Try Yelping They Said, It Will Stop Puppy Biting They Said
Have you ever had seemingly good advice completely backfire on you?
That’s what happened when I tried yelping at my puppy in order to stop her from biting. It didn’t work at all; the only thing is did do was rile her up even more.
I also learned that running around like a madman while screaming and waving your hands around is also a less than ideal method when trying to get your puppy to stop biting you, but that’s a story for another time.
Try Yelping They Said, It Will Stop Puppy Biting They Said
When I got Laika one thing was made abundantly clear from day one – she loved to bite. Never having dealt with a 40 pound nearly adolescent Shepherd mix before I sought out advice in the most convenient of places – the internet.
Try yelping they said, it will stop the biting they said.
It wasn’t just one forum, one article, or one post — this yelping method is posted everywhere and it comes highly recommended. So when I tried it out for myself and it completely failed I was a bit perplexed to say the least.
Everyone Wants to Know How to Stop Puppy Biting
Puppy owners are always seeking advice on how to stop their puppy from biting – it’s something we’ve all struggled with. Their mouth is their tool for exploring the world, and it’s the only defense they’ve got – so they’re going to use it, and they’re going to use it constantly.
It’s a nice little reminder about how just how much fun puppies can be. Who doesn’t love a new house guest that poops in the house, chews up your shoes, and bites everything that comes near it?
How to train bite inhibition, or teaching your puppy not to bite, is one of the most frequently searched terms when it comes to puppy behavior. You’ll see that question come up all the time on dog forums and facebook groups. So when it came to looking for a quick fix to puppy biting I knew I wasn’t alone, and that there had to be lots of good information out there.
And after looking at google searches for the term ‘stop puppy biting’ I realized how popular of a search term it is, and how many of us rely on the internet for advice. So not only do we find ourselves with a ton of biting puppies in our households, at least 1000 of us a day have no clue how to make it stop. So we seek out advice in the one place we know well – the internet.
How Good Advice Failed
Nearly every article I read about puppy biting mentions the yelping method.
Try yelping they said, it will stop the biting they said.
So I did, I tried yelping. Every time Laika touched my skin with those teeth I let out a high pitch yelp. In theory this is supposed to work the same way that it would if another dog yelped, a little reminder that “hey that really hurts” and that the biting game is over.
But do you know what happened when I yelped at Laika? She started charging and biting me even more.
She wasn’t just giving out nips anymore; she went into full on attack mode. My yelping was apparently a signal to go ahead and go full force. After yelping at her she not only continued to bite, but she added in all sorts of leaping, lunging, growling and tugging into the mix. Not exactly my idea of a great method, at least not for my little demon pup.
The “try yelping” method was a complete failure. Something that’s been said to work well for puppies ended up making my puppy worse. It didn’t stop the biting at all; it just made her go into instant attack mode – now with the bonus of additional enthusiasm and bite pressure.
Try Yelping is Missing One Tiny Detail
Try yelping failed me, but that’s not say it doesn’t work on some dogs. It does work on most puppies, it’s just didn’t work on mine. If I had found (or thoroughly read) this little tidbit I might have tried a new approach sooner:
Ninety percent of puppies will stop mouthing in mid-bite if you give a high-pitched squeal or yelp. Then you praise the dog and reinforce by continuing to play. The other ten percent—and puppies who are tired or over-stimulated—will escalate their behavior instead of stopping. This requires you to confine the puppy or end the game. Remove all attention. Bite inhibition training does not require any added aversive—yelling, “popping” the dog on the nose or under the chin, shoving your hand down his throat, or spraying him with water. – Melissa Alexander, Karen Pryor Clicker Training
This is all I needed to know. If I had found this gem before I started yelping I probably wouldn’t have had to spend so much defending myself from all those frenzied puppy attacks.
