pug puppy because he's SOOO hyper. He never sits still and he's really hard to hold because he wriggles and flops around so much that you have to really hold on tight or risk dropping him, and he just tears all over the house and he BITES a LOT, and it HURTS. I'm COVERED in bruises from him biting me and at first my mom was just like "he's just a puppy he'll grow out of it" but now she's nagging at me that I need to train him but I'm not sure if he needs training. You can't even really hold him at all because he moves around so much and I don't like holding him because he bites so hard, so it is a problem because I feel like I should be interacting with him a lot more. I still play with him but most of the time I end up getting annoyed because he'll bite me hard and I get frustrated and just enclose him in a room to play by himself, but he's so attached to me I feel bad not spending as much time with him.

So is this something he'll grow out of or is it poor behavior that needs to be stopped??

Thank you!

Sounds very pug-like to me from my experiences lol. Two of my friends both have young female pugs and I dropped them twice... -_- They're both extremely wriggly, and the other male pug (1-2 years old or so) at work is a BIG biter, he bites and chews on everything, he is an extremely hyper pug.

Attending basic obedience classes is pretty much a must for all puppy owners in my opinion, the owner gets to bond as well as learn how to train their puppy and the puppy gets socialised with other dogs too.

And lastly, what are you feeding your pug? Some food brands can cause a dog/puppy to become much more hyper than normal.

[AraTeran]

Puppy biting is normal, but it is also a bad behavior you need to work on. Do what Latrans said (yelp and walk away and a time out if needed). Puppies need to learn boundaries when it comes to biting; it is not a behavior they will magically grow out of.

Puppies are always hyper. That is something he will grow out of, but you can help by giving him plenty of appropriate exercise and mental stimulation.

[q2k]

as everyone else has said, yelp at him if he ever bites you and immediately stop playing (even if it doesn't make contact). this is how puppies learn what things aren't okay while socializing with their own kind so it's an easy way to communicate "don't do that"

[missfox22]

Just like everyone else and Latrans has said, yelping and walking away works great. You might think that your pup will never stop biting, this is what I thought when Bain was a young puppy after we got him.

One day you will notice that he either hasn't been biting, or has been biting less.

Also, puppies can have their days. There were a few days separate from each other where Bain would try to tear the back of the couch, run around, bite like crazy. Basically go insane. Every other day he was your normal puppy, and now he is a fantastic dog. Love him lots

[Sarayray]

missfox22

Just like everyone else and Latrans has said, yelping and walking away works great.

Q2k

as everyone else has said, yelp at him if he ever bites you and immediately stop playing (even if it doesn't make contact).

AraTeran

Do what Latrans said (yelp and walk away and a time out if needed).

Latrans

When he bites, yelp and walk away--the fun needs to end. If he continues, put him in a play pen/crate and give him a 30 second time out.

Yeah I've known this for a while and I've been doing it with him but it doesn't seem to be working. Every other puppy I've used this with has worked, but this doesn't phase him at all, he doesn't even notice I'm yelping like with all the other puppies I've been around when I yelp they stop and look at me but he just keeps playing like nothing happened and when I'm walking away he just chases after me and bites my ankles. Is there a specific way to do it? Because I've been doing that and it's not working, that's why I usually just end up putting him back because I don't really know any other way besides that. My mom tells me to tap his nose and say "no" but that doesn't do much either so I figure I must be doing the whole yelp/walk away thing wrong.

[Latrans]

Are you leaving? If you separate yourself from the puppy he can't keep playing with you. :]

[Sarayray]

Latrans

Are you leaving? If you separate yourself from the puppy he can't keep playing with you. :]

I leave the best that I can. I usually have him out in the living room with his toys and I'll play with him and if he bites I yelp and go sit on the couch and put my feet up so he can't reach me but the entire walk to the couch he's chasing after me, jumping at my legs and biting my ankles and feet and stuff and once I'm on the couch I don't pay attention to him and he eventually goes off and does his own thing, either that or he'll be on my bed playing with me and if he bites I put him on the floor. So I do separate myself but I don't completely leave him alone.

[Aerobe]

Try tethered play then.
You'll need a harness and a leash so he can't fling and hurt himself.

Just tether him to something sturdy. I've used my banister, sofa, and even a door.
This gives you the ability to completely move out of range and he cannot follow you.
You still need to yelp - try yelping louder.

