6 Week Old Hellion
Hi everyone, I’m looking for advice because I’m honestly overwhelmed. I have a singleton blue heeler/border collie puppy. I also have his mom, Bailey (blue heeler), who is my first dog. Her pregnancy was unexpected, and she ended up needing an emergency C-section. Because of the surgery and recovery, she initially wasn’t very interested in nursing, so I basically hand-raised this puppy from birth — around-the-clock bottle feedings, stimulating him to go to the bathroom, keeping him warm, everything. Over time Bailey bonded with him more, but for a while I truly functioned as his “mom.”
Now he’s older and running around, but he has become EXTREMELY bitey with me specifically. I know herding breeds nip, but this feels intense. He’s bitten my lip twice, constantly attacks my ankles, and gets especially bad when he’s overstimulated or doesn’t want to be in his large 4x4 enclosure. He’ll bark beside my bed, but if I bring him up, he starts biting me instead of settling down.
I’m trying really hard to tire him out and play with him, but I feel like we’re stuck in a cycle where he gets more wound up and aggressive. When he bites I say “NO,” grabbing his scruff when he gets aggressive and will not let go, but I don’t think it’s helping and I don’t want to make things worse.
I guess I’m looking for advice on:
How to stop the biting/nipping
Whether this is normal puppy/herding breed behavior or something more concerning
How to teach him boundaries without making him fearful or more aggressive
How to survive this phase mentally because I’m honestly starting to feel stressed and bullied by a tiny puppy
He’s still very young, and I know some of this is probably puppy behavior, but because I raised him so intensively from birth, I’m wondering if our dynamic is different somehow. Any advice would be appreciated.