Puppy Chewing, Biting, Jumping & Basic Training

Puppies begin teething at around four months and are usually done by seven. They chew to ease teething discomfort, to play, to explore the environment, to assuage hunger, to establish dominance, and to relieve boredom.

Some suggestions :

Buy several toys he can chew on - Hard rubber balls and Kongs, sterilized natural bones, nylon bones, rawhide's and knotted ropes are available at pet supply stores. Knotted rags and old socks are acceptable as long as the pup doesn't get confused between the discarded item and a pair of $300 Nikes or a new t-shirt.

If you decide to give old socks, rope or any item that is from your home, wash them first so the scent of you isn’t on them and watch for fraying that may be accidentally swallowed. Most puppies know what is digestible and what is not and chew and spit out items that are not digestible at a young age. If an older puppy seems to want to swallow abnormal items (fabric or paper for instance) it is often due to feeding issues which is covered in our Feeding and Things to Remember article.

Soft squeak toys are fun for small puppies and for games of fetch, but are not sturdy enough for chewing exercise for older pups so be careful when selecting toys that your puppy may grow out of quickly. Make sure that if the item is too small and could get lodged in the throat during play it is discarded and replaced with a larger one. This includes small pieces of already chewed rawhide or any bone or item in general. If it is small it is better to be safe rather than sorry.

Give her the right toy :

Whenever Taffy chews the wrong item, remove her to a neutral area and give her something she's allowed to chew. No shouting, no smacks with a newspaper or hand -- just matter-of-fact corrections in a firm tone of voice. "No, Mine” as you take it. “Your Ball” is appropriate. Remember dog’s can’t speak English so the fewer words the better but they also can catch on to words quickly. It’s not uncommon for dogs to catch on to the individual names of their toys. Pretty soon if they go to put their mouth on one of your items that is not allowed you can say “No, Mine!” and they will stop then ask, “Where is Your Ball?” and help them go find it. Pretty soon you can name each toy and they will go find that particular one for you. It’s a great party trick to show your friends!!!

Confine Fritz to a crate when you cannot watch him :

Please refer to our information concerning crate training and why dogs, being denning animals, prefer a crate over open spaces. Get to know your puppy and his chewing habits before allowing him to have toys in his crate. If you find that your puppy is gentle with toys and there is no cause for concern, It is up to you if you would rather put a toy in the crate during nap and night time. Some puppies will be distracted from sleep by the toy while others will play with the toy until falling asleep or be entertained until let out. Every puppy is different and it takes time to know what is most comfortable.

Limit access to bedrooms, living rooms, etc. with baby gates and closed doors :

A puppy that has free roam of the house during house training time is harder to keep an eye on. Restrict his access to rooms and as he makes progress with house training you can increase the amount of space that you allow him to have access to in your home. Always have eyes on a puppy that is outside of his or her crate. A puppy that is unsupervised early in development is a puppy that can easily learn bad habits.

Teach "no bite" or “gentle” to eliminate biting/teething on fingers :

Puppies should never be allowed to teethe (bite hard) on people parts. Puppies are like babies and everything goes into their mouths, that is how they explore, and so you can expect to feel puppy teeth on occasion. When they bite too hard, roll their top lip under their teeth and give a little pinch and say “no bite” or “gentle”. It will only take a few times and they will catch on and not bite that hard.

If you cannot stop the pooch from biting on crawling babies and toddlers, separate kids and dogs :

Don't fall for the old "he really doesn't mean it" when Ranger nips or jumps on the kids. It doesn't matter what you think he meant to do. It should be stopped quickly when the puppy is young and still able to be easily trained. Please refer to our Training and Positive Reinforcement articles.

Puppies that are allowed to rule the roost will turn into dogs that do the same.

Teach the game of retrieve and return :

This is a great game that will ensure that your puppy will bring items back that he has. It comes in very handy when the pup steals a valuable pair of shoes or snatches an ornament off of the Christmas tree. Instead of chasing the puppy around the house (which is great fun for him and not so much for you) why not teach him to bring anything he has right back to you? Add a command or click and treat and he will be bringing it to you when you ask even faster! Clicker training can be a miracle worker!

Training Tip - When he retrieves something don’t snatch it right away. Let him circle you and enjoy showing you the toy while you say “Good boy! What do you have?!” By not taking it right away it will teach him that you want to share with him not take his prized item away as soon as he arrives. Say “out” and then take it. Teach him that grabbing is also not allowed. When the puppy has mastered "sit," (usually at 12-14 weeks) he should do so before the toy or food is offered. Offer it to him, say “take it” and if he grabs for it remove it from his sight for a moment and then try again. He will soon learn that any fast movement towards the object he desires makes it go away. OH NO! It works with food too and that is how you get a dog to take food gently!

Tug-O-War :

Never play tug-of-war with a dominant pup no matter how cute this growling ball of fluff looks on the other end of a rope. Until you can master Alpha Rolls and other pack placement techniques tug is a way of increasing dominance and aggression. With a pup that needs a bit more confidence play and let him win half the time.

Teach children that puppies must never be encouraged to chase, bite or jump :

Children naturally want to run through the house while screaming with excitement. This is a NO NO! You are kicking in the prey chase drive and the screaming is a replication of a prey animal in distress. Even though Labradors are very gentle they naturally respond to that high pitched squeak and quick movements and can trigger some unnatural responses that even your puppy may not understand.

As soon as the child stops running it usually ends in the dog jumping, biting and the child crying. Slow children down during initial training and also teach them that if they do not want the puppy to have an article do not hold it high over the puppy's head. That is an invitation to jump. Instead, teach the children that if there is an item they do not want the dog to get, hide it from the puppy's sight. Tuck it under their shirt, behind their back or simply it away.

To stop jumping in other situations simply put your knee up when the dog jumps. It throws him off balance and makes him think twice about doing it next time. When you do this say “off” and pretty soon you won’t have to remind him. Remember “Off” means: Do not put your front paws on me while “Down” means lay down, which you will probably cover during obedience training. Many people get these two commands confused.

Use discipline, not punishment for infractions of the rules.

Never put the puppy in the crate as punishment.

Be persistent and consistent. If it was wrong yesterday, it's wrong today.

If you ever have any questions about why your dog does certain things, how to correct certain

behaviors or need any assistance in any area please contact us.