Has your puppy ever chewed your arms or your children's arm? And Regularly? You may think it is just a game, but to your puppy - he just wants your attention.
Well this type of"mouthing" is not only a game for your puppy, but it is one of the testing behaviors which could lead to a very serious behavior problem in the future.
Testing behavior is a behavior puppies learn between 3-8 weeks old.
These behaviors such as growling, wrestling, chasing and biting each other, help them to find their position among their group.
They soon learn which of their brothers and sisters they can push around and who they should respect.
That's why your puppy does this to you or your children as he views you all as his pack.
So if you ignore this behavior, your puppy will think he is the pack leader - and aggressive problems will develop when your puppy is fully developed.
The best way stop this testing behavior is- stop them and 'growl' at them every time they chew on their mother's legs.
Even the most dominant puppy in the pack will soon learn that the mother is the undisputed pack leader and "growling" means stop.
This also applies when your puppy chew or mouth at you or your family member, stop him immediately by 'growling' at him.
The tone of the growl should be low and deep, so it sounds like the way the mother growl.
The key point here is to use the same tone every time your puppy mouths.
Growl when you puppy is about to do one of the testing behaviors or when he is doing it.
If you growl to your puppy ten seconds after he has done it, it is too late to correct.
So timing is the secret of success.
Tackle this testing behavior early and soon your dog will learn that you are the leader of the house.