When kale would act up and get frustrated id give him an activity/ interactive toy that would make him think. I started with the Kong Wobbler then worked up to more challenging toys. It really helped him get that mental frusteration out and he was much calmer throughout the day after a few mental activities. That and the gently command; i wouldn't let him have the treat until he took it with his tongue or gently with his incisors.

Not that I am glad that anyone is having issues, I just feel so much better that I am not alone !!! Thanks to everyone for all of the tips and helpful information !!

I feel like I can see the light at the end of the tunnel now .. that it WILL get better and that this IS just a phase !!

our pup does the same things, and when he disobeys its like he doesn't give a crap; he just stares at you with his mouth hanging open. we've been doing the ignore-the-behavior approach but he just keeps coming at you. we're doing isolation to the extent that he's separated from us by a baby gate, but of course at 5mos he's big enough to knock it down. I'm hesitant to do time-outs in his crate because he stays in there while we're at work. i did try it today and he quieted down pretty quick but still, i am not sure about using that technique all the time.

BeBopBandit, you don't have to do timeouts in a crate. You could do it by blocking access to you. I kept Sophie in the kitchen blocked off by opening the pannels to the ex-pen. Whenever she nipped, I placed her behind it. She was allowed to come back but I would repeat if she nipped and she stayed longer. Eventually, she got the message and she didn't really want to be in the kitchen by herself (even though she could see us)

Every husky is different though. That is what motivated Sophie to stop nipping besides my adult husky would correct her by pinning her down.

BeBopBandit wrote:

our pup does the same things, and when he disobeys its like he doesn't give a crap; he just stares at you with his mouth hanging open. we've been doing the ignore-the-behavior approach but he just keeps coming at you. we're doing isolation to the extent that he's separated from us by a baby gate, but of course at 5mos he's big enough to knock it down. I'm hesitant to do time-outs in his crate because he stays in there while we're at work. i did try it today and he quieted down pretty quick but still, i am not sure about using that technique all the time.

This is how Kale was, the only thing he responded to was a physical correction. Nothing abusive or painful. I gently grasped his muzzle closed, stared him directly in the eyes, and said in a low, serious voice "no", THEN I would remove himself from the play session. That way he physically knew he was in trouble, and then play abruptly ended. Time-outs weren't long, 10 mins max. Then we would start over and play again.

Hey guys, We're also dealing with the puppy biting a bit, however its not people he bites, it's other dogs, particularly, small dogs at the dog park, i know he's just playing and i'm happy that he is, however i'm not trying to get sued and have to have him put down becuase some stupid pug owner doesn't like my dog mouthing hers. i know he means well but we're trying to stop this, any tips?

Dogs mouth each other when they play, that's normal behavior. If you are around people that don't understand or appreciate how dogs play, then look for large breed play groups in your area. That would be my first step. If he's playing too rough, the other big dogs will put him in his place. Other dogs are the greatest resource to show your dog how to socialize properly. Asking a dog not to mouth another dog during play is like asking a toddler not to play with a toy you just handed them.

I understand this, it's just that he's soooo big. and he actually drags and carries them by their ear or neck, i know he's playing i just wish he'd do it gently. and there isn't usually many other big dogs around.

When Kaya was a pup she gave us about a week of being really cute, sweet, and cuddly. Week #2 she began her assault. I would sit on the ground, she would come charging from across the room, and she would dive into you mouth first... It was insane and terribly frustrating. She grew out of it, my skin grew tougher, her baby razor teeth fell out and were replaced by her "big girl teeth"... Oh the joys of having a puppy... Today - no biting problems at all. My suggestion - get tough toys and when your puppy bites, grab those toys and give the puppy no other choice but to bite the toy. They figure out what they are allowed to chew on... your hand is not one of them.

Oh he doesn't bite people. he's pretty well trained for his age.

jerrad.kuehne wrote:

I understand this, it's just that he's soooo big. and he actually drags and carries them by their ear or neck, i know he's playing i just wish he'd do it gently. and there isn't usually many other big dogs around.

Unfortunately, because Huskies are such high energy dogs and are know for being boisterous and rough players, they usually aren't best suited for playing with small breed dogs. I have a dachshund and when Kale tries to play with her, she runs away and hides in her bed. Either that or she bites his nose really hard and runs away. They do great living together and love each other, but play wise they are ill-matched. Like I mentioned above, I'd do a search for play groups in your area for bigger dogs.

will do thanks.

great looking pup by the way!

This is why I joined this forum! I was expecting the puppy biting thing and I warned my children about it. I read "Hypers" suggestion with "physical" contact by gently holding the muzzle closed and saying "NO" in a " low growly voice" until the pup submits. I definitely agree with ending the play, but I am not sure about leaving the room. To me that would almost seem like the pup is in some sort of control???
I have not had a puppy for 25+ years and methods where way different then. Not necessarily in a good way either. I do know that most pups grow out of the biting shortly after the adult teeth come in. "Back then" I was told to replace your limbs and other body parts with a rawhide bone or other chew toy. That just didn't work. I will try the "new" methods I am learning here because they sound plausible and just good old common sense.
So far, only 4 days, my pup Panda has really responded to her training and seems to "get it". I can only hope that the biting is minimized from what I experienced with my last puppy. To me that was the biggest down side to raising a pup.
I do know they will need things to chew while teething. Being totally honest, rawhide is what worked the best with my puppy, but I don't recommend using it. I am not sure but I think that rawhide is not good for their digestive system. Especially when they realize that after licking it for a while it will soften up and then they eat it. It can cause choking with bigger pieces. If they get too much at once they will "yak" it up.
Before we picked up Panda from the breeder I bought plenty chew toys. After getting her home for only one day I went out and got a couple more. I picked up toys that had the same texture as the things she was targeting, slippers and clothing. I also have puppy sized nylabones and tennis balls

