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How do I stop him biting?

Title says it all really, Barney has turned into a pitbull!! He keeps biting us, sometimes when he is cross, sometimes with no warning at all. Poor Millie gets the worst of it as she isn't as good at seeing him coming, and he often bites her without warning while they are playing. We've tried shouting no at him, he hates being shouted at and it often makes him cry, but it makes no difference to the biting. We tend to just remove him and ignore him completely so he gets no attention for it but I can't expect Millie not to squeal when he bites her (he's left a full set of teeth mark bruises twice this week). Any ideas? He's only 16 1/2 months so too young really for a naughty corner which is what we normally use with Millie when removing attention doesn't work.

Replies

  • Shea went through this stage and we nipped it in the bud quickly. He used to bite me and he also bit another lo at nursery and I was mortified.

    How we (and his nursery) dealt with it was as soon as he had bitten he would be told firmly "no that hurts mummy etc" (or at nursery the gilrs would say "you've hurt my friend so and so") and then look like your upset. he was then sat on the floor and we walked away from him, not giving him any attention at all, and he didn't get any attention until he approached us and said sorry or asked for cuddle.

    The biting stopped within days and he's never done it since (apart from other night when dad told him to go find mum and bite her bum!!!) i think the trick is to not shout and rave about it as to them this is still attention but to make them realise how hurtful they are being and that no one likes people that are nasty and hurtful

    Hope this helps x
  • Hi BH, instead of shouting No, try screaming 'OW!' and then put him straight onto the floor and say 'don't bite, that hurts me!' or 'ouch' - whatever can make him realise he is hurting you, not just being naughty. Then turn your back on him and give him no more attention.

    We have done this with ours and have never had a particular problem with biting. Of course we may just have been lucky lol!

    Mx
  • i havent got to this stage yet but i agree with what the others have said, i know most my friends their children all went through this phase and they always grow of it. she does bite me if i put my finger in her mouth though! and that kills!! xx

    [Modified by: princessjane on November 24, 2009 08:06 PM]

  • Thanks girls, we have made a lot of prgress with him biting us, we've been just putting him down and turning our backs and he does seem to be getting the message, it's just poor old Milie who is still getting regularly chomped on as she always rewards him with a lovely scream. Maybe I'll just buy a cage for him!!!
  • Or a muzzle! :lol:

    Hope he stops biting soon hun. He might think it's a game when he's biting his sis as she squeals, but hopefully what you're doing will show him it's not a good thing to do. It's so hard to know how to discipline at that age, I struggle with what to do with Evie. Lily goes on the step but Evie is too young for that. Good luck with it.

    xxx
  • Lily went through a phase of doing this at nursery. I was mortified and had to keep signing forms to say I knew what she'd done etc. They would said no to her firmly and then move her away from the toys and give her something else to do. When she does it to me and hubby we always say the same thing 'no you musn't bite' and we move her away from whatever it was that she was biting for. It seems to be working!

    Good luck with Barney! xx
  • Hopefully this will not return for us. Zacky went through this around 6 months ago and it lasted for ages, so i posted for suggestions on here as i had tried everything including the ouch and the old fashioned technique of biting back, oh and the shouting bit as well. I was litterally black n blue as he bit hard enough to bruise me.

    He would also bite on the sofa. He did it more when he was told off. But then it just stopped.

    Know when he is moved away from things or ive told him off and his mouth goes towards my hands or knees i ask him 'did mommy feel teeth then' and he thinks about it and doesnt do it. Probably because he knows he gets sent away from me to the otherside of the room till he gives me h hug to say sorry. Zackys 17 months now by the way.
  • tell him the zoobie will be too frightened to come to his house ;\)
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