I KNOW you're tired of hearing about Hammie..

BUT, I really need help with this!! He sleeps in the house...then I put him in the pen for a few hours. When I go to get them in the afternoon...as soon as I open the gate..he flies out and BITES me...yes, BITES me..........then runs around the pen a few times (it's his and Addie's game). Then he comes back into the house. Now Dave feels it's his way of 'playing' or something..........IT HURTS!!! And, I'm just sooooooooooo not happy with this at all. I've tried a few things....now, I'm trying to hide behind the gate. He only does this when first let out...OUCH!! I've tried yelling......I've even bopped him a good one on the nose (yes, I know this isn't recommended) I just don't know what to do. He doesn't do it in an aggressive manner.....but it still hurts darn it!!! This has been going on for the past week..........I'M SICK OF IT ALREADY!!!!!!!!!!!!! It's the only time he does it.......altho he still tries to bite at my legs when we are walking to the house...by this time I have him leashed and I pull up and say "no" and it stops. HELP!!! I REALLY HATE this!!!!

As a matter of fact, Debi, I never get tired of hearing what new naughtiness Hammie's thought up. He's a real character and is just completely FULL of himself!

Your husband's right. He's playing with you. And you're right, it hurts! Start by making him sit before you open the gate. Take a pull toy of some sort out to the pen with you and when he makes his move, stick it in his mouth and entice him to play with that. The trick is going to be to teach him a new game - your game - in place of the one he's come up with on his own.

Sometimes a good, stern "What the *#@$! do you think you're doing?" works wonders, too . . .

If it makes you feel any better, Brady likes to bite my feet, or um, my bum when I am trying to go up the stairs, and believe me, I feel your pain. Literally.

Sometimes when he is trying to play with me too, he gets rough about biting my arms. I try to tell him no, but he really still thinks I am playing. You can't get too excited around Brady, because he thinks it is so fun to bite you if you are jumping around or talking excitedly. He is not being mean, just he is so excited to play.

That's the amazing thing...since he's so excited, I make him sit or else I don't open the gate. He does...and looks so well behaved and innocent. Then I open the gate and BAM! just HAS to give that nip before they commence to running around the fence a few times. He's in a 'not gonna listen to you' mode these days. VERY frustrating, but he is now 10 months old and (I hope) going thru a phase. I used to not have to leash him to bring him into the house...now if I don't, he won't come on command (like he's been doing for months). I've tried enticing him with a treat when he does listen, but that boy has decided it's more fun to misbehave than eat the treat! He is always a challenge. Reminds me of children.........God always gives you one to test your patience. LOL Meanwhile...like I mentioned before, that's all he does is wait to come back into the house.........but he just has to be a bit of a devil first. men.......lol

He's a teenager, Debi. Pure and simple. Shiva went through that and I thought I'd lose my mind. Kharma started going through it at about 6 1/2 months (precocious little brat) and she's made Shiva look easy!

Kharma got shot in the foot about 3 weeks ago (we won't even go there - when she's finished healing up I fully expect her to let me know who did it!) and she's cooled her little independent adolescent jets quite a bit. We'd call her and she'd just look at us, then go on her merry way. When she'd finally decide to come, she'd mosey in and look up as if to say, "I'm too adorable to punish. So there." She was sooooo wrong about that . . . lol

ROFL - Serena, you're so right! But that's nothing unexpected.

I'll have to admit though, that my German Shepherds were a walk in the park compared to these Filas! They test you, and try your patience, then when you just have to lay the law down to them, they get their big hearts broken, complete with actual tears down those long, melancholy faces. (It is so unfair, the air of melancholia really is a breed standard that's judged!) Then they turn around and do exactly what you asked them to do - or - more frequently - STOP doing what you told them NOT to do!
The same thing that works for Filas works for German Shepherds. You absolutely must establish communication. These are intelligent working breeds that have a long history of working WITH their people - it's just a little difficult when you've got a male going through adolescence. Get his attention and talk to him. Just remember, at this age especially, you're going to have to have the same discussions several times.

THANKS so much!! I'd love to have him in obedience training, but there isn't anything around here. Which is why this board is so important to me!! Ham is such a character.....so totally good one minute....so very snotty the next. lol I've never had a dog so expressive. I've also never had a dog so loving. I've said this many times, but as sweet as Addie has always been...she is a bit aloof. Addie just wants to be outside, and when I bring her in she is ok for about an hour......likes a bit of attention.....but just wants out again. She's never been a cuddler, even as a puppy. Ham can't get enough attention...he even really does just follow me to whatever room, and seems so content to just look at me...he HAS to be just close. I do make him sit for ANYTHING....food, treat, even water.....he has that down pat. Not having much success with 'stay'......still working on it. He is doing better with 'down' on command. Yesterday when I went to the gate...gave the command to 'sit'...he did, as always, but he is so hyper about getting out that his attention span is seconds. I stayed behind the gate, then I went in when he came out. He was confused.....but did his running around the pen thingy about 11 times. Then he was settled down enough to listen. Is it possible he still has so much puppy energy? All I know it was nice not to get that nip....I was ready to wear hockey goalie gear. lol I will try to remember to ALWAYS be alpha......not used to thinking about it so much!! I'll try making him sit longer today before I open the gate...maybe a little longer everyday will help eventually.

Hammie's definitely still a puppy. The males tend to stay "puppy" longer than females. (Sound familiar? Sorry, guys, but that's something about you we find just as irresistable as it is aggravating sometimes.)

The next time I'm at the feed store I'll get the name of the toy I got for Shiva that she's so crazy about, look it up to see if I can find a picture on the web and post it for you. It's pretty much indestructible, and has a loop attached to a big ball made of scads of lovely, tickly stuff. I got it for her in an effort to dissuade her from going on search and destroy missions for all the tags she could find - you know, the ones that say "Do Not Remove Under Penalty of Law." LOL I used to tell her the tag police were coming after her. Anyway, the toy is great for high energy playing. It's solid enough to hold up, pliable enough that you can stick it right in that big mouth without worrying about hurting them, and it throws well, or is wonderful to play tug with. Two dogs can even play with it at the same time. It would be perfect for Hammie's rampages and give him something to satisfy that nipping urge.