[arvindkanda]

I am a new owner of a mini aussie. She is four months old. She is adorable and she has every quality that we expect in a little puppy.

I have two concerns though.

1. Biting. Generally she likes to nip which is usually not so bothersome. Sometimes she goes at it. Especially when she gets really excited she bites hard and it is extremely painful. How do we discourage her biting?

2. Sometimes she runs like crazy from one corner of the house to another or in the backyard. She runs with such a force that she bangs on to the wall or on stuff. This kind of aggression only last for couple of minutes. Then she backs down to her usual self. I am trying to understand why.

Any help is greatly appreciated!

 

[Lillith]

That's not aggression. That's just a puppy being a puppy.

The biting is a very normal puppy play behavior. They played with their litter that way. They don't understand that they can't play with humans that way. When pup bites, redirect to an appropriate toy. If puppy still insists on biting you, get up and walk away. Step over a baby gate, shut door, whatever, just physically remove yourself for 30 seconds to a minute or so. Puppy will learn that biting = happy fun time ends. Don't expect this behavior to go away overnight. It takes MONTHS for them to learn, and Aussies are a very nippy bitey breed. They're bred to nip to get livestock moving.

The "running like crazy" is a zoomie, also a normal puppy behavior. It's typically a behavior you will see in the evenings to burn off the last bit of energy, or when your pup is overtired. My dog had them regularly until he was a little less than a year old. Most dogs grow out of them. If possible, try to get her outside to run her zoomie off where its safer! It's really nothing to worry about, though. I always just got out of the way and let him run until he was pooped!

 

[arvindkanda]

Awesome! Thanks..

 

[SnarkHunter66]

Agree with Lillith about the biting and zoomies... but wanted to add that I've had a few dogs who didn't outgrow their daily zoomies. My first dog would gather all the other dogs at the boarding stable where we kept our horses (stable owners' dogs and boarders' dogs) and lead them on a merry chase all around the barns and arena. She 'zoomed' every day until her late teens. Riley, who I lost to cancer this past May, wasn't happy unless he got to run like a crazy dog at least once a day. He loved to run and I'd give anything to watch him zoom one more time...

 

[arvindkanda]

Agree with Lillith about the biting and zoomies... but wanted to add that I've had a few dogs who didn't outgrow their daily zoomies. My first dog would gather all the other dogs at the boarding stable where we kept our horses (stable owners' dogs and boarders' dogs) and lead them on a merry chase all around the barns and arena. She 'zoomed' every day until her late teens. Riley, who I lost to cancer this past May, wasn't happy unless he got to run like a crazy dog at least once a day. He loved to run and I'd give anything to watch him zoom one more time...

Thank you for the response. First couple of times it was a little scary to watch her do it. But then once we get used to it, we are not scary no longer and it is indeed kinda sweet

 

[LeoRose]

Yep, typical puppy behavior. Adult dogs do zoomies as well, be it for fun or to release tension. My Ilka would usually do a couple of laps around the yard after she pooped.

 

[Kathyy]

I love zoomies but I've had a pup with them that does drive by mouthing during them! Ginger is 9 years old and has lovely crazy runs when we come home as does Bucky. She looks completely nuts, showing the whites of her eyes and lots of teeth.

 

[LeoRose]

She looks completely nuts, showing the whites of her eyes and lots of teeth.

Hhmmm..... why does that description sound so familiar? Oh, yeah.....

2016-8-13 Ilka & Leo DSC_0248 by Rosemary Elwell, on Flickr

 

[Kathyy]

Add a foot of hair to the tail, make her golden and 16" tall and she'd be a twin to Ginger in her full zoomie glory.

Great shot!