Why Good Advice Isn’t Always Good Enough
Even after all those bites and scratches I endured I’d still recommend trying the yelping method if you’re trying to stop your puppy from biting. It works on roughly 90% of dogs, and I’ve seen it work on plenty of dogs in my time, just not at all with Laika.
It’s just important to keep in mind that when it comes to dog training there’s isn’t always one “best” method. What works for one dog might not work on another. And in my case that method completely backfired. (And that running around like an idiot to get away from a biting puppy has a tendency to turn you into one big super fun dog toy to chase)
It worked on my two previous dogs, and I’ve seen it work well for my friends and family. I’ve read a lot of personal stories about how well it’s worked for puppies everywhere. It just didn’t work with Laika.
I don’t doubt it’s validity, but that’s the problem with any single piece of advice – results aren’t guaranteed. Some advice works really well for most people, some of it works for half, and on occasion some advice can make your problems worse.
In my case the advice I found to yelp at my dog led to some extra nips and scratches – nothing too serious in the grand scheme of things. But what if I had been seeking out medical advice for my dog or advice on a serious behavioral issue?
One piece of advice doesn’t guarantee a solution; and in my case it made my problem worse.
I got lazy when seeking online advice; instead of researching the topic thoroughly I scanned a page that said “yelp at your puppy to stop their biting” and thought I was ready to take on the world, or in this case one demonic puppy.
Try yelping they said, it will stop puppy biting they said…
Recommended Reading
If you’re looking for tips on how to teach your puppy not to bite check out the following articles:
Elizabeth Keene says
I have to yell when my older kitty Maddox plays too rough. I have no idea about the first 7 years of his life, but clearly, he wasn’t taught proper playing (he must have been taken from mom and siblings too soon). The dramatic yelling is the only thing that works (interestingly, I never did it with the dogs when they were puppies). You’re right, though, not every tried and true remedy one reads about on the Net is the right one for her/his situation. Options are good. 🙂
Jen Gabbard says
Of all your pets that’s funny that Maddox is the one I’m picturing playing too rough. Who knows how the first 7 years of his life were spent – maybe he was being pimped out as a cat fighter. At least it works on him though; it really is an easy method.
Elizabeth Keene says
🙂 He’s missing some meat on the edges of his ears, so I think he probably was living a fighter’s life. The trouble is, he’s just so thoroughly a goober. Passed over at the shelter for SO long because – in part – he plays like a street fighter. If I hadn’t read online about the squealing method for teaching bite inhibition for puppies, I would not have known to use it on him. (Of course, now I know better than to provoke him to play by sticking my bare hand where he can bunt it like a bunny.) My family thinks I’m nuts for yelping at him, but I don’t care; it works!
Jen Gabbard says
If it works it works. Poor guy – he probably did have a rather rough life before. But I’m so happy from reading your posts about him that you were willing to give him a chance – so many goobers like him get passed up all the time for the newer, cleaner models.
Elaine says
Good advice about reading many sources when trying to solve a problem, whether it’s with dog training or trying to figure out what kind of animal might be making noise in your attic (a problem in our house right now, urgh!)
Haley was like Laika, I tried the yelping method too and it only made her more excited and bitey. I had to always have a bone or toy in one hand ready to give her when she wanted to bite my hands. She learned pretty quick after I started replacing my hands with things she could chew on.
It’s interesting how different methods work with different dogs.
Jen Gabbard says
I was so shocked when I yelped that first time – I never imagined it making her charge me the way she did lol. So our dogs are in the 10% – the over stimulated ones I guess. Good luck with the animal in the attic; I’ve never been good at guessing that – I’ll tell my boyfriend it sounds like a raccoon and it ends up being just one stupid mouse.
beaglesbargains says
I do usually read multiple sources when I’m research something because there is plenty of just straight bad advice on the web these days. It’s reassuring to see it on more than one resource, but that doesn’t always mean it is going to work. That was definitely a lesson learned when I first adopted Luna. We tried crating her while we were away to curb her destruction, but in the end it actually made her more destructive. Ever situation is different, so it’s good to understand why a solution might work because although it might be good advice for some, it might not work for you.
