V-litter Rocco-Cadence pups heading out to their new homes. Schmoozing it up with the American Airlines (American Eagle) employees at the Kalamazoo airport, I love these guys they are always so good with the puppies and nice to deal with.
At home in MO, where the grass is snow-free and still green!
I love his big head! Very cute!
He looks very self-possessed.
Those were adorable pictures!!!
If I were one of those AA employees, this would have been the best day of work EVER!!
That is exactly what they said!
This boy is going to have a head like his Daddy. Enjoy your green grass!
Bon voyage, and enjoy your new homes with your lucky families! Beautiful puppies, all of them! I am green with envy, having to wait over a month to get our little Dutch.
Trust me Bev… it will be worth it.
And it also gives you more time to buy those long gloves, in anticipation of that teething mouth…
I wouldn’t dare presume to think I could care for him better than Kira, Julie, and all the others who daily help him grow and adjust to the world around him. And, yes, I know he’s going to be a little land shark at times, and I’ve bought several teething toys of various shapes, sizes, colors, and textures, hoping one of them will appeal to him more than my hands!
I’m a little confused about the conflicting information I’ve read about dealing with it. Some say bite inhibition should start with an immediate and sharp “yelp” of pain, followed by completely ignoring the little guy, denying him any fun for biting. Others say that a high-pitched yelp will only elevate his frenzy, and to say nothing. Instead, just place your hand around his lower jaw, not hard (do not hurt him), putting your thumb between his lower canines and hooking your index finger beneath his jaw. Hold your hand there, moving with him, until he settles down, then release him. Hold your hand out to him again, and if he bites, repeat the procedure. When he licks it or doesn’t bite, praise the hell out of him, and give him his favorite treat!
In line with the second recommendation, I’ve heard that you should wrap your hand around his lower jaw, with your palm underneath, and your fingers slightly inside his mouth (on each side). Then squeeze just a tiny bit enough to just barely make them whine or complain – they do not like that whatsoever. That person said he has done that with every puppy and never had a puppy bite or mouth with their sharp teeth after that.
I don’t even want to relate some of the other recommendations, but you can just imagine that some sounded pretty cruel, and I don’t even want them to appear on the blog for someone to read and possibly try if desperate. Everyone knows that there is no control over what can appear on the internet.
So, which of the methods above is best for BITE INHIBITION, other than waiting until teething is over, and the puppy grows out of it???
Do what works for you guys. I have tried just about everything but the thing that worked with us the best is squeeky toys, as soon the pup started biting, give him the toy and play tug. Because I have a toddler, I have thought my pups NO BITE/Leave it command from the get go.
Bully sticks (cannot recommend this highly enough!)
Squeeky plush toys
whip teaser toy
ball
ice cubes
frozen carrots
Josie, I am not familiar with bully sticks… can you send me a link to a place you buy them from? what are they made of? Thanks!
Bully sticks are actually bull penises and can be purchased at any pet store. In my opinion much better than raw hide and totally digestible (no issues with pieces getting lodged in puppy tummies causing obstructions). Also great for strengthening jaws and tiring out the little guys and gals. For pups I prefer the Red Barn Bully Stick Rings to the regular sticks. When they get a little older I offer the bully sticks and bully spirals. I hope this helps.
I’m not big on using adversives in training puppies, I don’t really think it’s fair. So I avoid the squeezing/holding the face methods, though some swear by them. For a puppy who has had good dog-dog socialization via its litter (certainly true here), the yelping won’t stop the biting but it WILL often teach the puppy that humans have delicate skin and will then soften the mouth. Not a bad thing. Like Josie, however, to teach the puppy that we’d prefer not to have teeth on skin at all……redirect, redirect, redirect. Never go anywhere without a rag or tug in your pocket. Praise like crazy when chewing on appropriate items.
GREAT advice – thank you so much! I have a few stuffing-free squeeky squirrel, fox, and chipmunk lures. We can keep one in our pockets to be ready, along with the treats for all the wonderful things he will be doing! I’ve watched the “Off!” and “Leave it” clicker training videos, which will be applicable to so many things (furniture, fingers, shoes, etc.). Maybe I should be practicing my “Yelp,” too!