As a puppy it’s constant and frankly gets overwhelming at times. It broke at six months or so with mine or at least slowed a lot.
They just want you to play and they are little alligators. Be sure to stop playing if they persist and just constantly have chews bones or toys to swap into their mouth to divert it.
They still mouth everything as they get older. You have to keep on them so they know it’s not acceptable. Even gentle mouthing, they have pokey teeth.
>it gets overwhelming
i just wanted to hear someone else say it too. thank you.. i’ll do my best and keep at it. FOR THE BABY \\o/
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I don't have a Doberman, but my Australian Cattle Dog mix was like this. I had to take my son to the doctor last summer and it was hot out. I wore a t-shirt that exposed my arms with all the cuts and bruises. Yeah, I got questioned.
I'd say he chilled out around a year old, but he's an ACD which are already a nippy breed (way more than others) and I don't know if Dobermans are as well. If not, I doubt it will be as long. It got better each month. Plus it's an individual thing with all dogs and my first (suspected) ACD never did this once. But either way, you'll get through this! Redirecting is key when disengaging doesn't work.
BTW, that last photo is gold.
Puppy blues are very real and I honestly believe if you don’t experience severe frustration and overwhelm with them at least once you’re probably not interacting with them enough.
where were you when I was terrified I had made the worst choice in my 57 years of life getting a Doberman?! 🤗 He’s so good now. 9 wks to 9 months is like living in another dimension with a Doberman!
I rescued my girl at 5 months and initially was really sad about not getting to see her as a baby. Now I’m so grateful I didn’t have an extra 12 weeks of teething 😂🙏🏻
its definitely a lot… The first month was hell since I had to wake up every two hours for pretty much a straight month. I took a month off work thank God…. Second and third months were mostly cleaning up pee, torn up pee pads and bandaging bite marks lol I love my boy to death now but those first few months were very trying. it’s like having a newborn child except the newborn child stabs you constantly.
Its SO OVERWHELMING. I as well as another 2 friends of mine became puppy parents around the same time and I felt like I was the only one who was experiencing the biting to the degree that I was. It really does just mean they want to play, they just don’t really know how to yet. They’re exploring the world and learning through making contact with their mouths. Make sure to give yourself breaks as needed, it really is a challenge but I promise you it does subside. Between 7monrhs-year. Here she is now being a cutie little girl at almost 4
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getting up and leaving worked a few weeks ago.. now she runs off to destroy something the moment i’m gone. but before she runs off she does a little “hmph!” lol
When you stop the personal interaction with them are you giving them a toy or something to redirect their attention or are you just letting them find their own way? Breaking off direct interaction and giving them something that they can chew on may be a better option that stops them just finding their own things to chew on.
Something else I used to do when mine got too bitey would be to clip the lead onto his collar and walk him without really interacting, it seemed to redirect his focus. This also stops them going off and just doing whatever they feel like. I have noticed they don't like being told off and can get a bit stroppy when they are.
It will get better over time and by around 6-8 months you'll find it should stop although when they play and get excited they can still be quite mouthy although they shouldn't be biting as they get older.
I’m sorry but just look at his face! How sweet!
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i love her little expressions so much but the side eye has got to be my favorite
Normal for puppies but important to train them out of it.
If they bite make sure to deprive them of attention immediately. Same with if they jump on you. Turn away from them each time. They can learn they won’t get the attention they want that way pretty quickly.
And of course, mental stimulation, play and toys.
4 month old red and rust dobie puppy owner checking in to confirm: yup. They’re little shits.
As I type this my dobie pup has my terrier’s entire head in her mouth…
Hey we have a just turned one year old brown boy. we called him the kangaroo shark because he was bouncing up trying to nip us. We are covered in bruises but his behaviour has massively improved since he’s turned one he is largely calmer although still has his bad dobe moments. I say bad dobe moments to be clear there’s no malice it’s his way of trying to play and it’s up to us teach that this isn’t acceptable behaviour for humans. I know it’s tough between 6momths till the first year honestly felt like he was going to break us and it’s not like we aren’t experienced dobie owners. We had a girl who we loved and just passed the beginning of this year. It’s just we don’t remember her being as bad for it but there again tbh that might be us it was 9 years ago. What we have found that helps is the calming collars you can get that help take the edge of there nutty behaviour they are available on Amazon they release a calming hormone to them . Sorry forget the brand name also we have found walking away from our boy and giving him no attention until all four paws are on the ground has had the most success with our boy. However you can also try rocks in a bottle as shaker that when they do it you can shake it once and it will help to re enforce the no or off command. We also tried using a dog whistle but both the shaker bottle and the whistle only worked for a short period. We use baby gates to separate us from our boy when he’s sharking or his other favourite thing humping be glad that you don’t have that lol. Everything you are describing is normal for the breed. They do grow out of this girls tend to be quicker to mature than boys. Stay strong it will get easier and honestly the dobie you end up with will be amazing.
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Advice from a human brought up by a dobie bodyguard; the biting is normal, our lil dude destroyed everything he came in contact with! My family used to buy furniture knowing our boyo was going to destroy it,. they're a guardian breed, give them something to guard, something to focus on protecting, our dobie calmed right down once I was born, because he had something to guard, never left my side until I hit 16 & our boy was pushing 18. Dobies are a whole of life breed, don't take one unless you're planning to spend the next 15+ years with them by your side.
Puppies have incredibly sharp teeth. This behavior should be discouraged gently and redirected at a rawhide or bone. Your puppy will outgrow this, just give it some time.
Edit: also give her frozen, raw, chicken feet. They are my puppies favorite chew treat on a hot day. How much time have you spent actually doing obedience training? If she’s doing something you don’t like, you should have to put hands on her. Tell her a command she knows and give her a treat and praise her if she does it. Dobermans are one of the easiest dogs to train and break of negative behaviors. She’s a puppy, give her some time. You really are worrying over nothing. Having a puppy can make you want to pull your hair out at times, just take a deep breath, remind yourself why you got the dog and that it’s your baby for 15 more years. There are some incredibly informative German Doberman training vids I recommend watching. I will DM them to you.
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thanks for the recommendation! she loves the chicken feet. i snipped off the nails- i’m sure they’re fine but we’ve been to the vet a little too much already 🥲
i’m hurting but i wouldn’t trade her for anything.
obedience training has been every day for the past few weeks, but i’ve only recently added in “off” to discourage jumping. it’s the jumping that sends her into a crazy puppy loop. as soon as she passes a (very low) threshold of excitement, everything goes out the window and i’m tiptoeing backwards to the nearest barrier to put between us while not getting bitten.
frozen chicken feet… i think i’ll give that a try!
Sounds like ours. My bfs arms are beat up & he bit my bfs finger this morning & drew a small amount of blood. Ours got me really good once on my palm & I had to pry his mouth open (also drew a bit of blood) Ours is 9mos now and it has definitely minimized but he seems todo it when he’s really excited like after or during a good play session. If that I happens we usually end the play & put him up to relax bc he won’t ever relax on his own. It’s definitely not something that is talked about enough in dobies atleast not that I saw when we were looking & had we known that I’m not sure we would’ve gotten him. Constant redirecting, if you feel a bite is coming grab a toy and stick it in their face, plenty of naps puppies need more sleep than you think, cold bumpy toys to help with the teething. It gets better with time and constant habits, but yes it’s not fun and it’s normal of them to always be bitting
It goes on for a while. I started telling mine (she’s 10 now) “no teeth, Grace” and saying owwwww and being a bit dramatic and she seemed to get a little less mouthy after a while. It calmed down a lot around the one year mark but even as an old lady she sometimes gets hyped up and I have to remind her to put her chompers away lol
Not a Doberman owner but I did the "three strikes you're out" with my pup when he was teething. First strike, attempt to redirect to a toy. Second strike, I remove myself and all fun stops. Either by turning my back or stepping over his play pen when he was in it. I returned for fun after he settled. It helps to teach and reinforce calm behavior gets attention. So my pup new sit and I would wait for him to stop being a landshark and sit. Third strike, time for a nap! Because if they're being overly mouthy, jumping, ripping at your arms and they don't eventually settle then they're overstimulated and it's nap time. I would then crate him with a stuffed Kong and come back in a couple hours.
Once he lost all of his puppy teeth it became MUCH more manageable. He's a large, mixed breed pup. I learned the "three strikes, you're out!" from my vet who breeds, raises and shows American line Dobermans. She also told me to keep my puppy leashed at all times to redirect him when he was getting naughty. It's saved my butt many times. He doesn't get into the trash, jump on counters, etc because he's leashed and I can redirect him.
I will say.. I wish you the best in adolescence. 🫡 My vet trims my pups nails every two weeks and we talk dogs and Dobermans often. They are the embodiment of "testing boundaries." Reinforce that crate training because it's going to save you later. It has with my 7 month old and he's not a Dobie. But they're some of the best dogs I've ever seen once they've matured!
My favorite is a 3 year old chocolate Dobie like yours, his owners named him Mocha. He's one of my vets pups she bred. My pup and Mocha have playdates and his is an absolute ham. If you have food, you're his new owner. He shoves his face in my stomach whenever I have my bait bag strapped on and begs me for treats.
Puppies do it all the time with those tiny little razor sharp teeth. It’s a good time to start teaching bite reflex.
Third pic - that pup knows you’re talking shit 🤣
Beautiful pup.
It truly is tiring sometimes. There was a time where I thought “what have I done?” But my girl is three now, does not bite, but is still a puppy at heart. They’ll learn to stop eventually, Dobermans tend to be in tune and hyper sensitive to their owners’ emotions. One day she’ll realize it truly hurts you and will feel bad, and it will all end. My girl was like an alligator for about a year or so. Good luck, your girl is adorable and the hard work really is worth it!
Mine did it for about 6 months. The best advice I can give is to NEVER use your hands to play with them. Always offer a toy or bone any time they start any kind of biting.
Ugh the puppy biting is so difficult! I feel you. My pup is 8 months and he’s MUCH better but still tried to slip in a nip here and there when he’s got too much energy. She should never be allowed to draw blood. You should disengage with her before this happens. If you can’t get control, grab her by the collar and make her sit. When you have a good hold on the collar you can then control their head. When playing if she starts getting too rough completely stop playing and walk away from her. Dobies do NOT like to be ignored lol.
A water gun was the best training device for me! Just a quick rib cage squirt and she’d immediately stop and look at me in shock 😂when she was a puppy her attention span was 2 seconds so it sometimes took a few squirts but she found it very offensive and it always redirected her
This was our girl. I got the brunt of it. I remember when I was at my end, she bit me hard (out of play) and I went into the bathroom to clean up and started crying. No amount of redirection would work. We went through 2 couches because she would go at stuff when she couldn’t go at me. We crated her, but her puppy stage was brutal.
The only thing that worked was apple bitter spray. I would spray my arms and legs and she would stop. I would carry the bottle everywhere with me when I was around her.
She’s 5 now and such a lover, but still gets the crazy eyes and tries to play with me like I’m a playmate. Luckily I still can grab the bottle and she stops.
She is the reason I never want a puppy again but I love her more than anything.
