Hello everyone,
Background info:
I recently adopted a lab mix puppy from a rescue foster (2 weeks ago). We live in a home with 3 adults and my toddler niece. I've raised dogs in the past, and share-care two rescue dogs with my boyfriend at his home, and the new puppy is the only dog in my house. I'm currently a caretaker for my father, so I am almost always home. We have a gated grassy yard large enough for puppy fun and exercises. He stays in my room when he is not playing out in the yard. I have him potty trained, crate trained, and some obedience training. He is a WONDERFUL puppy in training and very quick to learn. He plenty of energy when he's in play mode.
My problem:
He also loves tearing up carpet, rugs, beds, and chewing on metal parts sticking out of his crate. Aside from the rugs, the rest aren't items I can actually remove completely. I spend all day and night trying to distract him with chew toys, but he always goes back. I've tried bitter spray also, but he'd slowly let it dry and lick some off, but go right back to it. He knows the "no" command very well now, but ignores it when he is on his chewing spree. Do puppy teeth itch/hurt when they are this young?
The main reason I'm desperately seeking help is explained below...
I can't get him to stop biting people. I am covered in bite and scratch marks. A few new ones appear every day. I never let him near the toddler anymore because he bites ears and fingers. It is almost as if he never learned bite inhibition with his 9 littermates. The moment I get down on the floor to play with him, he will bite me all over. My thighs, my arms, my hands, my ankles, my feet. He doesn't only bite me, everyone that gets on the ground to play with him gets 100 love bites.
I've tried what many articles suggested- to yelp and turn away/ignore him, and return periodically to try again. I've tried letting out different yelps and squeals. I've been trying that for two weeks, and I feel like when I do, he's biting me more, harder, and on more places of my exposed body.
I've tried distracting him with obedience training, but as soon as training is over, he goes right back to biting me.
When he starts ignoring the toys too and comes after me on another biting frenzy, the only thing I've been able to do is to crate him to calm him down. He goes right to sleep in there. But I definitely don't want to make that a habit because I want to actually spend time with my new puppy and play with him, even if just hanging out and petting him. I've cared for many dogs before, and the yelp/ignore has led to guilt and licks within a few days. I've never had it happen where it does NOT work at all and I'm walking out of the house like i got into a fight with 10 cats.
He does play with various chew toys throughout the day for about 10-20 minutes at a time. When he's in the yard, he just eats fallen flowers and sunbathe. I can only engage him to play indoors, but he's in his own world when he's outside. I'm afraid that bit of play indoors is his only real exercise right now, so I can't tire him out enough to no get bitey. I know he shouldn't go on walks for another few months be fully vaccinated and avoid injury. I don't know what else I can do to help him exercise. He bites less when he's tired.
I feel like not being able to play directly is affecting our bond also. He seems to play a lot more with people who allow him to bite. I need help!!
My questions:
Anyone have something similar happen? Does this behavior go away with teething? If I already tried yelp/ignore, obedience training distraction, and give him other toys to bite when he's biting, but it's not helping after 2 weeks, what might be going on? What else can I do about it?
My heart is breaking because I want to spend time with him without getting bit over and over.
Background info:
I recently adopted a lab mix puppy from a rescue foster (2 weeks ago). We live in a home with 3 adults and my toddler niece. I've raised dogs in the past, and share-care two rescue dogs with my boyfriend at his home, and the new puppy is the only dog in my house. I'm currently a caretaker for my father, so I am almost always home. We have a gated grassy yard large enough for puppy fun and exercises. He stays in my room when he is not playing out in the yard. I have him potty trained, crate trained, and some obedience training. He is a WONDERFUL puppy in training and very quick to learn. He plenty of energy when he's in play mode.
My problem:
He also loves tearing up carpet, rugs, beds, and chewing on metal parts sticking out of his crate. Aside from the rugs, the rest aren't items I can actually remove completely. I spend all day and night trying to distract him with chew toys, but he always goes back. I've tried bitter spray also, but he'd slowly let it dry and lick some off, but go right back to it. He knows the "no" command very well now, but ignores it when he is on his chewing spree. Do puppy teeth itch/hurt when they are this young?
The main reason I'm desperately seeking help is explained below...
I can't get him to stop biting people. I am covered in bite and scratch marks. A few new ones appear every day. I never let him near the toddler anymore because he bites ears and fingers. It is almost as if he never learned bite inhibition with his 9 littermates. The moment I get down on the floor to play with him, he will bite me all over. My thighs, my arms, my hands, my ankles, my feet. He doesn't only bite me, everyone that gets on the ground to play with him gets 100 love bites.
I've tried what many articles suggested- to yelp and turn away/ignore him, and return periodically to try again. I've tried letting out different yelps and squeals. I've been trying that for two weeks, and I feel like when I do, he's biting me more, harder, and on more places of my exposed body.
I've tried distracting him with obedience training, but as soon as training is over, he goes right back to biting me.
When he starts ignoring the toys too and comes after me on another biting frenzy, the only thing I've been able to do is to crate him to calm him down. He goes right to sleep in there. But I definitely don't want to make that a habit because I want to actually spend time with my new puppy and play with him, even if just hanging out and petting him. I've cared for many dogs before, and the yelp/ignore has led to guilt and licks within a few days. I've never had it happen where it does NOT work at all and I'm walking out of the house like i got into a fight with 10 cats.
He does play with various chew toys throughout the day for about 10-20 minutes at a time. When he's in the yard, he just eats fallen flowers and sunbathe. I can only engage him to play indoors, but he's in his own world when he's outside. I'm afraid that bit of play indoors is his only real exercise right now, so I can't tire him out enough to no get bitey. I know he shouldn't go on walks for another few months be fully vaccinated and avoid injury. I don't know what else I can do to help him exercise. He bites less when he's tired.
I feel like not being able to play directly is affecting our bond also. He seems to play a lot more with people who allow him to bite. I need help!!
My questions:
Anyone have something similar happen? Does this behavior go away with teething? If I already tried yelp/ignore, obedience training distraction, and give him other toys to bite when he's biting, but it's not helping after 2 weeks, what might be going on? What else can I do about it?
My heart is breaking because I want to spend time with him without getting bit over and over.
