Biting

[DerekCowan]

Why is my border collie 3 months old biting when you’re petting him

[Adrienne]

Hello and welcome to the forums,

At this age, it could be simply play or he's not used to being handled. At this age, pups are not in the mood much for long petting sessions. Keep the petting short and sweet and aim to create positive associations for touch. Here are some guidelines:

Please see the bite inhibition games to redirect biting and provide outlets:

https://www.braintraining4dogs.com/members/archive/bite-inhibition-games/

Here is a guide on how to train puppies to bite gently:

https://www.braintraining4dogs.com/members/archive/train-dog-take-treats-gently/

Here is a thread with handling exercises that can turn helpful. You would start by petting very briefly and lightly and feeding a treat, repeating several times, starting in areas your pups seems to tolerate more, and progressing at your pup's pace, taking baby steps. 

And this thread has many tips for dealing with nippy pups:

If your puppy is mostly biting when you are petting him, I therefore feel it would belikely out of play or not being used to being handled. However, if you see the biting happening when your puppy is eating something or has a toy, and there is also growling or showing teeth, you may be dealing with a case of resource guarding which requires a different approach. And of course, avoid petting when your pup is trying to eat/rest or sleep as pups need to eat undisturbed and have un-interrupted sleep and we don't want to create negative associations with us nearby them during these activities.

Hope this helps,

Best,

Adrienne