Puppy biting ( reposted )

PUPPY BITING
(or Help! I have become my puppy's personal teether!)
Why do puppies spend so much time chewing on us?

Well, there are several reasons, actually. First of all, munching on things is normal puppy behavior. Watch a **** with her litter of young pups & you will see how much of this goes on. However, just as we humans tolerate behavior in babies that we don't in older children, the mothers tire of this as the puppies grow older & teach them to stop. Unfortunately, many times the puppies are sold before the mother has had a chance to really teach them about bite inhibition. Puppies aren't born knowing that biting hurts. They need to learn how just much pressure with those little needle teeth is too much! Ideally, breeders would not sell pups before they were 8 weeks old, giving the mother a chance to finish her job.

Now, puppies do have a need to chew - especially when they are teething! But they must be taught what is appropriate for them to chew on ... and what is not! Be sure to supply your puppy with appropriate things. Gumbabones & Nylabones are good. Be careful if you give your puppy rawhide. Many dogs eat these too quickly, tearing off large chunks or strips & then choking. Encouraging your pup to enjoy rubber toys is a lot safer. Best bet is to make sure the chew toys you provide are really great! Far better than any human skin, or wooden table leg, or throw pillow, or plant .... You can make a great toy by taking a Kong toy or a sterilized bone and filling the middle with something delicious. Treats jammed in there, to be worked out one at a time, or the entire insides smeared with peanut butter or cheese spread can keep a puppy entertained & happy for hours! You can also buy a product such as the Buster Cube where treats or kibble can be worked out throughout the day. This kind of chew toy is mentally stimulating as well. Also a good idea is to just leave a couple of toys out for your dog. Too many become b o r i n g. You can have many different kinds - just rotate which ones you have out each day!

What can I do to teach my puppy to stop biting me?

First of all, do what his littermates would have done. If he bites you hard enough to hurt, react at first by yelping & pushing him (gently) away and then walk away. Start ignoring behaviors you don't like (and encouraging behaviors you do!). If he continues to try to chomp on you, then ignore him completely - by putting him in a puppy "Time out". Leave the room (if someone is still there to supervise him) or take him & very matter-of-factly put him in his crate. Unless you get nasty about it (which I am not advising) he shouldn't begin to resent his crate over this. Leave him there for a few minutes to think about why he was just excluded from the pack. Of course, he's really likely to whine, cry, & bark. Be sure NOT to let him out while he is doing any of that... unless you want to encourage that behavior! Just wait for a brief pause in the noise, then walk back in quickly, praise him for being quiet & let him out to rejoin his "pack". All is forgiven, after all... he is just a baby!

Another thing to try, as well, is to redirect his interests into something more appropriate when he begins his puppybiting. Toss a ball for him, give him a proper chew toy, etc. This works as well for puppies as it does toddlers!

It's never too early to start basic obedience training... as long as you teach using gentle, safe methods. Many schools teach now with positive methods (no choke chains).