Jen Gabbard says
Ive heard of dogs like Luna – where the crating can make things worse. I’m so glad I didn’t have to manage that because when I compare getting bit a few times by a pup to dealing with widespread destruction I’d choose puppy bites. And yes definitely – some things that work for most don’t work at all for others. I’ve heard the same thing about headache medications as well now that I think of it.
beaglesbargains says
I agree! Luna broke out of her crate and tore up my bedroom carpet and ripped the blinds off the window (then pooped behind a chair). That’s when we decided we really had to do something different. It’s weird though because now she is more than content being in her crate and often goes there on her own at night. I think it was mostly the separation anxiety.
Jen Gabbard says
Oh yes – separation anxiety can be a real pain. I’m glad she’s completely content now, you did something extremely right. I’ve seen some dogs suffer for years, or possible their whole lives with bad SA issues. And I think I’d be beyond shocked coming home to that wonderful surprise – and then to top it all off with poop behind the chair; now that’s just rude.
beaglesbargains says
Especially since I reached down to pick it up with my bare hand, not realizing what it was.
Leah Erb, Let's Go Dog says
My Zack puppy was in the 10% crowd, I ended up crying a lot in frustration. “Yelp” they said (escalation ensues); “Do an Alpha Roll” they said (hair raises on the back of my neck); “Crate”, “Divert”, “Just say no” …. What finally worked 100% was to frequently invite a neighbor puppy to come over and play in the yard with Zack. (Phew!)
Oh, and I read your every word :-> can’t help it.
Jen Gabbard says
It is so frustrating when something that works for so many can make it much worse when you go to try it yourself. I had completely forgotten how much I dislike raising puppies until that point, they really make you question your sanity at times. Glad the neighbor dog was of help – I think if we had gotten Laika out with more buddies all the time it would have made the process so much easier. It’s amazing watching dogs together – it’s almost like they speak the same language 🙂
Lauren Miller says
I don’t think yelping works for anyone! It’s weird that it’s still common advice.
Jen Gabbard says
I swear it’s mentioned in every bite inhibition article
Lauren Miller says
I know. It’s so ridiculous. Most of the time it doesn’t work and with insanely mouthy pups it makes them bite harder and more amped up. Just today Zoe and Phoenix were in the dog yard playing and Zoe was being a bratty bully and Phoenix yelped, she stopped for like 2 seconds and then went at her even harder. I had to separate them because Zoe was way overstimulated.
DZ Dogs says
Funny, but it actually worked with Ziva. 🙂 When we first adopted Ziva she was really super mouthy, she was just a year old and I don’t think anyone had ever tried to get her to stop being mouthy. Being that we are against physically harming our pups to get them to stop a behavior we tried the yelping (I hadn’t researched it….I usually research everything but we’d heard it before so we tried it.) Amazingly enough I think it shocked her to hear us make that sound, and she stopped!
So now we very rarely yip, but when we do she immediately stops what she’s doing and begins licking us instead – I think she’s apologizing for accidentally hurting us. 🙂
Jan K, Wag N Woof Pets says
The yelping method did work for me with our most recent puppy. To this day he has great bite inhibition, which is really good since he’s fearful of strangers. I try to be careful when looking up anything online, to stick to reputable websites and take a lot of things with a grain of salt as well. When I’ve researched ways to clicker train certain tricks, I’ve found so many different ways to do them…I finally ordered a book!
I recently read yet another post about dogs who pull on the leash, and the stop and start method, and that has NEVER worked for me with my dogs! But obviously it does with other dogs (maybe I just don’t have enough patience to do it right).
