How to Train a Boxer Puppy to Not Bite

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How to Train a Boxer Puppy to Not Bite

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1-5 Months

Behavior

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Introduction

Can you imagine petting an older adult dog? You stroke his head, touch his face, brush his coat, and never once does he put his mouth on you. If you are the owner of a young Boxer puppy then this picture probably seems hard to image right now. If you have ever been bitten by your puppy, and you probably have, then you are likely very familiar with the feeling of tiny razor sharp puppy teeth on your bare skin. Although your young puppy's bites are not dangerous until your puppy develops stronger jaw muscles, the bites can definitely make you jump in surprise and can leave a series of red marks all over your arms, legs, hands, and anywhere else that your Boxer decides to give a nip.

Most puppy biting is normal before the age of six months. Some breeds such as Boxers tend to be more mouthy due to excitement or inherited traits. Most puppies learn about and interact with the world around them with their mouths. If you have ever noticed adult dogs playing together, then you probably saw the dogs gently bite one another in play. The problem is that your puppy needs to learn how to control his mouth before his jaws get strong and he can cause real injury. If you have young children, your puppy's biting can also cause fear and lead to your puppy bullying them.

When puppies play together they do a great job of teaching each other how to control their mouths. If you have ever watched your puppy play with another puppy, and your puppy bit the other puppy too hard, the other puppy probably let out a yelp and stopped playing with your puppy for a couple of minutes. This yelp communicated to your puppy that his bite was too hard, and the other puppy stopping the game was a natural consequence of your puppy's actions. In most cases, your puppy would eventually learn through this type of play to be gentle with his mouth, but most puppies are not with other puppies all the time, so your puppy will need you to teach him.

Defining Tasks

Learning how to control his mouth is something that your puppy will need to learn while he is young. It is much harder for an adult dog to learn how to control his mouth later on, and many will be tested in a moment of surprise or fear. If your puppy learns how to not only stop biting but also how to control the pressure of his bite, then he will be more likely to control the severity of his bite during an unexpected incident as an adult. Most dogs will bite when put in the wrong situation, such as when his tail is accidentally closed in a car door or when he is frightened while sleeping. If your dog has learned good control of his mouth as a puppy, then when your dog does bite in such circumstances, the bite is less likely to break the skin and require medical attention.

If your puppy is less than four months old, then you can spend time teaching him how to control the pressure of his bite by using the 'Yelping' method. This method takes time to teach and your puppy will need to stop biting completely before he has developed strong enough jaws to break the skin at around five months of age. If your puppy is older, then it is best to start with one of the other methods that will teach your puppy to simply stop biting altogether.

Play biting is normal for all young puppies, but if your puppy is showing any signs of true aggression then it is very important that you seek immediate help early on. These methods are designed for training your puppy to stop normal puppy mouthing biting. True aggression will need to be addressed at its roots. If your puppy is lunging at you or a family member's throat, this is not normal behavior and is an emergency situation. Seek immediate assistance from a qualified trainer or behaviorist in your area.

Getting Started

To get started you will need lots of small, tasty treats. If your puppy is very food motivated then you can use your puppy's normal kibble for this. Using your puppy's own kibble as a reward will help to keep your puppy healthy and will teach your puppy to work for his food, so that better treats can be saved for high-level training needs.

If you are using the 'Yelping' method then you will also need patience and at least two months to teach this, so that you can gradually increase the difficulty level as your puppy improves. If you are using the 'Leave It' method, in addition to food you will also need lots of items that your puppy finds tempting to practice with. These items can be balls and other toys, clothing articles like socks, shoes, shirts, and gloves, paper wads, sticks, leaves, stuffed animals, and anything else that your puppy likes to put in his mouth. If you are using ' the 'Pressure' method then you will need a thick glove if you do not want to use your bare hand. A leather gardening or work glove should work well for this. You will also need a no-nonsense attitude and a calm demeanor. With all of the methods, you will need consistency and the ability to remain patient, calm, and boring.

The Yelping Method

Effective

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Step

Say "ouch!"

To begin, whenever your puppy bites you hard enough to cause pain, say "Ouch!" in a loud and high pitched voice, then turn your back to your puppy, cross your arms, and ignore your puppy for five minutes. This is to let your puppy know that biting too hard hurts, and that you will stop playing with him if he does it.

Step

Call him back

After it has been five minutes, if your puppy has left you alone, then call your puppy over, have him do something for you, such as 'sit', and then resume playing with him. It is important for you to be the one who initiates the playing again by calling him over and having him do something for you. If your puppy is biting your pants or trying to get your attention in some other way at the end of the five minutes, then wait until he stops for two minutes before calling him back. This may take up to thirty minutes the first time. Hold your ground and stand firm. If it gets really bad then leave the room rather than stand with your back turned to him.

