Biting

Q: My puppy is biting me, sometimes very hard. I try saying "no bite" and acting sad that he hurt me but that only works for a minute or so. He will even crouch and lunge at me. Is this from teething?

A: You are on the right track that his behavior is not due to teething. Many owners try to explain away this problem by blaming it on teething but in reality that has next to nothing to do with it. Now is the time to take action to curb this annoying and painful habit. As a veterinarian I have spent most of my life helping animals and I certainly do not believe in harming them but in this case I have found that an immediate, noticeable thump on the nose, a loud reprimand, an angry voice and stare, followed by an extended period of ignoring the puppy is effective. We need to look at the interaction between dogs and pattern after it, if two dogs begin to play rough and one is fed up there is the threat of returned attack, which is sometimes enough, or there is a physical response equal or slightly greater than the offense. Also note that once the dispute is settled the dogs eventually resume their peaceful interaction. Thanks, Dr. Rybka Sent from my iPad