Jen Gabbard says
As far as leash training I’ve had a lot of trouble with that as well. While switching directions does make Laika turn around it’s never actually seemed to help her focus and anticipate what I’m going to be doing. I also tried to stop and start method to no avail, and we also tried the drop yummy treats method which didn’t work at all. Laika would much rather keep going than stop for a treat no matter what it is. She just spits out treats as we’re stopped and stares straight ahead. Dogs are weird, aren’t they? What works for one doesn’t work at all for another. Glad to know your recent puppy has some great bite inhibition already – it’s not something I have fond memories of lol.
I had to cheat when it comes to loose leash walking and now I use a harness or backpack to make it easier.
Kari Neumeyer says
Yeah, switching directions is a ridiculous technique. I used a Halti with a harness, and a clicker.
Talent Hounds says
Kilo the Rescue Pug is 2 and loves biting too. I tried yelping and, like Laika, he often escalates. It seems to reward him or send him over the edge. Occasionally a loud surprising noise will interrupt an inappropriate behaviour successfully, but we are working on other solutions. I try distracting him with his toys that he is allowed to bite. That sometimes works, but fingers just taste better, and I am more interactive. I try removing attention and putting him to bed. That sometimes works too as he loves his crate, but it is such a pain for me as the crate is in my home office and sometimes he just yells from there. I think we all skim as we have so little time and so much to read each day. A good headline and bullet points with Sub heads certainly help. Thanks Susie and Kilo the Pug
Jen Gabbard says
It’s just crazy that it riles certain dogs up so much – I’m not sure what that’s about. We’ve also had to try numerous methods to get it right – it really would have been so much easier if the yelping alone would have stopped it.
Lindsay Stordahl says
Such a great post, Jen! I don’t use the yelping method too often for the reasons you described. What usually seems to work best for me is a firm, quiet “no” and then ignore the puppy by turning my back, pretending to focus on something else or even leaving the room. The yelping does tend to get a lot of pups more excited, or they simply don’t care at all and ignore it! I am probably just not very good at doing the “yelp.” I do use “ouch!” for my cats and my adult dog when they get too rough. It seems to work for them, probably because they’re more mature than pups.
Jen Gabbard says
Ive tried so many different yelps as well, thinking that maybe they weren’t “dog” enough lol. It didn’t seem to make a difference. When Laika was biting I would have to end absolutely everything and remain perfectly still – if I even took one step to get away from her in that madness she’d lunge and grab onto my legs.. I certainly don’t miss those puppy days.
Michelle Wolff says
Such great advice and awesome photos!! I love those ears!
Playful Kitty says
As my Dad always told me, for every rule, there is a whole book full of exceptions to the rule. Living creatures are not like computers that run on an algorithm. There are too many potential factors that go into behaviors for us to really project any outcome with 100% accuracy. I have had advice fails too. It just takes a lot of trial and error to get it right.
K9sOverCoffee says
We were lucky since the pups got to come live with us at just 8 weeks of age, and our training was the first they received. We combined the yelping and would also immediately get up and remove ourselves from the picture ~ puppy biting meant that all fun & games stopped right that second. It worked great & was a fairly quick process.
But it’s certainly true that not all methods work for each and every pup out there!
Sierra M. Koester says
You make an interesting point – a lot of people don’t read every word of an article or blog post these days.
I took some online classes for writing on the web, and one of them had to do with how people read online. It said that most people will only look at the top third of a web page to decide if they want to read the rest of the article. The class told writers to put all the important information at the top of the article so that readers would find what they were looking for.
Personally, I have a severe vision problem and am not *able* to skim. I have to read every word of an article or a blog post. I guess this puts me at an advantage sometimes. 🙂 I often find a lot of interesting things in the middle or at the end of posts and articles I bet a lot of others miss.
Jen Gabbard says
I’d never thought about making sure the important stuff is at the top – I should take that into consideration. It certainly makes sense because the further down a page you go the more readers you lose and when it comes to skimmers and scanners it’s so hard to say what they’ll be picking up on.
