How To Train A Golden Retriever Puppy Not To Bite
If youre the proud owner of a new Golden Retriever puppy, youll want to start training them not to bite immediately. This can be a challenge, but with patience and consistency, it can be done.
In this article, well give you some tips on how to train a Golden Retriever puppy not to bite and help them learn to control their biting impulses. Remember that this process takes time and patience, but it will be worth it in the end!
Contents
Vigilant Supervision: Behavioral Correction
A new golden retriever pet parent must be prepared to be ever vigilant in watching their new pup like a hawk! If your puppy accidentally pees inside or chews on a household item, you cant yell or punish your pup if you werent supervising them properly. Thats like punishing at a 2-year-old who just burned their hand on the stove-top flames. Yes, inform them that fire is unsafe, and they should never touch the stove when you are not around.
You are the parent, and you are always responsible for their safety and well-beingso that moment is 100% on you. Puppies, in so many ways, are like human children. You would not harm your human child. Therefore, you should not harm your canine child!
Biting & Chewing
Dogs use their teeth for a lot of things. It is a natural canine behavior. However, you dont want your dog biting your neighbors kid or tearing your new comforter to shreds. You need to direct their biting properly, so they know when it is okay, and when it is not okay to chew on something.
To curb their desire to nibble on your favorite shoes, provide your puppy with lots and lots of chew toys. If they start chewing on a household item, redirect them to a chew toy.
Puppies are also capable of adjusting their bite pressure. If your golden retriever puppy has not yet learned what hurts you and what does not, you will need to yelp like an injured dog to let them know. Yes. Yelp.
Teach Your Puppy That Biting Means Game Over
If your puppy bites you while playing, that means playtime is over, with no exceptions. Yelling at or physically punishing your puppy, as strange as it sounds, is also a type of reward. It teaches them that biting gets some kind of response from you, which is known as positive punishment. This can also make them fearful of being handled. Instead, teach them that biting will get them nothing. Kathy Santo, dog trainer and columnist for AKC Family Dog, suggests turning around and tucking your hands into your armpits.
Its actually a calming signal and a minor form of attention withdrawal, she says. And be careful not to roughhouse with your young pup in ways that only encourage them to lose control and bite you.
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Clicker Train Your Pup For Better Impulse Control
Clicker training is a good thing to teach your pup because it enables you to mark good behaviors in a consistent way. The clicker sound itself is used as a cue that your dog did something right. By using a sound cue youre able to capture the exact moment he makes that good decision
So when you put your hand in front of your puppy & he doesnt bite youre going to click & give a treat. Part of learning bite inhibition is having your dog learn exactly what the boundaries are. Since allows for more precision it works really well for teaching bite inhibition.
Do Golden Retrievers Need Training
All dogs require training. You may have heard this saying before An untrained dog is an unhappy dog. Thats because physical and mental stimulation shouldnt be limited to exercise, so this will be a great activity, and shell get the attention she needs.
Untrained canines would also have trouble realizing that theyre misbehaving. In the end, theyll be confused and hurt when punished.
Training is a great way to communicate with your Golden Retriever on what is expected from her. Shell be well-adjusted to your house rules, and undesirable behaviors wouldnt develop.
Any dog thats being naughty, especially with Goldies size, is a nuisance and cant be trusted. Theyre more likely to be locked up, which is frustrating for the dog and the owner.
But if your fido is well-trained, you can bring her to the dog park to socialize, and even have guests over because you know shes a calm and obedient pooch.
Training also prevents accidents. You wont have to fight with your Golden Retriever when shes chewing or eating something that can potentially harm her.
One good example is recalled, which will stop your canine buddy from running out into the road.
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Golden Retriever House Training
Puppies have small bladders and will need to relieve themselves frequently. Bring your Goldie to the same spot after every meal, and dont use commands such as hurry up or poo-poo when potty training your pup.
Once shes done, give her lots of praise. If she doesnt do anything, go inside after five minutes and keep an eye on her.
If you notice her sniffing around, immediately call your dog to go outside because it means shes ready for her toilet break.
Youll know if its time for her toilet break when shes sniffing around, then immediately call her to go outside. Accidents do happen, so be chill about it. Give the command in a gentle tone and still bring her out.
Like we mentioned before, associate the command with action and positivity consistently.
Be Consistent With Your Training
Its essential to be consistent with your training. If you allow your puppy to mouth you sometimes, but not others, they will get confused and wont know what is and isnt acceptable.
So set boundaries from the start, and be consistent in enforcing them. With patience and consistency, your Golden puppy will learn that biting is not acceptable behavior.
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Your Golden Retriever Is Seeking Attention
If youre too busy and dont have time to spend with your Golden Retriever or leave him in his crate too often, hell find ways to get your attention. If good manners dont work, your dog will figure out how to get a response from you, and it may be by disobeying the good things you taught him!
