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AussieDoodle Biting

We just welcomed a seven month old Aussiedoodle in to our home a couple weeks ago and he has started biting my 10 year old son... he plays with him, pets him (doesn't tease) how do I get this to stop?

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Comments for AussieDoodle Biting

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Similar situation
by: Anonymous

I am sorry to hear about your biting situation. My seven month old Aussie female is biting me as well. I have my dog in obedience training at this time. They advised me to keep a short leash on her at all times and in the house too. When the nipping/jumping starts, you can immediately hold the dog away from you. Also, bitter apple spray is a good deterrent for nipping, but you have to be very consistent and it takes many attempts before it starts to discourage my dog. Now, if she see's the bottle she backs away. If the bites are breaking skin, I consider that the "redzone", please seek a training professional. Challenging and rewarding breed, but problem behaviors need to be dealt with head on. Best of luck to you!

Re: Biting
by: Kym

Sometimes, more likely than not, it's caused by two things. 1) the dog is being overstimulated. In this case, the dog needs a time out. Put him in a 'down-stay' until he calms down. Don't let your son get him too excited. 2) excess energy. Your dog needs to be able to run fully. Play fetch,take him to a park to run, agility, etc. These are high energy dogs. A backyard no matter how big, is not good enough. They will become destructive, and sometimes very dominant and unruly. This is not his fault.
I also recommend a spray bottle. When/if he tries to bite. Tell him 'NO BITE' and spray immediatly in his face. If the water alone does not deter him, add a bit of vinegar or lemon juice to your bottle. You can increase the amount if needed. Your dog will smell but he will stop biting. THIS WILL NOT HURT your dog!! This is also a good tool to use in general. 'No bark' or 'quiet', 'leave it' etc. Your dog needs to learn respect. But he also needs to be in a position that he is capable of learning. Aussies are very good dogs and want to please but they need to be in a position to learn. 'A tired dog is a good dog' The best true quote I think I have ever heard. Hope this helps! Good luck.

Biting
by: Anonymous

We have two Aussies and they are the most fun, intelligent, energetic and loving dogs I have ever had. They are definitely worth working diligently on the training. You will have a deeply devoted companion if you work hard now. Ours are just turning 2 years old. The mini on August 26 and the toy on September 9. They are half sisters born two weeks apart. They follow me everywhere!

The "leave it" command should become your best friend. Using the short leash like the previous post suggested is very good. You do have to be consistent and "practice" your obedience commands several times a day for 10 minutes or so. Not long sessions, short sessions. Then make sure to use those same commands in everything you do with the dog.

I am assuming you use small treats when you train. She needs to learn that her food or a treat or rawhide is ok in the mouth, but your skin isn't. If absolutely necessary Bitter Apple would be ok, but I would try the positive first. When she leaves it, she gets a treat. Try not to use "no" - it loses its effectiveness. "Leave it" is a command that you can use in numerous situations. Leave "no" for the "stop this very second" ... like maybe a dangerous situation. To all my dogs, not just my Aussies,"leave it" means drop it (if she has picked it up) or don't touch it (if she hasn't) or walk away. We also use it to say "no more barking".

Leave it, Sit, Down, Off (different from Down), Stay or Wait and All Done, with hand signals. These are the most important first commands. Stay and Wait are the hardest for my girls ... even now. But they know so many more commands, I just work on these a few times a week. I should be more diligent, but right now I can't.

Good Luck

Biting
by: Anonymous

Our 6-month-old has been with us for 3 months now and he gets into what I call Snarky Mode. Tears around like he just sat in some hot sauce and is aggressive with biting. I started using a spray bottle with white vinegar and spray him in the face when he tries to bite and that stops it. Now when he sees me grab the spray bottle he settles down immediately, all my scabs have now healed. I keep the spray bottle nearby because if I don't I am fair game when he is Snarky.

Trying so hard
by: Donna

My 5-month-old Aussie is tearing me up. I look like I've been attacked by a bear. It's mostly me he's biting I'm here with him all day. He's also biting our almost 3-year-old Mastiff which earns him a toss to the ground with teeth around his neck (not bitten by the Mastiff). That doesn't deter him for long though. Going to try the water bottle and vinegar... Then perhaps a trainer but they are scarce out where I live.

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