Biting Basset

Question
Hi, i have a 12 week old Basset, goes by  the name of Columbo. He is all the things i wanted in a dog, smart, playful, energetic yet sleeps very well at night without fuss. He does however bite an awful lot. Not furniture or wood surrounds like one would expect.....he bites me. It always seems to be when i put my hand out to pet him or as i'm rubbing his stomach. It is playful and does not appear to be malicious, but sometimes he will lunge at my face too. I have young family who visit often and are very happy with dogs but at the moment the risk is too great for them to play with him. It seems a great shame as he enjoys fetching rope, ball for treats and is a real character. And so finally my question, why?? What can i do to help him settle down and stop this while he is young. Hope you will feel able to help.

Regards


DLB

Answer
Hi Darren,

The simple answer:  because he's a puppy.

Take comfort in the fact that it's very normal.  Puppies begin to learn bite inhibition from their littermates but this training has to continue in the new home as well.  

Dogs don't have hands (obviously) so they explore with their mouths and noses.  What he needs to learn from you (and anyone else living in your home or visiting) is that teeth on skin is not permitted.

There are a couple things you can do.  

1.  Biting and/or mouthing stops play or attention.  If you're petting him and he bites, tell him 'no bite' or 'eh-eh', stand up and walk away.  Many men don't want to do it but the most effective sound you can make is a squeal.  :)  Think of how puppies yip.  When he bites, give a quick yelp, this will distract him, tell him 'eh-eh' and walk away.  You'll feel like an idiot the first couple times you do it, especially in front of people, but it works really well.

2.  Don't let him near your face until he has learned to not bite.  You don't want to set him  up for failure.  Chances are, if he's close enough to your face to lunge, you're either cooing at him or exciting him in some other manner.  Over-stimulation is a big reason for the mouthing.  Try to stay calm when you're playing with him.  

The most important thing will be consistency.  Biting stops attention, period.  Not only on the days you find it extra-annoying.  :)  Each time his teeth hit your skin he needs a correction.

Another reason for biting is teething.  He's at a good age for that to be part of the problem.  Grab a cheap pack of washcloths, run them under the water, twist them (as if you were going to ring them out...but don't) and put them in the freezer.  A frozen wash cloth feels great on the gums.  As one thaws you can grab another if he's still interested in chewing.

Hope this helps, if you have other questions, let me know.