Teeny is a nippy boy! :(

[maherwoman]

Ok...for you Flemmie-knowledgeable people out there, I have to ask for some advice...

This is actually something I've not encountered before...

Teeny feels a bit to free to explore OUR FLESH with his teeth. He usually gives rather small little nips, nothing horribly big about them...but the other day, flat-out BIT Em! :shock:

Now, he's a sweet little boy, and happy to be here...so it's not something like him being angry or bad-tempered, that much I know.

I think it's kinda like how a baby uses biting things as a way to figure this or that out. But, he'll do it when I'm trying to get a grab onto the clasp that holds his door closed, or I'm standing right next to his cage, and he'll nip me through the bars, and such...it's just seemingly kinda constant!

How can I teach Mr. Teeny Flemish that biting is a no-no?

I've yelped the times he's done it with me, but Em is now kinda scared to be around him when he's out (which is darn near everyday).

Help? Those are big teeth...in a big mouth...and that big mouth is just gonna get even BIGGER...

 

[okiron]

Lol the only time Chubbs has nipped me is when I locked him up in his cage and tried to force him to drink from a bottle and not a bowl. He didn't drink anything at all and started banging on the grids, demanding to get out. I took him out and held him and he disapprovingly nipped me saying BAD MOMMA!!! Drank his water (from a bowl of course) and licked me to tell me everything was fine between us lol.

 

[NZminilops]

ACK! Sakura was like that for months when she was little, drove me nuts. She had this thing about biting my hands and nose especially. Noting I tried would stop her. She just seemed to grow out of it.

No help I know, but I know the feeling of being bitten all the time, I can imagine it being done by a big bunny!

 

[BlueGiants]

I'm a major proponent of letting him know that kind of behavior is unacceptable. I'll tap them on their nose (yeah, they'll shake their head), say "NO" very loud, and put them back in their cage... no play time (a "time out"?). Their attention span is only 3-4 minutes, so you don't have to punish him too long, but if you're consistant, he'll get the idea.

Poor Em! Tell her I'm sorry and he's being a bad baby!

That is pretty much the way the Juniors will play with siblings and each other. So you can feel flattered that he considers you one of "them", or you can start teaching him what his mother should have taught him... No BITE! :nonono:

It is generally a "stage" some of them go through, and most of them outgrow it. In the mean time, I'd let him know that you don't appreciate losing chunks of skin.Cause if you don't let him know, he'll think it's OK, and he may not "outgrow it". (Someone has to be the mommy here to disipline the child.... he's kind of at the "terrible two's" stage that a toddler would be at.)

 

[ec]

How old is Teeny? does he only bite when you're messing around with "his" things, or does he bite at other times?

Nibbles was *really* nippy for the first 6-8 months that she was here. I'm sure part of it was overzealous grooming, also hormones and age (she'd just been spayed when I adopted her and was quite young), personality ("I must be The Head Bun in this house!") - and (I'm guessing) a learned response to protect herself from mishandling by the people who dumped her.

The short answer is that there was no single way to get her to stop, but she did learn, over time, to understand that "gentle" meant that she was to back off and only explore my clothes by touching.

Ultimately, I think she "grew out of" this phase, but I'm sure that patient handling on my part (not always easy!) helped.

I don't think Nibbles understood that she hurt me when she nipped - at least, I don't think she understood that when she was younger. Now she does seem to get it, and I can't help wondering if younger buns have full control over this impulse + the muscles involved - kinda like human kids, in that some activities and motor skills take time to learn, and come with age.

I spent a lot of time praising Nibbles for remembering to nosebump, and saying "No" gently but firmly when she forgot and nipped instead. She even began to give me what I think were "apology" kisses when she did nip me.

Hope this is helpful!

EDIT: Did Em smell/taste like food, maybe?

 

[Bo B Bunny]

I do the same as Blue Giants and I hold Bo's head down and don't let him move - cover his eyes.... boy he gets ticked.... but I have a lot less bruises on me now!

