Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Sam on June 8, 2008 at 2:24pm

You dont say how old your corgi is. Many pups go through this "total mouth" behavior and it is good to discourage it. My guess is he is biting your hands when you try to pet him. Choose sedate times after he has had ample time to play and exercise to pet and cuddle. Do offer him a substitute to chew rather then your body. A quick snout grab and "no bite" command should soon make him aware of what you are asking. Remember in interactions with littermates this biting is normal play but also corrected by other dogs. He does need to learn this is not appropriate unfortunately it takes longer for humans to teach that skill then mama dog. Lots of exercise, patience and redirection is the key.

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Permalink Reply by kinz on June 8, 2008 at 2:35pm

When my corgi was 3 months old and first came home he was first quiet, im thinking they're trying to get use to the surroundings. When the biting part came along I too had a hard time trying to figure out what to do or say. I use to give my pup light spankings which was a wrong thing that I did. So when it was near puppy training it was taught what to do on that day, so she told me and the other pet owners to either say "No biting" or "OWW" very loudly like it really hurts, if they know its hurting they're owners they will start to see. I did what the instructor said and it worked for me. I even got more chewing toys for him, at first i got him toys that he will totally chew it up in 1 day, so be sure to get the good quality chewing toys, the ones that don't rip easily so you don't have to take another trip to the store.

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Permalink Reply by FuzzyButt on June 8, 2008 at 8:42pm

Or just buy a bunch of the same toy at the same time. Once one gets worn out replace it with a new toy from your stash. I wish pet stores let you buy toys in bulk.

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Permalink Reply by Charlie on June 8, 2008 at 3:09pm

I think the Yelp! technique works best. When he bites, you yelp "Yowww!" and look at him like he hurt you. He should look surprised. If he comes right back and nips again, yelp "Yowww!" again, stand up and turn your back on him. Ignore him until he settles down. He hay settle in 10 seconds or 2 minutes, but ignore him with your back to him until he is calm. Resume play, and if he nips, repeat the entire process. In the litter, when one pup plays too rough and bites another pup too hard, the other pup yelps. Your "Yowww!" should be high-pitched and try to approximate the sound of a puppy yelp. Pups will socially isolate a littermate who is too rough, which is why turning your back and ignoring him until he calms down is very important.

Charlie was one of the toughest cases for learning bite inhibition I've ever worked with. It took a couple months before he "believed" that his nips hurt. Over time though, he nipped softer and softer. I kept "yelping" and ignoring even when he had such a "soft mouth" it didn't hurt. We worked until he will not put his teeth on anyone, so I don't worry about him being mouthy with children or elderly folks. He's not allowed to put his teeth on human skin, even softly, ever.

At one point, in desparation over my scabby, pirrhana-bitten arms, I tried the method of gently grabbing his muzzle. He totally thought I was engaging him in a fun game and would come right back harder when I released. That method may be effective for you; it wasn't for us.

Good news is, if you are consistent and keep working at it, they all outgrow the stage.

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Permalink Reply by vicky on June 8, 2008 at 10:52pm

Thanks, that'll keep me from being discouraged. The weird thing is that everyone else around him yelps or holds his mouth shut so he doesn't bite anymore, but it's just with me that he continues to bite... I wonder what it could be.

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Permalink Reply by alynne on June 9, 2008 at 12:13pm

i used the same thing for nipping, every time she did it i would hold her down on her side on her bum and neck (gently, she never tried to get away) then said no. and ignored her until she settle down, now if she bites my by accident when we play she will lay on her side to say sorry. im not sure if that is the best way but the yelping didn't work for me at all...

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Permalink Reply by Bridget on June 9, 2008 at 3:05pm

I am in the same boat with Lucy! She's quit biting anyone but me. Must be the "main caregiver" thing?

I am continuing the Yelp and ignore and the "substitute with acceptable chew toy" routines.

She is definitely MUCH better than day 3 or 4 with us. We've had her 3 weeks. Hang in there!

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Permalink Reply by Adam & Brittany on June 10, 2008 at 12:21am

We had (and have) the same problem with our puppy. He is great but sometimes gets a little rough and those puppy teeth are sharp! A great tip I heard, even though it seems a bit ridiculous, is to yelp like a dog would if it were hurt. Puppies learn not to bite from playing too hard with their litter mates who will yelp and then ignore a puppy who bites too hard. Making the high pitch sound will startle the dog and give them the cue that they were playing too roughly. It can also help to cross your arms and remove their playmate by ignoring them for a few minutes after yelping. We tried the holding motuh and saying "no bite" thing too but it just made him want to get at us more once we took our hands away. Since we have been doing the yelping thing, he has settled down a lot and doesn't bite much anymore. Hope this helps!

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Permalink Reply by Melissa on June 12, 2008 at 3:28pm

We've had our corgi for 5 days now (she is 8 weeks old), and at first she was so docile I was afraid she was terribly depressed. Well, today, she has been like a different dog and is biting every time we try to pet her! I'm glad to read these suggestions and I'm getting up from my computer right now to go try the "yelp and ignore" technique. Thanks, everyone. I'm glad I stumbled on to this site. Scarlett is my first pet, and I want to be a good "parent." I know I'll get a lot of good advice here.

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