# Naughty puppy- need help with disciplining



## klynn5021

My puppy is currently 10 weeks old. The first week that we had him home, he was an angel! All kisses, cuddles & love.. Now, a couple weeks later, his personality has drastically changed. He is SO mouthy! I dont understand why, he always has a multitude of chew toys, and bones laying around. He is trying to rule the roost & be the alpha male. I have tried so many different things to discipline him, and nothing is seeming to work.. We have tried firmly telling him "NO", redirecting his attention to chew toys or bones, clamping his muzzle shut, yelping like the Momma dog would.. I feel like we have tried everything with him. He does have a crate, and we have started putting him in there when he gets naughty.. But I dont want him to associate his crate with a punishment. Tonight, he bit down on the underside of my upper arm & drew blood and instantly left a bruise. Not only do the bites hurt, but its making it unenjoyable to spend time with him!  If anyone could help me out here, it would be VERY much appreciated!! Please feel free to either Private Message me, or email me at [email protected]


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## Megora

That alpha stuff does not apply here. 

Your puppy has just come out of his shell (getting used to his new home, getting used to not having his littermates around, getting with the new routine). And he is teething. 

Don't think discipline. Think distraction. 

When he gets mouthy and crazy during the day, that's an idea time to put a leash and collar on and walk outside for a potty run. Praise that puppy to pieces when he's not mouthing and is being good. AVOID working him up to the excitement level where he starts biting and nipping. 

For teething - icecubes work really great. You can also get teething rings for puppies. Stick them in the freezer for those times when he needs something to chew on (when he's chewing on the chair legs, for example). 

And be patient. 

It will take a few weeks for you to get through this stage, and then you will really hit the bratty and ambivalent stage of raising a puppy. 

The important thing to keep in mind is that by the time your puppy is a year old or so, you will be asking yourselves if he ever was this bad.


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## Max's Dad

Megora, the first poster is spot on. Your puppy has entered the "land shark" phase, and it is going to last for a while. When you see the huge teeth your puppy will end up with, you will understand. I not only suffered wounds on my hands and arms, we also had chewed baseboards and dry wall. :uhoh:

Be patient. There are many threads on the forum about this issue where you may find some helpful ideas.


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## Finn's Fan

Klynn, please read the entire puppy section. You have a normal golden puppy, who is not trying to be alpha or asserting his dominance or any other nonsense; he's simply being a baby dog who explores his world with his teeth. Please pick a method of distraction and stick with it. Consistency, patience, a crate fortime out for you both, and something good to teeth on will help get you through this puppy phase. The comes adolescence, where he'll really drive you nuts


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## OutWest

Second and third-ing the other posters. All very normal puppy stuf. It means he's relaxed and feels at home now. Don't try train him with discipline, be firm but he's very young and is doing what his doggy genes are telling him to do. It would be good if he could have a puppy play group so he could learn some manners from others. He's exploring his world with his mouth. Keep reminding yourself that when he mouths and nips so you don't fall into thinking he's misbehaving--he's not.


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## dezymond

Agree with what everyone has posted, it's normal puppy behavior. Just be consistent in redirecting his biting and you'll be better. Mine was real mouthy about 2 weeks ago, it's gotten much much better since then. We redirect with toys, a firm "no", turning our backs to him, and a few times leaving the room. Only once did I have to put him in his crate for a timeout (about 1 minute), and he got the message. 

This would be the perfect time to find out what kind of toys he likes. Mine likes loose end ropes and pretty hard objects, so I recently ordered an elk antler for him, see if that holds him over. A frozen towel does the trick sometimes, but mine has grown out of it and it's just way too messy for me to clean up so I've stopped giving it to him.


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