Biting and barking

Question
My 13/14 wk old male chi has suddently started chewing and biting my hands
and also my friends. he isnt nipping and his tail is wagging but I cant get him
to stop. Its like he has stopped listening to the word 'no'. He also tends to do
this more when there are people around me and is a lot calmer when its just
the 2 of us. Also he barks and growls when playing but has begun to do the
same when he cant get on the bed or to get my attention etc. he eventually
wears himself out and goes back to being cuddly and adorable. He is having
his second jab this week so I can take him for walks soon which im assuming
will help.

Answer
Hi Emma...

Trust me, what you are experiencing with this pup is purely and simply puppy play.  If he were still with his mum and siblings, he would learn when he was biting too hard and what his boundaries are from them.  As is, you are now viewed by him as a sibling and he's trying to play with you in the only way he knows how to and in a way that all pups play.  A puppy must go through all stages to become a healthy, well adjusted adult dog and this is nothing more than this pup being a puppy and going through a normal puppy phase.

He doesn't know the difference between just giving your hand a little nip and biting right now. Again, that's a boundary he would have learned from his mum and litter mates had he been with them longer. Meaning, he would have learned what hurts and what doesn't and when to stop. He does it more when people are around because he's more stimulated by the presence of a lot of people and most probably by the extra attention he's getting. Pups have a very short attention span and it isn't that he has stopped listening to the word, "NO", it is that he has found that when he hears THAT word, you are paying attention to him.  That's all he cares about right now - that you give him attention.  That's normal.  Telling pups "NO" at this age is pretty futile.  You will continue to tell him "NO", though, and eventually it will "click".  Pups learn by repetition, with the use of positive feedback and when what you're teaching them is age-appropriate.

I don't think it's unusual at all for him to bark and growl when he wants your attention.  That's what dogs do - they have no other way to communicate to you that they need or want something.  In time, he will learn that you will respond to certain things...like putting him up on the bed...and that you will not respond to other things...like maybe barking because he wants to go out the front door or something like that.  

As you know, pups don't come to us already trained and exhibiting behavior of adult dogs. Training them is a process that is an investment of time and love.  It's not all that dissimilar from human baby behavior and training.  It's during this time that he's a puppy that you will really bond with him if you handle things correctly and don't assume that everything he does is a behavior problem.  Keep in mind that a dog's mission in life is to please the ones they love.  He's in the process of discovery right now - learning his limits and eventually learning what is or is not expected of him.  It's not automatic - it takes awhile.

You can try for now doing this:  When your pup is playing with you and he doesn't bite too hard and it's a pleasant interaction between the two of you, I want you to tell him what a good boy he is in a high pitched voice and show him a lot of affection.  If he bites too hard, I want you to bluntly tell him, "NO" and do NOT offer your hand back to him.  Instead, I want you to hand him a toy (I prefer to use stuffed toys made for dogs) and maybe tug on it to entice him to pull on it and bite at it all he wants.  When he responds the way I've just described, tell him what a good, good boy he is!  You will do this over and over and over.  Repetition is the key in training.  You must keep on track and have your friends do the same thing.  You can't allow him to bite you or your friends one day and just laugh it off and then be mad at him the following day for the very same thing.  Be consistent! It's so important!

Another thing that concerns me...  You said that he will be getting his second "jab" this week.  I'm assuming you mean that he's getting his second set of shots.  You should keep in mind that when a pup receives all that serum in its little body, it can be quite overwhelming and you want to keep your little pup safe and warm and be observant for any physical reactions to the shots.  Also, I never consider a puppy to be fully protected enough to go for walks and be out in public places until they have received their full round of puppy shots.  Do you only do two sets of shots in the UK?  Keep in mind that shots do not become immediately effective just because they were given that day.  It takes some time for the shots to become effective. That's something that you should research.  I think that a young, small breed pup like this is getting plenty of exercise at home and I don't think that walking him is going to solve the problems that you've discussed with me.  You need to work with him on those as I've outlined above...

Emma, I hope that the information that I have provided is helpful to you and that you will feel free to write me again if you have further questions.  Congratulations on your new puppy.  You may not know it yet, but you're in for a wonderful, fulfilling relationship with this little guy if you will just be patient, consistent and loving.

Jo Ann