Responding negatively to your dogs behavior wont prevent him from acting up. It might even strengthen it! At least if he barks at you, he gets some attention from you! This is referred to as demand barking and is when dogs have learned that barking serves to get them what they want.
Instead, ignore the bad behavior and reward him only when he has resumed the learned positive behavior.
Heres the deal. If we take our example of demand barking, ignore your Golden Retriever by not reacting to him or yelling at him. Dont even look at him! But as soon as he goes quiet, quickly reward him. Timing is vital as you must offer the reward, such as a tasty treat when he stops barking.
And of course, find time to be with your dog!
Not Teaching Your Puppy Bite Inhibition
Bite inhibition is a very important skill that your puppy must learn. Bite inhibition is when your puppy learns how to control the strength of his bite.
Puppies learn this skill when they are with their littermates, which is why they need to stay with them and their mother until they are 8 weeks old. Playing with their littermates teaches puppies that biting too hard hurts and will end playtime. Biting too hard on their mother will get the puppy scolded and they wont get fed. The puppy then learns to bite softer.
When your puppy comes home with you, it is up to you to teach your puppy how to control the force of their bite. Biting down on the thick fur coat of his mother or littermates is a lot different than biting down on human skin.
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Your Golden Retriever Hasnt Been Exercised
Golden Retrievers are a working breed belonging to the sporting group, and as such, they need a good deal of daily exercise and stimulation. Lets not forget they were bred and trained to retrieve felled game birds shot by hunters.
As a high-energy dog, an adult Golden Retriever needs around 2 hours of daily exercise. This can vary according to age, size, health, and genetics. If you dont exercise your dog sufficiently, it will expose him to health problems such as obesity.
Golden Retrievers are already one of the breeds sadly prone to obesity due to too many owners treating them like humans, unable to ignore their begging and puppy-dog eyes.
Too many owners believe theyre showing affection. But, in reality, theyre overfeeding them, especially with treats and table scraps, and inadvertently cause harm, such as diabetes or a shorter life span.
In this alarming 2012 survey conducted by the Association for Pet Obesity Prevention , 62.7% of Golden Retrievers surveyed were classified as overweight or obese by their veterinary healthcare provider.
A more recent study by the Morris Animal Foundation to understand juvenile obesity in Golden Retrievers is currently ongoing.
Dogs with no outlet for energy will also engage in destructive behavior because they need to find a way to entertain themselves. Chewing, biting, barking, digging, jumping up on people, pacing, urinating at home and general hyperactivity are examples of destructive behavior.
At What Age Does A Golden Retriever Calm Down
Golden Retrievers are known for being a hyper dog breed, however, they tend to calm down after their puppy phase. This is usually around the age of 2 or 3 years old. Golden Retriever females of the breed tend to mature faster obedience-wise than males, so they are more likely to be calmer overall.
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How Do I Get My Golden Retriever Puppy To Stop Biting
If you have a Golden Retriever puppy that is biting, there are a few things you can do to stop the behavior. One is to pick up one of her favorite toys and keep it with you when shes most likely to bite.
Another is to initiate play or any activity where she traditionally bites. When she bites, give her a firm no and offer her the toy. Each time she tries to bite, tell her no and give her a toy to chew instead. With consistency, your puppy will learn that biting is not acceptable behavior.
Simple Ways To Stop Your Puppy From Biting
Last updated on By Puppy Leaks
If youve recently adopted a puppy one of the first things youre going to ask yourself is why is he biting so much? Well either that or what in the hell have I gotten myself into.
Training your puppy to stop biting is not a fun or quick process. Im not going to sugarcoat it it takes a lot of patience and consistency, and some dogs take longer to train than others. But dont worry there is hope.
These methods work by encouraging your dog to chew on something appropriate, rather than using your limbs as a chew toy. Heres 3 methods to stop your puppy from biting.
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How Do I Teach My Golden Retriever Puppy Bite Inhibition With Other Dogs
The good news is puppies teach each other bite inhibition when playing with each other.
Teaching your Golden Retriever puppy bite inhibition with other dogs requires socializing your dog with other puppies as early as possible. Puppies teach each one another bite inhibition when playfighting. Once your puppy is vaccinated, enroll it in puppy classes, take it for walks, and to the dog park daily.
The bad news is until such time that your puppy is fully vaccinated, bite inhibition training must not be put on hold. That responsibility falls upon you. Most puppies are not fully vaccinated until 12 to 16 weeks of age, so you must begin teaching bite inhibition immediately when you bring the puppy home at eight weeks of age.
So, once your puppy is fully vaccinated, then its time to play catch-up on socialization with other puppies and dogs.
A Few Other Suggestions:
- It’s also important to have a management place for your puppy, such as a play pen or baby-gated bathroom. It gives you a break from your puppy, and is a calm place for your puppy to settle down if he gets too wound up.