He'll start to bite me and open his mouth but then he backs up LOL!

 

[ec]

When Nibbles was at her nippiest, I would often GENTLY press her head and shoulders to the floor (required real delicacy on my part) for a few seconds, and gently but firmly tell her "No." She got the message, but this didn't always work.

Really, I think she literally grew out of her nipping habit, though if I'd indulged it, I'm sure she'd still be doing it.

 

[maherwoman]

Thanks for your input, guys!

Teeny is just barely three months...and I think I will try your ideas, Cathy...thank you!

Yeah, it's not a response to an abusive background, or food smells, or anything like that (but thank you SO MUCH for the suggestions!). I think it's just a young bunny kind of thing, hehe! Little stinker just doesn't understand how BIG his mouth is! LOL!

Thank you so much...hugs!

Rosie*

 

[missyscove]

Timmy has always been a bit of a nibbler. He's obviously not a flemmie, but I had a lot of good progress by letting out a high-pitched "eek" noise everytime he bit me, then scooting him away from me. I didn't move my body: I refused to give in to the nibbler, but I moved him instead. He seems to have figured it out.
Good luck.

 

[AngelnSnuffy]

While I agree with everyone's input, I have to mention the first thing I ever read on HRS, before I ever had a bun of what to do when this happens. Try it and see what happens.

When he goes to nip someone or you, have that person make a high pitched "EEEEEE" sound, it will startle Teeny. But, that associates them with that's a nono and that hurts. I did that with my first bun, who was a good size and it seemed to work. I only had to do it twice. I also agree that they will also grow out of it.

Good Luck! Let me know what he does when someone does it the first time, hee hee.

 

[ec]

I didn't mention the "eeeee" thing for this reason: when Nibbles was young, it didn't work. In fact, she got all hyper and exicted when I did it, and, if anything, more nippy!

Rosie, I bet Teeny just doesn't yet know where his lips end and his teeth begin - it really does sound like he's just checking things out. Am sure you can get this one worked out over time - because it may take a while for him to "get it." (In fact, I'm sure it will - young buns don't know their own strength! )

 

[AngelnSnuffy]

ec wrote:

I didn't mention the "eeeee" thing for this reason: when Nibbles was young, it didn't work. In fact, she got all hyper and exicted when I did it, and, if anything, more nippy!

Rosie, I bet Teeny just doesn't yet know where his lips end and his teeth begin - it really does sound like he's just checking things out. Am sure you can get this one worked out over time - because it may take a while for him to "get it." (In fact, I'm sure it will - young buns don't know their own strength! )

I can agree with that, they don't "know" how they're teeth feel yet really. Definitely look at all sides, which I'm sure you will and hit us up with questions as they come!

Good Luck! (Teeny, be nice)

 

[maherwoman]

Thanks for your input, Crystal and MissysCove! You guys are awesome!

And yes, ec, I too think it's just him exploring his world. I'm certain he doesn't know the effect he's having on me when he does it. Not to mention, he now has this game going...he noticed that I have a particular fright of a bunny nipping me through my jeans (ever since Maisie did that rather hard as a baby, hehe), so he's taken it as a game, trying to bite my pants fabric and then my shoving him away, hehe! What a true stinker this boy is!

But, yeah, I know he's not being agressive in any way or form...he's just completely unaware of his size and strength...and not quite sure what on earth to do with his big ol' body! LOL!

:biggrin2:

 

[HoneyPot]

Oliver was a groomer nibbler. When we first got him.. he would lick us to death to clean us and every now and then throw in a really hard nibble.It sucked cause you would be getting kissed on the nose, and then get chomped.

We did the "OOOUCH" thing just loud enough to startle him when he did it (mainly because we really were yelling OUCH), and he eventually stopped, but we were consistent with the startling when he nipped.



Nadia