Juno is settling in well, only joined our household last Friday. She is getting more confident each day, which is definitely showing in how she plays as she sometimes has crazy moments where she lunges and bites quite hard. I started doing a loud yelp when she bit very hard and to begin with that would stop her but now it just seems to excite her more. Ignoring her doesn't work either as she just follows biting at your ankles. So I have resorted to a firm no and picking her up and putting her in her crate with door shut for 30 seconds if she continues the hard biting we shut her in for 60 seconds. When I let her out I don't initiate any excitable play just calm strokes on my lap.It appears to work at the moment although it can be a bit tiresome when she is in one of her crazy moods. I understand this is normal behaviour just wanted some reassurance that I am doing the right thing or any advice on how I should be dealing with it differently! Thanks!
Re: Hard puppy bites!! You are doing the right thing The only thing I might do differently is put her in a different enclosed space, not her crate. Ideally, you want the crate to be an enjoyable place that she will happily settle in when you need to leave her alone, not a place she comes to associate with the loss of fun things (like the opportunity to play). So, if you can pop her in the bathroom or laundry do that instead But, otherwise, you're doing it exactly right and it will work in time. If yelping just makes her more excited and if turning away just makes her follow, biting, then just abandon those strategies. The 'time out' approach is the way to go. Hang in there You're doing really well.
Re: Hard puppy bites!! Thanks! You make a good point actually I will try putting her in the utility room (after I move her enormous sacks of kibble off the floor to the counter i'm sure she could bite her way through in less than 30 seconds!!). She is actually being really sweet this morning instead of crazy puppy like yesterday! Will also go to the pet store to get some things for her to chew and bite... She has a kong but has not quite got the hang of it yet (we will keep trying), she also has an antler which she will try to have a go at but I think it's too big and heavy at the moment. Any ideas ideas what would be good for a soon to be a 9 week old pup too chew on? Also when she has these crazy moments where she runs randomly around the house, lunging and biting me, is it because she is bored of me? Or just puppy getting excited and testing the limits?
Re: Hard puppy bites!! Running around crazily while biting is fun, and that's why she's doing it It's just exuberance and puppy joy. It means she's happy and is trying to engage you in a game. She doesn't understand that it's painful for you when she bites, but it's definitely not a challenge or about boundary testing in any way. Puppies can safely be given bully sticks or pizzles (dried bull penisis - gross but safe, low fat and apparently tasty!!), pigs ears (bit fatty, so make this an occasional thing), raw chicken wings or necks (as a meal replacement), or compressed bones made of rice (not sure what they're called). Some people give rawhide chews (give these only if you're there to keep an eye out for chewing off chunks that are too big). Give her a try with a carrot or raw sweet potato (the orange kind, not the normal white potatoes) or chunk of raw pumpkin. Other people will have lots of other ideas too I'm sure
Re: Hard puppy bites!! Hi Annie, I have bought a couple of things for my pup. I have a puppy medium and puppy large kong; a kong safestix (small); nylabone teething rings; nylabone puppy starter kit of bones; I am saving plastic drink bottles minus lid and label; saving cardboard boxes; kong teething stick that you can stuff and a kong wobbler. Oh and a kong solid ball in case I want to do the ball thing. You can get next day delivery on Amazon. I don't know if my choices will work as my pup isn't here yet but others may comment on them and their effectiveness.
Re: Hard puppy bites!! I use rice bones quite a bit and vegetable chews (they sell them at most pet shops). At 10 months old they still take at least a good 10 mins to get through Harley didn't take to the normal kong til she was about 4 months old, so I also brought a teething kong The biting will stop, just be consistent with her
Re: Hard puppy bites!! Yup, puppies chomp on you. It is not personal, they chomp on everything. It is not so much the strength of those jaws more those nasty sharp little teeth. If you are the puppy's carer you have to get close to them and they respond by chewing you. I tried everything, but nothing worked. I couldn't understand it. My previous dog, a bog standard mongrel, got the message in a couple of weeks, how come this intelligent, reputedly gentle dog would not stop biting me. I hated it, didn't like the dog much either. Then one glorious day I found myself absentmindedly fondling a silky ear. It had stopped. She had grown out of it. You'll find plenty of sympathy here. We've all been through it. I think Molly stopped somewhere around 18 weeks. I looked at my hands and realised they were no longer a mass of little scratches and scabs.
