# 10-month old puppy nipping/biting again.....



## TobyJohn (Jan 21, 2013)

Our 22-pound cockapoo pup went through the "mouthing" stage about 6 months ago, and we curbed it quickly following our puppy trainer's advice (yelping like a hurt pup, and if that didn't stop it, puppy time out).

But now our pup is much bigger, with sharper, stronger teeth, and it's started again. While playing, or even just giving him belly rubs, he becomes very rough and bites hands, arms and legs. The old strategies haven't worked AT ALL, and we are no longer in puppy class.

Any advice? I do believe it's "rough play", and not truly aggressive "biting", but either way, it's not okay and needs to stop.


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## doxiemommy (Dec 18, 2009)

A 10 month old pup is going through the "teenage" stage in dog terms. You can expect backsliding. Just keep doing what you were doing, except be even more consistent and vigilant.
Sometimes, when a puppy reaches the teenage stage, they backslide in biting, in potty training, in listening and respond, etc. It's pretty darn common, but, very frustrating.

Best way to deal with it is going back to the basics, being very consistent, and very structured, so you don't give as many opportunities to make mistakes. 

Also, as he's getting older, the need for exercise increases, too. How much exercise is your pup getting? Not just play, but actual physical exercise, as in a brisk walk, a few times a day? That helps with "rough play".

The other thing is, lots of puppies get the "zoomies" which basically is what happens when the pup is overtired, and acts kind of crazy. I don't know if you've ever been around toddlers or young children, but, it's the same idea. Around bedtime, they FIGHT going to bed, but, because they are SO tired, they start being a bit crazy, and hyper. Puppies get this, too. Sometimes you can just let them zoom til they can't zoom any more, (and stay out of the way!) OR you can try just putting them in the crate with a bully stick, and (just as with toddlers) once you force them to bed, they are out like a light....


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## TobyJohn (Jan 21, 2013)

Thank you for your reply! Perhaps the problem lies in the exercise, or lack thereof. It's been a very bad few months, weather-wise, here in Western New York. Snow, sleet, hail, rain, ick. He most likely isn't getting as much as he needs, and definitely not as much as he used to! 

I wish somebody would invent an INDOOR dog park - LOL!


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## doxiemommy (Dec 18, 2009)

There are indoor dog parks, but, my guess is they are few and far between. Not that we'd go even if our small, rural town had one.....I have a reactive dog who wouldn't do well at a dog park!

Have you tried "hide and seek" in the house? We do it one of two ways, we either have the dogs in a sit/stay, and then we hide favorite toys or treats, and have them find them, or we have them in a sit/stay and WE hide and have the dogs find us.

Other things you can do are to buy or make puzzle type toys. Anything that makes them think uses mental energy, which is one way to tire a dog out. Obviously, it's not going to take the place of physical exercise, but, it helps.


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## hanksimon (Mar 18, 2009)

We have indoor (private, expensive) dog parks in Texas... used more in the summer (!) when the weather is too hot to play outside.

After you make sure that he's well-exercised physically and mentally, you may want to yelp and leave the area to stop play and withdraw attention when he is too rough.


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## TobyJohn (Jan 21, 2013)

We're really good at playing with him INSIDE. He's so much fun, and very very clever. We have all kinds of hide and seek games that we play --he knows the names of different toys and will find them (ball, bone, squeaky, chicken, etc.). We have purchased those hide and seek toys as well. He gets lots of exercise INSIDE. But I know that nothing really replaces the good ol' outdoor walk. We will have to be better about it. HE loves being outside, in all kinds of weather. My DDs and I do not, lol. 

As for the biting, we DO yelp and ignore him, either by time outs, or by turning our backs or walking away (all suggested by Ian Dunbar, who my DD loves). It's not working. Or it's not working YET.


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## doxiemommy (Dec 18, 2009)

I'd go with the "it's not working YET"! 
And, be prepared for "extinction burst." If you're not aware, this is where a dog will try even harder to keep doing the undesirable behavior, just as you are trying harder to get rid of it. Basically, the dog is like "hey, I LIKE biting, I want to keep doing it" so they kind of give it one last heroic try, before they finally give up. Only their one last heroic try can last a week or more!


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