Step

Require a softer bite

Practice yelping and ignoring your puppy every time that he bites you to the point of pain, until your puppy begins to bite more softly. When your puppy's bite hurts less, then begin to yelp and ignore him whenever he simply applies pressure. When you ignore him now, rather than simply turning your back to him, leave the room for the five minutes.

Step

Call him back

Like before, when you return after the five minutes, call him to yourself and have him do something for you before you resume playing with him again.

Step

Require no biting

When your puppy stops applying pressure when he bites you, and is only touching you gently with his mouth, then begin to yelp and ignore him whenever he even touches you with his teeth. When you leave the room now, leave the room for ten minutes. After the ten minutes are up, return and call him back to you. Have him do something for you, and then resume playing afterwards.

Step

Practice

Repeat yelping and ignoring your puppy for any form of biting until your puppy no longer touches you with his mouth at all.

The Leave It Method

Effective

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Step

Hold food

To begin, place several pieces of food in one hand and several more in a location that is out of your puppy's sight and reach. Good options are your pocket or a shelf or table nearby. Make a fist around the pieces of food in your hand and allow you puppy to sniff your closed hand.

Step

Add command

Tell your puppy to "leave it" while you keep your hand tightly closed. When he gives up trying to get the food for even a couple of seconds then praise him, tell him "take it", and then offer him a piece of the hidden food from the nearby location. Do not offer the food in your hand though.

Step

Repeat

Practice having your puppy leave food in your hand alone until he will immediately leave it alone when told to. Gradually make it harder by having your hand open when you do this, by placing the treat on the floor with your foot next to it, and by dropping pieces of food onto the floor for him to leave. Whenever you do any of this be ready to close your hand or cover the food with a foot or hand if your puppy tries to get the food. Otherwise he will not learn to 'leave it'.

Step

Practice with objects

When your puppy will leave food alone whenever he is told, then practice having your puppy leave other tempting items in your hand or under your foot alone. Items might include tennis Balls, socks, gloves, shirts, shoes, paper wads, stuffed animals, sticks, leaves, or anything else that your puppy finds really desirable. Practice with these items until your puppy will leave whatever you tell him to alone.

Step

Practice with yourself

When your puppy will leave objects and food alone very well, then whenever your puppy begins to bite you or your clothing, tell your puppy to 'leave it'. While you do this, keep very still and quiet to prevent your puppy from thinking that you are playing. When your puppy stops for even a couple of seconds, then praise him and tell him "take it" while offering him a treat. Practice this until your puppy will immediately stop biting you whenever you tell him to 'leave it'.

Step

Be consistent

Once your puppy will stop biting you whenever you say "leave it", remain consistent by always acting boring and commanding him to 'leave it' whenever he bites you. By always commanding him to 'leave it' and never tolerating biting, you are discouraging him from attempting to bite in the future, and you are convincing him that biting is no longer fun for him.

The Pressure Method

Effective

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Step

Find a glove

To begin, find a thick glove such as a leather gardening glove. If your puppy's bite is hard enough to hurt, then either choose another method, or if you feel comfortable, wear the glove while doing this.

Step

Block your body

When you are interacting with your puppy and he begins to bite you, place your gloved hand in front of him to block his mouth from grabbing other areas of your body.

Step

Apply pressure

If he bites your hand instead, which he likely will do, then with your hand flat, press your hand into the back of his mouth so that you are putting pressure onto the area where his upper and lower jaw meet. Do this until he tries to spit your hand out himself. The area where his jaws meet in the back of his mouth is a sensitive area, so pressure applied there is uncomfortable for him and will make biting you uncomfortable rather than fun for him.

Step

Repeat

If your puppy tries to bite you again after doing this, which many excited puppies will do, then repeat the pressure on his jaws. Do this every time that he tries to bite until he decides that biting is unpleasant and gives up. When you do this it is important to be firm and still, and not act excited, loud, or run away. If you act excited or scared then your puppy will think that you are playing and it will encourage him to bite even more.

Step

Be consistent

Every time that your puppy tries to bite you, block him with your hand and apply pressure if he bites your hand. Your puppy should gradually bite less and less often as you remain consistent.

Step

Praise his efforts at not biting

When your puppy stops himself from biting you when you show him your hand, then praise him in a calm and kind tone of voice. It is important to praise his efforts at being good so that he learns what he should be doing when he is excited, which is exhibiting self-control.