For myself if I had read those articles about puppy biting & yelping I would not have missed that addendum about the 10% or so that get more riled up. I learned my lesson and I’ve been much more careful to make sure I read an article in full now.
I’ve actually found myself skimming through bullet point type & list posts recently – though I’m trying not to. It’s a work in progress and I’m trying hard to take my own advice about making sure I read things from top to bottom.
Beth_Daily_Dog_Tag says
We are so lucky to live in a time when so much information is at our fingertips. But it is important to remember that what works for one dog, might not work for another.
abbychesnut says
Hehe. I don’t remember how I got Jada to stop biting. She didn’t have a huge issue with it, but I think I redirected her bites to toys.
Kari Neumeyer says
I’ve been there with two German shepherd puppies. The bruising, the torn pant legs and jacket sleeves. Nothing seemed to work… And then it stopped. My theory is, teething puppies grow out of it. But I’m no expert.
MyDogLikes says
This has worked with younger pups I have been around and my cat, but not so much for Charlie who was 6 months old when we got him. Like Laika he seemed to mouth most when he was tired and overstimulated. It was best for us to stop play and sometimes give him a little time out from reinforcement in the crate. You are so right about advice. Its not law, think about what works for you and your dog and adjust as necessary! Great post.
Live.Wag.BARK! says
Great post! I was a clueless puppy mom when Cairo came home. I soon found out how much I did not know! I did try the yelp method and it worked for him. But I also agree with the add-in advice you found. My problem was other people allowing him to do it when THEY played with him because he was so cute. And I have to say…I can’t get over how cute Laika was with those ears!
Rachel Sheppard says
I definitely like your last point about proceeding with caution. Even when I was a vet tech, people would offer me advice all the time at the dog park. Much of which was ridiculous, and not scientifically backed. Additionally, everything doesn’t work for everyone, like you mentioned. Great article.
Camille Schake says
I learned this the hard way when I was dog sitting a friend’s husky-lab mix puppy while she was out of town. The yelping had worked wonders for my own puppy, but when I tried it on him after he bit down on my hand, he immediately launched himself directly at my face with all his teeth showing. It was like something out of Sharknado! Luckily I was on my knees when it happened, so was able to fall backwards, but he ended up catching my chin with his head so hard I saw stars. Lesson learned!!
louisagolden says
Great article. Although…… I don’t believe this yelping technique really works 90% of the time. Most of the dogs coming through my puppy class are quite stimulated by the yelping method. It makes them come on stronger, just as you describe.
It’s so popular out there in the public domain, I still mention it. But I recommend people do what you describe instead of trying that yelp thing out.
Dhruv Patel says
Great article. I thought my 12 week lab has some issues until I came to this site. His teeth are razor sharp, tears the skin every time he goes into rough play.
Jen Gabbard says
I couldn’t believe how bad it was when we got Laika. I had completely forgotten how much puppies bite, and how hard it is to get them out of that habit.
Molly O'Hara says
It’s funny, I read and learned the “stop playing, no attention” method with one puppy several years ago, so I have always done it and said the yelping method was obnoxious.
Well, I shot myself in the foot with this new puppy! He’s the first one that hasn’t worked on. In fact, it makes him have the same reaction the yelping method created in Laika. I finally figured out that yelping was the only thing that worked! I laughed so hard at myself.
You never stop learning, thank goodness, but man, I should stop making statements like those because eventually, it’s going to bite me in the butt – or more likely the hand/wrist/face/ankle ????.
Jen Gabbard says
It’s so funny how so many methods get completely different results depending on the dog. It’s a lesson I’m glad I learned, and it’s one Laika has taught me many times now lol 🙂
AITOR ROSELL TORRALBA says
I have it worse i think, my puppy does not react good to any method, if you yelp, she bits harder, if you ignore, she can keep biting for as long as you wait, if you move without engaging, she will chase you, if you give her a toy she will ignore it, if you give her a treat, she will take it, hide it and return to keep biting you, if you get aggressive and do physical punishment, she bites harder, if you cage her, she barks all the time and when you release her, she returns to biting.
