SP: How can i get my puppy to stop teething and showing aggressive behavior?
I just got my 3-month-old Morkie, Cody. He is 3 pounds, really small. He is teething like CRAZY. It hurts so much and I even drew blood. Whenever he sees my hands he tries to nip them and when I try to replace my hand with a chew toy, he will not accept the toy!
Every time he bites me I look him sharp in the eye and firmly say "No!" but he continues to keep biting and refuses the toy. He even follows me around the house, nipping at my toes and ankles!
Photo Credit: efleming/Flickr CC
Cody can be cuddly when he is tired but when he's awake, he is extremely hyper and hard to control. Although he is very smart, I have taught him 4 commands in 2 days (sit, shake, beg, and lie down) but will not ever listen to "no."
I hear this is very normal for puppies his age but when he tries to nip me, he seems angry and sometimes shows his teeth and growls at me violently. Im very scared that he will begin to develop this mean and unpleasant behavior by snapping at people. How can I train my Morkie to stop?
Answers and Views:
Answer by Savannah
It is very normal. My puppy is the exact same way. In order to get him to stop I have to clap or snap in his face and say "SHHHT , NO!" very sternly. Then I offer the new toy, and if he continues I stand up and leave the room. He may give chase but if I ignore him and keep pushing him off my feet nonchalantly he will stop. Play with your puppy often so you can wear him out so he will sleep. Try different toys too. My puppy had everything but a stuffed toy, so I went to the store and got him a little-stuffed giraffe and he Loves it. He will play with it over anything else.
Answer by alienmurphy
You have a small dog that has been taught no boundaries and he is now a litter terror. The behavior you describe is not just teething. It is aggressive and dominating biting. This is a common problem with small dogs because they are coddled instead of trained. You have to view him as you would a large dog and train him instead of coddling him. Do not pick him up and carry him around and do not let anyone else do so either. If he was a Great Dane no one would be lugging him around.
No matter what anyone says puppies do not magically stop biting when they stop teething.
Put up gates across the doorways to the entrance into the room where you spend the most time with the dog, Walmart carries them in the pet section at a good price and they have a door so you don't have to climb over. EVERY time the dog bites and nips: OUCH and immediately put it on the other side of the gate with a chew toy, no talking and no eye contact. While the puppy is on the other side of the gate, do not talk to it and make no eye contact; keep your backs to the puppy. When the puppy stops whining let it back in the room with you. Do not immediately pick him up or talk to him. He will think he has just been rewarded for his inappropriate behavior. EVERY time it nips or bites start all over. It may take a few days but the puppy will learn that biting means lockout and no biting mean freedom.
The training does not stop when you have company. Be consistent no matter what.
NEVER play with your puppy with hands or feet. Use dog toys. Do not use rope or tug-a-war toys. This encourages the puppy to jump on people and bite them. Don't close a puppy in a room where it cannot see what it is missing. Never put the puppy in the crate for punishment.
In the meantime, there are chew toys designed for teething puppies. My puppies loved chewing up broken ice cubes. You have to be consistent.
I have a 3 pound 4-year-old Yorkshire Terrier and a 3-year-old Maltese/Poodle mix so I do know something about small dogs. I have also owned Shih Tzu and a Lhasa Apso (all now deceased). I am in my 60s and most of the people I have known that had a small dog; had an untrained, possessive, aggressive, yapping, biting terror that used the home for its toilet and no one wanted to be around it.
Treat him like a dog at all times, outside for potty, consistent training, daily walks and regular vet visits and you will have a great pet. The Yorkshire Terrier makes an awesome pet if it is trained and I'm certain your mix will be just as awesome with training. Good luck.
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