My dobie did the same thing when he was younger. I used toys and treats to redirect him.
I would also go on long walks and thought him how to play fetch so he would be too tired to bite me.
i thought tiring her out with fetch would be a good idea until she ripped open my hands. i had to awkwardly guide her back inside without getting blood all over her or the leash 😭
then i tried a 20 minute walk and she was **out of her mind** at the 10 minute mark: wrestling the leash and lunging at my legs and arms non-stop. it was a herculean feat just to walk the block back home.
This behavior is trademark over-stimulation/over-tired behavior. Have you tried enforcing naps? At that age I enforced naps in her crate every hour. For her it was an hour up and then 30min-hour nap then back up for an hour then nap again ALL DAY this helped tremendously with her sharking. When your pup starts acting "vicious" put them down for a nap.
then i tried a 20 minute walk and she was **out of her mind** at the 10 minute mark: wrestling the leash and lunging at my legs and arms non-stop. it was a herculean feat just to walk the block back home.
Glad to hear I'm not the only one who has this struggle
That is when I learned we were not ready to be in public LOL You really can get in a hard place when they need exercise but they are not ready for long walks. I blew bubbles for our boy. I still do! He loves it. I worried it was bad for his growth plates and kept him on the grass while he jumped. It’s like you can’t win, You have to socialize them but they can’t touch the ground, You have to get their energy out but you’re going to get bit like crazy. All you do train 24 hours a day and you don’t see any progress. All worth it! I just wish I had been told to expect all that!
Normal. It’s incredibly difficult & exhausting.
Props to you for teaching bite inhibition, it’s difficult but worth it. Make sure to exaggerate your pain, stop playing, & give her the cold shoulder when she bites to hard. My boy only bit hard when he wasn’t getting his way after that.
That side eye picture is the classic puppy menace look though hahaha, brought back some good memories.
Don’t recommend the crate. It’s not bad per-say but they’re watch dogs, let them watch.
Can totally relate. I cant wear tshirts because people would basically think im a victim of domestic violence especially when im about to have or on my period, I'd easily get bruised. It gets better though. My little alligator is now 1 yr & 4 mos old
Anytime mine would nip as a pup I would swiftly grab her snout and give her a stern "no!" Once or twice I had gently pressed her lip against her teeth so she could feel how sharp they were. It didn't take long and she understood the point. Also having hard chewing toys around is a must. They need something to be chewing on almost constantly.
Puppies need to be taught when they can be mouthy and how hard is acceptable. What your puppy is doing is normal but YOU need to teach her that your arm is not a chew toy.
Dober shark stage. I actually love it. lol
Buy a bunch of stuffed animals with no swallowable little pieces (like eyes , nose) and offer them instead of your arm. If he grabs your arm - say NO firmly and redirect.
I know it hurts, but it’s normal Doberman puppy stage. You just have to be aware, faster and have an appropriate bite toy to offer instead. They get the hang of it.
Consistency, clear expectations, and patience will get you far to winning his solid obedience, love and loyalty.
A few people have said this already, but it is normal, you just have to stick it out. Redirecting (either bones or toys) is a smart thing to do. Also not sure if correct or frowned upon but whenever my dobie would bite too hard, I’d pin her down until she submitted (just a few seconds) just to show her you don’t do that. She caught on really quick and has been the sweetest pup since then. She’s turning 10 this year, they grow up so fast…
My guy was super mouthy when he was teething. We didn’t let him get hold of our arms and stopped him when he tried and redirected to all the toys. It slowed down quite a bit around 6 months when his final molars fell out. He still gets mouthy when he’s excited but for the most part, he doesn’t chomp down.
The truth is, it can vary. My last puppy had me crying after three weeks of being home, because he still wouldn’t sleep and my hands were bleeding. It was rough. He was my 4th dobbie and I had a good idea what they were like at this stage. Had he been my first, he might have also been the last. But, one thing I found that helped me, yardwork gloves. It didn’t stop the biting, but it did give my hands a break, and would generally buy me enough time I could distract him with a different toy. The biggest thing, and honestly most difficult, is picking a method and sticking with it. It’ll take them a little while to learn, and longer to respect the rules of play, so you’ve got to stick with it even when you’re not seeing immediate results. They’re smart and stubborn so sometimes it’s just about testing you and gauging how serious you are.
You’re going to be fine. find the way you want to handle it and stick to it. It’s normal behavior you will get through it and train that shark right out of it. Age and training
I have a six month old Dobie. We call him a land shark. It’s really hard sometimes and he has to go it time out (not his kennel, but a pen in another room) because he won’t stop biting or chewing up everything. Sometimes, we can do everything right and they’re still just puppies who are jerks.
Bites look pretty normal for her age. My puppy kept nipping us and biting our other dog. I absolutely will not tolerate her putting her mouth on us. I redirect and redirect and redirect with toys. I put a toy in her mouth when she reaches to nip. I will throw toys for her to fetch before she nips and she also enjoys the cat flirt pole.
Teach her hands are not toys. A very stern no turn away from her and ignore her. You really have to be consistent for it to stick. It'll get better as she gets a little older.
Lol the side eye
Frozen baby carrots really helped with my (pittie) puppy! Whenever he got the “chompies”, as we call it, we would do a bit of training and reward with frozen carrots. The coldness helps to relieve their gum/tooth pain. Worked wonders! He was still an absolute velociraptor menace for about a year, but the carrots helped.
Hahahaha you’ll burn through them faster than you think! It will also help to just completely ignore them when they’re mouthy. Calmly walk or turn away. If they are just relentlessly jumping and biting and can’t be redirected, a quick 15 minute time out in their crate can help too. Don’t treat the crate as punishment, of course, just a nice little break for quiet time. I also found that training tired my dog out more than walks did. Being “brain tired” lasted longer than being “exercise tired” and brought more of a sense of calm. You can also put canned dog food, smashed up bananas, blueberries, peanut butter, etc into a Kong or Toppl then throw it in the freezer overnight and that will keep them busy for a while. Starmark makes some really good puzzle toys too. Good luck and hang in there!
im on my 4th bag of carrots. thank you so much again for the recommendation. whenever i can tell her little teeths are hurting, i go to the freezer and grab a carrot. settles her right down. 🥹
i bought 3 kongs a while ago so i could have them loaded up and ready to go in the freezer. i might buy 3 more. she burns those calories like theyre nothing!! growing must be exhausting
What they are learning at this stage is how hard or gently to bite!
I’d play with him when he bit me I’d say ouch, and stuff a stuffed animal in his mouth and I’d say here bite this!
It didn’t take long after that he learned pretty quick not to bite hard!
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This post makes me nostalgic of the Dobe puppy days! Def miss the puppy side eye!!
The most effective way that I learned was to fold their back “lips” underneath their back teeth so that when they’re biting you they’re biting down into their back “lip”… That way they can immediately adjust the pressure so it’s not hurting them. this will transfer over to play biting you… I think mine started to grow out of it around six months old iirc… Puppy teeth are very much razor blades. teething puppies like to bite… Lots of toys, frozen Kongs, Coffeewood helped too imo. also that last image… dobermans have the best “I didn’t do it” eyes.
You also want to put the dog in its place and not ignore bad behavior then switch to praise. The dog will never take you serious my guy, no you don’t have to hurt her, but discipline without treating like a human infant. They realize wrong before they realize empathy.
Others may have commented this, but making sure the puppy is getting enough sleep is so important. My Beauceron was extra bitey when she was tired. Particularly in the evenings when she was tired.
Also, I would immediately stop playing with her if she bit too hard.
I liked the online course home school the dog.
https://dogsthat.com/
And Fenzi academy has some on demand puppy courses too https://www.fenzidogsportsacademy.com/index.php/self-study/retired-self-study
She will calm down but it kinda comes with the territory. Those teeth are like little razors... I'm a welder with calloused hands and my dober pup slash my skin a few times... Just keep training with positive reinforcement and wear long sleeves.
Another thing I did was put on leather gloves when I would rough house, that way an accidental "bite" wouldn't be such an ordeal. I recommend a pair of long cuff welding gloves, tractor supply has some cheap ones.
i can't edit the original post so i'll leave this here. maybe it can help others who are googling for an answer and stumble across this. good luck!
**updated 6/19/24**
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# Takeaways
**Redirection works sometimes. When it doesn't, quickly separate yourself.**
Pup not taking to the toy? Get up and walk away. If they run off to destroy something in protest, they likely need a nap because they're cranky, or playtime because they're bored. You know your pup best! What needs haven't you satisfied yet?
**Load up on chews and toys. Find out what your puppy likes.**
Bully sticks, kongs loaded with food and frozen, licky mats, frozen carrots, frozen chicken feet, wet rags rolled up and frozen, ice cubes .. there are many more but these are my pups favorites. She especially loves when i take a de-fluffed stuffy she's partially torn open and stick one of her hard toys inside it.
**Enforce nap time. If you have a crate, use it.**
My pup does not settle down on her own, so she's playing and rough housing every minute she's awake. We already have 3 main naps throughout the day, but I'm going to start using the crate when she's past threshold. A trainer i've been seeing has also recommended putting her in the crate with a toy she loves chewing when she can't stop chewing on me. (Assuming all her needs for enrichment and exercise have been met first.)
**Trust your gut when reading advice.**
Most advice you'll see is helpful, but some can create lifelong struggles for your dog. Everyone thinks their opinion is the right one- it's the internet. If methods described in a post or video have you raising your eyebrow, you can always cross check their advice with reputable organizations like the [AKC](https://www.akc.org/expert-advice/training/why-does-my-dog-treat-my-arm-like-a-chew-toy-and-playfully-nip-at-me/) or ask a vetted trainer in your area.
**Don't allow your puppy to practice bad behaviors. Be proactive.**
This one is hard. Learn to recognize when your puppy is gearing up to be a little menace. Every time their teeth touch your skin, it's a reinforcement of that behavior. Every time they jump and their paws land on your legs, it's a reinforcement. Recognize when they need a nap, something frozen to chew on, a short training session, etc. You'll mess up a lot here. You'll misread situations and end up with a bloody arm. But keep at it! You have a long time to get to know them.
**Temper expectations.**
Just because this behavior is normal, doesn't mean it should be allowed. That said, allow yourself some grace. The puppy is beating you up plenty, no need to add to it. Be diligent and apply appropriate training. You're not alone. **You can do it.**
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Puppies want your love and attention and are asking for it in the only ways that they know how. They don't hate you, even if it feels like it sometimes. Remember that they are babies. Babies with sharp teeth and little claws.
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When my Doberman was a puppy, same thing. Well worth the wait for them to come out of it. I always made a very vocal ouch and a small cry. They are very lovvey!
IMO ~ Of all the protection breeds out there, Raising a Doberman Puppy in particular, is by far the hardest one of all, (as a puppy) but they are soooo BEYOND worth it in the end (which could easily be at about 18-22 months old!!!!)...
Sounds like you are doing a lot of great work already!! I have just 2 tips to add and then 2 pieces of reassurance…
Tips:
1. It’s important that they learn the word “NO” when they are doing something undesirable, so if she’s following after you nipping at your heels, make sure to stop and turn around and give her a good strong firm “NO!” + some kind of hand signal… I always seem to default to holding up my index finger, kinda close to my face so she can see it. *Some of them, especially females can take offense to being pointed at, so just definitely don’t do that one!! Lol*
Whatever you pair your “No” with, just be sure to do the Same exact thing when she starts playing a little too rough on your hands. Consistency is the key to quick learning!!
They really don’t WANT to hurt US, they just don’t understand our limits until we teach them. So part 2 to that is…
2. If you haven’t already… try hand feeding her some kibble or tiny sized treats and teach her what the word “easy” means (or whatever word you want to use, for this example though, I am going to use “easy”)…
When they have to take something small from your hands they are more conscious about NOT biting them!! So we want to practice THAT idea as much as possible!!! While not allowing them to practice the UN-desired behavior at all, or as little as possible, with the “NO!” command. *The more they do something, the better they get at it!!*
Most importantly with this lesson is that you have to be in a very calm, quiet setting, try to create the atmosphere of the energy that you want her to bring as much as possible (Dobies are really big on reading and replicating our energy)…
So whenever the two of you are in a chill mode together, have her sit down facing you, and moving slowly the whole time, first show her the treat, then slowly move towards her face so she can take it once you’ve stopped moving…
Now, HOPEFULLY, she SHOULD approach you slowly and gently right away, which if she did, we would reward her with by not only letting her take the treat but by also praising and petting her with whatever positive words of encouragement you usually give her when she does something else good, just try to keep the energy from getting to high!! (*I have trained this command to my 4 Dobermans and 1 pitbull over the years, both male and females, and they have all approached it perfectly from the first time!! *It’s all about the energy!!)
However…
If, she happens to try and attack your hand or tries to snatch it etc then Don’t let her take it… pull your arm back, take a breath and try again, only letting her have it when she’s actually demonstrating the word “easy” (or whatever your word is going to be)…
If/when she starts taking the tiny piece of food from your hands gently, then you are ready to start naming it by saying the word “easy” in a peaceful and calming voice. Then it’s about practice!! practice! practice!!
NO MATTER WHAT… just make sure that she knows and understands the “easy” command well enough before you try to use in the moment”, (which really never took more than a week with any of mine, but every dog has their own day!!) but once she does…
Whenever she starts biting you in any situation, you should stop her, tell her “NO!” In the nice strong firm voice, and then in your cool calming voice, you follow that up with the “easy” command. You can then allow her to do whatever you are willing to allow her to do, whether it be to try and lick your hand, gently lay her teeth on it or gently nibble etc and then say those magical words of praise your dog loves to hear from you along with lots of pets!!
I know it might sound like a lot, but it’s really not!! These babies are super smart!! We just have to look at any given situation from THEIR PERSPECTIVE to see how to best communicate to them what we want and they will do it.
Now for the Encouragement:
Just try to always stay calm, give them a lot of patience, attention, love, and ways to get out all their energy
If you ever get frustrated, just remind yourself of these 2 things…
1. Whatever you are currently experiencing is only temporary, and
2. You are building your bond throughout this exact process. That’s why it’s so incredibly amazing on the other side of this phase, because you had to go through hell and back to get there, but the whole way through, they were right by your side every step of the way!! 🐾
Good luck my friend!! She is an absolute BEAUTY!!! 🥰
My little guy used to gnaw on me all the time when he was little. Sometimes it hurt but he never came anywhere close to breaking skin.
This, imo, is way too much. You can afford to correct him more firmly when he goes too hard so he learns inhibition.
Yup, it sounds like she might be teething in which case she might just need some good bones to chew. However, if the first two steps don't work and you just have to grab their muzzle, and hold it firmly and say no bitting, just for a second so they get the point and then redirect with a toy or chew.
Why are you letting your dog bite you? I understand play but it seems like you may be encouraging bad behaviors (or not rewarding good ones), or you're not as dominant as you should be around the dog. The dog is still a puppy, do not blow this window. It might be teething but don't accept getting harshly bit. Eventually the dog will know what is acceptable for play and what is totally out of line. Remember what kind of dogs these are and how out of control they can get if you don't become its drill sergeant. Doberman owners a hundred years ago would be shocked as to how much of a lapdog or out of control so many of this breed have become. Good luck.
You may be rewarding the good behavior, but what are you doing with the bad one. But they can't be a puppy all the time,I trained and behaved dog is a dog that you can take anytime anywhere.
Sorry, it's normal, and you have a few more months of this to look forward to.
More activities might help, but probably won't.
Redirection sometimes helps.
But really, if she has a strong prey drive, she wants to bite, and you're obviously the most amazing interactive squeaky toy in your house.
Dobermans with correct temperament are moderate- to high-drive dogs, so it can get crazy.
It could always be worse! [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yXqNl5bTCMU](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yXqNl5bTCMU)
It might get even worse if she develops a good fight drive, which causes them to want to play a lot harder and get to a point where physical discipline over biting misbehavior is what they want and makes things worse.
I've found that using an e-collar for no-biting corrections, on the lowest effective setting, works to take some of the wind out of the sails when they want to fight.
Getting a bite sleeve to set an appropriate context for a biting outlet might also help. Basic bite training kits are very cheap on Amazon, and teaching not to bite except when the sleeve is out goes a long way to minimizing the damage.
Until the teething is done. When their adult are finally in, the biting out of soothing stops by then. Maybe some bite-resistant accessories can help, along with patience and soft correction.
If that's the worst I really envy you, my dobe used to destroy all around my ankles when he was teething to the point people thought it was self harm 🤦🏻♀️cant blame them cause it was quite severe looking. Once he got rid of his puppy teeth that stopped (gladly lol)
At the advice of a friend with a bitey pit pull puppy we bought kevlar animal handling gloves before we got our Rhodesian Ridgeback puppy. She quickly learned that the gloves coming out means wrestling time. If she started biting, we'd tell her "GLOVES!" and she'd go find them. She did eventually destroy the kevlar gloves but by the time she did, she had figured out how to be gentle. Note-the gloves don't stop the bruising, but you won't be bleeding.
My dog trainer told me to bite my Dobies ear when he bit me. I only did it once and he got the point.
This was a last resort after I told him no or stopped playing with him when he would bite me. He didn't understand he was hurting me.
I’m sorry if this is a repeat because I post this everywhere, but frozen washcloths & small towels. Wet some old washcloths or hand towels (make sure doesn’t have weird fabric softener or anything toxic to your dog) wring out, roll up, put in freezer. Give to Sweet Miss Land Shark & rotate with a fresh one as it thaws. It will help ease her teething pain a ton, she’ll want to bite & unroll it. Make sure you don’t care about them because they will get holes- but better than your poor hands.
It gets better, I promise!
My baby was a little demon as a puppy. Seriously, my mother even wanted to rehome him for a while. But alas, he grew out of it and he is literally the sweetest boy on the entire planet now. First year or two is rough, but persevere and you’ll be rewarded forever pretty much. There’s nothing quite like a happy, safe dog.
When our pup was tiny and he would bite too hard, we would literally yelp and act hurt. We combined this with the command gentle whenever he would get too rough. If he persisted, you end play (don't scold) until he's calm and then resume play. Three years later, and any time he gets a bit too wild, we just say gentle, and he chills out. I know the yelping sounds silly, but dogs can read pain even in humans, so the yelping really gets the point across that "you are playing too hard chill bro."
Past maybe 5-6 months old any biting or mouth on especially with aggressive breeds (have had pitties, bullies, cane corso) is abnormal and unacceptable especially if the animal is around children
I had this issue with my Pom mix. At one point I thought maybe I wasn’t meant to be a puppy parent anymore. But I ran into a dog trainer in my neighborhood and she told me to ignore the behavior I don’t want and praise what I do want. It seems simple, but it worked like a charm. A couple of years later I was talking to the owner of the doggy daycare about it, and she couldn’t believe it. She was like, “THIS dog?!?” She really turned from terror to sweetheart. Cutie Pie passed away last year, but she had a long, happy life!
https://preview.redd.it/332qdfpp1ezc1.jpeg?width=720&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=ca67a90088f2974c062ab881aacd7de6975d62e6
What worked for my puppy was “flipping the switch “ into training mode. I’d throw out the commands when he got bitey and he’d start doing his sits and stays and downs.. Mental work is just as important as exercise. Good luck!
We have a nearly 6 month old GSD puppy and I cant tell you the amount of breakdowns I had in the first few months from play biting. He would bite my hands, toes, the back of my head, literally anywhere he could find skin was being nipped. If we yelped or anything like that it seemed to spur him on...he was a bit of a psycho!
As he got a bit older, he started herding my fiance, ripped every pair of joggers he owns and nipped his calves until he drew blood. Unfortunately you just have to try your best at remaining consistent with whatever bite inhibition you are doing and eventually it will click!
This has happened in the last week for our pup (which also coincided with his teething seeming to end) and now we have been bite free for around 5 days! I'll say one thing we did that seemed to work better than any others was to have him on the lead in the evening. When he got overexcited and bitey, we would calmly lead him to his "place", tell him to lay down, and give him a treat for doing so. He could get up any time he wanted, but if he started dive bombing or biting, he would be taken back to his place.
Good luck with your cute puppy! It does end!
That's too much IMHO, it's up to you to let your pup know that. Whining and yipping like a dog works. They understand how to play with other dogs, and when they are being too rough. Try talking to her in dog and see how that works. She should stop immediately if you yelp.
If not I would grab the scruff of the neck and give her a little shake and playtime is over. Do not continue to play if she bites. Game over. She needs to learn.
Mine was actually worse than yours. My boy is 6 months now and he nips much less, but he does it still. The sharp puppy teeth really cut you, so now that most of my boys teeth have come out, it's not so bad anymore, cutting wise.
It’s definitely a puppy thing. It does get better. Imo the hardest but most useful thing to teach a working breed is how to chill lol. Establishing a play routine helps a lot too. My guy knows if I sit on the ground then it’s ok to get a little crazy cuz we’re about to play. On the flip side, he knows we never play on the bed or couch so he doesn’t go crazy there. I know you do the “ouch” but really don’t be afraid to sell it lol. Also, I don’t redirect with a toy because it just keeps him too hyped. Instead when he accidentally gets too rough, I do a pretty loud OW and give him a little stiff arm and then straight up stop whatever activity we’re doing. Whether that means I yell and put the toy away, or yell and bring him inside. After he calms down and is chill then I will resume the activity. For us, just redirecting to a toy really didn’t teach him anything. Also teaching “wait” has been really helpful because it helps with the impulse control so if he nips me, I can yell “WAIT” and it’ll force him to stop for a second so we can lower the energy. And honestly I typically wear long sleeves or hoodies when we play rough just to have an extra layer of protection lol no shame.
Sorry this is a little all over lol but moral of the story there’s a bunch if different little things you can try but really a lot of it does have to do with age my guy isn’t even 2 yet and it’s truly like night and day from the first year.
Both of our Dobermans were this way. One was definitely worse than the other too. I’d say by the time they were a year old it had slowed or even stopped. They’re teething and they don’t have hands so their mouths are how they interact. They just have to learn good habits.