- Make sure your puppy has plenty of rubbery teething toys, is getting daily exercise, and is not excessively crated. If his needs are not being met, the nipping will take longer to extinguish.
- Make sure your puppy is eating three meals a day.
- Things we may think are punishing, like pushing your puppy away, yelling at him, etc, can be considered fun, play-like behaviors for your puppy and can encourage biting. When doing the above exercise, be as quiet and calm as you can.
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Should I Stop My Golden Retriever Puppy From Biting
Quite often, homeowners punish a puppy for play biting. After all, their sharp puppy piranha teeth hurt human skin, and an exuberant puppy has not yet learned what is appropriate. However, punishing the puppy for play biting is a mistake.
Do NOT stop your Golden Retriever puppy from biting. Biting is normal and natural for puppies. When puppy biting stops, so does the opportunity for bite inhibition training. The more your Golden Retriever puppy play bites, and receives appropriate feedback, the safer its jaws will be in adulthood.
Consider an adult dog that has not been taught bite inhibition as a puppy. It seems friendly and has never bitten anyone. However, when this friendly dog is threatened, startled, or injured , it may react by biting without the necessary skill to control its bite pressure.
A well-socialized dog with good bite inhibition often does not bite at all when startled, threatened, or injured, and even if the teeth do make skin contact, it does not break the skin.
In his book After You Get Your Puppy, animal behaviorist, veterinarian, and legendary dog trainer Dr. Ian Dunbar says punishing a puppy to stop biting is a big mistake. With no opportunities to play-bite, the puppy never learns how to inhibit bite force or frequency.
All is fine until someone accidentally treads on the dogs foot or shuts the car door on his tail, whereupon the dog bites and the bite punctures the skin because there has been insufficient bite inhibition, says Dr. Dunbar.
My 2 Months Old Female Golden Retriever Puppy Bites A Lot It
Be calm and methodical when you are teaching her not to bite. Remember if you yelp, or move away from your pup to teach her that shes biting too hard, you have 18 answers · 39 votes: Im glad you are asking this question now rather than later! Yay! My Golden Retriever came
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When Do Puppies Stop Biting
Many puppies have stopped biting completely by six months of age and biting is usually subsiding by the time that the puppy is heading towards five months old.
This is if the puppy has been managed appropriately
If people have been exciting him, or rewarding him for attention seeking behavior then biting can persist
And it can be much more of a problem in bigger stronger puppies than in little ones. Well look at that in a moment.
You can hasten the point at which your puppy has stopped biting altogether by some no bite training
Lets look a structured training exercise that actually teach puppies not to bite.
When Should You Be Concerned About Biting In Puppies
You should seek out a certified professional if your puppy:
- Is growling, snapping, or biting when a person comes near a resource.
- Stiffens and stares at the person before biting.
- Is consistently biting and breaking skin.
- Barks, growls, or nips at new people entering the home.
- Snaps or growls at children.
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Dont Use Physical Punishment
Golden Retrievers should never be physically punished, whether that means hitting, kicking, spanking him on the muzzle, shaking, using a shock collar, forcing the alpha roll, or grabbing the cheeks or back of the neck.
It also includes other forms of punishment that would cause the dog physical harm, such as withdrawing food and water, and psychological punishment such as over-crating or tying him outside for days on end.
This kind of punishment doesnt do anything positive. Dogs do not have the logical ability to associate punishment with their action and, therefore, are unlikely to change.
Instead, your dog will develop fear and aggression towards you, ultimately destroying your relationship, as he will no longer trust you. Animal abuse is also a crime that constitutes violent acts, neglect, and failure to provide general welfare.
Teaching Your Golden Retriever Bite Inhibition
When your golden retriever is still a pup, they have no idea how hard they should bite. This is why you often noticed puppies nip incredibly hard. In fact, a puppies bite is often a lot harder than an adults. Heres how theyll naturally learn bite inhibition.
Their Mom Teaches Them
Up until theyre 8 weeks old, a golden retrievers mom is going to teach them how soft or hard their bites can be. From the moment shes born she wont be afraid to let a puppy know if theyre being too rough when they bite, and shell happily put them in their place if they are.
You And Your Family
From the 8 12 week mark, you and your family will need to teach your puppy how hard they should bite. To do this, every time your golden retriever bites any of you, you should yelp and slowly pull your hand away.
In some cases, your puppy may become even more playful when you do this. When this is the case, youll need to move away from them and ignore them completely. Ignore them for a minute and once theyve calmed down begin playing with them.
If they continue to bite keep doing this. If they bite two or three more times, just pull away from them, and stop playing altogether. This is what their litter mates would do, and theyll soon be learn that playing aggressively doesnt work.
Give Them Things To Chew On
Nyla bones, Kongs and other chew toys are all great choices.
Exercise Them Enough
Carry A Toy With You
Play With Them In Non Contact Ways
Train Them
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