Skip to content

Play biting

Basenji Training
  • Kong is 4 months old and is overall a GREAT puppy. Training with the kennel and bathroom were soooo easy. Our issue is with biting. I know he is a puppy and I don't mind taking a nibble every now and then. I want to curb him from nipping at other dogs. One dog in particular he is more aggressive when playing. My sister has a male pit-bull and he and Kongo play wonderful together. No problems. One of my girl friends has a smaller girl pit-bull, Ducky, and this is where the issues comes in. They start off just high energy playing but soon it turns into biting. Kongo thinks he is the same size as the biggest dog he has met and has no fear. Problem is sometimes it starts getting into biting at the ears of the other dogs. Most of the dogs he has met seem to know that he is a puppy but Ducky feels the bite and wants to bite back.

    How do I discourage Kongo from biting during play?

    What are some suggestions to get Kongo and Ducky to play better together? Ducky is going to be around often because she is one of my very good friends dogs and I want to make sure they can grow up being friends. Ducky is 2 years old.

    Any suggestions are welcomed.

    Thank you!!!

  • If it gets too intense, play is over… however I will say that with a puppy and an adult, the adult will usually end the play if they have had enough. That is what would happen in a pack situation... And Ducky should bite back and enough to draw a little pain from the pup... so that the pup knows that was either too much or too hard.

  • Usually the adult dog will tell the younger dog to back off. Perhaps Ducky does not know to do this. Is there another adult dog that could do this?Another B would be good!

    Jennifer

  • Totally agree that play time is over when the mouthing/nipping starts.

Suggested Topics

  • Puppy teething/biting

    Basenji Training
    18
    0 Votes
    18 Posts
    2k Views
    tanzaT
    @zande - I have place pups at 9wks, but typically to prior Basenji owners, they know the "ropes"... also I do eyes at 9wks, so 10 works better for me in placing pups and yes...(LOL) mine are raised in the home, no kennel.... and the breeders that I know that use kennel runs, still have their pups in the house for house time and "education".....
  • Only charging and biting my adult son

    Basenji Training
    9
    1 Votes
    9 Posts
    2k Views
    rockyR
    Thank you for all the input. Rocky has finally made friends with my son. He actually shaved his beard off and is just now spending some playtime with him
  • 0 Votes
    12 Posts
    3k Views
    eeeefarmE
    @zande said in Korben biting our feet and I don't know how to stop him.: Positive punishment is giving in to him. You are giving him exactly the attention he is seeking. Basenji do not like being ignored or shut out. That IS a form of punishment to them ! Agree, they don't like to be ignored. That comes under the heading of negative punishment. But there are things they like less. Depending on the dog, the skill of the trainer, and the punishment meted out, positive punishment can be extremely effective, but timing and choice of consequences is critical, so it's not something I recommend. Punishment is a loaded word, but it is the word used in operant conditioning. It evokes some terrible, painful consequence, but might be something as mild as a well aimed water pistol, which for some Basenjis (and some cats) would be reason enough not to repeat the action that caused it.....while with others it could turn into a game of trying to nail the feet and escape the spray. Without knowing the dog it's hard to guess what the result would be, which is why I am not suggesting it. The very best form of positive punishment is self inflicted, e.g. electric fence for livestock, invisible fence for dogs (if they don't learn to run through it), because of the consistency which a human trainer may lack. The consequences for most are unpleasant enough that they don't care to repeat the action that causes them. Horses seldom challenge electric fence if it's working properly, although some seem to detect when it is turned off!
  • crate/potty training and biting

    Basenji Training
    6
    0 Votes
    6 Posts
    4k Views
    tanzaT
    @jilliansquires Housetraining, you need to go back to potty training 101.... start all over again.... take her out "all" the time, after eating, sleeping playing, etc..... The biting as you describe it is NOT normal behavior. Have you done any Obedience training with her? Work her mind? And most important have you talked to her breeder?
  • Biting: positive reinforcement?

    Basenji Training
    26
    0 Votes
    26 Posts
    9k Views
    B
    @agilebasenji: No scolding or fussing, just put the pup gently in the crate so he can "reboot" so to speak. If you've made the crate a rewarding place to be, using the crate for a short time out should not cause him to hate his crate. Otherwise, you could remove yourself, but leaving a b puppy in a room by himself is not too wise. I actually remove myself when my dog decides she'd rather not do a training session with me. (But she's 4.) No fussing, no scolding, no begging to play with me, I just quitely walk out of the yard and leave her by herself for a little while. otherwise, Linda gave some great advice. Okay, that's a good idea then… I think it could help him calm down.
  • Biting problem

    Basenji Training
    16
    0 Votes
    16 Posts
    6k Views
    T
    @agilebasenji: FYI - tea tree oil is great, however it is toxic to cat, so if you have cats, you may want to rethink (or at least not put it on the cat) Good to know about the cats…thank you we do have 2.