@drew82 said in Puppy biting:
Hi, my puppy will be 8weeks tomorrow, and she nips, when trying to play and kiss. I know it can be normal puppy playing but I have a full blooded shitzu and when my basenji tries to play she seems to go toon far (in my opinion) I have tried to sternly say No, swat her hind quarter, and even tried to put my thumb under her tongue in her mouth while saying no.. will this all stop or do I need to try something else or am I paranoid that this will develop into bad behavior and I am expecting too much from her at this young age?? On an up side I have gotten her used to a lead... lol
I agree with Pat, if your pup is 8 weeks old, you got her too young. The biggest reason for puppies to stay with their litter is to learn manners and bite inhibitions. You'll have irresponsible breeders say "oh they're done nursing at 5 weeks so you can have them." Nope. At least 8 weeks, even up to 12 with some lines/breeds.
Swatting... no. Pushing your thumb under the tongue is painful, another no. Close her mouth, say no. Give her something appropriate to chew, and totally ignore. You may have to do this a 100 times over the next few weeks. You have a baby, and biting is what they do. They will eventually stop if you stay persistent. And yes, way to young to expect her to stop. It takes a couple of months and consistent work.
As for your Shih tzu, is it a male or female? Neutered/spayed or intact? How old.
You have a job to do... which is to seriously limit the amount of time the puppy gets access to your Shih Tzu. Tire the puppy out first, then let them interact a little at a time. Help build a good relationship. If the Shih tzu snarls/snaps at or simply leaves, stay out of it. Unless there is blood, stay out of it. Best to.. again... tire the puppy out before you let them together so she's less likely to do things your Shih tzu thinks needs correcting, but if correcting occurs, you are setting up a terrible problem by intervening. Especially since before too long, your basenji is going to be double its size of the Shih tzu and respect needs to be learned now.