css33
New Member
Posts: 3
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Post by css33 on Dec 23, 2003 12:23:03 GMT -5
I posted this in the puppy thread, but I am reposting as I am not sure where to post and I really need help. I just got an 8 week old puppy and she is biting me very much. It only happens for a short period after she wakes up and is very excited, but she is biting a lot and very hard. She bit my wife very hard last night and she bled for a long time! I was told not to discourage biting at a young age, as I want to get her schutzund trained. I try to divert her with toys and keep my hands away from her, but it doesn't help. What should I do?
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Post by Currmudgeon on Dec 23, 2003 16:18:59 GMT -5
Wear boots.
Play with the puppy a lot, at your instigation rather than hers.
Distract her with a toy when she bites.
There's no magic answer.
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Post by JanisN on Dec 23, 2003 18:29:52 GMT -5
You've been advised correctly, you do NOT want to discourage biting. It's not fair to expect a 12 month old dog to fearlessly charge at a helper when they've had the crap knocked out of them for biting people and jumping on them.
Puppy teeth are SHARP. I swear, they hide a file in their crates at night and put points on them! But you've already identified the times when she's most likely to bite, and that means you can be prepared!
When she's very excited and wants to bite, let her. But let it be on a tug toy with you on the other end. Sometimes you win, sometimes she wins but make it a REAL game, make the toy MUCH more interesting to bite than you are.
If you try and show no reaction to a bite on your skin, but show a big old reaction to a bite on a toy, she WILL get the message.
As well as tug toys, now is the time to start rolling a ball on the floor for her. That's a GREAT game and both of you will love it.
Good luck with her! Before too long the teeth will fall out and the new teeth aren't nearly as bad!
JanisN
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