Dr. Jeckyl and Ms. Hyde!!!!!

[charles]

I need some help with an issue Sarah exhibits. She will be playing fetch like there is nothing going on.

Suddenly, she will morph into Satan’s gift to canines and start jumping, nipping, and sometimes more than nipping at my legs. Sometimes, she has broken skin on my arms.

I have tried to ignore her and tell her “No!” Sometimes it works. Sometimes it doesn’t phase her and she will continue to nip and bite. I leave her outside or put her in her crate for a time out. When I open the outside door or open her crate door later, she is back to the lovable dog my wife and I have come to love.

She is only about 3 ½ months old, so we have time to correct this bad behavior. I also know the time to correct this is now.

What am I doing wrong with Sarah? Is there something I need to be doing?

Any help is appreciated.

[Bill]

What you are doing is the correct action. Just make sure that you instantly put her in time out AND that time out lasts about 2 minutes and no more the resume play. As soon as the offense happens again, repeat the process. It takes reptition for this to work. Hope that you have the opportunity to put her in time out quickly again and again. This is how she learns.

ETA: Don't worry a lot about this. It sounds like normal puppy play with will go away with time anyway.