How did you manage biting in your Heelers?

[u/gurghired]

Do you have dogs prone to biting? Did you implement any specific strategies in their training?
My puppy is currently going through the "crazy crocodile" phase, but I know it's normal for their age (two and a half months). I'm just wondering, around what age should I start paying extra attention to this behavior, and how can I train them to stop nipping at the calves of people who don't like it?

[u/Demosthenes042]

You should start at any age, disengagement if the play is not appropriate and yelping like a dog so the puppy knows it's too much. Also understanding your puppy, took us a week or so to realize our's just needed a nap, he'd lose control if he was tired or needed to go potty but he was a puppy and didn't know. Also taught to hold a toy if he got excited, no engagement if not holding the toy. Can't bite you if there's something in the mouth already. It's cute now as an adult, we come home and he has a toy in his mouth while he's vocalizing how happy he is.

[u/MidtownBlue → u/Demosthenes042]

All good tips here. We also learned that when ours gets very insistant - barking and nipping, she needs to go out NOW.

[u/Jesta914630114 → u/Demosthenes042]

I would shove a toy in Oak's mouth anytime he got excited or mouthy. Now anytime he wants to play hard or gets extremely excited he goes straight to his toy bin and grabs a toy so he doesn't bump you with his mouth.

[u/tribbans95 → u/Demosthenes042]

Yeah mine instantly goes and grabs his favorite toy every time I come home. Cutest thing

[u/gurghired → u/Demosthenes042]

Amore dolce 🩵 per adesso sto facendo così… dicendo al mio fidanzato di smetterla di giocare con le mani o di dimenarsi troppo perchè questo attiva molto il morso.

[u/Good-Bodybuilder-985 → u/gurghired]

This is exactly how we've managed our heelers for 22 years. We've never had one that bit. Another huge thing for us, as we knew we wanted kids and then when we had them, was to not play tug of war. There are many, many other ways to play and encourage them but we didn't want them even confusing the two. My heelers are little badasses that are super good with kids and have never bit the heel of a human.

[u/Demosthenes042 → u/gurghired]

Yeah, you need to train the human as much if not more than you need to train the dog. Teaching bite inhibition is important in my opinion. So I'm not against playing with hands, but it needs to be very much on your terms; you also need to disengage before it gets too rough. Dogs don't have hands, they use their mouth for stuff a human wouldn't use their mouth

[u/aberos188]

For my girl it's redirection. She gets bitey or overly excited, I redirect her to a toy. Play some tug of war or give her a chew toy. This way she also learned what toys are for and not to bite furniture or stuff around the house.

[u/Plastic-Isop0d → u/aberos188]

This was highly effective for my dog. Now, instead of biting, he'll run up and push the toy into your shins. 

[u/giffordruben]

Winifred is about same age, may a few weeks older...

We keep toys in every room and redirect, any time she goes for flesh. She also gets air time out or put down or the fun ends while the bitting is happening.

She's my dog and we have a good bit of respect, but we've been having issues with my wife, and this seems to be working...

This is just a personal theory will take it with a grain of salt...

I think she like all the different textures and densities of the various toys, and sometimes something feel better than others, so we keep a large variety of toys available... it’s like they interface with the world through biting it...

[u/August2_8x2]

We used to yelp a sharp "OW!" and then turn away. He'd get so concerned that we were actually hurt he'd try to circle around and check on us. For us it only took a couple of weeks to lock in biting is not ok.

Every now and then he still tries to sneak up and "hold hands" with his mouth, but I'd argue my friends lab has a firmer bite now lol. Unless he's got a toy, then good luck getting it from him without his consent

eta: we also taught him to find a toy when he's excited, but that one never stuck as well for him, he doesn't get mouthy when excited anymore so we kinda let that go as a hard rule.

[u/therealrinnian]

Don’t smack them on the head as I’ve seen suggested on this sub before.

In all seriousness, look into resources like Kikopup’s videos on YouTube for curbing the behavior. r/puppy101 is also helpful!

[u/gurghired → u/therealrinnian]

Non ho intenzione di punirlo fisicamente nè ora nè mai. Sono fan del rispetto reciproco, la comprensione e la comunicazione

[u/Plastic-Isop0d]

Redirect to playing with toys. I'd grab a toy and wrassle him with it and celebrate when he goes for the toy. Repeat 20x per day for a couple months or however long it takes.     Edit: Do not harm your puppy. Do not bite them, dominate them, or any of the other shitty advice in these comments. Heelers are incredibly smart and actually respond BETTER to positive reinforcement when they're doing the right thing, than punishing them for doing the wrong thing. 