Re: Hard puppy bites!! Hi, rice bones are great, you can buy them from Pets at Home, 69p each I think and most pet shops. Maisie at loves them and at 8 - 10 weeks I could make them last a couple of days! Now at 14 weeks I freeze them and they last about half an hour!! A frozen carrot works wells as well. She also took a while to got the hang of a Kong, but by about 11 weeks began to work it out and I then increased the freezing time to make them last longer. The puppy Nyla bones are quite good for a bit of a chew on!
Re: Hard puppy bites!! BEST CHEW TOY EVER - an old towel. Play toreadors, and then when she's chased it a few times wrap her up in it and have a nice little tussle / cuddle on the floor - and whenever she opens her mouth to nip, shove a bit of towel in it . We discovered this by accident and it was brilliant because every time we came in from the garden we played the towel game, which of course allowed us to clean all the mud off his paws and tummy while he had a lovely time chewing the towel instead of his mummy... He is now 6 months old and has completely given up chewing / nipping / biting completely.... but he still loves the towel game!
Re: Hard puppy bites!! Our pup, Holly, is 11 weeks old and an intermittent crocodile. We've managed to reduce the play biting in her calmer times to a very gentle mouthing but the hyper PLAY WITH ME PLAY WITH ME PLAY WITH ME NOW! moments still come with rather sharp teeth but those times are decreasing. We taught her to 'off' by holding treats in closed hands until she stopped any mouth contact with our hands, then we release the treat - preferably a really good treat. Stuffed and frozen Kongs, ropes and some harder chew toys are the best things to distract her and she too loves the towel game. She'd happily lie on her back and be towel dried all day long inbetween naps and meals. We use a soft toy to keep her mouth occupied if she's getting too nippy. She also responds well to bit of clicker training to break her out of the biting mode.
Re: Hard puppy bites!! Thank you for your replies! It's nice to know my pup is not the only crocodile! I knew puppies bite but it's not just nips sometimes she just latches on to my arm leaving deep marks! I guess as humans we interpret this as they don't like us and I must admit it has made me a bit upset today! It's been hard this week as my partner has been away so it just been me and Juno so feel like her behaviour is my fault!! When he gets back tomorrow I'm off straight down the shop for some pizzles and other chewy treats!!! Before Juno arrived we bought some rawhide chews than I read a thread on here about how they can be dangerous so was reluctant to give them to her... But I have just given one to Juno (under close supervision) and so far it's kept her occupied for half hour and showing no signs of stopping and my arms and feet are getting a rest. It's probably my fault for not getting her suitable chewy things in the first place! Trial and error I suppose! P.s. I like the towel idea too!!
Re: Hard puppy bites!! Lots of good ideas there Annie, I am glad you started the thread! I am off to investigate the rice bones. Hi to Steph and welcome to the Forum!
Re: Hard puppy bites!! Thanks Jane. I've been reading this forum for a wee while and taking quite a lot of information from it on what to try, what to do and not do as well as a bit of comfort and a reality check when thinking I've got the worst puppy in the world when she's gone crazy. Thought it was time to start adding to it too
Re: Hard puppy bites!! When they bite it actually means they feel comfortable, confident and happy around you and they see you as a great playmate who they'd love to have a big game with So it's kind of a puppy compliment It definitely does not mean they don't like you - it means the opposite. Pity it's so painful!!
Re: Hard puppy bites!! Ah you've had loads of great ideas to help you out,I just wanted to say Hi and hang in there.i didn't have the bitey bitey stage but I can always sympathise with how tiresome it can get. At 21 Months Dexter is still a fan of a few bits of food hidden in a cardboard receptacle ( ie novels,tubes,car boards insert,we use anything really )..now he's older we make him work a bit harder by hiding it for him,but it's still a firm,favourite ,good luck,this time will pass x
Re: Hard puppy bites!! [quote author=Oberon link=topic=6538.msg87859#msg87859 date=1402690479] When they bite it actually means they feel comfortable, confident and happy around you and they see you as a great playmate who they'd love to have a big game with So it's kind of a puppy compliment It definitely does not mean they don't like you - it means the opposite. Pity it's so painful!! [/quote] I really hope you are right! I shall have to remember that next time she just latches on to my leg or arm!!
Re: Hard puppy bites!! Just repeat to yourself, through gritted teeth, "It's really an expression of love and devotion"
Re: Hard puppy bites!! I've just picked up a stash of rice bones and haven't had a peep out of Holly for over 30 minutes! Great recommendation, thank you!
Re: Hard puppy bites!! Rice bones are great as are carrots ! I also find a hard cardboard box like they stack veggies in keeps her busy for ages . She can dig and rip it and its free !!!
