Please tell me this gets easier (new puppy)

[Unmute]

New puppy. Not my first puppy (although my last dog was an adult rescue, so it's been a while) and not my first of this breed (staffie - she's number 4).

I am struggling to bond with her. She doesn't feel like my dog, she's just a small strange and quite annoying creature I have to look after.

The main issue is the constant biting. I can't play with her as she prefers attacking my hands and feet to any other game. I am covered in bite marks. I don't remember my last pup being this bad. It's not fun, it hurts, and I'm actually a bit scared of her.

She's just a baby (10 weeks). I know she isn't hurting me deliberately (or is she?), but I am exhausted and I don't know what to do.

This is normal, right? She'll grow out of it? She's not going to be aggressive forever?

Other, more minor issues as well...she won't poop outside (but will poop immediately on getting back inside), and she screams when I leave the room during the day, even for a minute.

I am so tired!

Hey OP, hope you’re doing ok. We had similar biting when we got our 3rd (not staffie but we owned that breed already). Found that trying to distract from biting with a toy didn’t work as he was already too hyped up from the biting episode that the toy just made him giddy and he would just do it again.

What we had to do was ‘AH’ or ‘NO’ in a strong firm voice (no emotion in the voice as that can also make it fun, just monotone and stern), hands up, stand up, turn our backs to him (ie making ourselves unavailable for sitting/being played on or biting our hands). If no jumping/biting after a few seconds, we’d sit back down and carry on playing but if he went for our feet instead/resumed when we sat back down we would just say ‘AH’/‘NO’ again and leave him in the room on his own for a few seconds. When we came back in, didn’t make a fuss (because that would hype him up again) and if there was any recurrence we’d just repeat. If he whined/howled/was peeing about when we’d gone into a different room we’d wait for 5 seconds for calm (gradually extended to 10) and then went back in. Absolutely tedious and felt like it lasted a lifetime (when really it was only a short time, couple of weeks max probably - was 10 years ago so can’t remember exactly!). It’s really promising that she has already picked up some bits like come and sit, so hopefully she’ll pick this up quickly too for you.

The bit that stood out for me in your post was when you said she’s a lovely little thing - hold onto that because my bitey gremlin was trying to put me in an early grave at the start. We lost him last week and it was only reading your post that reminded me he was a little chomping demon at the beginning because we had a whole life of chaos in other ways love with him. I’m also sorry for the loss of your older dog and I hope you’re doing as ok as you can be. Take care x

Things are (slowly) getting easier. More sleep is definitely helping. Also, I think she's quickly picking up that biting means no more fun and attention.

I've been more consistent in how I'm responding to the biting, and I've removed some temptation by swapping fluffy slippers for shoes, baggy trousers for tighter fitting clothes etc.

A big part of my impatience with her is adjusting to the fact that she's not my old dog, who was so gentle and calm. She is lovely though (thanks @pottytrainingdd for reminding me of that) and we have years to get used to each other.

@Unmute She looks like a little angel to me. 💖
I found having a puppy after years of calmer, elderly dogs a huge shock to the system.

She is a little angel when she's asleep!

My westie was 11/12 months when he started acting like a wee bugger and it seemed like adolescence had hit. He's 1 yr 8 months now and has mostly calmed into a lovely wee guy so hopefully it won't last long for you. Your dog is gorgeous 😍

We have a staffie pup and DM named her Jaws 🤣
The biting does stop but they’re like piranha's. It’s awful. Once I was walking her a lady said may I stroke her? I said yes, she visibly recoiled when my puppy gave her a grin and said ‘oh no, she’s got those pointy things’! 🤣🤣🤣🤣
People need a warning because Puppyhood is absolutely brutal and you forget just how brutal it is!