Success Stories and Training Questions

Training Questions and Answers

Question

Rocky

Boxer

2 Months

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Question

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Rocky

Boxer

2 Months

Bites a lot (hands, feet and legs) and sometimes even growls

8 months, 3 weeks ago

Rocky's Owner

Caitlin Crittenden

Dog Trainer

460 Dog owners recommended

Hello Nicole, At his age that is completely normal and how puppies naturally interact with other puppies and learn - they have to be taught not to bite people. I suggest following the Yelping method right now while also working on the Leave It method. When she gets good at the Leave It command, then you can switch to that and can enforce your Leave It command by using the Pressure method as a gentle way to discipline I she disobeys Leave It. It's important to teach her self-control with the Yelping method Leave It command before disciplining for the biting though or she won't understand why she is being disciplined or what to do instead of biting. She is young, doing what comes naturally, and needs your help to learn something new. https://wagwalking.com/training/train-a-boxer-puppy-to-not-bite Best of luck training, Caitlin Crittenden

8 months, 3 weeks ago

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Question

Jeffrey

Boxer

14 Weeks

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Question

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Jeffrey

Boxer

14 Weeks

Our boxer puppy is biting a lot, my 8 year old son was playing with him in the garden earlier when I heard him screaming, he has bitten him all over breaking the skin in a few places, he even clawed his pyjama pants down and bit his bum, bit wife’s ear leaving a gash and broke skin many other times with different people, he is wagging tail when doing it so it looks like play, any suggestions with the children?

8 months ago

Jeffrey's Owner

Caitlin Crittenden

Dog Trainer

460 Dog owners recommended

Hello Daniel, Work on teaching your pup the "Out" command, which means leave the area. Check out the article linked below for how to do that. You can enforce the command for your kids too once you have taught him what the command means. When they tell him "Out" if he does not obey, get between him and the child and firmly but calmly walk toward him and herd him out of the area near your child until he is several feet away. Stand in front of him, blocking him from getting back to the child until he stops trying to return to that area or walks away from the area entirely. Be firm and calm when you do this. If you get flustered he will likely think you are playing. By using Out, you are teaching him to leave the area completely (removing the temptation to bite) and you are conveying with body language that what you are blocking him from belongs to you and he needs to respect that space or thing. https://www.petful.com/behaviors/how-to-teach-a-dog-the-out-command/ Also, work on teaching the "Leave It" command. Check out the article linked below and the "Leave It" method. He needs to develop impulse control and Leave It around moving objects is one way to help with that. https://wagwalking.com/training/train-a-shih-tzu-puppy-to-not-bite Also, enroll him in a puppy class that has time for puppy play and socialization in a structured way, where the trainer separates puppies to give them a break if things get to rough. This is moderated play and playing with other puppies can help pups learn how to control how hard they bite when they bite. Ideally the class would also have time where everyone practices passing each other's puppies around and handling them while they give treats to teach tolerance too. Many classes also include teaching Leave It. If you can find a Sirius Pup brand class in your city, they may teach all of those things. Look for a similar type of class though. Best of luck training, Caitlin Crittenden

8 months ago

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Question

Klitschko

Boxer

1 Year

1 found helpful

Question

1 found helpful

Klitschko

Boxer

1 Year

My boxer dog is already a year old.. We have tried different things with him when he was younger (more of a puppy) but he just can't seem to stop biting. Whenever we try to play with him and give him attention, he will bite and attack us.. We tried the yelp method, but it just doesn't seem to work for him. I feel like he thinks he is the alfa of the family, and I just want to know if there's anyway we could change that. Thank you so much for taking your time to help!!

5 months, 4 weeks ago

Klitschko's Owner

Caitlin Crittenden

Dog Trainer

460 Dog owners recommended

Hello Lana, First, I suggest teaching him the Leave It command. Check out the article linked below and follow the Leave It method: https://wagwalking.com/training/train-a-shih-tzu-puppy-to-not-bite Second, work on building his respect by practicing the following commands and protocols to build his impulse control, respect, calmness, and listening: Place: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=omg5DVPWIWo Crate manners: https://thegooddog.net/training-videos/free-how-to-training-videos/learn-to-train-the-good-dog-way-the-crate/ Thresholds: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_-w28C2g68M Heel article - The turns method: https://wagwalking.com/training/train-a-poodle-to-heel Heel Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OTiKVc4ZZWo Dog Training Do’s https://www.solidk9training.com/sk9-blog/2016/09/08/the-ten-commandments-of-dog-training-and-ownership-do-2 Best of luck training, Caitlin Crittenden

5 months, 4 weeks ago

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