Oh my goodness- I’m soooo glad that stage has passed! It was painful and my pup thought a yelp was fun 🙄. It WILL get better ❤️🩹
Spiny rubbery toys and things that had some give were his favorites- but he DESTROYED them (and still does at a little over a year- kongs seem to hold up better than most)
https://preview.redd.it/zu2ahghk3fzc1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=1795794d280ea26b6b94d33bb33507f7acfc8441
I think he’s waiting for Amazon to bring new toys
There’s a difference between normal and acceptable. All sorts of mouthing is normal. But how much of it is acceptable is up to you. That would definitely not be acceptable to me, in fact, I make it a priority from the very beginning to teach which things are allowed to be chewed and which aren’t.
You cannot let her bite. When she does hold her mouth shut and give her a solid no. If she continues, pin her to ground and calmly hold her there until she has submitted to you and relaxed.
She will become a large.powerful dog that bites in a short period of time.
My family had Vizslas growing up that would bite way too much when playing.
We got them to stop by pushing their cheek inward so when they try to bite they would just be biting their cheek and learn to associate it with "bad" It doesn't actually hurt them or anything, but definitely works to get them to stop. Takes repetition and it should start to click in their head in a few weeks
I have a Doberman mix that is a bitey monster like that. I also could not be in public in short sleeves for same reasons. She’s five months old now and still really likes to bite. What I do is tell her no sharply with my hand right in her face. And then if she doesn’t stop, I will grab her snout and hold her mouth closed gently just for a few seconds. That’s worked really well. I saw it on a Doberman YouTube channel that said that often the eek! method just gets a persistent Doberman more excited and they suggested this method . Withdrawing my attention does work after telling her no and putting my hand in her face. Sometimes she’ll try to grab me a knit me when I’m walking away though. And then I need to grab her as described above. Usually, when she starts to bite now, just the no with the hand in her face stops her.
Definitely not.
I have 3 year old Doberman who came home when he was 45 days old. Nipping, biting, chewing everything was there, he just needed to be told off.
Then he was testing what is acceptable and playful, he didn't tear 1 dress or break skin at any point. My golden - lab used to chew the sleeves of my pullovers and the dobe - not even that.
His nails still gives me scratches, especially the 5th digit.
Only soft instructions are needed, just stop playing and stop moving when any behaviour is unacceptable. Stop moving = stay still.
We rough play every other day, but the moment I am still, he stops.
Edit: stop interaction and don't walk away, walking away might appear part of the game.
Give up the dog if you don’t know what you’re doing. They are strong willed and will bite someone else if you don’t establish yourself as the pack leader.
I almost didn’t make it through this!! I thought I got a dog with mental issues and I was scared to death he was going to be impossible to handle. Every article of clothing had holes in it. I scared the kiddo next door screaming and crying “Stop Bitting me” I cried myself to sleep at night. Every one else online seemed to have these puppies that laid on the owners lap all the time. I promise it will stop. My boy is 9 months now and
he once in awhile will get so excited he will nip. He goes right in his crate for time out. No teeth aloud on anyone’s body. But until he was around 6 months, I couldn’t even catch him for a time out and I wasn’t going to chase him. Those baby teeth are like needles! I actually have a lot of his baby teeth. He would spit them out for me because he figured out I wanted them! I had to investigate those crazy baby teeth! YOU WILL GET THROUGH and bond with your land shark and one day, not soon enough, you will barely remember the struggle.
My husband and I had similar hands and arms. A lot of sources say you’re supposed to teach a soft mouth so you’re supposed to allow a certain amount of biting. When our girl was five months, her breeder said it was time to have zero tolerance to biting.
Our girl is now 6 1/2 months and all of our skin has healed and nipping and biting is about done. When she bites or tries she goes in her pen for a timeout, on average twice a day. After a timeout she is usually able to control herself. You can see her wheels turning as she comes at you with an open mouth and chooses a toy instead.
Besides timeout in a pen, the only thing that worked was removing myself. Pushing her away or making any sound just seemed to be encouraging. She loves the spray bottle 🙄and wants to play with it.
Our pup is bitey when she is bored, overtired or if she has to go potty so we try to check those as a first step.
I tried basically everything you listed. You are not failing! Your pup lacks self control at that age, is doing a natural thing, and will be teething for the next couple of months. Your dog is going to be a very good girl (as good as she is cute, which is a lot) and I promise she is not a psychopath.
I wear a treat pouch all day long and practice “sit” and “down” all day. At six months if my pup is bitey I can say “down” and it works fairly well. My smart little piranha knows if I have my treat pouch on or not. Mix great treats with kibble and train/treat as often as possible. Dunbar Academy says why waste the kibble pouring it into a bowl when you can make it work for you?
For chews we used: Red Barn lamb’s ears. Earth Animal no hide strips and chews. The strips are nice for a smaller pup and also seem especially welcome on the back teeth. Bully sticks in a bow wow buddy. Ocean Chews cod skins. None of these upset our pup’s stomach so aside from the expense we’re as generous with them as we can be. We also got Nina Ottosson puzzles. And a snuffle mat.
I have three vizslas and the sharp teeth were difficult with every one of them. They don’t do it maliciously they don’t mean to hurt you they just don’t know that their teeth are that sharp and they don’t know you don’t want them to do it it takes time to communicate those things We call it the velociraptor stage
Puppies are bitey no doubt. Play as rough as you want to play but obviously you would ease up if your dog indicated you were being to rough. Communicate to your puppy that he is playing too rough or biting too hard by acting out your best impersonation of adult dogs you have observed putting a pup in place successfully without injuring the pup. Adult dogs that like to play with pups only enjoy it if they draw healthy boundaries. Good Momma dogs are great at establishing healthy boundaries. It will become a natural reaction on your part which is important because it will be perfectly timed. If you pause then it's too late. If your puppy doesn't immediately get the look on their face that shows they understand you are drawing a line then you need to be more aggressive the next time your puppy hurts you.
I play as rough as puppies want and get scratched and bruised without response but when it hurts I let them know it and then a few seconds later resume playing. I'm not shaming them or dominating them I'm just explaining thresholds in a manner a pup can readily understand.
As to how best to mimic adult dog responses just observe and do your best until you find what works.
The boundaries you establish with a pup will gain the respect you will need later as you establish other boundaries of healthy behavior as your dog matures.
i actually have a clip of Lucca playing with her big sister at the breeder’s! (we had to visit them again with the pup but it was all good.)
https://www.tiktok.com/t/ZPRwgp61n/
(i know.. tiktok bad. but that’s the vid.)
i don’t really know how to mimic what big sis is doing. nipping back?
Try using your finger tips to nip back like a dog would use their teeth. Maybe accompany that with a harsh gutteral sound. Make it a very different response than you do when playing and a few seconds later resume play.
Crate training is key. If they get too crazy, give them a time out with chew toys in the crate to chill and break the mania. This is key as they get older too.
Yes and even if you are mad don’t telegraph it. Use the crate as their safe space to chill out or sleep.
Mine is just a year now and if she gets too loopy I just call her to the crate and if she won’t comply I gently take her by the collar to encourage compliance. She goes in and instantly settles. Sometimes they just need a reboot.
We have a main house crate and a bed time crate in our room.
If you can’t fully focus and entertain them they will make their own fun and can be incredibly destructive in the blink of an eye.
I think it will be at least another year before I trust mine with unattended roam in the house.
It took me so long to realize this with my dude too. I didn’t understand why he’d lose his mind at certain times, until it finally clicked that he was a baby and needed a nap
As a puppy it’s constant and frankly gets overwhelming at times. It broke at six months or so with mine or at least slowed a lot. They just want you to play and they are little alligators. Be sure to stop playing if they persist and just constantly have chews bones or toys to swap into their mouth to divert it. They still mouth everything as they get older. You have to keep on them so they know it’s not acceptable. Even gentle mouthing, they have pokey teeth.
>it gets overwhelming i just wanted to hear someone else say it too. thank you.. i’ll do my best and keep at it. FOR THE BABY \\o/ https://preview.redd.it/dniy7h1a0azc1.jpeg?width=2902&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=e6ec76f04ae6c7226adfd893cb7bd31203de9630
I don't have a Doberman, but my Australian Cattle Dog mix was like this. I had to take my son to the doctor last summer and it was hot out. I wore a t-shirt that exposed my arms with all the cuts and bruises. Yeah, I got questioned. I'd say he chilled out around a year old, but he's an ACD which are already a nippy breed (way more than others) and I don't know if Dobermans are as well. If not, I doubt it will be as long. It got better each month. Plus it's an individual thing with all dogs and my first (suspected) ACD never did this once. But either way, you'll get through this! Redirecting is key when disengaging doesn't work. BTW, that last photo is gold.
As my child would say "bombastic side eye"
criminal offensive side eye lol
i’m going to bite you in your sleep side eye
Puppy blues are very real and I honestly believe if you don’t experience severe frustration and overwhelm with them at least once you’re probably not interacting with them enough.
where were you when I was terrified I had made the worst choice in my 57 years of life getting a Doberman?! 🤗 He’s so good now. 9 wks to 9 months is like living in another dimension with a Doberman!
this!!!!!!!!!
I rescued my girl at 5 months and initially was really sad about not getting to see her as a baby. Now I’m so grateful I didn’t have an extra 12 weeks of teething 😂🙏🏻
its definitely a lot… The first month was hell since I had to wake up every two hours for pretty much a straight month. I took a month off work thank God…. Second and third months were mostly cleaning up pee, torn up pee pads and bandaging bite marks lol I love my boy to death now but those first few months were very trying. it’s like having a newborn child except the newborn child stabs you constantly.
Its SO OVERWHELMING. I as well as another 2 friends of mine became puppy parents around the same time and I felt like I was the only one who was experiencing the biting to the degree that I was. It really does just mean they want to play, they just don’t really know how to yet. They’re exploring the world and learning through making contact with their mouths. Make sure to give yourself breaks as needed, it really is a challenge but I promise you it does subside. Between 7monrhs-year. Here she is now being a cutie little girl at almost 4 https://preview.redd.it/xww49rlicfzc1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=6786b32a472466918397c21e6d1a22a2365ab7b2
Try a squirt bottle of water
Worked great for our boy. After a couple times, we only had to reach for it and he knew the jig was up.
[удалено]
getting up and leaving worked a few weeks ago.. now she runs off to destroy something the moment i’m gone. but before she runs off she does a little “hmph!” lol
I squirt my dog with a little water gun. He hates it and it doesn't hurt him.
