This is may not be helpful, but maybe he senses how you feel...if you are feeling apprehensive because of his behaviour towards you?
Hi @Katrina Johnston , I had difficulty with my puppy doing this at 13 months so I get how you feel. I kept a log on here to try and find what triggered it, to find a pattern, if you want to read it's called "Cassie's stop mugging me log". I also consulted a behaviourist, no two circumstances are the same. Do you do things like about turn walks and lead on/lead off? And games that keep his brain engaged with you when you are out and about? All these things help in time.
Have a look at this and think about trying this with your puppy. I know the dog in the video is much more controlled than your puppy will be at this stage but I really think it’s a game that can help. I hadn’t heard of ‘whip it’ / ‘flirt pole’ when my dogs were puppies but I played something similar with each of them, using a soft toy tied to a long rope, sometimes the garden broom, or even the stems of pampas grass when cutting down in the spring! They all loved it, thought I was fun to be with and learnt some control. Initially with this sort of game I’d get the puppy to release the toy with a treat ( I don’t think that’s how it’s done on Absolute Dogs) but I soon didn’t need the treat because the game restarting becomes rewarding in itself. I think if you can deliberately teach your dog another way to interact with you, the biting ‘attacks’ will decrease.
I've read your log @selina27 and Rufus sounds just like your Cassie. If I can put in the hard work you did, I'm sure things will improve. Thanks so much
I hadn’t heard of ‘whip it’ / ‘flirt pole’ when my dogs were puppies but I played something similar with each of them.[/QUOTE] I saw this post and somewhere else on this forum read that this game must only be played for a few minutes with a puppy and only a few times a week. I have been really worried because I used a flirt pole with Maisy to give her exercise when she was smaller and we played nearly every day for a while (until she bent it in a paving stone). I have been racking my brains thinking how long we played for but it must have been more than 2 minutes. If this is damaging for a pup how is it different to the leaping, bounding, digging, chasing etc. they do on their own or when playing with other pups? During puppy parties at that age she played longer than 2 minutes with several puppies with lots of leaping and bouncing. I am worried she will now have damaged joints because of this, am I overacting or should I be concerned?
Well personally I wouldn’t be. There is almost no evidence either way about the effect of different types of exercise on dogs’ joints. I know the theory is that they’re at risk until the growth plates close, but then in humans the growth plates don’t close until adolescence and children certainly run and jump, including some ‘forced’ exercise (running races) before then. On the other hand I think I probably only did short (ie a few minutes) of any activity at a time with my puppies as I wanted to finish while all was going well.
Hi Penny is 6 months and still very bitey. I have hard rope chews for her and she can have a real go at them. How can i teach her bite inhabition is it too late xx
My boy did the same thing and now he has hit 8 mths, he is pretty good. It's almost like a male thing where they think they can rough you up and get away with it. It was always in the afternoon and I would call it his "arsenic hour" it wasn't nastiness, playful dominance. I grabbed him down a few times, "NOOO!"and made it quite clear that I was annoyed and then walked away inside. Now when he wants to chew I tell him "gentle" and he listens and he "fleas" me gently.
