# Puppy Problem Behaviors



## Baci'sMommy (Jul 7, 2011)

Hi, I just found this site the other day and this is my first "real" post (other than in the Introductions forum).

My Baci is four months old and sweet as can be, but he also has some behaviors that I would love - and have been struggling - to put a stop to.

The worst is his chewing/biting - he LOVES to chew on rugs, shoes, socks, plants, and worst of all - ME. He never bites maliciously but loves to nip at my arms and toes - and his little teeth HURT! He also loves to pull on the ears of my mom's 7 year old shih tzu (we are living with my parents for the next month). I'm constantly redirecting and giving him toys, his Kong, bully sticks, compressed rawhide - and it distracts him for a little while but in the end he still goes back to chewing the things he shouldn't be chewing - any other suggestions for getting him to stop?

The other thing I'm concerned about is less of a "problem behavior" but I'd still like to get him to stop if I can - he is TERRIFIED of his reflection. In our living room, there is a huge glass door, and at night he can see his reflection and he goes crazy - growling and barking incessantly. I've tried soothing him, distracting him, but whenever he sees it he gets so freaked out. 

We're also having a few potty training issues. He's been really good about doing "number 2" outside and barking at the door when he needs to go. For "number 1", though, he's been using both puppy pads inside and going outside. About 80% of the time he's great about going to his pad, but sometimes for no apparent reason, he'll just pee in the middle of the floor. Is this just because he doesn't have full control of his bladder yet? I'm hoping he'll grow out of it. He's also started marking in the past few days but he's getting neutered next week so hopefully that will stop.

Thanks in advance - and thanks for all the great tips I've already read on here!

-Sehra and Baci


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## RudyRoo (Jun 24, 2011)

Welcome Sehra and Baci! I am still struggling with my Rudy's playful "nipping" (he is 7 months now) on toes and hands. He seems way more interested in my flesh than any toys. What I do is try to start a game of fetch to distract him. I make him sit for his favorite toy (ironically, a toy mouse for cats), then hold it in front of him and make him stay as I get ready to throw it (this took practice), and then he gets to run after it. He loves it!

Rudy never really acted scared of his reflection, but he definitely had some barking issues when he was introduced to his first mirror. He does it sometimes now, but has mostly grown out of it. I again used playtime as a distraction with this problem. I would talk in a playful voice, rub his belly, tickle him, and look in the mirror with him as I did that. Eventually he just started to think it was fun to look at "the other puppy" in the room. 

I echoed the same concerns regarding potty/pad training when he was around the same age as Baci. Rudy knew what the pee pad was and would use it if it was in sight, but would sometimes just randomly pee on the floor or right next to the pad once in a while. This is probably just an age thing. Rudy doesn't ever have accidents now. You could try to move the pee pad to a place that Baci will think is private? Pups like to feel like they are sneaking away to do their business. I put ours behind a small table, and that helped us tremendously.

Good luck! Puppies are SO much fun!


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## Sylie (Apr 4, 2011)

Baci sounds just like my coton, Ray, when he was a puppy. In retrospect I think it was a bad idea to give him plush toys, because that led to pillow chewing. As far as I know, the only thing you can do is substitute appropriate things for him to chew. Do your best to keep other things out of reach and especially things that can be dangerous...electrical cords, toxic plants, things he could swallow.

As for the nipping your hands. Aim to teach him bite inhibition. If he hurts you even a tiny bit *yelp* really loud. He knows what that means. He did it himself if a litter mate got too frisky.

Poor little shih-tzu. My little old bichon had hardly any hair left on her tail as a result of Ray grabbing it.

But now, guess what? Ray is a perfectly calm, well mannered gentleman. He still tears up stuffies if he can manage to steal one of MiMi's babies.


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## Baci'sMommy (Jul 7, 2011)

Thanks for the advice, Leigh and Sylvia! It is definitely nice to know that Baci is not the only chewing terror who loves to have accidents on the floor! :smilie_tischkante:

Sylvia, I've tried the yelping when he nips at my skin but so far it hasn't deterred him... maybe I need to be louder. 

I LOVE the puppy stage and he is the cutest, sweetest little thing ever, but I can't deny that I am excited about him calming down a bit!


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