Biting/mouthing

[~Jilly~]

I know biting/mouthing during play is normal and we've been doing the 'ouch' thing which does seem to work most of the time.

What I'm asking about is something we have likened to a crocodile! Bella seems to do a lurch forward/upward sometimes and just does a single snap bite as if she is a crocodile.

If she bites/mouths during play you are ready for it so it's not so bad but these 'crocodile snaps' come completely out of the blue sometimes

Is this normal behaviour? What is the best thing to do to stop it?

[PennyB]

Yes it is. Ruby was a real demon for this (Wilf wasn't as bad as he had Ruby to bite!). It will pass in time through persistence and training (pups this age have very short concentration spans like tiny babies so you do have to keep repeating yourself a lot) and she will stop but it will seem like it takes forever.

Ruby always reminded me of those small doll things with snapping teeth in Barbarella LOL (well I can laugh now but it was very painful at the time)

[clairep4]

Oh how I don't miss those crocodile teeth! This is pretty normal behaviour, according to my experience. All you can do is try and stop it and give them something else to chew on other than you but it takes alot of perserverence. We had Bella absolutely obsessed with hanging off our sleeves and trouser legs for weeks and she then moved onto chewing hair and launching herself at your nose (ouch!).

It will pass but probably not for some time yet, so just protect yourself as best you can and discourage her as much as you can. You can try spraying your hands in that anti-chew stuff - this didn't really work for Bella but might be worth a go.

Bella now has her adult teeth but because one of her canines is in the wrong position (just starting to stick into the roof of her mouth and she's off to the dentist for a doggie brace next week!) she is still really mouthy as it's more comfortable for her to have things in her mouth all the time - blunter teeth but much stronger jaws, so she is still mrs crocodile...  She can REALLY snap like a crocodile now, sometimes just lies on her back going snap, snap, snap!  I sing a Tori Amos song to her, "hello Mr Zebra, ran into some confusion with a Mrs Crocodile-dile-dile".

[~Jilly~]

Yes it is. Ruby was a real demon for this (Wilf wasn't as bad as he had Ruby to bite!). It will pass in time through persistence and training (pups this age have very short concentration spans like tiny babies so you do have to keep repeating yourself a lot) and she will stop but it will seem like it takes forever.

Ruby always reminded me of those small doll things with snapping teeth in Barbarella LOL (well I can laugh now but it was very painful at the time)

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thanks Penny,

I feel reassured that it is normal even if it is very painful when she lurches at you and takes a chunk out of your nose

Her teeth are definately bigger and sharper than they were last week too, ouch

She's very good in most ways though, she's about 90% angel, 10% devil! If you do the 'ouch' thing she stops and then snuggles into your foot/leg as if to say 'sorry mum, love ya' and looks at you with her puppy eyes little monkeys, you forgive them anything.

[~Jilly~]

Oh how I don't miss those crocodile teeth! This is pretty normal behaviour, according to my experience. All you can do is try and stop it and give them something else to chew on other than you but it takes alot of perserverence. We had Bella absolutely obsessed with hanging off our sleeves and trouser legs for weeks and she then moved onto chewing hair and launching herself at your nose (ouch!).

It will pass but probably not for some time yet, so just protect yourself as best you can and discourage her as much as you can. You can try spraying your hands in that anti-chew stuff - this didn't really work for Bella but might be worth a go.

Bella now has her adult teeth but because one of her canines is in the wrong position (just starting to stick into the roof of her mouth and she's off to the dentist for a doggie brace next week!) she is still really mouthy as it's more comfortable for her to have things in her mouth all the time - blunter teeth but much stronger jaws, so she is still mrs crocodile...   She can REALLY snap like a crocodile now, sometimes just lies on her back going snap, snap, snap!  I sing a Tori Amos song to her, "hello Mr Zebra, ran into some confusion with a Mrs Crocodile-dile-dile".

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We do give her plenty of things to chew on and most of the time she sticks with those, it's just that occasional lurch and the nose is just the worst isn't it! Hubby gives her a kiss bye in the mornings and most of the time she gives him a kiss too but sometimes she just bites his nose

She doesn't do it so much to our hands, mainly our nose or she does it to hubby's ears too! and I don't fancy spraying anti chew stuff on my nose

Funny you say about the song, we sing 'Bella, Bella crocodile' in the fashion of the Davy Crockett song ::

She lays on her back for ages too snapping away and waving her paws about (which are equally as lethal, sharp little nails!).

[PennyB]

Ruby always used to come at me like a dervish snapping her teeth and lunging at my bare ankles while I was trying to relax and watch TV. After many nights chanting the mantra 'I will not kill my pup' and waving my feet too high for her to reach I began distracting her and placing her in her crate with something to chew on (other than my feet or hands).

[dreamcatcher]

Thats just what we call shiloh a crocodile, he was really bad when he was really little but has grown out of it abit now , only does it when people first come in my house, we tried all sorts of things to stop him doing it, now if he carries it on for a few minutres I use the dreaded word that he hates NAUGHTY and he will stop and hide, or suddenly start licking you instead as if to say I wasnt biting just licking