Guest lyndajgil Posted December 28, 2009 Share Posted December 28, 2009 (edited) Our Grey, Ross is a 3 year old male. We have had him now for almost 7 months. Been off the track since March 2009 and spent only 3 weeks in a foster home. He is very sweet and loves, loves to play...just like a puppy. The problem is that he also bites when playing and it hurts sometimes. We have scolded him and jerked his collar but it seems to just continue. My friends have told me about Bitter Apple but I am hesitant to use it. Any suggestions?? Edited December 28, 2009 by lyndajgil Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest trevdog Posted December 28, 2009 Share Posted December 28, 2009 Bitter Apple only works when you apply it frequently. Having raised a grey puppy, the only thing that really worked for us is when the play biting starts, immediately stop playing and ignore him. He'll get the point eventually. Shreiking like a hurt puppy also works but only a few times it seems. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Greyt_dog_lover Posted December 28, 2009 Share Posted December 28, 2009 I am a bit hesitant to ask what your "scolding" is if you also "jerk" his collar. But regardless, I agree that you can either make a high-pitch screeching sound, if this does not work, simply stop playing. Play time is over as soon as he bites. It will work, it just may take a few weeks. Chad Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest lyndajgil Posted December 28, 2009 Share Posted December 28, 2009 Don't be "hesitant" to ask. We just scold him and say "NO BITE" to him when he bites. I also read in the Adopting a Greyhound book that when a Grey misbehaves, you can give him a slight jerk of his Martingale collar as a reprimand. We love our Grey..we would never hurt him! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest mcsheltie Posted December 28, 2009 Share Posted December 28, 2009 I have one of those. I say NO Bite, turn my back and walk away. Now if she gets carried away I just say that and she stops using her mouth. And we can keep playing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest NeverSayNever Posted December 28, 2009 Share Posted December 28, 2009 I would try to get him to tug and/or fetch toys. Give him something appropriate to put his mouth on. And then when you are playing with him, if he does something inappropriate, I would say OUCH, take the toy, and stop playing for 5 minutes. Teach him that biting too hard or at all ends the fun... game over. It will take a few sessions for him to get the message. He will need some repetitions to get the point... so don't give up... be very consistant. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Greyt_dog_lover Posted December 28, 2009 Share Posted December 28, 2009 Just to give you a heads-up about one topic around here that sparks a lot of "heated debate" is that of training methods. The "jerking" sounds like the "Cesar Milan" method of being "alpha" with your hound. The CM is one side of the debate, and the other side is positive training (see "Its Me or the Dog"). Thats all I meant. Personally I find the collar jerking and CM's method not very necessary with sensitive hounds such as greyhounds. There are other breeds that are not nearly as "emotionally gentle" as a greyhound, such as Dobermans or Border Collies. By the way, what "adoption book" are you referencing. I need to re-read as I dont remember reading that suggestion. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tydyelady Posted December 28, 2009 Share Posted December 28, 2009 I have a playful biter too. We pretty much had stopped it by redirecting to his toys. It happens a lot when we come in the door so we just tell him to go get the puppet (our word for his stuffed toys), and off he goes with it in his mouth, running. Sometimes if he is excited and knows we are going somewhere he will air snap, and once in a while bite at us. I do what has been suggested, stop, turn the other way and walk away. He gets no attention until he settles down. There is no need for collar jerking, they get it pretty quickly. Quote Mom to Toley (Astascocita Toley) DOB 1/12/09, and Bridge Angel Opie (Wine Sips Away) 3/14/03-12/29/12 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest TeddysMom Posted December 28, 2009 Share Posted December 28, 2009 I have been trying to break Teddy of this since he arrived the end of August. Nothing has broken the behavior so far, everything works maybe once or twice then he just ignores it. The spray bottle worked for a few times but now he thinks its a game. We go through it every morning when he wakes me up, when I come back in the house from being away even for a minute and everytime he gets fed. I have to add that Teddy is not what you call a sensitive, shy or softhearted type of greyhound. I love him to pieces, he makes me laugh everyday and if this is the only thing he ever does, I guess I'm lucky. If you ever find something that works please let me know. I feel your pain, literaly, I have the bruises to prove it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest SusanP Posted December 28, 2009 Share Posted December 28, 2009 (edited) I have an excitement biter, Spinner. Early on, I tried ignoring him, but he wouldn't be ignored. Held my hands out of reach, and he'd go after my stomach or hips or whatever he could reach. High pitched screech got him more excited. Tried the spray bottle, and he became angry and snarly--not what I was after. Never thought of the bitter apple idea--wish I had, because we have 2 bottles here we haven't used for a very long time. I bet it would work, if you don't mind using it as hand-lotion for a day or so. So what worked for us were these things: When he suddenly got playful, I'd speedy-quick send him outside with his big bouncy ball to play soccer by himself. Or I'd play tug of war with a rope toy (but he on occasion got too revved up with that and started to get snarly for real about it when we tried to regrab our end, so we don't do that often anymore). At 5 now, he doesn't really get this way anymore the same as he did 2 years ago. At first, I was so shocked by his intensity I called a local trainer for advice--I honestly wasn't sure he was being playful when he'd pounce at me, biting and snarling, out of the blue! He gets bity just with excitement over wanting to go outside or for a walk. The first thing that worked was when he grabbed my hand, I'd hold onto his lower jaw and tongue firmly--he doesn't like that a lot, and I think it helped inhibit him somewhat. Calming him with soft, gentle, slow talk, holding his head still with my hands, or holding his muzzle shut with my hand, and standing still, refusing to move until he settles--He starts in again after I take about 3 steps and we have to do the whole thing all over again. Over time his bites became gentler, so that now they are more like hand-holding, unless he is *really* carried away. He seldom draws blood anymore, though. I think I got most of my ideas and inspirations for dealing with Spinner's biting right here on Greytalk. Let us know if you hit on something that works so it can be passed on! Edited December 28, 2009 by SusanP Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest MyBoys Posted December 28, 2009 Share Posted December 28, 2009 Our Henry does the same thing, he sometimes gets so excited when playing he nips and yes it hurts when he does make contact. We usually will say NO BITE in a little bit of a firm voice and will walk away until he settles down, he seems to understand and will settle down and then play nice. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PrairieProf Posted December 28, 2009 Share Posted December 28, 2009 (edited) Beth is also a playful biter (outdoors only, when she gets in a silly/happy mood) and the thing that works best at curbing the behavior is to shake a tin can with some pennies inside at her when she does it. That really gets her attention in a way I find verbal commands do not (and I'd never jerk her etc.) -- there are times when she's in that playful mood and anything else I try to do (the "no!" or asking her to sit or down) all becomes part of the game. One or two shakes of the penny can and the behavior goes away for some time. Redirecting toward a soft toy or something else also seems to help. Edited December 28, 2009 by PrairieProf Quote With Cocoa (DC Chocolatedrop), missing B for Beth (2006-2015)And kitties C.J., Klara, Bernadette, John-Boy, & Sinbad Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fourofem Posted December 30, 2009 Share Posted December 30, 2009 It took House a while to start playing after he arrived but he did the same thing. He was a biter/jumper kind of player. A firm "No Bite", turning my back on him and walking away worked best for me. Every once in a while, he'll still get exicted out in the yard (especially in the snow) and it still works. Quote Blair, Stella (DND Heather), Lizzie (M's Deadra), Hitch (Hallo Dominant) and House (Mac's Dr. House) Missing my handsome men Lewis (Vs Lowrider) - 11/11/01 - 3/11/09, Kevin (Dakota's Hi Five) - 1/1/06 - 4/18/11 and my cat, Sparkle Baby - ??/??/96 - 4/23/11 "The gift which I am sending you is called a dog, and is, in fact, the most precious and valuable possession of mankind." (Theodorus Gaza) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest lyndajgil Posted December 30, 2009 Share Posted December 30, 2009 Our Grey, Ross is a 3 year old male. We have had him now for almost 7 months. Been off the track since March 2009 and spent only 3 weeks in a foster home. He is very sweet and loves, loves to play...just like a puppy. The problem is that he also bites when playing and it hurts sometimes. We have scolded him and jerked his collar but it seems to just continue. My friends have told me about Bitter Apple but I am hesitant to use it. Any suggestions?? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest SusanP Posted December 30, 2009 Share Posted December 30, 2009 Our Grey, Ross is a 3 year old male. We have had him now for almost 7 months. Been off the track since March 2009 and spent only 3 weeks in a foster home. He is very sweet and loves, loves to play...just like a puppy. The problem is that he also bites when playing and it hurts sometimes. We have scolded him and jerked his collar but it seems to just continue. My friends have told me about Bitter Apple but I am hesitant to use it. Any suggestions?? You put it on things you don't want in the dog's mouth--like your hands. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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