Oh my, if this pup wants to fight constantly! I have tried all kinds of chew toys and always have something to offer him to distract him but he doesnt want it, he just wants to bite on me. I have tried some things the Vet showed me to keep him from biting by holding his muzzle but he doesnt seem to get the hint, in fact, he wants to fight even more, has a bit of a temper on him. The more I attempt to discourage him the more determined he seems to become! How do I address this issue without making him more angry and aggressive and get him to play in a way that doesnt hurt so bad?! My arms look like a glass bottle blew up and all the little shards hit me!

IMHO, the advice you received is terrible. As you have discovered, it's actually counter-productive.

Nothing against your vet, but your vet is NOT your trainer. This is not where to go for training hints. Vets are for caring for our sick or injured dogs, for providing healthcare, but not for training them.


Here is a start, and I know that you will receive other suggestions.

http://leerburg.com/bitingpuppies.htm

I agree with Connie. my czech puppy was exactly the same. I got the same bad advice to hold the muzzle, just pissed him off and made him come back at me harder. The solution that worked for me, was to simply and calmly pull up on the leash with it on the live ring of his fur saver til his front feet were off the ground. Wait till he stops struggling. Then set him back down. Don't get mad, don't yell or anything, just do it calmly. At first he will still try to bite again, but it only took a few times for it to work. And it did not hinder his desire to bite in bite work. Just made him understand that biting me is not acceptable.

Ribbin send him to me & then he won't bite you anymore. That's my kind of puppy.

Sounds just like my female as a pup. She is one of Ed 's dogs. ALL she wanted to do is bite...I have the scars to prove it. Still is her favorite thing to do. I would not have changed her one bit. She is an extremely nice example of are working dog. And I NEVER corrected her for biting. And she has a VERY hard temperament. Redirect or give the pup something ok to bite. Shove a tug into his mouth when he goes for you.

Robbin,
What are your plans for the pup? And this guy is what 10-12 weeks? By the way he's not angry, he's playing, it's nice he stays engaged and is determined.

If you are looking for a mannerly companion, I would make sure he always has a leash on. Anytime, I would play with him I'd hook the leash to a door knob so when he becomes over excited and starts biting and can not be redirected, I'd just walk out of reach, when he calms and is quiet(do not reengage if he is still wired and barking) for even a moment, reengage him, and as soon as teeth hit skin move out of reach again. I wouldn't repeat this more than three times in a session, you may only get five minutes of play but he's a baby don't rush things.
I would then praise him, and walk him to his crate and put him in with a chew toy. He will catch on, not over night but pretty quickly if you're consistent.

By the way, this is really normal puppy behavior, try not to read anything more into it. The article Connie linked you to is excellent.

It will only get worse when teething starts but it should go away by the finish of teething. That is aprox 6 months.

I personally have no problem correcting for biting me. You don't bite the hand that feeds you, AKA god!

With a pup I simple lift them by the scruff till the front feet are off the ground. You don't set the pup down till it relaxes it's body. Just stopping movement doesn't mean it's quit fighting. The body needs to relax.
If that doesn't work I will lift it completely off the ground by the scruff till it relaxes.
I used to suggest sticking a finger down the pup's throat. The pup just learns that finger's in the the mouth aren't worth the discomfort. You MUST stay calm, no reaction an be sure to get your finger back BEHIND the gum line where the molars will be in an older dog.
I will add that it has not affected any bite work my dogs have done.

Redirecting can work but timing has to be better then perfect or the pup can view it as "bite god and the toy comes out".

Best advice already given here - In the meantime.. patience. Valium. Old clothes. Rag, rope, piece of PVC, redirect redirect redirect and when you can't take it anymore, crate and walk away. A stiff drink might help at this point.

Or send him to Anne

 Quote: Bob Scott

Redirecting can work but timing has to be better then perfect or the pup can view it as "bite god and the toy comes out".

That is good stuff. Redirecting never worked for me and I think this is why. Hmmmm something to ponder.

My best luck has come from trying to behave like a litter mate. When the pup bites, scream bloody murder, then immediately shun the offender, ending all interaction. That's how pups teach bite inhibition to each other. The message is: if you want to play with me, no teeth. As soon as you put teeth on me, I'm not playing any more.

I also think it helps to be overly dramatic with the yelping. I think it's perfectly fine to teach a puppy that human skin is very fragile and sensitive, and even putting your teeth on it a little bit hurts a human (a lot more than it hurts another dog).

Ivan was a biter, nipper from 8 to 14 weeks. Most of this is puppy play. You might try bite inhibition, when ivan got to rough with a hard nip, I made a loud pain scream then ignored him about a minute or so. Then calmly pet him with a tug or chew toy, and as his energy goes up redirect to the toy and praise your dog. They can learn to soft bite it just takes time. I think soft bite is better than no bite, and safer in the long run depending on what your dog will be doing. At about 6 months your dog will have completed teething, and just remember not to hit or scream at your dog and muzzle grabbing has never worked that I ve heard of. Make your dog sit by you and hold him close, he might calm down, Ivan did. Now at just a few days away from 5 months, he will sometimes softly chew my hand and I think this is fine. He has learned not to fear bite and that aggresive or hard biting isn't allowed. Your pup is young, assure him, be patient but firm and give him a few months he will most likely be ok,, remember to redirect and have a few different chew toys on hand, and to yelp when he bites to hard. This is how they learn from littermates, and if you got him before he learned this, and there aren't other dogs to teach him, it becomes your job. Rest assured your dog is smart enough, time and patience her are the key in my opinion