Puppy getting under foot

K

Kamakzie

Forums Regular
I know Shelties are herding dogs but the new puppy loves chewing and biting on moving and not moving feet. I tried that Grannick's bitter apple stuff and he is unfazed. My parents get kind of annoyed at times when he bites their sock feet because they are afraid to wear shoes in case they step on him.

Also what particularly frightens me is that I am wheelchair bound and he likes crawling under the chair and I normally see him do it but what if I didn't know he was there.. Between my chair (199 pounds) and my body weight (130 or so) I could really hurt or kill him if he went under a wheel. Other than being as careful as I can be any ideas?

Thanks.
 
Sounds like the little pup just loves being around you.

That's great in so many ways. Have you thought of putting a bell on him so you can hear him go underneath the chair?

The other idea might be to try and put a skirt around to keep him out from under there. If you can't do that you might want to consider confining him in areas where he can't get under the chair. I doubt you are the only person having this type of issue. look around and I bet you'll find a way to keep him safe :)

The confinement route would also minimize what he could chew as well.
 
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Wow, that's a heavy chair...must be motorized.
I can't remember how long it took Indy to get used to my first husband's sports wheelchair...he kept wanting to bite at the wheels!
The bell is a good idea; we have a little bell on Angus's collar and he's fine with it.
 
Yep its a power chair. My parents had the silly idea that a bell would hurt his ears. Also we bought a collar and Trevor rolls around scratching at it. My parents relent and take it off. How tight should the collar be on so it won't bother him?
 
I don't know how old your little one is, but the nibbling as well as spacial awareness issue may resolve itself when she gets older. Puppies go through a phase where only they exist and once they hit what, sixteen weeks or so I believe, they start to become outwardly aware of people and things around them and in relation to themselves.

Punkin got underfoot for quite a while, especially on walks before she realized that zigging and zagging in front of me was a sure fire way to get stepped on. Now she is much more aware of where I am around her and she keeps clear of my feet even when she "stalks" me by following me everwhere around the house during chores.
 
Yeah Iris is a year old and is always shuffling between my feet... The skirt idea is a good plan, and maybe have rods going through it so that it doesnt just flip up if he goes under. Bell is very much a good plan also !!
 
You might want to reward him with treats everytime he sits near you but not under the wheelchair. Behaviours that are rewarded are repeated and where you dispense the reward also becomes "magnetized" coz the dog will return to that place often.

I have a loose-ish collar around Romeo 24/7 which has his tag and a bell (I can put my fingers under the collar comfortably). It wakes me sometimes at night when he wanders around the room but it's good for the rest of my family who don't watch over him like a hawk (like me)!
 
You should be able to fit two fingers comfortably (but not loosely) under the collar for it to fit properly. Of course when they grow a mane it is generally a lot looser.
 
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