My specialty is raising little land sharks. The higher the drive, the more I like them!
However, my hands, arms and legs are not bloody stumps.
Be mindful of where you place your hands when interacting with your puppy!
Do not pet by reaching over his head. Pet the puppy from the side, or under his chest. Hand coming over top of head is too tempting to little land sharks. In other words, keep your hands out of your puppy’s face. Same goes for children interacting with the pup – children should be taught how to properly pet their pup.
Keep a soft tug-type toy nearby and follow these guidelines that are in your puppy packet.
Inappropriate Chewing on People
Puppy’s jaws are very soft and can be easily damaged by squeezing so do NOT squeeze your puppy’s muzzle in an attempt to get them to stop mouthing you. Don’t let the puppy chew on your hands. It isn’t OK one minute and a crime the next. Be consistent! When your puppy chews on you, make a loud high-pitched squeal or a low growl-like sound, or use your “razz” word. (The high-pitched squeal should be like a littermate’s yelp, not a squeaky toy.) They will usually stop and look at you. Praise the pup for stopping and give them a toy or appropriate object. Another method is to freeze. Don’t move until the pup stops chewing on your hand.
Whatever you try if you do not see results or it gets worse then we have a communication failure. Try something different. If all else fails and your puppy is really wound up and biting everyone in frenzy, it is time for him to cool off in his crate.
*When puppies really go wild it is a sign of something else…they are tired and need a nap!
Just like toddler, they get cranky and whiney when overly tired. So give your pup an opportunity to go potty and then put him in his crate for a nap.
Ideas To Help Your Puppy With Teething
Make broth cubes, or yogurt cubes in ice-cube trays. The cold helps numb the pain of 42 new teeth emerging. Take an old rag and dampen it, tie it in knots and or twist it up nice and tight and freeze it. This is a great chew toy for your puppy when he is alone in his crate for a long period. Another chew item for the crate is frozen bagels. I buy day-old bagels and throw them in the freezer. When you do this you will need to cut back on their regular food.
To keep your pup busy chewing for long periods of time invest in a “Kong.” They are a bee-hived shape sturdy rubber product that is hollow. Inside the large hole of the Kong, wipe a small amount of cream cheese, peanut butter, dog biscuits, or make up your own concoction. You can even feed your dog part of his meals by mixing together his kibble and canned dog food, just one example. Put it in the freezer overnight and give to your dog frozen when he will be crated for a long period. He will get his fill of chewing and will be entertained for hours. The frozen Kong will also help numb his gums. Kong’s can be microwave, boiled, and put in the dishwasher.
Great post Carole!
I survived a land shark puppy!!!! Steve!!!
Leggings under jeans, lots of re-direction and mandated nap time/mommy break time. It was really just the first few months that were awful, but he kept giving me glimmers of hope and sure enough he is the most wonderful dog I have ever owned. I can’t tell you what a strong bond we have. He continually got better as he grew, but around 10/11 months is when he really started to calm down. Also, having the treadmill on days I couldn’t work him helped a lot, just to have him walk on it for half an hour or so did wonders.
Thank you Carole!
“lots of re-direction and mandated nap time/mommy break time”
AMEN!
I will also add that it is very important to keep your pup busy – and not just with things to chew. They need to be working with you! A five-minute training session will tire out your pup. Teach sit, down, stand, nose touches, paw touches, stand with front feet on a taped-up phone book, sit on a taped-up phone book, use a wobble board, etc.
These pups need a job. If you keep their minds active with good solid interaction with you, the biting will fade.