Hi all - we've got a 9wk old male Rat Terrier puppy (Jaco). Things are going mostly OK, but we're struggling with some of his behaviors. Part of the problem is that we don't know what we can write off as puppy behavior, and what we need to correct (and how successful how quickly we can expect our correction efforts to be)

The worst behavior we're seeing right now is that Jaco always wants to chew on everything - fingers, toes, and clothing included. Whenever we're petting him and he doesn't have a toy in his mouth, he wants to chew your hand. I suspect that this is due to teething, not aggression. We're mostly successful re-directing him to chew toys, but we're wondering if/when this behavior should subside, and if we should be taking more direct action (and if so, what?)

A related problem appears when he plays with his toys in our laps on the floor (which he loves). He seems to have a burning desire to jump up and BITE us in the face whenever he can get near. Fortunately, he can't reach our faces (yet), but that won't last. Again, I don't think this is out of aggression at all, but snapping jaws coming at your face can be very disturbing nonetheless. Again, we try to get chew a toy in between the two of us and/or tell him NO firmly, but it doesn't stop him from trying.

When we won't let him chew on us, he will sometimes get very frustrated and bark at us. The vet has already diagnosed him as 'very willful'.

We're working to get him into puppy training/socialization classes, but it will be several weeks. Don't get me wrong, overall he's doing well with his crate training, has learned a few commands, and is starting to walk on the leash (although he seems generally dis-interested in walks). This is our first Rat Terrier puppy, so we're still figuring things out

Any advice?

Thanks

He is teething..Make sure he has plenty of chew toys. Keep your shoes, and electrical cords up, and away from him, and anything else, you do not want chewed. Lots of patience and love needed...and a crate when you are not home...

At this point in Jaco's life, you can pretty much rest assured that ALL of his behavior is puppy behavior! LOL

But rest assured that this is a very normal thing - it doesn't mean that your pup is aggressive, just that he is young. If you watch a litter of puppies interacting with each other, you'll see them biting each other all the time. The problem is that they often mistake our hands and clothes and ankles as being just like their littermates.

Puppies LOVE to play - that's what they live for. What's the worst thing that could happen to them? Play ending. So that's how we will "punish" them for being too rough - by suddenly making play stop when they bite. The rule is "All fun and games end when puppy teeth touch human skin".

Biting also teaches them how to use their main hunting tool, their mouth with all those teeth. Unfortunately, this often carries over into their interactions with the members of their new home. All the people, including any children, are brought into the game. Puppies have very sharp teeth, and a bite or nip can hurt and be terrifying to small children.

Teach Jaco... (and start now) that biting hurts you. When he bites, give a sharp "no!" or "ouch!" - or even a yelp like a dog would make. This is the same reaction that your puppy would get from another puppy if he bit too hard during play. It teaches him that he's been too rough, and the odds are that he'll be more gentle next time. Remove your hand slowly - don't jerk it away - and give Jaco a toy that he can chew on without damage. A kong filled with peanut butter (you can freeze them) will occupy him for a long time and divert his attention from things he should NOT chew on (including you) to things that are acceptable for him to chew on.

Good luck to you! (and welcome to the forum!)