Any action you do actively will make her bite you harder, while any lack of action will do nothing and she will keep biting.
I cannot even positive reinfort her to not bite because that does simply not happen, the only way to stop the bitting is to hide from her until she forgets or to put her tail in her mouth, which will prompt her to try to rip his own tail for hours.
When my old sister comes with his puppy of the same race and only 2 months older, at the start they play but it does not take even 10 minutes for her puppy to try to hide from my puppy, for the simple reason that she does the same to him than she does to me, she will bite him and will bite harder when he complains, will chase if the runs and if he barks, growls or defensively bits her, she will bite him even harder.
It seems a mix of a total disinterest on any type of toys, that she REALLY likes to bite and it seems like she greatly enjoys to cause pain or to receive pain.
I cannot make her waste energy in walks either because she outright refuses to walk outside, she will drop and will not walk no matter what you do, she only will accept to go outside if you let her sit on your arms.
I am simply unable to reinforce her in any way, i think this is because she was rejected by her mother after 4 days of being born, she was given to us by the breeder when she was 1 week old and we had to bottle feed her powder milk for dogs.
Strangely she only bits you if she trust in you, she will not bite stranger humans or stranger dogs, but she also lacks fear, she will aproach even a barking, angry dog to try to lick him in the mouth and will try to make him play with her, while on humans she will raise the hind leg like a male does to pee, but instead to pee, she does it to show her belly to strangers so they pet her there without the need of her to lie down, if the stranger does not comply she will proceed to approach the leg of the stranger, rise the hind leg like before and rub her belly against the leg of the stranger.
I had a dog before her, but he was more, lets say normal, but this puppy simply seems cryptic to me, she does a lot of weird stuff, like for example if you give her a foot she really really likes, she will not eat nor hide it, she will put it on the floor on a place where she has space and will start playing and jumping on the food without eating it for hours.
Adrianne says
I’m glad I came across your post!. My 3month-old rottie pup’s definitely part of the 10%. I’ve tried high pitch, dramatic and, even on the verge of tears yelp! None of those did the trick to stop him. He kept biting and charging towards me. A moment ago, it happened again! But this time, I completely ignored him. It finally worked! You’re right not all famous training methods work.
Lisa says
We have had our puppy for a month, she is about 4 months old. We have been training her several times a day (short sessions) and we only use positive reinforcement methods. She is either very stubborn or just not that bright because she refuses to listen outside of her training sessions.
In all the information I have read everyone says to turn around and not pay them attention but how the heck do you do that if they are taking chunks out of your calves! if we leave the room she destroys the skirting boards. We have been trying to redirect her with toys but she shows no interest. She shows no affection, we can’t pat her or cuddle her, she doesn’t respond to toys or praise and only sometimes reacts to treats.
I am pretty much at my wits end (there have been many tears) and if it wasn’t for my husband I would have re-homed her by now.
Please someone tell me they had a puppy exactly the same and they grew into an amazing family dog!
Marcy Cline says
I have tried everything with my 7 month old husky poo. I Yelp or tell her no firmly and turn my back, but she then attacks my back by biting my clothes. The only thing I have found is to either send her outside to run out put her in her cage for a time out. It’s continuously happening everyday, so my method isn’t working. I don’t know what else to do. I’ve tried following all the recommendations. I guessed it’s time to call a professional.
Jennifer says
I feel like I’m right there with you. We have a 7 month old rat terrier/heeler mix who has more energy than my past 3 dogs combined. She doesn’t know what to do with herself sometimes and that starts the barking at us which then leads to the biting. I tried the yelping method and was fill on attacked like I had just rang the dinner bell! Anything we say to her seems to get get more riled up. We’ve tried timeouts and they don’t always work. Same with removing ourselves from the situation as she will continue to pursue. I read one comment about giving a chew toy when this starts and i think we might try this. We’ve tried redirecting with squeak toys but that gets her riled up as well! I feel bad that so many others are going through this, but it feels good to not be alone!
