Hi guys, newbie here My young lad of 17 weeks has the zoomies once or twice a day which is expected but unfortunately he seems to charge and bite at my husband and I. He gets 2 30 mins walks a day roughly. We work etc from home so isn't left alone often. My question is what's the best practise to deal with the biting during zoomies? It's clear it's because he's all excited etc as usually he's pretty sweet After tonight's episode I saw him break out into the standard zoomy laps around the garden and retreated inside, he soon came looking for me and seemed to have calmed. Is that a good idea? I have tried toys but usually he's too focused on my husband and I I have also been trying to teach him fetch to help him burn off more steam when needed but he has to be in the mood to do it and only managed 4 retrieves as a record. Thanks in advance guys
Your pup is probably expressing excitement during play vs aggression. I would recommend you tell him 'stop' or 'no' when he's headed for you, and turn your back to him. Don't maintain eye contact or play until he calms down. At age 17 weeks, they seem to have endless energy, and at least for my lab, walking alone was not enough. She needed to have the zoomies daily and was very happy and settled after. Mine loves squeaky toys, and usually zooms squeaking one in her mouth. Invest in a couple of easy to carry toys and that might just stop the biting while he zooms in your garden. Also reward him for good behavior with a stuffed kong or licky mat. I also hope he's well socialized as this is crucial to bite inhibition. Good luck!