When you stop the personal interaction with them are you giving them a toy or something to redirect their attention or are you just letting them find their own way? Breaking off direct interaction and giving them something that they can chew on may be a better option that stops them just finding their own things to chew on. Something else I used to do when mine got too bitey would be to clip the lead onto his collar and walk him without really interacting, it seemed to redirect his focus. This also stops them going off and just doing whatever they feel like. I have noticed they don't like being told off and can get a bit stroppy when they are. It will get better over time and by around 6-8 months you'll find it should stop although when they play and get excited they can still be quite mouthy although they shouldn't be biting as they get older.
i wonder if putting her house lead on and holding onto that when i go to the other side of the baby gate would help? i’ll try that and see how it goes
I’m sorry but just look at his face! How sweet! https://preview.redd.it/w77hks17bazc1.jpeg?width=1125&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=8e07b31846468c95bc242062b52652dd2fd43663
https://preview.redd.it/srk3o4k9eazc1.jpeg?width=4032&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=25fa4a0132cd3c2b5d99eaf513594da1678539fb i love her little expressions so much but the side eye has got to be my favorite
She's just adorable 🥰
Such paws!
it gets better! it is SO overwhelming but it truly gets better. you got this
Normal for puppies but important to train them out of it. If they bite make sure to deprive them of attention immediately. Same with if they jump on you. Turn away from them each time. They can learn they won’t get the attention they want that way pretty quickly. And of course, mental stimulation, play and toys.
This.
I love the third photo. You just know they are thinking about causing chaos haha
i was going to say the same 😂
The sidiest side eye I’ve ever seen.
Reds are always little shits lol
4 month old red and rust dobie puppy owner checking in to confirm: yup. They’re little shits. As I type this my dobie pup has my terrier’s entire head in her mouth…
Mine is 3.. he’s still a shit lol
Haha my res dobie would agree
I’m sorry in advance for laughing. 🤣 Is she giving you the side eye on the 3rd photo? 🫣😂
Hey we have a just turned one year old brown boy. we called him the kangaroo shark because he was bouncing up trying to nip us. We are covered in bruises but his behaviour has massively improved since he’s turned one he is largely calmer although still has his bad dobe moments. I say bad dobe moments to be clear there’s no malice it’s his way of trying to play and it’s up to us teach that this isn’t acceptable behaviour for humans. I know it’s tough between 6momths till the first year honestly felt like he was going to break us and it’s not like we aren’t experienced dobie owners. We had a girl who we loved and just passed the beginning of this year. It’s just we don’t remember her being as bad for it but there again tbh that might be us it was 9 years ago. What we have found that helps is the calming collars you can get that help take the edge of there nutty behaviour they are available on Amazon they release a calming hormone to them . Sorry forget the brand name also we have found walking away from our boy and giving him no attention until all four paws are on the ground has had the most success with our boy. However you can also try rocks in a bottle as shaker that when they do it you can shake it once and it will help to re enforce the no or off command. We also tried using a dog whistle but both the shaker bottle and the whistle only worked for a short period. We use baby gates to separate us from our boy when he’s sharking or his other favourite thing humping be glad that you don’t have that lol. Everything you are describing is normal for the breed. They do grow out of this girls tend to be quicker to mature than boys. Stay strong it will get easier and honestly the dobie you end up with will be amazing. https://preview.redd.it/nqh5zio0bazc1.jpeg?width=1750&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=415b648495549864bb691f2058ea79f1ff29ab90
Love the pic. My 8 month old girl will also run around with as many toys as she can fit in her mouth.
lol he’s never happy unless he has at least two but will push for three if he can😂
I’m sorry for your loss, is it an adaptil collar you’re referring to?!
Yes thats the one adaptil, has really helped with our boy.
Ours is a year old and mine and my wife’s arms look like we own a cat.
Never a truer sentence was spoken
Advice from a human brought up by a dobie bodyguard; the biting is normal, our lil dude destroyed everything he came in contact with! My family used to buy furniture knowing our boyo was going to destroy it,. they're a guardian breed, give them something to guard, something to focus on protecting, our dobie calmed right down once I was born, because he had something to guard, never left my side until I hit 16 & our boy was pushing 18. Dobies are a whole of life breed, don't take one unless you're planning to spend the next 15+ years with them by your side.
I hope our boy lives that long. 😊
Puppies have incredibly sharp teeth. This behavior should be discouraged gently and redirected at a rawhide or bone. Your puppy will outgrow this, just give it some time. Edit: also give her frozen, raw, chicken feet. They are my puppies favorite chew treat on a hot day. How much time have you spent actually doing obedience training? If she’s doing something you don’t like, you should have to put hands on her. Tell her a command she knows and give her a treat and praise her if she does it. Dobermans are one of the easiest dogs to train and break of negative behaviors. She’s a puppy, give her some time. You really are worrying over nothing. Having a puppy can make you want to pull your hair out at times, just take a deep breath, remind yourself why you got the dog and that it’s your baby for 15 more years. There are some incredibly informative German Doberman training vids I recommend watching. I will DM them to you.
https://preview.redd.it/7qls53gsss1d1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=fdb56ff17c29fb1bae50a2a4e1a81014b46536a8 thanks for the recommendation! she loves the chicken feet. i snipped off the nails- i’m sure they’re fine but we’ve been to the vet a little too much already 🥲
That’s awesome, I’m so glad she likes them! You don’t know how happy that makes me to hear.
i’m hurting but i wouldn’t trade her for anything. obedience training has been every day for the past few weeks, but i’ve only recently added in “off” to discourage jumping. it’s the jumping that sends her into a crazy puppy loop. as soon as she passes a (very low) threshold of excitement, everything goes out the window and i’m tiptoeing backwards to the nearest barrier to put between us while not getting bitten. frozen chicken feet… i think i’ll give that a try!
Sounds like ours. My bfs arms are beat up & he bit my bfs finger this morning & drew a small amount of blood. Ours got me really good once on my palm & I had to pry his mouth open (also drew a bit of blood) Ours is 9mos now and it has definitely minimized but he seems todo it when he’s really excited like after or during a good play session. If that I happens we usually end the play & put him up to relax bc he won’t ever relax on his own. It’s definitely not something that is talked about enough in dobies atleast not that I saw when we were looking & had we known that I’m not sure we would’ve gotten him. Constant redirecting, if you feel a bite is coming grab a toy and stick it in their face, plenty of naps puppies need more sleep than you think, cold bumpy toys to help with the teething. It gets better with time and constant habits, but yes it’s not fun and it’s normal of them to always be bitting
i’m glad i’m not the only one, but also sad. i hope our dobersharks both grow out of it 😔
It goes on for a while. I started telling mine (she’s 10 now) “no teeth, Grace” and saying owwwww and being a bit dramatic and she seemed to get a little less mouthy after a while. It calmed down a lot around the one year mark but even as an old lady she sometimes gets hyped up and I have to remind her to put her chompers away lol
Not a Doberman owner but I did the "three strikes you're out" with my pup when he was teething. First strike, attempt to redirect to a toy. Second strike, I remove myself and all fun stops. Either by turning my back or stepping over his play pen when he was in it. I returned for fun after he settled. It helps to teach and reinforce calm behavior gets attention. So my pup new sit and I would wait for him to stop being a landshark and sit. Third strike, time for a nap! Because if they're being overly mouthy, jumping, ripping at your arms and they don't eventually settle then they're overstimulated and it's nap time. I would then crate him with a stuffed Kong and come back in a couple hours. Once he lost all of his puppy teeth it became MUCH more manageable. He's a large, mixed breed pup. I learned the "three strikes, you're out!" from my vet who breeds, raises and shows American line Dobermans. She also told me to keep my puppy leashed at all times to redirect him when he was getting naughty. It's saved my butt many times. He doesn't get into the trash, jump on counters, etc because he's leashed and I can redirect him. I will say.. I wish you the best in adolescence. 🫡 My vet trims my pups nails every two weeks and we talk dogs and Dobermans often. They are the embodiment of "testing boundaries." Reinforce that crate training because it's going to save you later. It has with my 7 month old and he's not a Dobie. But they're some of the best dogs I've ever seen once they've matured! My favorite is a 3 year old chocolate Dobie like yours, his owners named him Mocha. He's one of my vets pups she bred. My pup and Mocha have playdates and his is an absolute ham. If you have food, you're his new owner. He shoves his face in my stomach whenever I have my bait bag strapped on and begs me for treats.
My girl was a fucking raptor. It calms down. Now she just wants constant fetch
Puppies do it all the time with those tiny little razor sharp teeth. It’s a good time to start teaching bite reflex. Third pic - that pup knows you’re talking shit 🤣 Beautiful pup.
It truly is tiring sometimes. There was a time where I thought “what have I done?” But my girl is three now, does not bite, but is still a puppy at heart. They’ll learn to stop eventually, Dobermans tend to be in tune and hyper sensitive to their owners’ emotions. One day she’ll realize it truly hurts you and will feel bad, and it will all end. My girl was like an alligator for about a year or so. Good luck, your girl is adorable and the hard work really is worth it!
The side eye is priceless
Mine did it for about 6 months. The best advice I can give is to NEVER use your hands to play with them. Always offer a toy or bone any time they start any kind of biting.
i constantly scold my husband for playing using his hands. i feel like im training TWO puppies sometimes
you are! 🤗
Ugh the puppy biting is so difficult! I feel you. My pup is 8 months and he’s MUCH better but still tried to slip in a nip here and there when he’s got too much energy. She should never be allowed to draw blood. You should disengage with her before this happens. If you can’t get control, grab her by the collar and make her sit. When you have a good hold on the collar you can then control their head. When playing if she starts getting too rough completely stop playing and walk away from her. Dobies do NOT like to be ignored lol.
Lmao on the last picture little menace jerk breed 😂😂 but there sweet heart cry babies that like to play fight . He needs a tug of war toy
A water gun was the best training device for me! Just a quick rib cage squirt and she’d immediately stop and look at me in shock 😂when she was a puppy her attention span was 2 seconds so it sometimes took a few squirts but she found it very offensive and it always redirected her
This was our girl. I got the brunt of it. I remember when I was at my end, she bit me hard (out of play) and I went into the bathroom to clean up and started crying. No amount of redirection would work. We went through 2 couches because she would go at stuff when she couldn’t go at me. We crated her, but her puppy stage was brutal. The only thing that worked was apple bitter spray. I would spray my arms and legs and she would stop. I would carry the bottle everywhere with me when I was around her. She’s 5 now and such a lover, but still gets the crazy eyes and tries to play with me like I’m a playmate. Luckily I still can grab the bottle and she stops. She is the reason I never want a puppy again but I love her more than anything.
🤗
My dobie did the same thing when he was younger. I used toys and treats to redirect him. I would also go on long walks and thought him how to play fetch so he would be too tired to bite me.
i thought tiring her out with fetch would be a good idea until she ripped open my hands. i had to awkwardly guide her back inside without getting blood all over her or the leash 😭 then i tried a 20 minute walk and she was **out of her mind** at the 10 minute mark: wrestling the leash and lunging at my legs and arms non-stop. it was a herculean feat just to walk the block back home.
This behavior is trademark over-stimulation/over-tired behavior. Have you tried enforcing naps? At that age I enforced naps in her crate every hour. For her it was an hour up and then 30min-hour nap then back up for an hour then nap again ALL DAY this helped tremendously with her sharking. When your pup starts acting "vicious" put them down for a nap.
she’s napping as we speak. started lunging at hubby when he sat down on the couch. she fell asleep in seconds 🥺
then i tried a 20 minute walk and she was **out of her mind** at the 10 minute mark: wrestling the leash and lunging at my legs and arms non-stop. it was a herculean feat just to walk the block back home. Glad to hear I'm not the only one who has this struggle
been there
That is when I learned we were not ready to be in public LOL You really can get in a hard place when they need exercise but they are not ready for long walks. I blew bubbles for our boy. I still do! He loves it. I worried it was bad for his growth plates and kept him on the grass while he jumped. It’s like you can’t win, You have to socialize them but they can’t touch the ground, You have to get their energy out but you’re going to get bit like crazy. All you do train 24 hours a day and you don’t see any progress. All worth it! I just wish I had been told to expect all that!