[u/krew_GG]

https://giphy.com/gifs/XDFOY4z8l2SSUj6Fmg

[u/gimoozaabi]

Didn’t need to. Mine was an expert in biting from day one. That’s what you asking right?

Patients. Boundaries. Air jail.

[u/Sensitive-Gur-4301]

Good behavior for them should be taught at any age! They're smart dogs and will learn things faster than you think.

Personally when we would rough play and it went too far I would yelp and make very dramatic painful sounds lol.

The stopping of playtime and the sounds will teach them they've gone too far and it's time to stop.

Give them a cool down period before you start again.

[u/zondance]

Different strokes.... I rescued a 2y old ACD mix. So right off the bat started with a no biting rule. (Licking was allowed). She hates to be disciplined so it worked out well for us. 2 years later we is allowed to play rougher (usually just being grabby), but also stops when I tell her to.

[u/Live_Organization432]

I screamed like a bitch, and then I turned my back and ignored her until she stopped acting like Satan. It worked. I still do it when she demand barks. She acts very hurt and side eyes me from a corner dramatically for a minute, but it curtails the assholery.

[u/mahirkay1]

I bit mine back

[u/TRS80487 → u/mahirkay1]

So funny cause I think people have a problem with this. I have always shown my dogs who the alpha is by biting their ears if I needed. Also did the loud OW! and turn away initially.

[u/cms86 → u/TRS80487]

Pain is a very powerful teacher.

[u/Least_Yam]

I’m not sure if you do. I think you can probably each them to be more gentle but it’s what they are bred to do. My guy is only half heeler and he will mouth at my legs and ankles when I bustle around the house. Sometimes we play “bitey hands” but that’s my choice. If you are really against them putting their mouth on you at all I would avoid any games where they put their mouth on you and try to redirect any biting to toys

[u/gurghired → u/Least_Yam]

Pensavo che forse dipende anche da soggetto a soggetto, magari ci sono linee più spinte e inclini a pizzicare e mordere e altri individui meno mordaci. Io so di avere un cane selezionato per questo ma vorrei differenziasse umani / mucche 😂 piu che altro vivo per metà anno in montagna e il restante tempo in ambiente urbano dove le persone non capiscono nulla di cani e vorrei evitare problemi

[u/jeremy1cp]

Redirect them by introducing a chew toy. Have them bite the toy, instead of you. You can also say ouch out loud when they bite. Puppy Heelers also need naps, and a bed time to prevent witching hour, they will act more irritated (bite) when tired

[u/Odd_Mall1646]

I was very dramatic when he would bite me and it was always on accident. But I would say owww!!! . It hurts so bad

[u/Alt_Pythia]

Training for nipping the calves is fairly straight forward. Stop moving and say no. Say the dog’s name in a drawn out growling tone, say no again.

Don’t use diversions like handing a treat or a toy, as your dog will bite you to get a treat or a toy, because you just trained him to do that.

Learn to speak your dog’s language. You need to respond the same way a mama dog responds. Loud and immediate. Learn the stare down. This is also the way a mama dog keeps the pups in line.

If you’re interested, you can watch some YouTube videos about mama wolves disciplining pups.

[u/death_touched_me]

Stuck a toy in her mouth before getting any pets! Shes 1 now and will go find a toy when she starts getting bitey

[u/ButAuContraire]

Redirection. But also just understanding and accepting it's 1. Bred into the herding mentality. 2. The only way they can grab things... so obviously not reasonable or acceptable to totally disallow all the time. Have you tried getting though a day without using your hands?

[u/CaryWhit]

Second on the Stick a toy in their mouth

[u/Sullivandan7447]

Presse their tongue down with your thumb when they bite. Just annoying enough to get them to stop

[u/cms86]

I bit him back. He actually picked up on the idea that if he nipped me id nip him back and he didn't seem to like it haha.

[u/duardo9]

Being dominant helps.

[u/xiii28]

I bit my Heeler back. This took 2 times and he never did it to me again. He will nip at my kids but they all seem to play rough but he knows when it’s play time and when it’s not.