1st time puppy owner.

[RebeccaLouise]

Hi all,

I brought home my little jackawawa Bella Sparkles last week. She is ridiculously cute but very mischievous. She is 10 weeks old and making small steps with the toilet training but is a biter. So any help or advice would be gratefully received.

Thanks

 

[damiensedgwick89]

A pack leader is not a chew toy, so what the puppy chewing problem tells me is that you are not the puppy's pack leader; you are a friend. You need to adopt the concept, "body, mind, and then heart." Right now, it appears you are embracing "heart, body, and then mind." If you are willing to make that switch, your puppy will stop seeing you as a chew toy.

I'd like for you to pay attention to the energy you are sharing with your puppy. A lot of people start off the day with affection first. When dogs get excited, they can get mouthy. When you get up in the morning, are you greeting Mother Nature with excited energy or are you establishing your leadership by sharing calm-assertive energy? You should only share affection after dog exercise and discipline.

Is your husband experiencing the same puppy chewing problems? If not, perhaps he has already established himself as the puppy's pack leader. Often, a husband and wife do not get along with the dog in the same way. Sometimes it is necessary to have a third person come in and suggest a strategy that will work for both of you.

Add some structure – rules, boundaries, limitations – and that will make you the authority figure in the puppy's life. Once you become pack leader, you will no longer have the puppy chewing problem.

Stay calm and assertive

Hope this helps