# Scratching husband



## Lauragab26 (Aug 1, 2011)

My 6 month old mini, Riley, is driving my husband crazy. Riley scratches, bites, and humps my husbands legs. It's the scratching that annoys him the most. We try to distract him with other toys but he loves to scratch my husbands legs. We tell him "NO" firmly, but that doesn't work either. I know that Riley just wants to play with my husband, but how can i get him to stop the scratching and biting, and in turn, save my husbands sanity and legs??


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## fjm (Jun 4, 2010)

First, ignore him when he does it. No reaction, no eye contact, no pushing off, not even "No" - cross your arms, turn away, and gaze into the distance. The moment he stops, even for a fraction of a second, it's party time - games with a toy, rather than wrestling, though, so he larns to be a bit less mouthy. As soon as he starts again, you/your husband shut down again. It will take some time, and he will probably get worse before he gets better (like hammering the elevator button when it doesn't work first time), but he is a poodle and will quickly get the message. Scratching and humping = no attention, waiting quietly - or sitting - means a fun game. It does mean you have to keep your end of the bargain and reward him with a game when he asks nicely, but provided he is getting plenty of exercise and stimulation during the day, it need only be a few minutes, and then ask him to settle with a chew.

Of course, if he is on his own all day, and not getting regular walks and off-leash play, that needs addressing first - all that puppy energy has to go somewhere!


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