Milo Comforts Me

We played rough this morning with Milo and his puppy bite hurt even though it didn't draw blood. I yelped and then I whined and whined... and then I turned my back him to nurse my hand. He ran around to look at my face, stopped for a moment and then he padded over to lick my face and comfort me. A while later, he licked the spot on my hand that he had hurt.

He is a strong little puppy and will grow up to have a formidable bite. I need to teach him bite control or he will grow up into a biting dog. Normally, dogs learn bite control between 3 to 8 months if they grow up with a litter. As they clown around, brother and sister dogs bite each other and hurt each other inadvertently. Over time, they learn to jaw each other gently. I don't like being jawed at all so he will just have to learn not to jaw me. The internet recommended to give a yelp and then a "No!" and a cuff. But I think I shall use on Milo, the strategy I accidentally discovered when trying to get Little Boy to put away his toys many years ago.

In those years, I was unused to life as a stay-at-home mother. It is far more stressful than most people think. Little Boy just would not obey me. I was frustrated and so I sat down on the sofa and cried real tears. Little Boy walked up to me and looked deep into my face and then he patted my knee a few times. After that, he waddled off and put away his toys. Every one of them!! Bingo! I had struck lottery. For years after, I got Little Boy to obey by looking sad. It's time to try that on Milo... Hee! Hee! Hee!

You see... the men in our family (Little Boy included) don't like to be told what to do. But they will do anything to protect their womenfolk from hurt. It looks like Milo is like that too.