With Ike we always have tons of toys around. When we were teaching he bite, we'd yelp, stuff a toy in his mouth - if he ignored the toy and tried to bite again I walked out of range 5-10 seconds and came back and tried again.
I always stuff a toy in his mouth so he'd understand.. hey here's what you CAN have. Yelping never really worked for Ike either but we still did it. While he doesn't bite anymore, while he was cutting teeth he wanted fingers in his mouth. If he bit down and I yelped - he would release since he understood what the yelp was for.

[Latrans]

Love Walks In

Latrans

Are you leaving? If you separate yourself from the puppy he can't keep playing with you. :]

I leave the best that I can. I usually have him out in the living room with his toys and I'll play with him and if he bites I yelp and go sit on the couch and put my feet up so he can't reach me but the entire walk to the couch he's chasing after me, jumping at my legs and biting my ankles and feet and stuff and once I'm on the couch I don't pay attention to him and he eventually goes off and does his own thing, either that or he'll be on my bed playing with me and if he bites I put him on the floor. So I do separate myself but I don't completely leave him alone.

The floor in the bedroom sounds good; you need to make it so that the play ends for 30 seconds to a minute. All fun stops. Game over.

[Sarayray]

Aerobe

Try tethered play then.
You'll need a harness and a leash so he can't fling and hurt himself.

Just tether him to something sturdy. I've used my banister, sofa, and even a door.
This gives you the ability to completely move out of range and he cannot follow you.
You still need to yelp - try yelping louder.

With Ike we always have tons of toys around. When we were teaching he bite, we'd yelp, stuff a toy in his mouth - if he ignored the toy and tried to bite again I walked out of range 5-10 seconds and came back and tried again.
I always stuff a toy in his mouth so he'd understand.. hey here's what you CAN have. Yelping never really worked for Ike either but we still did it. While he doesn't bite anymore, while he was cutting teeth he wanted fingers in his mouth. If he bit down and I yelped - he would release since he understood what the yelp was for.

He has all his shots now so I've actually been working on training him to walk on a leash so we can go for short walks and I've been doing this, it's working out PERFECTLY. He's starting to learn that when he's by himself he can play and be rough but when he's with me he'll sit or lay down and is calm and

And yes, I always stuffed toys in his mouth but he'd spit them out and bite again but now he's learning and I'm so happy!

[RCJ remixed]

Yes, biting and nipping are things that need to be trained out. Hyper? That's just part of being a puppy, and it sounds like he could use some good stimulation and play. That will make him more calm and easier to handle. You need to at least do basic training and really should have started the day you brought him home.

All dogs need training, directions, and leadership so they learn the rules and boundaries. Otherwise you get a dog that does anything and everything it wants because no one bothered to teach it differently.

Energy level could just be part of his breed, same with wrigglyness. I couldn't say for certain as I've never owned a pug lol

[Sarayray]

RCJ remixed

Yes, biting and nipping are things that need to be trained out. Hyper? That's just part of being a puppy, and it sounds like he could use some good stimulation and play. That will make him more calm and easier to handle. You need to at least do basic training and really should have started the day you brought him home.

All dogs need training, directions, and leadership so they learn the rules and boundaries. Otherwise you get a dog that does anything and everything it wants because no one bothered to teach it differently.

Energy level could just be part of his breed, same with wrigglyness. I couldn't say for certain as I've never owned a pug lol

I have been training him since the day I brought him home, I just wasn't doing anything about the biting because, well I mean...this whole topic tells you why.

And pugs are low energy breeds, but he's a puppy so obviously he's going to be hyper. I'm not concerned about his hyperactivity, it's just the biting that I was asking about.

And this topic's kind of old now anyways, I've been working on his biting and he's doing better.

[RCJ remixed]

Love Walks In

I have been training him since the day I brought him home, I just wasn't doing anything about the biting because, well I mean...this whole topic tells you why.

And pugs are low energy breeds, but he's a puppy so obviously he's going to be hyper. I'm not concerned about his hyperactivity, it's just the biting that I was asking about.

And this topic's kind of old now anyways, I've been working on his biting and he's doing better.

I didn't look at the date just saw it on the front page. Hey, I am glad to hear the biting is getting better. All puppies start off like that. Things get easier.

Puppy teeth really hurt. I had a six week old pit puppy n** me. Little bugger broke skin. Puppy teeth are like little needles lol