# Puppy fear biting



## CaptainHavanese (Apr 24, 2020)

Hi all. I got my puppy from an AKC breeder about 2 weeks ago. He is 17 weeks old now. Because of the pandemic, and because he still needs his parvo booster (May 19th), AND because I live in NYC, I haven’t been able to socialize him much. My parents came to bring me supplies, and wanted to meet the puppy, and he at first wanted to stay away so we let him come up to us on his own time. I gave my dad a piece of bacon to treat him with for a pet, but Captain bit his hand - hard, and drew blood, then ran away. I’m concerned about his behavior, and I know I need to fix it before he gets any older. Has anyone here experienced this in a puppy or have any advice for what to do? I would really hate for him to get older and continue fear biting in an area as densely populated as NYC.


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## krandall (Jun 11, 2009)

CaptainHavanese said:


> Hi all. I got my puppy from an AKC breeder about 2 weeks ago. He is 17 weeks old now. Because of the pandemic, and because he still needs his parvo booster (May 19th), AND because I live in NYC, I haven't been able to socialize him much. My parents came to bring me supplies, and wanted to meet the puppy, and he at first wanted to stay away so we let him come up to us on his own time. I gave my dad a piece of bacon to treat him with for a pet, but Captain bit his hand - hard, and drew blood, then ran away. I'm concerned about his behavior, and I know I need to fix it before he gets any older. Has anyone here experienced this in a puppy or have any advice for what to do? I would really hate for him to get older and continue fear biting in an area as densely populated as NYC.


That is concerning behavior in any dog, and very unusual in a puppy. I would see if you can do a video conference with a local positive based trainer. (I know that some here in MA are doing them) I would also talk to your breeder immediately and get their take on the situation. Biting hard enough to draw blood is a serious problem, no matter what the cause, and needs to be addressed in a way that really cannot be handled responsibly on an on-line forum. You are right that it needs to be addressed. A dog that bites with a known bite history, can get you sued and can end up with the dog being euthanized.

One thing I can tell you for sure is NEVER force a fearful dog or puppy into a situation they are uncomfortable with, even with food. It can only make matters worse, even if they take the food. If you have trouble finding a positive based trainer to help you, PM Dave T Gabby here on the forum. He has a list of certified trainers in many areas of the country, and I suspect he can help put you in touch with someone.


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