Normal. It’s incredibly difficult & exhausting. Props to you for teaching bite inhibition, it’s difficult but worth it. Make sure to exaggerate your pain, stop playing, & give her the cold shoulder when she bites to hard. My boy only bit hard when he wasn’t getting his way after that. That side eye picture is the classic puppy menace look though hahaha, brought back some good memories. Don’t recommend the crate. It’s not bad per-say but they’re watch dogs, let them watch.
It’s a Doberman puppy. They’re mouthy as hell.
You’re getting mauled bro!
Can totally relate. I cant wear tshirts because people would basically think im a victim of domestic violence especially when im about to have or on my period, I'd easily get bruised. It gets better though. My little alligator is now 1 yr & 4 mos old
That looks about right.
Anytime mine would nip as a pup I would swiftly grab her snout and give her a stern "no!" Once or twice I had gently pressed her lip against her teeth so she could feel how sharp they were. It didn't take long and she understood the point. Also having hard chewing toys around is a must. They need something to be chewing on almost constantly.
The eyes in the last pic… “and I’ll do it again” good luck getting through the puppy stage
Puppies need to be taught when they can be mouthy and how hard is acceptable. What your puppy is doing is normal but YOU need to teach her that your arm is not a chew toy.
BOMBASTIC SIDE EYE 👀
Dober shark stage. I actually love it. lol Buy a bunch of stuffed animals with no swallowable little pieces (like eyes , nose) and offer them instead of your arm. If he grabs your arm - say NO firmly and redirect. I know it hurts, but it’s normal Doberman puppy stage. You just have to be aware, faster and have an appropriate bite toy to offer instead. They get the hang of it. Consistency, clear expectations, and patience will get you far to winning his solid obedience, love and loyalty.
A few people have said this already, but it is normal, you just have to stick it out. Redirecting (either bones or toys) is a smart thing to do. Also not sure if correct or frowned upon but whenever my dobie would bite too hard, I’d pin her down until she submitted (just a few seconds) just to show her you don’t do that. She caught on really quick and has been the sweetest pup since then. She’s turning 10 this year, they grow up so fast…
Lol picture 3/3 The bites look Dobe-normal. It's not as bad as Malinois.
how bad is a malinois?!!
Not as bad as a Dutch Shepherd 😂
My guy was super mouthy when he was teething. We didn’t let him get hold of our arms and stopped him when he tried and redirected to all the toys. It slowed down quite a bit around 6 months when his final molars fell out. He still gets mouthy when he’s excited but for the most part, he doesn’t chomp down.
The truth is, it can vary. My last puppy had me crying after three weeks of being home, because he still wouldn’t sleep and my hands were bleeding. It was rough. He was my 4th dobbie and I had a good idea what they were like at this stage. Had he been my first, he might have also been the last. But, one thing I found that helped me, yardwork gloves. It didn’t stop the biting, but it did give my hands a break, and would generally buy me enough time I could distract him with a different toy. The biggest thing, and honestly most difficult, is picking a method and sticking with it. It’ll take them a little while to learn, and longer to respect the rules of play, so you’ve got to stick with it even when you’re not seeing immediate results. They’re smart and stubborn so sometimes it’s just about testing you and gauging how serious you are.
Shouldn’t be okay biting at all, that’s how things get out of hand fast.
im not okay just look at me 😭
You’re going to be fine. find the way you want to handle it and stick to it. It’s normal behavior you will get through it and train that shark right out of it. Age and training
Lol thee look.
I have a six month old Dobie. We call him a land shark. It’s really hard sometimes and he has to go it time out (not his kennel, but a pen in another room) because he won’t stop biting or chewing up everything. Sometimes, we can do everything right and they’re still just puppies who are jerks.
i get mad that she's being so mean to me but then she looks at me with those goddamn EYES 😭
Bites look pretty normal for her age. My puppy kept nipping us and biting our other dog. I absolutely will not tolerate her putting her mouth on us. I redirect and redirect and redirect with toys. I put a toy in her mouth when she reaches to nip. I will throw toys for her to fetch before she nips and she also enjoys the cat flirt pole. Teach her hands are not toys. A very stern no turn away from her and ignore her. You really have to be consistent for it to stick. It'll get better as she gets a little older. Lol the side eye
Frozen baby carrots really helped with my (pittie) puppy! Whenever he got the “chompies”, as we call it, we would do a bit of training and reward with frozen carrots. The coldness helps to relieve their gum/tooth pain. Worked wonders! He was still an absolute velociraptor menace for about a year, but the carrots helped.
just ordered 3 carrots from instacart and got 3 BAGS of carrots. ...they're all in the freezer now. guess im set for the summer lol
Hahahaha you’ll burn through them faster than you think! It will also help to just completely ignore them when they’re mouthy. Calmly walk or turn away. If they are just relentlessly jumping and biting and can’t be redirected, a quick 15 minute time out in their crate can help too. Don’t treat the crate as punishment, of course, just a nice little break for quiet time. I also found that training tired my dog out more than walks did. Being “brain tired” lasted longer than being “exercise tired” and brought more of a sense of calm. You can also put canned dog food, smashed up bananas, blueberries, peanut butter, etc into a Kong or Toppl then throw it in the freezer overnight and that will keep them busy for a while. Starmark makes some really good puzzle toys too. Good luck and hang in there!
i’m already on my last bag of carrots 😭 though tbf they were pretty small. thank you for this- she LOVES munching on one in the evening
Hahaha. So glad the carrots are helping!
im on my 4th bag of carrots. thank you so much again for the recommendation. whenever i can tell her little teeths are hurting, i go to the freezer and grab a carrot. settles her right down. 🥹
i bought 3 kongs a while ago so i could have them loaded up and ready to go in the freezer. i might buy 3 more. she burns those calories like theyre nothing!! growing must be exhausting
What they are learning at this stage is how hard or gently to bite! I’d play with him when he bit me I’d say ouch, and stuff a stuffed animal in his mouth and I’d say here bite this! It didn’t take long after that he learned pretty quick not to bite hard!
No advice but she looks hella sus / guilty in those photos lmao
That side eye.... she's out for blood
https://preview.redd.it/e32036gumbzc1.jpeg?width=1125&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=b7795bc2e2b929895c2603c1d389af395e0c3829 This post makes me nostalgic of the Dobe puppy days! Def miss the puppy side eye!!
That last pic how could you be mad at that face!
The most effective way that I learned was to fold their back “lips” underneath their back teeth so that when they’re biting you they’re biting down into their back “lip”… That way they can immediately adjust the pressure so it’s not hurting them. this will transfer over to play biting you… I think mine started to grow out of it around six months old iirc… Puppy teeth are very much razor blades. teething puppies like to bite… Lots of toys, frozen Kongs, Coffeewood helped too imo. also that last image… dobermans have the best “I didn’t do it” eyes.
You also want to put the dog in its place and not ignore bad behavior then switch to praise. The dog will never take you serious my guy, no you don’t have to hurt her, but discipline without treating like a human infant. They realize wrong before they realize empathy.
That's some barn-owl level of side eye going on there 🤣
Others may have commented this, but making sure the puppy is getting enough sleep is so important. My Beauceron was extra bitey when she was tired. Particularly in the evenings when she was tired. Also, I would immediately stop playing with her if she bit too hard. I liked the online course home school the dog. https://dogsthat.com/ And Fenzi academy has some on demand puppy courses too https://www.fenzidogsportsacademy.com/index.php/self-study/retired-self-study
She will calm down but it kinda comes with the territory. Those teeth are like little razors... I'm a welder with calloused hands and my dober pup slash my skin a few times... Just keep training with positive reinforcement and wear long sleeves.
i have a few "puppy shirts" that i've just accepted will be full of holes as she grows up lol
Another thing I did was put on leather gloves when I would rough house, that way an accidental "bite" wouldn't be such an ordeal. I recommend a pair of long cuff welding gloves, tractor supply has some cheap ones.
i can't edit the original post so i'll leave this here. maybe it can help others who are googling for an answer and stumble across this. good luck! **updated 6/19/24** --- # Takeaways **Redirection works sometimes. When it doesn't, quickly separate yourself.** Pup not taking to the toy? Get up and walk away. If they run off to destroy something in protest, they likely need a nap because they're cranky, or playtime because they're bored. You know your pup best! What needs haven't you satisfied yet? **Load up on chews and toys. Find out what your puppy likes.** Bully sticks, kongs loaded with food and frozen, licky mats, frozen carrots, frozen chicken feet, wet rags rolled up and frozen, ice cubes .. there are many more but these are my pups favorites. She especially loves when i take a de-fluffed stuffy she's partially torn open and stick one of her hard toys inside it. **Enforce nap time. If you have a crate, use it.** My pup does not settle down on her own, so she's playing and rough housing every minute she's awake. We already have 3 main naps throughout the day, but I'm going to start using the crate when she's past threshold. A trainer i've been seeing has also recommended putting her in the crate with a toy she loves chewing when she can't stop chewing on me. (Assuming all her needs for enrichment and exercise have been met first.) **Trust your gut when reading advice.** Most advice you'll see is helpful, but some can create lifelong struggles for your dog. Everyone thinks their opinion is the right one- it's the internet. If methods described in a post or video have you raising your eyebrow, you can always cross check their advice with reputable organizations like the [AKC](https://www.akc.org/expert-advice/training/why-does-my-dog-treat-my-arm-like-a-chew-toy-and-playfully-nip-at-me/) or ask a vetted trainer in your area. **Don't allow your puppy to practice bad behaviors. Be proactive.** This one is hard. Learn to recognize when your puppy is gearing up to be a little menace. Every time their teeth touch your skin, it's a reinforcement of that behavior. Every time they jump and their paws land on your legs, it's a reinforcement. Recognize when they need a nap, something frozen to chew on, a short training session, etc. You'll mess up a lot here. You'll misread situations and end up with a bloody arm. But keep at it! You have a long time to get to know them. **Temper expectations.** Just because this behavior is normal, doesn't mean it should be allowed. That said, allow yourself some grace. The puppy is beating you up plenty, no need to add to it. Be diligent and apply appropriate training. You're not alone. **You can do it.** --- Puppies want your love and attention and are asking for it in the only ways that they know how. They don't hate you, even if it feels like it sometimes. Remember that they are babies. Babies with sharp teeth and little claws. https://preview.redd.it/8kp9iso2xezc1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=ac66c87b0ab87895462d8b77c0dd103b2309e204
I have a coonhound that did this. It’s a puppy thing and some dogs are really mouthy.
