Hi sorry keep asking questions lately, Marley has been doing well on the mouthing/biting front and I thought we had it sussed. But this week he is just randomly biting me, it's not even when he's playing, he could be calm and just laying next to me and chomp. He even bit my daughter this morning, which she screamed out oww! With her being 10 she knows how to behave with puppies. Has anyone got any tips on this? As I have no idea why he seems to have just starting doing it again, isit just his age he's now 19 weeks. I've followed re direction to toys, or giving him a time out, removing my hands but then he just walks off like it doesn't matter. So not sure what else you do thanks everyone x
Hi @Marley ❤ when he bites you or your daughter do you think your reaction is giving him an inadvertent reward? Not suggesting you bite your lip. Stoics I would imagine never bore the brunt of puppy teeth. Just trying to understand how he is being rewarded. Keep on enforcing time outs, out of sight if he decides to chomp on you. The negative punishment of withdrawing his time with you will work provided the loss of contining to play and interact with you is a significant loss. How to do that? Time with you has to be really rewarding. Engage with him while he is calm. For example, get him to carry around a toy as part of the initial steps of teaching retrieve. i realise that all of this can be tiring. Puppies are a lot of work.Good luck.
Hi no I know, they certainly are hard work lol maybe our reaction does, not sure when you read online it says to say oww something along them lines in a firm tone if a puppy bites etc, I'll continue with the time outs and hopefully it will click. Thank you.
Oww does work with some dogs. Others get a rise out of it. They think you are playing with them. One has to try what the book says and then discard if it it is not working. Dogs unfortunately don't follow the script: They are individuals, and all that entails.
It sounds to me like he is trying to play... If you've ever seen puppies as a litter lying around together and lazily mouthing and playing with each other, you'll know that play doesn't have to be high energy leaping around - it can equally be chilled (yet still involve sharp puppy teeth). The best thing to do is just to shove something else more appropriate in there instead, like a toy, and just encourage some gentle mouthing on that instead - you won't be reinforcing the biting, you will just be saving your arm. It may be that he has more teeth coming through and that's why the bitey ness has gotten worse...
QUOTE="Jo Laurens, post: 380609, member: 12594"]It sounds to me like he is trying to play... If you've ever seen puppies as a litter lying around together and lazily mouthing and playing with each other, you'll know that play doesn't have to be high energy leaping around - it can equally be chilled (yet still involve sharp puppy teeth). The best thing to do is just to shove something else more appropriate in there instead, like a toy, and just encourage some gentle mouthing on that instead - you won't be reinforcing the biting, you will just be saving your arm. It may be that he has more teeth coming through and that's why the bitey ness has gotten worse...[/QUOTE] Hi Joe, thanks I think it's got to be the teeth atm, well that's what I'm hoping ha!! I have tried checking his mouth when he's feeling nice lol but cant really see anything coming through yet but then like children their properly all just under the gum. Do you know when all the teeth are usually through by just so I know how long ive got to protect myself for[/QUOTE]
Well, it does vary a bit between puppies and also between breeds - but it can last up till 6-7 months. The last to come in will be the molars, and there can be some power chewing going on as a result of those...
