Bite Inhibition stage happens at around age 9 weeks old and lasts up to 6 months. This stage in a puppy's life is an important stage to become a good trainer, or get a good trainer. This is the stage that some of our buyers struggle with the most when they take a mini goldendoodle puppy home. They ask: Are Mini Goldendoodle puppies more aggressive than other breeds? Are there some puppies that never bite or show aggression?
I have to blog about this because 99% of our buyers never struggle with this. But 1% will text/call me with a worried sound in their voice and these questions. Answer: No, our Mini English Teddybear Goldendoodles are very docile and do not show more aggression than other breeds. In fact, they are one of the least in aggression. That is why we breed them. They are easy to train and soft mouthed. BUT. They are puppies going through a stage where if they were wild dogs, the other dogs in the pack would be telling them NO! Do not bite me on the leg! Their mothers tell them this, the siblings tell them this and all the other dogs tell them NO! The dog world has not changed in 10,000 years, so I am not totally sure why the training world has changed so drastically in the last few years.
Dogs were created and designed to be told NO, sometimes. Yes 99% of the time Yes is GREAT! BUT, if you try to tell a puppy YES 100% of the time, you're going to have a worried tone to your voice. They are pack animals. They are going to try to dominate and work to the top of the pack no matter what. Even with humans. Now, they are docile Mini English Goldendoodles so nothing to be feared by any means but if you are not willing to communicate with your dog in a way they understand, you are doing them a disservice. Try to think of them in their natural state. A pack of wolves. Packs try to find their place. They follow or they lead. You need to lead them. You need to tell them a firm NO when they bite you and you need to be consistent. The mother or older dog will tell them NO, knock them on their back and pretend to bite their neck. I suggest that you say no bite every single time they bite you. You may decide to play bite with them with something between you and them, or with gloves on they know they can bite you. We used to play bite with our Great Dane with gloves on only. She knew she could then. All other times, NO. But be consistent. Don't sometimes let them for fun and other times say no. It's important and respectful to communicate clearly. They are trying to learn. Redirect is good, but sometimes be direct. Both is best. Be direct and then redirect. Puppies can be trained at an incredibly young age. We teach them not to bark around 4 weeks old with our clicker training in Puppy Culture. It's amazing!
If you are struggling with biting puppies and you can't seem to get a handle on it, we recommend you get a trainer as fast as possible. It's important to get trained on what to do. You will fly through the biting stage and onto better days and lots of wonderful memories.
Kind Regards, April Power
