[Galatea]

Gidget is 11.5 weeks old. The breeder was late in getting her first shots, so the earliest I can take her to puppy class is July 7th. I am enrolled for that class. I have never had a puppy before.

I am trying to get an idea of what is acceptable mouthing/nip behavior. Yesterday was very trying - worst day. Pupzilla emerged.

I know all puppies do the mouthng/nipping and that I am to divert her to an appropriate chew toy. This has worked great since I had her until yesterday.

The last two days, she isn't interested in the toy, but wants my hand, toe etc. She isn't reacting anymore to the loud "Ouch" or "No" I was taught to use. When she doesn't respond and keeps going, I put her in her large playpen and ignore her.

Yesterday she had some dooooooozy tantrums in the playpen after I did this. It reminded me of Super Nanny and the naughty spot. She flayled, whined, then took her giant bear out of her crate got on top of her crate and attempted to toss the bear over the edge. Then she shredded her newspapers pretending to dig and kept looking to see if I would react. I was taught to do nothing and ignore the tantrum.

She would finally get calm and be good. I would tell her to sit, she would sit. Then I would pick her up to let her out and the super charged nipping mouthing would start the moment I had contact - she would reject the toy.

A friend suggested I let her directly out on the floor, no chance to get my hands. I unzipped the side of the playpen to let her out. She darted around the corner to her other water dish and jumped in it (never has happened before). She soaked up the water like a wick and trashed the bathroom floor with water, she came around the corner which is how I saw her wet.

When I went into the bathroom to survey the damage, she went into my room. I forgot that I had left a pillow on the floor when I had stripped the bed earlier in the day. While I mopped the bathroom, she chewed open the the end of the pillow and the water was like glue to the feathers inside. She came into the bathroom with feathers all over her and feathers out of her mouth.

It was after midnight at this point, so I cleaned her up and put her in her night time crate next to my bed as I cleaned up the mess. She always sleeps in the night crate with no problem before yesterday. She barked for 5 minutes as I cleaned. I told her the firm "no bark" which usually works. It didn't . She got one squirt with the water mister, whined and then stopped.

She slept hard all night, did her potty this morning and has been much better so far today.

She gets lots of praise and play time. Am I doing the right stuff?