Biting on wrists???

[tbren]

I have a very large (90lbs) white shepard/yellow lab, she is a great pet. We have only had her for three months and she is a year old. Her problem (or our problem is) that when she is excited she bites at my wrists and it hurts, she doesn't try to be mean, she is only excited. When I finally get her to stop she tries to bite my boots. What does this mean?? and what can I do??

Thanks
Tanya & Mya

[Todd]

Hi there and thank you for your question.

Biting and nipping are a common puppy problem but is quite straight forward to fix.

*Get you or someone to sit down with your puppy and hold out your hand. If the puppy bites both you and your guest should growl sharply, say "AAHH" rather then "NO", and do not yell it, growl it; make it quite gutteral (even if this gives you a sore throat).

*Hold out their hand again, and if your puppy goes to bite it again, growl again but stand up suddenly at the same time. Walk away for a few minutes.

*Then come back and sit down to play again, hold out your hand once more. If the puppy goes to bite for a third time be ready for it and give the puppy a little thump on the nose and growl once more (thump hard enough for the puppy to actually feel it) with the hand you are holding out.

*Hold out their hand again, and by then your puppy should be wary of their hand (be aware that the hand biting behavior is probably a habit by now).


The same applies to the nipping at shoes problem.

Hope this helped please let me know if you need some more help.
Good luck

Todd