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Bite Happy Aussie... Help!

by Lisa Rogers
(Louisville, Ky.)

Hello, we have a four month old Blue Merle female Aussie named 'Maddie'. We love her very much, but she constantly bites and chews on us. We have gotten her tons of chew sticks and toys, but the first thing she does when she sees us is bite on our shoes, or feet if we are barefooted... ouch!!!

We have told her no, and even tried using a rolled up newspaper to scare her when she continues to bite us after we have told her no. I had a male Aussie before this one, and he never bit and chewed on us like that. I think females are more hyper than males, which is the opposite of most dogs. Any help would be appreciated. She has tore us up with her sharp teeth. I just want to be able to love on her without pain!! LOL!!!

Thank you, Lisa Rogers :)

Comments for Bite Happy Aussie... Help!

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Love Bites
by: Kathy

How can a puppy so adorable bite her humans? I know all about those sharp puppy teeth. The baby teeth should be falling out in another month and the adult teeth won't be "as" sharp. I bought some Grannick's Bitter Apple at Petco and I spray it on everything to stop the chewing. I even used it on my feet and arms and when my Wally gets a wiff of that, he turns his head because it deters him immediately. Now when he sees me reaching for the bottle, he knows the party is over.

Nipping
by: Anonymous

Always yelp and withdraw. Had an awesome Aussie that would go for the nose. In her later life she would still do this but never made contact. Talk about trust!

I know what you mean
by: Karen

My Aussie female was a bad nipper from 4 months until about a year. She drew blood many times and shredded a bunch of my shirts and pants! Looks like a pirahna attack:) NOT kidding. After talking to some aussie owners at the dog park, some have had this issue and some haven't. It is common though from what I understand. Bitter apple spray helped a bit, but my dog would still challenge me constantly. Now, at almost two years old she is still mouthy, but not as bad. The herding nip is a trait to Aussies. You might even want to try using a thin metal cookie sheet as a shield for awhile. Keep it next to you indoors and use it to block the pup when she bites. This might deter her and show her that herding people is not acceptable. I took my dog to training at 6 months, but I assure you this will be an ongoing process. As the dog matures, make sure she gets a lot of off leash running. Running, running, running is key to reducing bad behaviors. When my dog is well exercised she is well behaved. They need stimulation, exercise, and training for a lifetime:)

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