Saint Bernard puppy pulling and biting problem
My 7 month old Saint Bernard dog would bite strangers out of excitement while being on walks. He is not a tiny dog, this scares people and they think he is trying to be aggressive. It is embarrassing and unacceptable. It also makes it difficult when the stranger encourages the behavior while I'm saying "don't bite" and holding his mouth shut.
He also pulls uncontrollably towards people while we are passing, as well as towards dogs. He goes crazy when he sees another dog.
How do I get him to stop pulling and biting? I've been using the excuse that he is a puppy and just excited, for too long. Please help! I want to fix this as soon as possible! On top of that, we live in an apartment complex that is very dog friendly. We constantly run into dogs and people.
He's the most loving dog, he just needs to learn some manners!
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Instead of telling him 'no', try making a 'that-hurt' kind of sound (a more high-pitched yelp, followed by a few seconds of wimpering noises while holding the area he playfully bit).
Like our dog, he may respond better to the worry that he hurt you than to being told off
Try using a "Chirp and Treat" technique.
Basically, when you're out on a walk and he's behaving nicely, make a short, sharp chirp sound (or use a clicker) to grab his attention and them immediately reward with a small treat. Repeat this at intervals (but not too often) so that he learns to associate the chirp with reward.
Taking a small toy with you on walks is also a good distraction and can be used to bring focus back to you again.
Over time, simply chirping will distract him away from distractions and put his attention back onto yourself.
When approaching other dogs, it may help to place yourself between the other dogs and your puppy and keep him back with your knees. Pulling back on a leash while the dog is in front of you invariably does nothing more than reinforce the pulling tendency.
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