Behaviour Issues: Nipping and leaping

[NanouetJon]

Things are going well with Maddox ( now 9 weeks ) He is comfortable at home and knows his space.

One behaviour I have experienced before with puppies is the zooming around the house and everytime he runs pas me or anyone he leaps and nips or bites ( No blood drawn).

I know it is just his attempt to get us involved in this play but the biting it inacceptable. Right now we distract with a bone or chew toy but there are times when he just can't be distracted. Leaping, rolling, snapping and pulling. I try ignoring him but he then will pull or bite anything around me .

What have you done? Your ideas?

My though is this is pent up energy and he is releasing. One solution would be a huge walk but sometimes that just isn't possible. Is there a way to let him know it is ok to run and play but the biting has to stop?

PS I will get some picss up soon!

[Chow Chow Mama]

We got Holden a playmate to keep him company during the day

[Desi]

I'd suggest the same.If I see my girls play I'm glad there's two of them.
They'll chase eachother like madmen,snapping at eachoter as they run by,we left enough room in the house so they can play even when it's raining all day.

I've never made a problem of any of my dogs using their mouth on me,as long as they don't hurt me.
Chey will grab my arm when we're playing,but so gently it wouldn't leave marks even if my arm was made of butter.
I'm sure they taught eachother what's acceptable and what's not.

A huge walk with a 9 week old puppy doesn't sound like a good idea to me.

[jacqui]

my Chyna did that as a pup.shes now 6 1/2 years old. but I had a 7 year old male and she would rip him to shreds.she would run around the yard like a crazy nut and try to bite you hard as she ran by.
one day she was probably 9 months old,she bit me so hard that she drew blood.that was the only time I ever yelled at her and she never did that again.
I hope Maddoxx grows out of it but I would say 'Ouch' when he does it.I also say 'No Biting'.
just keep correcting him and be consistant

[chowchowdaddy]

We were fortunate with our first chow, Chia, that she never did anything like this. However, we weren't quite so fortunate with a subsequent one, Emperor Ming. OK, so I know that it partly (???) my fault as I always love to have a puppy chew on me as they're just so darned cute. But, when it becomes painful, that's time to stop. So, I said, "NO" in a nice loud voice and I meant it. A few times of firm "NO" was all it took. To this day, he's never tried it again and he's just turned 6. Tempest, our little diva, will nip at my knees to get my attention when she thinks she's being ignored and I just say "NO" to her, too. Not working as well, she's WAY more stubborn...

[Coco Chow]

Coco likes to do zoomies as well and when she does, I always laugh and clap my hands and say "ZOOOOMIIIIIIE!" .
Anyway, younger when zooming, she jumped on me trying to nip, I said "No", and if she'd continued, I'd stopped the laughing and claping and went back to my business. Then it was not fun anymore and she ended the zoomie too.
Now she doesn't try to nip anymore.
I hope this helps.

[Auddymay]

Your chow needs bite inhibition training. Go here http://forum.chowchow.org/viewtopic.php?f=18&t=3815 to learn how.

[Desi]

Question:isn't 9 weeks a bit young for long walks and the dog park?Has the puppy even had all it's shots at that age?

[NanouetJon]

Answer to some of the questions:

1. This is my 4th chow : I had two chows growing up - I used to show Chows as a kid in the junior handler competitions. I have experience training them, but the puppy times seem foggy on how we got through them.

2. Long walks no. But we are doing short walks around the neighborhood, helps with socialization and gets the pent up energy out.

3. Vaccination: From what I understand he has 2 of the 3 rounds of vaccinations. third round is at the 4th month. I still have to find a vet in my region who knows what a chow is and to work with one. Rockland Ontario!

The jumping and nipping is the major concern and to be honest I have only had him at home now for one week. We are being consistent and doing the bite inhibition techniques. I guess my expectations are a little high being a chow. At 9 weeks I already have him sitting to take a treat.

[MickChick]

I rescued Brandy last February, when she was 4.5 years old. She gets very still, and a glazed look to her eyes just before she goes into zoomie mode, and when she goes into zoomie mode, she nips at my pants, feet, hands, arms, anything she can get at. My two former chow babies never did that - but perhaps because they had each other to play rough with! Anyway, it terrified me at first, but I've always just said NO TEETH! or OW! in a loud voice, then either given her something else to grab on to, or if nothing is available or nothing else is working I turn away and ignore her. She's still doing it, but I now know that she does NOT bite and I trust her not to bite. She just puts her mouth around whatever body part she can grab in attempt to entice me to play. More often than not, now, when I say NO TEETH, she stops and starts licking me instead. I can live with that!

Cecelia