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Q: My 4-month-old Lab-mix puppy bites everything -- my kids, their clothes, our hands, my robes. Everything. We've got a wide variety of chew toys and edible bones, which she likes, but redirection only works about one out of three times. What else can we do? She isn't fun to be around for the first few high-energy hours of the day. -- Sara L.
Likewise, your pup needs to learn that nipping delicate human skin results in the end of the good stuff, albeit just temporarily. Here's how you can teach her:
Q: My 4-month-old Lab-mix puppy bites everything -- my kids, their clothes, our hands, my robes. Everything. We've got a wide variety of chew toys and edible bones, which she likes, but redirection only works about one out of three times. What else can we do? She isn't fun to be around for the first few high-energy hours of the day. -- Sara L.
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Andrea Arden, CPDT at Andrea Arden Dog Training in New York City, writes:
Pups mouth their littermates in play as a way of having fun and learning valuable information about bite inhibition. That is: When they nip too hard, the other pup stops playing. Likewise, your pup needs to learn that nipping delicate human skin results in the end of the good stuff, albeit just temporarily. Here's how you can teach her:
Continue reading Q&A: How do I stop my puppy from biting?.
