My puppy keeps biting my other dog's ears. How can I stop it?

That does not sound like sound advice and is a catastrophe waiting to happen, in my opinion. All it takes is that the "naughty" puppy reacts by biting back, and destroying it's owners face. The proper way to go about the nipping and biting is to firmly say no every time it acts like that and immediately ignore it until it calms down. Your friend may also want to take the puppy to puppy classes where the puppy can be observed by a trainer and she can work with the trainer on stopping this behavior. Unfortunately you did not give me an age of the pup, so this would have to be adjusted accordingly.

If his ears are infected, it may cause pain which could make him bite. Have him seen by your vet to rule out infection or pain. You'll need to gradually desensitize him to having his ears handled. Gently pet his head and around the ears for progressively longer periods of time with breaks in between. Praise and reward him when he complies. A stern "No" should be the response when he doesn't comply. Consider a basic obedience class and making him "work" for everything. This can be as simple as having him sit before eating, playing, going out, etc. If all that fails, consider muzzle training and use a muzzle when ear cleaning is necessary.

If this behavior is undesired, I would look into using a spray bottle filled with water and spritzing him in the face while saying "off!" at the same time. I would also consider using an empty can filled with coins and then tossing it on the floor so it makes a loud noise to startle him so that he stops the behavior. He needs to realize that this is undesired behavior and that these negative things happen whenever he does this behavior. I hope this helps! Please let me know if you have any other questions or concerns and I would be more than happy to help you further.

Hi and thank you for posting your question on Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Ear licking between dogs is a normal grooming behavior dogs who are within the same family or pack do to one another. However, if you notice Charlie is doing this to one of your other dogs in the household more frequently to the point where it is starting to become obsessive, this can be a sign of a behavioral problem. It is possible Charlie wishes to lick the other dog's eat due to an ear infection in the dog, so you might want to have ears examined by a veterinarian to rule this out. However, next time you notice Charlie doing this to another dog in the house, get his attention immediately with another activity like an interactive toy or a session of play time. Try and do this consistently for best results. If however behavioral intervention is not working well and ear infections have been ruled out, it is possible Charlie may have an obsessive compulsive disorder that may require Rx medications from your veterinarian. Best of luck to you and Charlie and thanks again so much for posting your question!

Is the biting aggressive or puppy behavior? If you are seeing snarling, bared teeth, growling and then biting to the point of drawing blood, that indicates an aggressive approach and you should consult with a veterinary behaviorist in your area ASAP. If it is the typical puppy behavior, usually done with hopping and nipping, wiggly body, while playing, etc, then it seems that you just need more time and patience with Papi. Puppies explore their environment with their mouths, so making sure he has plenty of appropriate chew toys can help curb the behavior. If he does get too nippy, yelping loudly, and then getting up and walking away (and thus ending play) is best to help teach him that too rough of play ends the fun. You can then praise and give treats for times where he is quietly playing with a toy or with you. Puppies do go through a teething stage at about 6-7 months of age, so the chewing and nipping behavior can ramp up again at that time. Sticking with your training can help ensure the nipping behavior stays minimal.

Biting is normal puppy behavior but it is something you want to try to get under control quickly. There are a few methods to deal with biting and my favorite is to imitate another puppy. As soon as Apollo puts his mouth on you, 'yelp' and then walk away from him. Completely ignore him until he calms down. As soon as he does so, give him calm attention and encourage him to chew on something like a toy. If everyone is consistent with this behavior, most puppies learn quickly because they want their human's attention. That being said, not all puppies are cuddly. They are individuals just like people. I hope this helps and please feel free to post any additional questions.

Puppies generally explore the world with their mouths, so deterring the behavior can help. Limiting Wolverine's access to areas if unsupervised can also help preventing chewing of dangerous of valuable items. If Wolverine is getting a little too excited, one way to stop the nipping behavior is to simply get up, walk away, and stop the play session. Once he has calmed down, you can start playing again, and offer a treat every time he plays nicely or chews on his own toys instead of you. Trading out your hands and fingers for an appropriate toy, and then giving lots of pets or a treat when he chews on that instead can also help teach him that those are things you want nibbled instead of you or the environment!