Puppy Chewing on Caretakers
Hi Cesar,
We love you and look forward to your shows on NGC – even repeats.
We have a beautiful four-month-old white German shepherd. His name is Auggie Moon, and he is as good as he is bad.
He is crate trained and sits and does a lot of puppy things. But he constantly wants to chew on me. He isn't mean, but he won't leave me along. I am trying to work with him with treats and rewards.
I want him to be healthy and happy and a good dog for all, but he frustrates the devil out of me. (The devil is still in Auggie.) He is so strong; he weighs 35 pounds now. His teeth are so sharp that it's hard for me to cope. My husband and I are older and probably bought too much dog, but I wanted a high energy dog, so I could get outdoors with him. We have a large fenced property with a big swimming pool, so he can tear around. Right now it's icy out back, but he does a good job entertaining himself. (He runs the perimeter of the property like a twirling dervish.) His job will be squirrel patrol.
Anyway, I need advice and quickly. He has frustrated me so much, on occasion I was nearly ready to put an ad in the paper.
Thanks,
Pam D.
Davenport, IA
Dear Pam,
A pack leaders is not a chew toy, so what this behavior tells me is that you are not the dog's pack leader; you are a friend. You need to adopt the concept, "body, mind, and then heart." Right now, it appears you are embracing "heart, body, and then mind." If you are willing to make that switch, your dog will stop seeing you as a toy.
I do not know how you interact with your dog, but I would like for you to pay attention to the energy you are sharing with your dog. A lot of people start of the day with affection first. When dogs get excited, they can get mouthy. When you get up in the morning, are you greeting Mother Nature with excited energy or are you establishing your leadership by sharing calm-assertive energy? You should only share affection after you exercise and discipline.
Is your husband experiencing the same problems? If not, perhaps he has already established himself as the dog's pack leader. Often, a husband and wife do not get along with the dog in the same way. Sometimes it is necessary to have a third person come in and suggest a strategy that will work for both of you.
Add some structure – rules, boundaries, limitations – and that will make you the authority figure in the dog's life. Once you become pack leader, you will no longer have the chewing issue.
Stay calm and assertive,
Cesar Millan