Rachel says
I about died when I got down to the photo of Laika! I related on a level I couldn’t before because I too have a Belgian Malinois and he is also a demon puppy with a penchant for “playful” frenzied biting attacks. This breed is like no other breed I have ever had the joy of knowing but wow are they intense!
Joel Margolis says
I just got my own Shepherd Mix puppy, Max, who is around three months old — he is exactly the same as Laika! He gets muuuch more excited when I yelp and he has trouble staying focused on chewing things that aren’t my hands. What kinds of things did you have success with to tire out Laika, help with teething, and preventing the nipping and biting?? My arms hurt!
Kyleigh says
The article was pretty funny , well written and relatable though I was disappointed at the end since you didn’t provide what DID work for the other 10%. It was leading up to a perfect conclusion but fell limp.
Holly Fodil says
I need help with this issue. My puppy looks like your and acts the same way with the yelping. I cried for an hour today after a savage biting session that left me bleeding. I love my puppy but I can’t take this behaviour for much longer. He is 4 months old and 30 pounds. I am home all day with him and have tried it all. Yelping incuded. I tried crating him yesterday after he wouldn’t stop biting. And everytime I let him out (which was about 7 minutes total) and he had calmed down…. He just started biting again. He doesn’t even greet you with a lick. It’s always a bite… I don’t understand. I need some advice.
Min says
Oh boy does this confirm what I have been living (through bite hell) over the past few days. My 3 months old puppy is an angel in his crate. But as soon as I let him out, he immediately goes for my hands… and now neck & face. Sometimes when we’re just playing nicely, he’ll stop and look at me for a few seconds, then lunges at my straight on with his sharp teeth and start biting my hands, clothes, etc. and the more I yelp, the harder he bites. Then starts barking and becoming frantic. I feel like he’s frustrated about something and that is his way to release it. I have tried ignoring his, statue, leaving. It can stop for a few seconds, then he chases me around to bite more. Today I left and he just grabbed his bully stick and went into the dark office room to chew it. I went to see what he was up to and he growled at me, ressource guarding his possession (I did not move as if I was going to steal it). So so tired and in pain. Will try to find some dogs for him to play with off leash. Maybe he feels too constrained by this pandemic isolation period… :/
Anna says
Oh wow – thank you for posting this. Obviously, it’s been several years since you posted it, but 100s of us per day still stumble upon this page as we have vicious puppies.
mr osama says
It sounds like your puppy is going through a phase of excessive biting, which is common for dogs at his age. The yelping technique you’ve tried is a common method for correcting biting behavior, as it mimics the sound of a dog in pain and can help teach the puppy that biting is not acceptable. However, it sounds like this technique may not be working in your case.
It’s important to remember that puppies are still learning and developing, and their behavior can change rapidly as they grow and mature. At 4 months old, your puppy is still a baby and may not have full control over his biting yet.
Here are a few things you can try to help curb your puppy’s biting behavior:
Provide plenty of appropriate chew toys for your puppy to bite on. This will help redirect his biting impulses to something more appropriate.
Use positive reinforcement techniques to reward your puppy when he is not biting. This can include giving him treats, praise, or attention when he is being well-behaved.
Implement the “time-out” technique. This means to remove your puppy from the situation when he starts biting, and place him in a separate room or crate for a few minutes. This will help teach him that biting leads to isolation and loss of attention.
Consult with a professional dog trainer or behaviorist to get personalized advice for your puppy’s specific behavior.
It’s also important to note that puppies have a lot of energy and need a lot of physical and mental stimulation. Make sure you are providing your puppy with enough opportunities to play and exercise.
Finally, remember that this is a process and it takes time to change the behavior of a dog. Be consistent and patient with your puppy, and with time and training, his biting should decrease.