Chase No Bite
This game is all about teaching puppy to calm down, think, and behave nicely even when he is excited. The first way we’ll get him excited is with a chase game. Instead of chasing us and then biting or jumping when we stop, we’ll teach puppy to sit politely instead.
First, encourage puppy to chase you. As he catches up, and before he gets to your pant-leg, you’ll pop several treats into his mouth. Repeat, so that when puppy catches up with you he’s thinking food thoughts instead of biting thoughts. This is the step that is demonstrated in the video. You can repeat this step for a few sessions, until you have the feeding at your side as you stop part well practiced.
Move on to the next step once you have puppy stopping-when-you-stop-and-expecting-treats. Instead of just feeding him a treat, ask for a sit and then reward him right away. Reward him by feeding him treats while he is still sitting. The first couple of times you might have to remind him what sit means, or ask him twice. As soon as he has swallowed the treat, release him from the sit and then start the chase game again.
With enough repetition, puppy will learn the pattern and begin to sit all by himself when you stop! If you think he might have figured it out, try stopping and waiting. If he sits, be super generous with the treats. If he doesn’t, simply remind him with the cue, and then reward when he sits.
This game can really help your pup to control his mouth and be gentle and under control around exciting things like running legs. Which is a good thing.
Optional (but awesome!) ways to Level Up this game
- Instead of just running and having puppy chase you, say “Let’s Go” before you run. You will be super-charging your “Let’s Go” cue!
- Once you have puppy sitting nicely for several treats in a row, you can start to “test” his sit, just a little bit at a time. See if you can get him to wait in the sit while you take a step or two away. Sometimes go back to him and give him another treat. Other times, reward him for waiting by saying “Let’s Go” and starting the game again.
- Use this game at other exciting times. Puppy should quickly learn that when you freeze/are calm and still, that he also should be calm and still. TRY IT:
- During an exciting tug game. Occasionally steal the tug and hide it (under your arm, behind your back, or just cover it with both hands in front of you). When puppy sits, the tug comes back out and play resumes.
- During an excited greeting, with high pitched puppy-puppy talk and arousing scratching/petting on puppy’s side. Suddenly stop greeting, and when puppy sits, the excited greeting resumes.
- During any active, physical wrestling game you might be playing with puppy. Regularly and occasionally check that puppy is still under basic control by calmly pausing the game and seeing if he can calm himself down enough to offer a sit to ask for the game to continue. Then go wild again.