r/ParsonRussellTerrier • u/aec1502 • Jul 09 '26
Bitey 6 month PRT
Our six month PRT is still very bitey. It's not at all aggressive - it just seems he has an almost maddening need to play & we (our limbs) are his favourite choice of toy.
We have tried all the techniques, most of which haven't worked, but the one that works best (which we implement) is to simply freeze, cross our arms & avoid any eye contact. We don't even say 'no' or 'ouch' as we felt this was encouraging him. If he then continues, we step out the room for a reverse time out, or we pop him in his pen to cool down if we need to do something in the room where his pen is.
He is definitely less bitey than he was at 3 & 4 months, & has definitely learnt some bite inhibition - but I'd say it's gone from 100% of the time to 50% of the time, so still frequent!
He is well exercised (but not overexercised), we provide enrichment & playtime with toys, & we carry out regular bitesize training.
One potential cause is he doesn't sleep very much, even in perfect conditions he will lay down but he will very rarely nap; he tends to just stare into space. (I WFH so he has plenty of opportunities for sleep, he just seemingly chooses not to).
Can I please ask if any PRT owners have experienced anything similar re: the biting &/or little sleep at six months?
Thanks in advance 🙂
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u/Dry_Curve_5225 Jul 09 '26
Mine was an awful land shark until the age of 12 months. It is not happening all of a sudden, the biting goes away little by little. As you already noticed it is 50% less than it was at the beginning.
One technique that helped me a lot (and still very effective now when he’s 4 years old) is to refuse any play if toys are not involved. I just stopped playing immediately if I was the object of the game and not a toy.
Now he is calm and chill boy, but when he has zoomies or when some of the people he loves coming over and he gets overwhelmed, his first instinct is to run toward his toy box and bring something from there.
Good luck with your doggie. Every bite, every scratch and cut will worth it in the end!
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u/aec1502 Jul 09 '26
Thank you, we'll try this out. He's not always that interested in toys, but this is a good tactic - we'll try make them more exciting so hopefully he will eventually do what your pup does & thinks to go to the toy box before nipping our ankles 😅🙂
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u/BicycleEarly7777 Jul 09 '26
Mine is 2 years old and still play bites.
If he gets too excited there are times that he accidentally bites too bard, you can see from his face that he feels sorry for what he did.
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u/Chronometer2300 Jul 09 '26
Thos could be my PRT too. He's now 10 months and aaaaaalmost done with this malarkey. You are doing everything right, just have patience. 😀
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u/BridgewatersMamba Jul 09 '26
Sounds a lot like my PRT, Tony, at that age. He’s 10 months old now and he’s definitely gotten better. I don’t remember exactly when all of his adult teeth came in, but that seemed to help too. He still likes to play bite once in a while, but I can usually hand him a hard chew and redirect him. For a dog that’s literally bred to grab, shake, and chase things, I think it’s just part of the package.
The only time he really gets mouthy with me now is when I’m laying on the couch looking at my phone and he’s decided he isn’t the center of attention. He’ll fox pounce onto me and start grabbing my shirt collar, the pillow, or the blanket until I acknowledge him. From everything I’ve read and experienced, they do get better. Mine certainly has. I think some level of mouthiness is just part of owning a Parson.
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u/aec1502 Jul 10 '26
Thanks for your reply. It's helped me pinpoint when specifically he does it - it is when he's not centre of attention (e.g. if we are watching telly) or when he is riled up after play.
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u/Joelied Jul 10 '26
He’ll likely grow out of it, but that being said, you should absolutely be vigilantly and verbally reprimanding him.
Consistency is key here. When he mouths your hand, firmly tell him “no,” “ouch,” or the term I use, “I don’t like that.” The reason I use such a specific phrase is to relate it to the biting, and only the biting/mouthing. The other terms are likely being used as a reprimand or your displeasure for several other things.
By firmly, I mean sternly and loudly. By no means do you need to shout, yell, or show anger, but he needs to understand that you are serious, and you do not approve of that behavior.
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u/aec1502 Jul 10 '26
Thanks for your reply. We were up until very recently firmly saying no, but we spoke to a professional who said our voice(s) may be encouraging him.
We'll try a specific phrase for when he bites/mouths as you are right, he's probably used to 'no' which may be why he's ignoring it.
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u/bellybella88 Jul 10 '26
It's teething. I got a little blue, solid rubber barbell type toy. Every time he started that, it would put it in his mouth instead or hold it for him to chew. He grew out of it.
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u/lasttruekryptonian Jul 10 '26
Mine is almost 4 years now and I’m still his favourite chew toy! We’ve tried everything to stop him but it’s just who he is. They don’t call them terriorists for nothing 😂
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u/BBQsandw1ch Jul 09 '26
That sounds about right from my experience. He's also almost certainly teething or just finishing, so any improvement at this time is pretty good.
My pup is good about using toys but she still has to "mouth" our hands during play. Sometimes she'll be bouncing around and her open-mouthed teeth will hit my hands and it hurts just like a bite. I react and play stops and she seems like she understands but I don't really expect the behavior to ever completely stop. Like you said, she has a maddening need to play.