Question:
Hello! My puppy Casey (yep, the one who continues to cough but doesn't have distemper, thank God!) has totally regained his energy and playfulness, and with that, he's back to wanting to bite a lot during his play with humans. Before he got sick he started doing this, and at that time, if we yelped in pain like a puppy, he usually felt guilty and stopped. It doesn't seem to be working anymore! If I correct him (usually with a finger in his face and a forceful "NO") sometimes he get sassy and bites my finger. Also, he seems to almost attack at times, and barely ressembles my sweet puppy Casey. I remember that all of this is normal in puppy adolescence, but I'm hoping someone can give me some tips on how to get him out of this habit as quickly as possible, without causing any bad effects like head-shyness. My husband doesn't have much experience with puppies, and he gets pretty discouraged with constantly having to correct him, and has trouble believing that our agressive poochie is displaying normal behaviour. Anyway, any help would be appreciated!!! Thanks so much.

Answer:
It's so good to hear little Casey is feeling better and back "up to bat". Sorry, but couldn't resist and now don't want him to "strike out". Did you ever tell us about Casey? I'm sorry if I missed it. What breed is he? etc. etc.
Would love to see a photo. Puppies want love and lots & lots of attention. Sometimes, it doesn't seem to matter whether it's positive or negative. When he bites, in addition to yelping as if you're hurt, you need to abruptly stop the attention. It's the opposite of what he's trying to achieve by biting. Hubby needs to do some reading about puppies and realize they require a lot of patience and training. A good dog doesn't just happen, but reflects what he learns. I imagine that while he was sick, Casey was really fussed over, and rightly so. He may be thinking he's pretty special and ranks up there pretty high in the hierarchy of your family. Some of the board members can give you a lot more specific advice on the training as they have had so much more experience. I've always had toy size dogs and now have a miniature who was my "wild child". He settled down nicely but he had me in tears several times. Maybe larger puppies are different from the smaller ones? My brothers always have had large dogs and it has seemed that way. But all turned into really great, well-trained dogs they could really be proud of. Worth the effort for sure!

Answer:
Puppies need a lot to chew on

give him lots of things to chew on ice cubes and beef bones raw

my 7 mon old still likes to bite but it's gentle, however i don't tolerate it

Dogs express themselves through their mouths

When pup starts biting, give a toy
when takes the toy say 'good puppy' and praise

You can also just ignore the behaviour by removing your hands and standing still so the dog can't get the hands to chew on

All puppies mouth! it's not a new thing

Answer: