# Tips for 10 Week Old Pup that is Biting/Going Crazy



## ELW1976 (Jul 17, 2015)

Hi, 

We just picked up our Havanese, Chewie, about 2 weeks ago from a breeder. She is amazing and we love her, but we notice that about 3X a day, she goes absolutely bonkers. The worst is at night from around 6:30-9 PM until she falls asleep for the night. 

She has a habit of running after us and biting us on the bare skin or pant legs and if we are sitting and playing with her she goes for and grabs shirts, pants, hair (and any skin along with it) and tugs away, sometimes growling in the process. There have been points when she goes for our faces and lunges. I don't think she is being "aggressive" but I think she wants attention or is trying to play like we are her littermates. She isn't stopping no matter what methods we try. She doesn't respond to "yips" like a puppy or "ouch". 

For a while she was responding to a clap that startled her, but even now, she ignores that. We have been trying to provide her with chew toys or something suitable to chew on instead, but when she gets into these "crazy" times, she doesn't listen or stop. We end up trying to give her a time out in her pen or crate, but as soon as she is let out again, she starts up with the behavior. 

I realize she is super young and part of this is just her puppy energy, but I don't want to get to a point where I am frustrated or where she really hurts me or my husband. 

Has anyone else with a Havanese experienced this? Any methods that maybe have worked for you that we haven't tried?

She isn't allowed outside yet (she has only had 2 rounds of parvo vaccine) and we live in NYC. . so maybe she is just stir crazy?


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## davetgabby (Dec 29, 2007)

yeah no pun intended but you want to nip this in the bud, here's a good article http://www.clickertraining.com/how-to-survive-puppy-teething-and-nipping


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## ELW1976 (Jul 17, 2015)

Thanks Dave! That article was great! We are doing lots of those things, including positive reinforcement, providing lots of chew toys, rewarding her behavior when she stops biting. I think we probably need some more "training" as Havanese puppy parents so we can give her the correct tools to be a calm dog and not to bite.


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## krandall (Jun 11, 2009)

Dave is right, you do want to get this under control, even though it is well within the realm of normal puppy behavior. It is really common for puppies to have an evening "witching hour" just as toddlers do, so the timing is absolutely normal. 

When she is nippy, you are right to put her in her pen for a minute or two, with NO attention at all. When you take her out, if she starts up again, put her right back in the pen. You have to be more persistent than a puppy!!!


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## Heather's (Jun 18, 2012)

Those little puppy teeth are sharp!!!


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## boomana (Jul 9, 2015)

Just so you know, I'm going through the exact same thing, except I have 75-year-old neighbor, who watches my two-year-old dog, who has always been a gentle boy, and my 12-week-old Havanese. Her report yesterday is Lola's, been "just insane," non-stop and nippy, and she now has a nice bite on her arm. I'd bought a portable, fabric-type ex-pen for her, figuring we had a month or two with it, but Lola learned to knock it down in two days. I have a metal one at home, and we agreed last night that she could drop my off for "time outs" if she needed to. She's responded to my making clicking noises with my mouth to stop when she starts up. Bully sticks have been great, too. 

I now need help with training as the new addition has brought out the best and worst in my other dog, and since he's my first dog ever, and I've never had two, I'm on a bit of a learning curve. My new girl, Lola, is very dominant, and Watson adapted day one, but is starting to have issues now that she's getting pushier. I've got a call into a recommended trainer because I certainly need training


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## Karen Collins (Mar 21, 2013)

Lots of good advice here. In addition to positive training, Always remember that a tired puppy is a good puppy. A nice long walk (appropriate for her age, of course) outdoors to stimulate your pups overactive mind would do the trick. If I were you I would go ahead and run a titer for peace of mind. I'd bet the farm that she's protected.


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## Peggy51 (Aug 5, 2015)

Enjoying reading all the posts here. I too had to keep my 8wk old pup, Bosco, in the yard until he had all his vaccinations. It was at 4 months old when we finally got to go for walks. He had been nipping at my feet and ankles when out in the yard, and it wasn't until we started walking that I noticed that when I would correct him on his lease, he would turn and circle to the front of me and go for my feet. Guess he didn't want to turn around and go home. He was mad. Throwing a little hissy fit. Since I was away from my house when this happened, I stayed calm, picked him up and carried him for a while, and tried walking again. Sometimes that worked, but when it didn't, I sat with him in the front yard of my neighbors, and layed him down on his side and just held him gently and petted him down from his head to his tail. You could just see him take this big breath, and sigh and totally relax. After a few minutes, we got up and he would walk beautifully. He is now 5 months old and this is the first week we have had zero nipping incidents. We've turned the corner...I think...I hope.


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