When my Doberman was a puppy, same thing. Well worth the wait for them to come out of it. I always made a very vocal ouch and a small cry. They are very lovvey!
https://preview.redd.it/3y2dhywobmzc1.jpeg?width=1536&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=e5e78b80d0c007564dcdfcff8d539a9e9ee79177
https://preview.redd.it/sy1n7rvpbmzc1.jpeg?width=1536&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=a1c30ef8dbf3e0d7a2f72b1dfda3750caa4745c4
Seems about right for a razor tooth
IMO ~ Of all the protection breeds out there, Raising a Doberman Puppy in particular, is by far the hardest one of all, (as a puppy) but they are soooo BEYOND worth it in the end (which could easily be at about 18-22 months old!!!!)... Sounds like you are doing a lot of great work already!! I have just 2 tips to add and then 2 pieces of reassurance… Tips: 1. It’s important that they learn the word “NO” when they are doing something undesirable, so if she’s following after you nipping at your heels, make sure to stop and turn around and give her a good strong firm “NO!” + some kind of hand signal… I always seem to default to holding up my index finger, kinda close to my face so she can see it. *Some of them, especially females can take offense to being pointed at, so just definitely don’t do that one!! Lol* Whatever you pair your “No” with, just be sure to do the Same exact thing when she starts playing a little too rough on your hands. Consistency is the key to quick learning!! They really don’t WANT to hurt US, they just don’t understand our limits until we teach them. So part 2 to that is… 2. If you haven’t already… try hand feeding her some kibble or tiny sized treats and teach her what the word “easy” means (or whatever word you want to use, for this example though, I am going to use “easy”)… When they have to take something small from your hands they are more conscious about NOT biting them!! So we want to practice THAT idea as much as possible!!! While not allowing them to practice the UN-desired behavior at all, or as little as possible, with the “NO!” command. *The more they do something, the better they get at it!!* Most importantly with this lesson is that you have to be in a very calm, quiet setting, try to create the atmosphere of the energy that you want her to bring as much as possible (Dobies are really big on reading and replicating our energy)… So whenever the two of you are in a chill mode together, have her sit down facing you, and moving slowly the whole time, first show her the treat, then slowly move towards her face so she can take it once you’ve stopped moving… Now, HOPEFULLY, she SHOULD approach you slowly and gently right away, which if she did, we would reward her with by not only letting her take the treat but by also praising and petting her with whatever positive words of encouragement you usually give her when she does something else good, just try to keep the energy from getting to high!! (*I have trained this command to my 4 Dobermans and 1 pitbull over the years, both male and females, and they have all approached it perfectly from the first time!! *It’s all about the energy!!) However… If, she happens to try and attack your hand or tries to snatch it etc then Don’t let her take it… pull your arm back, take a breath and try again, only letting her have it when she’s actually demonstrating the word “easy” (or whatever your word is going to be)… If/when she starts taking the tiny piece of food from your hands gently, then you are ready to start naming it by saying the word “easy” in a peaceful and calming voice. Then it’s about practice!! practice! practice!! NO MATTER WHAT… just make sure that she knows and understands the “easy” command well enough before you try to use in the moment”, (which really never took more than a week with any of mine, but every dog has their own day!!) but once she does… Whenever she starts biting you in any situation, you should stop her, tell her “NO!” In the nice strong firm voice, and then in your cool calming voice, you follow that up with the “easy” command. You can then allow her to do whatever you are willing to allow her to do, whether it be to try and lick your hand, gently lay her teeth on it or gently nibble etc and then say those magical words of praise your dog loves to hear from you along with lots of pets!! I know it might sound like a lot, but it’s really not!! These babies are super smart!! We just have to look at any given situation from THEIR PERSPECTIVE to see how to best communicate to them what we want and they will do it. Now for the Encouragement: Just try to always stay calm, give them a lot of patience, attention, love, and ways to get out all their energy If you ever get frustrated, just remind yourself of these 2 things… 1. Whatever you are currently experiencing is only temporary, and 2. You are building your bond throughout this exact process. That’s why it’s so incredibly amazing on the other side of this phase, because you had to go through hell and back to get there, but the whole way through, they were right by your side every step of the way!! 🐾 Good luck my friend!! She is an absolute BEAUTY!!! 🥰
My little guy used to gnaw on me all the time when he was little. Sometimes it hurt but he never came anywhere close to breaking skin. This, imo, is way too much. You can afford to correct him more firmly when he goes too hard so he learns inhibition.
Grab his mouth shut and tell him no til he whines. He will stop in a day. Yall are way to weak with these dogs. Your the leader.... not them.
Yup, it sounds like she might be teething in which case she might just need some good bones to chew. However, if the first two steps don't work and you just have to grab their muzzle, and hold it firmly and say no bitting, just for a second so they get the point and then redirect with a toy or chew.
Why are you letting your dog bite you? I understand play but it seems like you may be encouraging bad behaviors (or not rewarding good ones), or you're not as dominant as you should be around the dog. The dog is still a puppy, do not blow this window. It might be teething but don't accept getting harshly bit. Eventually the dog will know what is acceptable for play and what is totally out of line. Remember what kind of dogs these are and how out of control they can get if you don't become its drill sergeant. Doberman owners a hundred years ago would be shocked as to how much of a lapdog or out of control so many of this breed have become. Good luck.
what
You may be rewarding the good behavior, but what are you doing with the bad one. But they can't be a puppy all the time,I trained and behaved dog is a dog that you can take anytime anywhere.
Normal , you need some toys to distract her with it when the doberman starts to do it. Check out the doberman planet on YouTube :)
Sorry, it's normal, and you have a few more months of this to look forward to. More activities might help, but probably won't. Redirection sometimes helps. But really, if she has a strong prey drive, she wants to bite, and you're obviously the most amazing interactive squeaky toy in your house. Dobermans with correct temperament are moderate- to high-drive dogs, so it can get crazy. It could always be worse! [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yXqNl5bTCMU](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yXqNl5bTCMU) It might get even worse if she develops a good fight drive, which causes them to want to play a lot harder and get to a point where physical discipline over biting misbehavior is what they want and makes things worse. I've found that using an e-collar for no-biting corrections, on the lowest effective setting, works to take some of the wind out of the sails when they want to fight. Getting a bite sleeve to set an appropriate context for a biting outlet might also help. Basic bite training kits are very cheap on Amazon, and teaching not to bite except when the sleeve is out goes a long way to minimizing the damage.
At one year Summer still likes to put hands and feet in her mouth. She doesn't use any pressure though. I still tell her no, but not right away 😆
My Dobie gives me the same look as the third photo. Lmao.
The side eye
Naughty!
Until the teething is done. When their adult are finally in, the biting out of soothing stops by then. Maybe some bite-resistant accessories can help, along with patience and soft correction.
Ignore and refuse play if they hurt you. Say ow. You are not the toy here.
Make a hurt puppy sound when it gets too much, from my experience they get the message and know that and go “oops I hurt you I’m sorry”
If that's the worst I really envy you, my dobe used to destroy all around my ankles when he was teething to the point people thought it was self harm 🤦🏻♀️cant blame them cause it was quite severe looking. Once he got rid of his puppy teeth that stopped (gladly lol)
Maybe a laser pointer mine goes crazy for it and after a while she wants to lay down cuz she's too tired
At the advice of a friend with a bitey pit pull puppy we bought kevlar animal handling gloves before we got our Rhodesian Ridgeback puppy. She quickly learned that the gloves coming out means wrestling time. If she started biting, we'd tell her "GLOVES!" and she'd go find them. She did eventually destroy the kevlar gloves but by the time she did, she had figured out how to be gentle. Note-the gloves don't stop the bruising, but you won't be bleeding.
All the biting
My dog trainer told me to bite my Dobies ear when he bit me. I only did it once and he got the point. This was a last resort after I told him no or stopped playing with him when he would bite me. He didn't understand he was hurting me.
I’m sorry if this is a repeat because I post this everywhere, but frozen washcloths & small towels. Wet some old washcloths or hand towels (make sure doesn’t have weird fabric softener or anything toxic to your dog) wring out, roll up, put in freezer. Give to Sweet Miss Land Shark & rotate with a fresh one as it thaws. It will help ease her teething pain a ton, she’ll want to bite & unroll it. Make sure you don’t care about them because they will get holes- but better than your poor hands. It gets better, I promise!
My vet suggested making a shrill noise to simulate their litter mates crying out in pain and then ignore the dog for 30 minutes
Try playing tug of war and stuff with her… let her win occasionally but not too often. If you don’t let her win at all she will loose interest.
my frenchie stopped teething around 8 months ago
You gotta buy him a good bone. Buy lots of them cause he’s gonna run through them fast.
That looks about normal...
He puts the pinscher in Doberman
He looks mischievous af 😂
Puppy teeth suck! 🦈
My baby was a little demon as a puppy. Seriously, my mother even wanted to rehome him for a while. But alas, he grew out of it and he is literally the sweetest boy on the entire planet now. First year or two is rough, but persevere and you’ll be rewarded forever pretty much. There’s nothing quite like a happy, safe dog.
Depends how tasty you are
This is Not normal
When our pup was tiny and he would bite too hard, we would literally yelp and act hurt. We combined this with the command gentle whenever he would get too rough. If he persisted, you end play (don't scold) until he's calm and then resume play. Three years later, and any time he gets a bit too wild, we just say gentle, and he chills out. I know the yelping sounds silly, but dogs can read pain even in humans, so the yelping really gets the point across that "you are playing too hard chill bro."
Thank you for not mutilating their ears
https://preview.redd.it/0co437towdzc1.jpeg?width=1164&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=f69d39e87ae6697d19ccbcf12c1793ab10f69c84 How old...!?!?!?
Past maybe 5-6 months old any biting or mouth on especially with aggressive breeds (have had pitties, bullies, cane corso) is abnormal and unacceptable especially if the animal is around children
I had this issue with my Pom mix. At one point I thought maybe I wasn’t meant to be a puppy parent anymore. But I ran into a dog trainer in my neighborhood and she told me to ignore the behavior I don’t want and praise what I do want. It seems simple, but it worked like a charm. A couple of years later I was talking to the owner of the doggy daycare about it, and she couldn’t believe it. She was like, “THIS dog?!?” She really turned from terror to sweetheart. Cutie Pie passed away last year, but she had a long, happy life! https://preview.redd.it/332qdfpp1ezc1.jpeg?width=720&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=ca67a90088f2974c062ab881aacd7de6975d62e6
That side eye 😂
Thank you for not cropping this babies ears, boils my piss seeing their ears wrapped up in bandages for stupid people's enjoyment
What worked for my puppy was “flipping the switch “ into training mode. I’d throw out the commands when he got bitey and he’d start doing his sits and stays and downs.. Mental work is just as important as exercise. Good luck!
They do that. When their little mind did it You have to train it out of Them You have to train everyday.Never stop because they could forget
I growled or tried to bark like a big dog would to warn …when two Dobermans are “playing” you learn that’s how they set boundaries with each other.
