Throw The Bernedoodle a Bone - Puppy Biting

Let me tell you a little about myself. I am a highly excitable and expressive individual. I feel the feels.  Happiness, anger, frustration, and most of all, my teeth hurt, which intensifies everything. Imagine a mouth full of needles piercing through your gums, aching to be relieved. That's me right now. #realtalk

The humans approach me with limbs of juicy flesh and bone. Each time they do, I feel my mouth salivating as I imagine gnawing through their perfectly shaped arms and being rewarded by rich, buttery marrow. I open wide and chomp. Aaahh… the release.

Bernie in full swing

Sure, they flit and flail; gosh, they're fun!

Humans love playing tug-of-war. I know this game; it’s my everything. I may sometimes lose my grip on their hand, but I never give up. I jump back in, grab, and latch on! She pulls away and tries to run. Not so fast, little one. I grab a pant leg with all my strength. It tears, and she cries out. We both roll back from it all, me laughing, her…not so much. I return for more. It’s fantastic. It gets my juices going. I am pumped, and she seems energized too.

The next thing I knew, I was airlifted into that crate again. Always with the crate. Sore loser.

I howl, express my disappointment, and then fall asleep. After a few zzz's, I awake, and all is calm again.

Once I am released into the common living quarters, I express my joy by grabbing a couple of fingers. This time, the human releases a yelp. It’s the strangest thing; she sounds like a puppy from my litter. I ponder for a second before I loosen my grip a little. I try again, and she yelps again.

An unusual sensation comes over me, a sadness if you will. I am hurting her. Do I want to go down that route? Am I that guy? I soften my play, and she coos and smiles. Why is she acting like a dog? Has she uncovered our Doodle language? Who’s the mole? Are the humans trying to beat us at our own game? I need to find out; I bet it’s the Boxer next door; he seems awfully chummy with his humans.

Potential Mole

I am left with my teething gums and an unquenched desire to chew. This time, I voluntarily enter my crate. I need time to think.

I consider Plan B: perhaps a chair, shoes, socks… socks have a unique, tantalizing odor. While deep in thought, I don’t realize that the humans have presented me with a long, beautiful stick. What is this deliciousness? It smells divine; I gnaw at it. I chew, I grind, I like and savor. No one is pulling it away from me. I am in heaven. Sure, there’s no tug-of-war involved, but do I really need to work that hard for what should be mine? I think not.

Keep them coming, folks; Papi likey.

Side note by the author:

Bully Sticks and yelping have been lifesavers for our family. When Bernie first arrived, he was constantly biting us and our clothing. It got to the point that we hesitated to play with him as his needle-like teeth hurt so much.

• Yelping. At 8 weeks of age, Bernie hadn't learned bite inhibition, a dog's ability to control the force of his mouthing. We, The Humans, had to teach him what would have naturally come to him if he stayed with his litter longer, or played with other dogs. We started to yelp whenever he bit us. This action taught him to be gentle when using his mouth. It worked!

• Bully Sticks are a must for teething puppies. A friend suggested purchasing Red Barn Naturals, Bully Stick (nonaffiliated), and I am now their biggest fan. The Bully Stick will keep a puppy busy for a long time and give his aching gums the relief he needs. Some online Bully Sticks will only last 5 minutes, so be aware of which brand and type you purchase.