The puppy biting takes a while to get rid of. Especially when you have people come over, and hinder the process A few people that visit have a bad habit of letting Lucian bite them. Keep telling them not to.
The biting is no where near as bad as it used to be. So far it's taken two months. I can actually pet him for a few minutes before he tries getting a taste of my hand. He's also started to lose his puppy teeth, so I'm kind of expecting him to want to chew on everything. He loves his Nylabone, also any "furred" toy.

After they've lost their puppy teeth, teaching them not to mouth is much easier. Not to say that you shouldn't continue training before hand, but after they're getting their adult teeth, it's much easier to control form my experience.

Leaving the room shows them that if they do that behavior, they don't get to play anymore. Their goal when biting is to get you to play more (it's what they do to other dogs), so if you so the opposite, they tend to get it pretty quickly.

Also, deer antlers are really great for chewing. Puppies seem to like the ones that are cut in half and have the marrow exposed. Some people on the forum don't like antlers, but they're better for them and last much longer than rawhide (and regular, sterilized beef bones).

katiesham wrote:

After they've lost their puppy teeth, teaching them not to mouth is much easier. Not to say that you shouldn't continue training before hand, but after they're getting their adult teeth, it's much easier to control form my experience.

Leaving the room shows them that if they do that behavior, they don't get to play anymore. Their goal when biting is to get you to play more (it's what they do to other dogs), so if you so the opposite, they tend to get it pretty quickly.

Also, deer antlers are really great for chewing. Puppies seem to like the ones that are cut in half and have the marrow exposed. Some people on the forum don't like antlers, but they're better for them and last much longer than rawhide (and regular, sterilized beef bones).

I actually have a few whitetail deer antlers laying around. My husband usually finds sheds or skulls in the woods. One of the ones I have was taken from a deer that was recently shot, but left to lay. Would it be okay to give it to Lucian to chew on? Should I clean it off first, or do anything else to it?
I know squirrels, and mice will eat the antlers, just wasn't sure if it was okay for a puppy.

I'm really not sure to be honest, but as long as they haven't been cleaned with anything harsh they should be good I would think.

I'm jealous you can find sheds! They're pretty pricey at Petsmart!

My husband gets lucky and finds stuff while walking through the woods. He brings it back for me. It started years ago with a skull from a little buck. I have another stray antler from the buck he hit with his truck 2 years ago, lol. Hubby might not want me to give that to Lucian though. I'll just clean it off with hot water.

Koa is definitely a biter, but it's calmed down here and there. He usually would just want to make contact with his teeth on skin but i usually grab his lower jaw gently, look at him in the eye, and say no. and when he sees that, he immediately submits. BUT right after that, he begins to nip again, but not as hard.

As bad as it seems, its in their nature to bite it seems for this breed. So i'm glad it wasnt just him, but it takes consistent practice and discipline, and that's why i'm trying to be patient with him.

Does anyone have any suggestions for any chewing toys? soft toys? hard toys?

I give Nanook an elk antler and he loves it. He also has a couple of plush toys that he likes as well. Kong balls are great esp if you fill/freeze them with stuff (peanut butter, kibble, apples, etc). There's another thread I think about toys specifically that people have more ideas/suggestions but I don't remember where/what it was called off the top of my head.

bttlsgtmajor wrote:

I give Nanook an elk antler and he loves it. He also has a couple of plush toys that he likes as well. Kong balls are great esp if you fill/freeze them with stuff (peanut butter, kibble, apples, etc). There's another thread I think about toys specifically that people have more ideas/suggestions but I don't remember where/what it was called off the top of my head.

Koda also loves elk antlers!! I bought the onea that have the middle exposed so its easier for him since he is a puppy

Ya it's a shortened one so the middle is exposed and he's done some sizable work on the thing (had to actually file it down a bit cause he was making a weapon out of it the thing was getting so sharp!) My wife wants to get him one of those puzzle toys as well but we haven't yet so not sure how he'd react to that.

bttlsgtmajor wrote:

Ya it's a shortened one so the middle is exposed and he's done some sizable work on the thing (had to actually file it down a bit cause he was making a weapon out of it the thing was getting so sharp!) My wife wants to get him one of those puzzle toys as well but we haven't yet so not sure how he'd react to that.

I got koda the wobbler... He loves to play with it.. For only about 2min at a time though.. He gets ether bored or frustrated i cant tell..

Really great advice on the first page! Zoey only goes rougher and harder if I yelp/whine after she bites me during play. Not sure what she's thinking but she just starts acting more excited! All the advice I'd received up to now was just to yelp/whine but cutting off contact is a good idea! Hope it works.
Out of curiosity, when pups get more excited after hearing a yelp/whine does that mean they were the alpha in the litter?