Is It Just Puppy Behaviour?

[BiteyOrMore]

I'd like some advice/input from seasoned dog owners. I have a 4 month old puppy. I was expecting biting, but lots of the articles I read talk about biting when playing, i.e. when getting overexcited with a toy. Our puppy does this, but some of the biting happens when he we are trying to redirect inappropriate behaviour, for example chewing furniture. If I had to describe it in human terms (I know, I know), like he's pissed off we're stopping him doing what he wants. It is worse when he is tired. He'll also occasionally just bite at us, usually legs. I'd say this doesn't come out of the blue, he might be excited to see someone for example. I'd say his body language isn't aggressive, there's no baring of teeth for example, but as someone who is relatively inexperienced with dogs, how do I know what is beyond just being a puppy?
He's due to start puppy training - unfortunately classes had to be delayed as they are outdoors and the field was flooded - so should we just wait and see whether he improves overall?

How much sleep is he getting? What breed is he as this will make a difference?

Sounds pretty normal. Do you redirect him with a toy, and make excited noises to get him away?
If there’s certain things he’s chewing, try and keep him from getting to them.

He'll happily sleep for 9 hours overnight, but sometimes finds it hard to settle during the day, so I don't think he always gets enough sleep. He's a crossbreed. Possibly part staffy -I'm willing to concede that I might not be wondering whether it was more than puppy behaviour if he was fluffier

Mine is very, very bitey at the moment. I have many types of chew toy around and also find that the worst nippiness occurs when pup is in dire need of a nap -- a sort of toddler tantrum happens and then she keels over and snuffles cutely in an 'all is forgiven' fashion.

I don't remember our previous dog being quite as gnashy but I've probably just blanked it from my mind.

If ours nips my feet, I remove myself to the far side of a baby gate for a minute or two.

If he’s only sleeping 9 hours at night and not in the day he is likely very overtired.
is he crate trained?

Sorry. He'll sleep 9 hours overnight in a block, but he'll often have had a 2-3 hours after tea before proper bed time. He does sleep in the day too.

I've gone back to the beginning with crate training as he will go in sometimes and settle down in the morning (and sleep), and really did that with just the odd treat tossed in, so the advice I was given was to go through the steps as though he didn't go in.

When mine was very bitey, it was because he was tired. I'd put him in his bed for a nap

Thanks all. I think I just needed the reassurance he wasn't some kind of devil. (He's snoring his head off now). You lot are the best

I would say just normal puppy behaviour.

He's learning what's allowed and what's not. So of course he'll get upset/ angry/ defensive if you tell him off.

The trick here is not to make the bad stuff worse, but gat his attention by making exiting sounds (squeaky toys atr good!) Or offering something to chaise like a ball.
He's probably teething. I would also make sure he has lots of different toys with different textures. So if he likes a wooden table leg offering one of the wooden dog toys is key.

I think it's pretty normal and they do eventually grow out of it.

We used to 'reset' ours by going out of the room and shutting the door (not always practical I know) for literally a couple of seconds. So no attention.

Much worse when they are tired.

We'd do some training too to tire the brain out and she was more likely to sleep.

Also frozen carrots, frozen wet tea towels, meat stock frozen in a cup for her to like like a lolly....

It sounds very normal to me - puppies are nightmares, that's why they're so cute 😂

Lots of rest, consistency, positive training and praise when they get it right - you'll get there, I promise!

My first dog was very much like this. She did get very overtired and then would be manic. She made me bleed and tore holes in my clothes. She’s a wolfhound so even as pups they aren’t small. She’s now the calmest and sweetest dog! Make sure they have lots of things they can chew. Keep redirecting. A raw meaty bone in the garden is always a good distraction!!

I was surprised at how much my puppy bit, especially as so much online advice for biting points to it being teething and the teething toys I was buying were all being ignored. Once I realised it wasn't bloody teething and it was instead over-tiredness, overexcitement, wanting to play etc etc I was able to deal with it better. A lot of redirection using toys. She's 13 months now and though it felt never-ending, she hardly ever mouths now, and when she does (always as a 'play with me!' request) she's so gentle. It will pass :)

Totally normal. Some breeds are way mouthier than others.

My golden was a little bastard and I spent about three weeks contemplating sending him back between the 16 - 20 week mark (so 3-4months) because he was awful - never known anything like it tbh. Edit - just to clarify that Goldens are known for being mouthy...and his was another level. He land sharked me at every opportunity. But, correct and divert is the best way forward.

The most important thing is to correct and divert. So "no" and then give him a toy and say yes (I always carried one with me).

Also, dogs do understand when they are being naughty and pushing boundaries - he's testing you and your reaction. You have to stay firm.

All my puppies have behaved like this.

Current ddog is 2 yo and still I remind him "no teeth" when he mouths softly, no aggression or "gentle" when taking a biscuit.

As for when overtired or overly excited I crated mine. With "settle down" he quickly learned when it was nap time. I also put him in it just so he could nap and fed him in his crate so he knew it wasn't a punishment place just his spot.

He did have a crate to sleep in next to my bed so was used to settling down for naps, he had another crate downstairs for daytime naps.

Have you done crate training?

I know some people don't like them, but I watched a video from Southend Dogs once that said after everything you do (a walk, food, playtime), pop them in their crate for 2 hours to rest.

I did this with mine and he instantly started sleeping for that time. He's not in a crate anymore, but will settle very easily now. It was a godsend that bit of advice.

No advice re: the biting.

So today I've been in tears about this. He just started to bite me for apparently no reason and wouldn't be redirected. Not interested in squeaky toys. I found it hard to get out pf the room and had to physically restrain him to get away. So now I feel awful. I don't know what I'm looking for here. I guess I just wanted a place to vent a bit

Sorry no advice just sympathy- mine was a bitey horror for months, she didn’t care about toys. She did grow out of it although even at 14 months will occasionally have a gnaw on my feet when over tired or excited. I wore wellies and long sleeved sweatshirts and escaped over a stair gate when she really got going.

If I tried pushing her away or holding her back she went into full on demon puppy attack mode - it would have been quite scary if she was a bit bigger - so I do get how demoralising it feels - but it does get better!

He just started to bite me for apparently no reason and wouldn't be redirected. Not interested in squeaky toys.

Is he overtired? Mine is a horror when tired -- full on toddler tantrum with sharper teeth, then zonked.

He's a puppy, it's normal. I remember that stage with mine.

I too have taken to leaping the stairgate at times, KitKatKat!

My dog was absolutely awful as a puppy, I wore wellies indoors for weeks to stop her biting at my feet. She would bite and snap if I tried to redirect her off of chewing things she shouldn’t - sofa, rug etc. In hindsight I was very inexperienced and not expecting her to be so feral 😂 - puppies need so so much sleep and their environment needs to be managed, use the crate/baby gates, give them plenty of appropriate things to chew - set them up for success!!

She’s 3 now and a sweetheart - I think the biting massively reduced when she lost the puppy teeth

I think it's a combination of overtired and ferocious teething. He's wearing down a yak chew by the second. just can't get him to settle.

I've been working really hard on positive training, and then I get tired, dispirited and feel like a failure, because nothing seems to work.