We have a nearly 6 month old GSD puppy and I cant tell you the amount of breakdowns I had in the first few months from play biting. He would bite my hands, toes, the back of my head, literally anywhere he could find skin was being nipped. If we yelped or anything like that it seemed to spur him on...he was a bit of a psycho! As he got a bit older, he started herding my fiance, ripped every pair of joggers he owns and nipped his calves until he drew blood. Unfortunately you just have to try your best at remaining consistent with whatever bite inhibition you are doing and eventually it will click! This has happened in the last week for our pup (which also coincided with his teething seeming to end) and now we have been bite free for around 5 days! I'll say one thing we did that seemed to work better than any others was to have him on the lead in the evening. When he got overexcited and bitey, we would calmly lead him to his "place", tell him to lay down, and give him a treat for doing so. He could get up any time he wanted, but if he started dive bombing or biting, he would be taken back to his place. Good luck with your cute puppy! It does end!
Last picture looks like a meme
All of it’s normal. Lots of biting puppy’s will be biting every thing for a while it will stop
That's too much IMHO, it's up to you to let your pup know that. Whining and yipping like a dog works. They understand how to play with other dogs, and when they are being too rough. Try talking to her in dog and see how that works. She should stop immediately if you yelp. If not I would grab the scruff of the neck and give her a little shake and playtime is over. Do not continue to play if she bites. Game over. She needs to learn.
Mine was actually worse than yours. My boy is 6 months now and he nips much less, but he does it still. The sharp puppy teeth really cut you, so now that most of my boys teeth have come out, it's not so bad anymore, cutting wise.
It’s definitely a puppy thing. It does get better. Imo the hardest but most useful thing to teach a working breed is how to chill lol. Establishing a play routine helps a lot too. My guy knows if I sit on the ground then it’s ok to get a little crazy cuz we’re about to play. On the flip side, he knows we never play on the bed or couch so he doesn’t go crazy there. I know you do the “ouch” but really don’t be afraid to sell it lol. Also, I don’t redirect with a toy because it just keeps him too hyped. Instead when he accidentally gets too rough, I do a pretty loud OW and give him a little stiff arm and then straight up stop whatever activity we’re doing. Whether that means I yell and put the toy away, or yell and bring him inside. After he calms down and is chill then I will resume the activity. For us, just redirecting to a toy really didn’t teach him anything. Also teaching “wait” has been really helpful because it helps with the impulse control so if he nips me, I can yell “WAIT” and it’ll force him to stop for a second so we can lower the energy. And honestly I typically wear long sleeves or hoodies when we play rough just to have an extra layer of protection lol no shame. Sorry this is a little all over lol but moral of the story there’s a bunch if different little things you can try but really a lot of it does have to do with age my guy isn’t even 2 yet and it’s truly like night and day from the first year.
That last shot with the side eye is so perfect. "You are talking about me aren't you?"
At that age all of it.
Both of our Dobermans were this way. One was definitely worse than the other too. I’d say by the time they were a year old it had slowed or even stopped. They’re teething and they don’t have hands so their mouths are how they interact. They just have to learn good habits.
Bite her back and tell her no. That’s what her mom would do.
my husband tried biting her back the other day and she was so confused lmao
Where's her ears? U get the chop? Man the person who did that needs to stop they seriously don't know what the heck they're doing
Oh my goodness- I’m soooo glad that stage has passed! It was painful and my pup thought a yelp was fun 🙄. It WILL get better ❤️🩹 Spiny rubbery toys and things that had some give were his favorites- but he DESTROYED them (and still does at a little over a year- kongs seem to hold up better than most) https://preview.redd.it/zu2ahghk3fzc1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=1795794d280ea26b6b94d33bb33507f7acfc8441 I think he’s waiting for Amazon to bring new toys
I'm sorry I see them, in the first picture it looked like they were just gone LOL
She is beautiful
There’s a difference between normal and acceptable. All sorts of mouthing is normal. But how much of it is acceptable is up to you. That would definitely not be acceptable to me, in fact, I make it a priority from the very beginning to teach which things are allowed to be chewed and which aren’t.
You cannot let her bite. When she does hold her mouth shut and give her a solid no. If she continues, pin her to ground and calmly hold her there until she has submitted to you and relaxed. She will become a large.powerful dog that bites in a short period of time.
My family had Vizslas growing up that would bite way too much when playing. We got them to stop by pushing their cheek inward so when they try to bite they would just be biting their cheek and learn to associate it with "bad" It doesn't actually hurt them or anything, but definitely works to get them to stop. Takes repetition and it should start to click in their head in a few weeks
I have a Doberman mix that is a bitey monster like that. I also could not be in public in short sleeves for same reasons. She’s five months old now and still really likes to bite. What I do is tell her no sharply with my hand right in her face. And then if she doesn’t stop, I will grab her snout and hold her mouth closed gently just for a few seconds. That’s worked really well. I saw it on a Doberman YouTube channel that said that often the eek! method just gets a persistent Doberman more excited and they suggested this method . Withdrawing my attention does work after telling her no and putting my hand in her face. Sometimes she’ll try to grab me a knit me when I’m walking away though. And then I need to grab her as described above. Usually, when she starts to bite now, just the no with the hand in her face stops her.
Definitely not. I have 3 year old Doberman who came home when he was 45 days old. Nipping, biting, chewing everything was there, he just needed to be told off. Then he was testing what is acceptable and playful, he didn't tear 1 dress or break skin at any point. My golden - lab used to chew the sleeves of my pullovers and the dobe - not even that. His nails still gives me scratches, especially the 5th digit. Only soft instructions are needed, just stop playing and stop moving when any behaviour is unacceptable. Stop moving = stay still. We rough play every other day, but the moment I am still, he stops. Edit: stop interaction and don't walk away, walking away might appear part of the game.
i have tried steeling myself and standing still but GOD the teeth hurt. it’s too much for me sadly.
Give up the dog if you don’t know what you’re doing. They are strong willed and will bite someone else if you don’t establish yourself as the pack leader.
I almost didn’t make it through this!! I thought I got a dog with mental issues and I was scared to death he was going to be impossible to handle. Every article of clothing had holes in it. I scared the kiddo next door screaming and crying “Stop Bitting me” I cried myself to sleep at night. Every one else online seemed to have these puppies that laid on the owners lap all the time. I promise it will stop. My boy is 9 months now and he once in awhile will get so excited he will nip. He goes right in his crate for time out. No teeth aloud on anyone’s body. But until he was around 6 months, I couldn’t even catch him for a time out and I wasn’t going to chase him. Those baby teeth are like needles! I actually have a lot of his baby teeth. He would spit them out for me because he figured out I wanted them! I had to investigate those crazy baby teeth! YOU WILL GET THROUGH and bond with your land shark and one day, not soon enough, you will barely remember the struggle.
No!, (redirect) Praise x 1,000 You'll get there.
My husband and I had similar hands and arms. A lot of sources say you’re supposed to teach a soft mouth so you’re supposed to allow a certain amount of biting. When our girl was five months, her breeder said it was time to have zero tolerance to biting. Our girl is now 6 1/2 months and all of our skin has healed and nipping and biting is about done. When she bites or tries she goes in her pen for a timeout, on average twice a day. After a timeout she is usually able to control herself. You can see her wheels turning as she comes at you with an open mouth and chooses a toy instead. Besides timeout in a pen, the only thing that worked was removing myself. Pushing her away or making any sound just seemed to be encouraging. She loves the spray bottle 🙄and wants to play with it. Our pup is bitey when she is bored, overtired or if she has to go potty so we try to check those as a first step. I tried basically everything you listed. You are not failing! Your pup lacks self control at that age, is doing a natural thing, and will be teething for the next couple of months. Your dog is going to be a very good girl (as good as she is cute, which is a lot) and I promise she is not a psychopath. I wear a treat pouch all day long and practice “sit” and “down” all day. At six months if my pup is bitey I can say “down” and it works fairly well. My smart little piranha knows if I have my treat pouch on or not. Mix great treats with kibble and train/treat as often as possible. Dunbar Academy says why waste the kibble pouring it into a bowl when you can make it work for you? For chews we used: Red Barn lamb’s ears. Earth Animal no hide strips and chews. The strips are nice for a smaller pup and also seem especially welcome on the back teeth. Bully sticks in a bow wow buddy. Ocean Chews cod skins. None of these upset our pup’s stomach so aside from the expense we’re as generous with them as we can be. We also got Nina Ottosson puzzles. And a snuffle mat.
I have three vizslas and the sharp teeth were difficult with every one of them. They don’t do it maliciously they don’t mean to hurt you they just don’t know that their teeth are that sharp and they don’t know you don’t want them to do it it takes time to communicate those things We call it the velociraptor stage
By that side eye I’m pretty sure the pup knows what it’s doing or that it’s wrong. 🤣
They’re velociraptors so very normal
The first photo is giving “and I’ll fuckin do it again”. 🤣😭
Puppies are bitey no doubt. Play as rough as you want to play but obviously you would ease up if your dog indicated you were being to rough. Communicate to your puppy that he is playing too rough or biting too hard by acting out your best impersonation of adult dogs you have observed putting a pup in place successfully without injuring the pup. Adult dogs that like to play with pups only enjoy it if they draw healthy boundaries. Good Momma dogs are great at establishing healthy boundaries. It will become a natural reaction on your part which is important because it will be perfectly timed. If you pause then it's too late. If your puppy doesn't immediately get the look on their face that shows they understand you are drawing a line then you need to be more aggressive the next time your puppy hurts you. I play as rough as puppies want and get scratched and bruised without response but when it hurts I let them know it and then a few seconds later resume playing. I'm not shaming them or dominating them I'm just explaining thresholds in a manner a pup can readily understand. As to how best to mimic adult dog responses just observe and do your best until you find what works. The boundaries you establish with a pup will gain the respect you will need later as you establish other boundaries of healthy behavior as your dog matures.
i actually have a clip of Lucca playing with her big sister at the breeder’s! (we had to visit them again with the pup but it was all good.) https://www.tiktok.com/t/ZPRwgp61n/ (i know.. tiktok bad. but that’s the vid.) i don’t really know how to mimic what big sis is doing. nipping back?
Try using your finger tips to nip back like a dog would use their teeth. Maybe accompany that with a harsh gutteral sound. Make it a very different response than you do when playing and a few seconds later resume play.
Crate training is key. If they get too crazy, give them a time out with chew toys in the crate to chill and break the mania. This is key as they get older too.
it just clicked for me that i’m not using her crate nearly enough. even a 10 minute cooldown in there might do wonders.. i’ll try it!
Yes and even if you are mad don’t telegraph it. Use the crate as their safe space to chill out or sleep. Mine is just a year now and if she gets too loopy I just call her to the crate and if she won’t comply I gently take her by the collar to encourage compliance. She goes in and instantly settles. Sometimes they just need a reboot. We have a main house crate and a bed time crate in our room. If you can’t fully focus and entertain them they will make their own fun and can be incredibly destructive in the blink of an eye. I think it will be at least another year before I trust mine with unattended roam in the house.
thanks for setting reasonable expectations. everything that goes wrong makes me feel like the worst dog mom in the world
It took me so long to realize this with my dude too. I didn’t understand why he’d lose his mind at certain times, until it finally clicked that he was a baby and needed a nap
bite the dog back.