Depressed about puppy biting/nipping...what worked for you?

[ArmchairActivist]

Apologies in advance for the rather wimpish nature of this post. (It may be another good one for people unsure of how much hard work puppies can be though )

Our puppy is a 17 week old terrier who for the majority of the day is a loveable bundle of fur.

However, between the hours of 7pm and 9pm (and often another hour either side - depending on how much fun he's having tormenting us) he turns into a little crocodile. This is a newish development (maybe the last two weeks) and I'm sad to see this morning he now seems bitey from 7-8am too - hence my desperate post.

I've obsessively researched how to tackle this on the internet, but there seems to be some conflicting advice, even amongst the positive rewarders (which I most definitely am).

I just feel so beaten by it and this morning I must confess I shed a couple of silent tears as yet again he'd latched onto my pyjama bottoms with that famous terrier tenacity and my efforts of 'off' fell on deaf, furry ears.

I'm gathering quite an impressive collection of clothes with holes in them now, but it's the skin scrapings that worry (scare) me the most. He's only a little thing - it sounds ridiculous to be scared of him, but scared I am (when he's in this mood) and I'll bet he can smell the fear too!

Nothing beats personal experience so please can wise Doghouse visitors tell me what worked for you to stop their puppy biting, or what you know to work. I've read Ian Dunbar but when he latches on, it's hard to ignore and leave the room with him attached to your legs!

I'm yelping and distracting with a you too. The toy works intermittently. (I've read that given how much terriers love squeaky toys, the yelp though may not be much of a deterrent.)

Yours in desperation - Armchair

We have a terrier and those were his nippy hours too, getting the kids ready for school in the morning was a riot!

Now at 10 months he snoozes happily while the house goes about our morning business and in the evenings he's happy to play with his toys or run around the garden.

When he was really bad I rubbed a tiny bit of Vicks vaporub on the kids feet so he left them alone and that worked. I did discover that by accident when they had a cough though.

Thanks TheLady - that's very very reassuring. I am off to buy some Vicks Vaporub! Interesting to know he was a terrier too.

I much happier now it's 9pm and His Gremlinship has gone to sleep. Hopefully when he wakes up he'll be the lovely pup once again.

Roll on his 10 month birthday!!

My ddog (chihuahua cross jrt) went through a bitey puppy stage like a little land shark he was, I used to call him teeny meany the tiny terrierist.
What worked for me was to say ouch really loud then ignore or stop play for a few minutes he soon learned not to be bitey.
Try not to get too stressed out by it it's just a phase if won't last forever.

We called that time of the day 'the witching hour'! It felt like it was happening for ages but actually was probably only a few weeks. My DD wore wellies for a while to protect her ankles! We used a water spray on her nose in the end which worked immediately, and she hasn't tried to nip since. If it looks like she's going to start, all I have to do is pick up the spray bottle and she stops, but rarely happens now.

I have a little or not so little crocodile basenji at the moment. He's 6 months old at the end of the month, and agree he is worse in the evening... And sometimes in middle of the night shouting loud just seems to make him worse, tried quick squirt of water which worked for a couple of days, now the spray bottle is a bit of a game! Haven't any advice am hoping to enroll him in training classes to see if that helps. At least mine just goes for my hands and leaves legs alone ..... So far! Don't remember any of my other dogs being this bitey or maybe I have a short memory

Our 5 month old lab pup spent a long weekend boarding with her breeder and shared the kitchen with a young springer pup. They had a great time and is now a reformed biter. Her mouth is much softer and she spends less time chewing us, unfortunately she is going through a serious digging stage and in this weather it's not funny!
If you know anyone with a similar aged puppy might be worth arranging a few play dates. Don't be tempted to separate them if they start getting rough since this is how they learn.