Tentative solution to biting

[deerminator]

Our 5 month old beagle pup has developed a nasty habit of snarling a bit and trying to bite when we try to put him in his crate for the night. It's not that he doesn't like his space, he's just not always ready to go to bed, even if he's overly tired. I've tried everthing to get him to stop. A firm no with the finger on the nose. Holding his mouth shut tight with the no. Folding his lip under his teeth so he bites it when he tries to bite me with the no. Everything just made him mad and more agitated. Finally, I was eating supper and putting some Tabasco on my pasta when it hit me. I tried rubbing the Tabasco all over my fingers on the hand I'm not using to pick him up with. When he tried to bite them he got a nasty suprise. The next time it was bed time, same thing. A couple of nights later and he lets me pick him up no problem and goes into his crate willingly. I guess you have to go with what works!

[Todd Caswell]

Alot of this goes back to general OB and you being the leader, if I have a 5 monthe old puppy trying to run the show and winning I'm not doing my job as the leader.

I was told long ago "one of you has to be right Might as well be you"

No offence but your right the hot sauce is a tenative, short term bandade on a underlying problem.

[setterguy]

My dog ever tries to bite me in an aggressive nature and there would be no second chances, sorry.

[deerminator]

So what would you do? Just get rid of him? Sorry but I'm not one to give up that easy unless he's truly agressive or I felt he was a danger to the family. This is one part of the day he gets a little feisty. Todd, I'd be open to other ideas but nothing else seemed to work but this. I've always "won," or been the leader. He has never not gone into his crate at night because he wriggles around and snarls/bites. I've always just firmly picked him up while trying the different things and placing him in his crate.

[Todd Caswell]

A 5 monthe old puppy bitting and snarling a little really is nothing more than him trying to win. The first time he tried ths he probably did win somewhat because it took you by suprise.

Honestly it's all about OB, this little guy is trying to test you. Might sound a little harsh but if it were me (and Iv'e done this) I would give him a couple weeks of tough love. He gets out of his crate for 3 things during this time FOOD, POTTY BREAKS ON LEAD, and 2 sessions of basic OB on lead every day for 2 weeks. When he is in his crate pay no attention to him, ignore him, make him feel like he's really not that important. I don't know if you have kids but if you do they have to understand and work with you.

When you feed him make him wait for his q that it's OK to eat, when you go out the door you go first and when you come in you go through the door first, when it's kennel time there is no discusion about it . Kennel means get in there period.

Trust me it will work if you stick with it..

[setterguy]

He would get the message that that it is not acceptable behavior, that's all I'm saying. I do not tolerate any aggressiveness towards people from my dogs. None. Zero, Zip. I'm certainly not condoning beating your dog, but dogs are physical animals and cannot reason. A behavior as serious as biting needs to be dealt with strongly and swiftly.

My pup is 3 months old. My 11 year old dog hated him when he first came home. Growled and put him on his back all the time whenever he got out of line, when he got to rowdy with the kids, left their "place" while we were eating ect. Now he is a wonderful 12 week old puppy, and I associate it to her showing him with force what was acceptable behavior and what wasn't. Now there is no growling, and she only throttles him when he gets too out of line (coming too close when she's eating etc). He know his boundaries and is a happier puppy because of it.

[Surface Tension]

Get going on Obedience Training. Besides learning to sit, stay, come, heal, and so on but more importantly puts you in the roll as Master. Repetition, constancy, correction, and praise. I'd recommend a class for you and the dog with an old school instructor. One thing to remember about obedience training, keep the dog obedient and in your control. Even during a dogs free time he is doing what you want him to do. Again be consistent, when you give a command it has to be carried out all day every day.

Commands are one or two words. No talking in sentences, no pleading, no reasoning.

[deerminator]

Thanks for the replies guys. We have a three year old beagle and he definitely puts the pup in his place when he's had enough of him. i.e. when play gets too rough or when he tries to take something from the older dog. My thought is that this actually is teaching him it's ok to snarl/bite at me when he doesn't like something. Regardless, the solution is temporarily in place and I am going to start on the OB training. In fact, a lady down the road here has had an OB school for more than 20 years now and I've talked to her. It sounds like she's worked with a lot of "feisty" beagles in the past.

The older dog we got from the pound two years ago when he was one versus the breeder. Someone abandoned him because he wasn't a puppy anymore and thus not "fun." But I actually found that one year old age a perfect place to start with a dog. He required some training but it was much easier. Our new puppy is great but the next time around I might go with a carefully researched rescue dog.

[TylerS]

When we first got our pup, he snarled a couple times and tried biting especially around food. This was remedied thusly: I picked him up with both hands by the scruff of his neck and growled "NOOOOO" right in his face as low and mean as I could. When he submitted (went limp, averted eye contact) I let him down. We proceeded to hand feed him for the next week or so. Now, we can pretty much reach in a take food out of his throat without any reaction. I'd think, if your pup keeps up his behavior, you could utilize a somewhat similar tactic to solve the problem.