Anatolian Puppy Biting

[jake]

Hi, Jake is now 10 weeks old and finds the need to bite all the time when he is playing. We have tried a few different things to get him to stop this, does anyone have any suggestions on the best thing to do?

[clowndino]

couple of things.
1. could be teething
2. more likely, he is trying to establish his rank. Tony's are alpha dogs. They like to be in control.
as he is starting to bite, I would firmly take his muzzle in hand and firmly say NO!
you have to do this Every time he makes the attempt. and be consistent.

[Malikite]

I had this same problem with Nala not long ago. To get past it when she would "Nip" I would Firmly hold her muzle while saying no then stop all contact for atleast 1 min. At this point she has learned that biting/Nipping will not be rewarded.

[Tomba]

Hi Jake firstly if your pup is still biting at 10mo's you've done something wrong. Sorry but your pup should have COMPLETE bite inhibition by now. This is something you start teaching day one (just saying this for new pup owners reading this). Doesn't matter if your pup is a working breed or not. It has nothing to do with the breed. I own two bullmastiffs, 3yrs and 1yr. If your pup is still biting you at this late in the game he doesn't respect you (see you as his leader). He thinks he is in charge, this can easily escalate (and it will) to something worse if not turned around. The good news is, you can:) Take all priviledges from your pup, toys, off lead playing in the backyard. He must earn everything back. Do not let him on the couch, chair, bed, only you his leader sits there. If he is dangerously snapping and growling, put him on his lead at all times in the house. A dog will submit to whomever is at the end of the lead. You'll be amazed at how quickly it will work. Make him sit for all things, food, toys etc. When you walk him outside don't let him mark everywhere willy nilly and whenever HE chooses. YOU say when and where, keep him on a short lead, right by your side, NOT ahead of you, letting him control the walk. If you do all these things you'll see immediate results, however do not revert back to the old ways, because if you do, you'll end up back at square one. He will test you from time to time, never back down or give in and ALWAYS be consistant. When you can't have him on lead in your home, because you can't watch him and have things to do, crate him if you have one or put him in the laundry room. I understand he may be play biting at this time, but this is still a dominant and disrespectful behavior towards the owner/leader. Stopping it now will prevent an escalation in the future, when he has ALL his confidance as an adult. It always starts somewhere, and this is where it starts, innocently, just playing. If you can't or don't want to leash him in the home, the other suggestions are also useful. Also I usually find men have a tendency to play with dogs with their hands and women use a toy. Using your hand teaches the dog to think your hand is the toy, therefore biting and mouthing it. If you are using your hand, stop. Always use a toy, he'll come to get it soon enough. If he won't stop, take toy and yourself away, no more playtime. Also yelping might help, but this is rather late in the game so I'm not sure it would. Good luck and keep us posted:) Tyler

[jake]

Sorry, my mistake I meant that he was ten weeks old.... I am sure that this is just puppy behavior, but it is something I do not like. Thankyou all for the responses very much appreciated. Next time, I will have to double check what I am typing. My mistake... But I will definately take this advice and try it out.

[clowndino]

Tomba,
I agree with you that you have to establish yourself as the alpha.
However, tonys are different. I have trained Labs, Rotts, Heinz 57's.
Traditional methods don't seem to work with tonys. Left alone, they are out of their territory. the nature of the dog is to guard the flock. His flock being the family he is with. Caging him will do nothing but make things worse. As Malikite and I both said, a stern grasping of the muzzle with a no! works wonders with this breed for biting.
You just have to be consistent.

[Tomba]

Good grief I typed all that for nothing.

Clowndino thanx for your insight and experience with this breed. I found this.

http://www.nasrn.com/10Reasons.htm

Seems an AS is not for the novice owner at all. Oh Jake you didn't know biting was typical 10wk old puppy behavior? Oh dear.

Tyler

[Malikite]

Thats what we are here for. Nala is now almost 5 months old and does not Nip or bite at all. The one thing to keep in mind with a Tony is you will be tested and just after you pass that test he/she will do it again. I have had almost every type of dog at one point and time and Nala is by far the most challanging and rewarding. Anatolian's are vary smart and can learn fast but take ALOT of control.

[jake]

I never said that I didn't know that 10 week biting behavior was normal. I just said that I do not like it and I would like to stop him of it as soon as possible. It is one thing for him to bite when he is playing but it is constant. I am sorry that you had to waste 5 minutes typing out a long explanation for nothing. I thought this forum was made so that people could talk to one another with any concerns they might have without being judged. I live on a farm and have raised animals all my life, I am not an idiot. I just have had no previous experience with this dog breed before and have often heard that traditional training methods may not work the same for them as on another breed of dogs.

[clowndino]

Jake,
Don't worry about it. This is a great forum. Matter of fact, for a while I was the only Tony owner here, then Malikite, then you.
At least we have someone to share stories and tips with.
By the way, Peyton is 4yrs old and still tests us. Ya gotta keep at it.
Let us know how it's going

[Tomba]

Oh Jake, seems I've touched a nerve, thereby upsetting you. Certainly not my intention, apologies all around. Also it will take much more for me to conclude that you're an idiot. There just wasn't enough in your post to suggest such a thing. As for judging, not my strong point really, I only deduced from your short post. Next time time I'll wait for more info or a possible update before trying to help. As for puppy biting, I hate it too, and would like to stop it as soon as possible, but it takes many consistant corrections and works itself out over time (sorry if you know that already). I won't go into how to correct, bacause as you said you live on a farm and have raised many animals all your life, so I'm guessing you already know and really don't need the help. Because yes I understand now, you already know:) Tyler

[clowndino]

tomba,
No offense intended, but If Jake had known the answer, he wouldn't have asked. Generalizing what works for one breed and applying it to another doesn't necessarily work. What works with Labs, won't necessarily work for rotts, likewise for tonys. While I understand that you have "loads of experience" with working breeds, generalization usually leads to disaster.

[Tomba]

Thanx so much Clowndino, that's what I was thinking really, but I didn't want to upset Jake again. Have a beautiful day:)