Hi,
My 10 week old welsh springer has recently started biting us.  I understand about the chewing and mouthing that is to be expected, but it seems more than that.  When we play he goes for my arms, face, neck etc.  When my son moves he jumps up and bites him too.  I have tried ignoring him (hard when he chases me), putting him in another room (he comes back in and starts again).  He growls and barks when I say 'NO!' and has a real snarl on his face.  EEEk, where is the cute little pup I expected?  I have tried rewarding him when he plays nicely and when he stops biting.  (This seems to make him bite more, as stopping gets a reward!?) I have tried closing his mouth, barking back etc... any suggestions? Please.

Hi! Don't worry, your puppy is perfectly normal, and is beginning to learn what feeble softies we humans are in comparison tohis brothers and sisters! As you kow your job is to help him learn that he must be very gentle when he mouths you - this is called learning 'bite inhibition' and is vital.

Have a read of this article (you'll probably want to save it to Favourites!) - it has a lot of very helpful information. :)

Sounds normal :D Our younger dog used to have 'hissy fits' :D - the only way to be safe from her manic biting fits was to pick her up, at arm's length, by her scruff and deposit her behind the dog-gate until she had cooled down :) This phase didn't last long and stopped as suddenly as it started :)

Daisy

Hi

Yes my cute fluffy little boy turned into a monster too at about 10 weeks. He would really go for me at any time with no provocation. He would curl his lip and everything. Its perfectly normal. It takes a few weeks to get through but as another poster said, it stops as soon as it starts. There are so many techniques you can try but I would pick one and stick to it. Almost any (humane) technique will work so long as you are consistent. That is the key. You might find as I did with mine that he would do this at particular times. His mad moment was at about 9pm. If you notice any signs of this try and preempt it by doing something different, like going in the garden or for a short walk (in your arms if he hasnt had his jabs). It is an important stage for him to go through though. I am pleased to say that mine still play bites but when he bites me he is very gentle and doesnt hurt at all and when he plays with my husband he bites a little harder but still doesnt hurt. He has just learned how far to go.

I know it seems a nightmare now but try and enjoy it as those puppy days go by so quick. Before you know it, he will be 2 and you will be missing his naughty ways!

Good Luck x

Hello and here is a link for you:  http://springthing.3.forumer.com/

I'm owning a Welshie as well, she is nearly 10 months old and I have her since she was 8 weeks.  I remember when hse was tiny that this cheeky little thing just jumped at me, when I was sitting on the floor and bit me in my arm or pulled on my hair.   She is a gentle pup now (well most of the time), they are hilarious when they are just a few months old and bark back at you.  But it will all pass, you'll see. 

Looking forward to seeing you at the above webside, because we urgently need more Welshie owners there!!!!

hi helenandrog and yes, you have a completely normal puppy! they can look genuinely aggressive at the mad bitey stage of development but don't worry, they do grow out of it! the trick is to be consistent in your approach - the pup needs to learn that being bitey and silly brings no rewards - and a search on this board will bring up reams of excellent advice. one tip i would offer is to ensure the pup gets plenty of quiet time because they needs loads and loads of sleep at this age. and like small children, if they get over-tired you rarely get any sense out of them. hence the worst of the biteyness often coming on in the evening so if the red mist does come down, consider quietly and calmly putting the pup in his bed for a while.

but trust me, this stage doesn't last forever and there are several of us on here with older (now quite unbitey!) pups who've been just where you are now over the last few months!

Just wanted to add my support. You'll get through this before you know it.  I think some pups play rougher then others but they soon catch on.   Remembering back at this stage my clothes were all so torn it must have looked more like I had pet lion rather then a cute little puppy!

If it's any help, my friends puppy (choc lab) was, quite literally, a huge set of teeth on 4 little pudgy brown legs for the first 3 months they had him. His little teeth went though toe nails, finger nails (mine - OUCH!)and anything else he could sink his teeth into, during which times we'd all look helplessly round at each other wondering how such a lovely little puppy could inflict so much pain.

It seemed to us at the time, to last eternity, and then he just stopped. He's a much gentler now though.

Owner of a 10 week old biting monster here too!
He loves to bite people's trousers as they cross the room, and has definately aquired a taste for kids! I'm sure it is just a normal puppy stage that they will grow out of... still painful though
It's very annoying when all you want to do is cuddle the oh-so cute fluffy puppy, but you're greeted with a mouthful of teeth!!

>It's very annoying when all you want to do is cuddle the oh-so cute fluffy puppy, but you're greeted with a mouthful of teeth!!

yep! i remember wondering how i'd managed to buy a small crocodile when i knew i'd originally gone out to get a dear little puppy. ;)