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How
To Prevent Nipping And Biting
In Puppies
If your puppy is
younger than 16 weeks and are constantly nipping, it's
normal behavior - young puppies mouth a lot. They mouth when playing;
they also mouth to communicate their needs.
If your puppy starts mouthing, ask yourself these questions: Is he
hungry or thirsty? Does he need to eliminate? Is he sleepy? Does he
need to play? Remember, puppies nip when they feel needy (just like a
baby cries). If your puppy does not let up, ask yourself if he wants
something, like an outing, exercise, or a drink. The following things
can help you control mouthing and nipping:
1. If your puppy does not need anything and he still will not quit,
crate or isolate him with a favorite bone. Do not scold your puppy as
you isolate her. Calmly place the puppy in her area.
2. Whenever your puppy licks you, say "Kisses" and praise her warmly.
Encourage licking by slathering your hands with a frozen stick of
butter.
3. Withhold your attention when your puppy nips softly. Keep your hand
still; withdrawing your hand is an invitation to play and nip harder.
4. If your puppy starts biting down hard, turn quickly, say "Ep, Ep!"
and glare into her eyes for two seconds; then go back to your normal
routine. If she persists, try spritzing yourself with Bitter Apple or
affix a leash onto your puppy so that you can tug the lead sharply to
the side. If necessary, place her in a quiet area to cool off. Try
this free
online dog training
lesson
If you have a puppy who still nips when he is older than 16 weeks, you
need to start curbing it now. Although nipping will continue, you need
to make clear that it is unacceptable. Following are a few tips to help
you:
1.
Stop all challenge games. These games include wrestling, tug-of-war,
chasing your dog around, and teasing. When you engage in these types of
activities, you're sending the wrong message. These games teach dogs to
clamp down hard on any object - a leash, the laundry, your shirt, or
even your skin - and challenge.
2. Discourage all nipping, whether it's a bite on your arm or a nibble
on your finger. Teeth do not belong on human skin, period.
3. Purchase a few weapons to use in defense, such as Mouth Spray,
Bitter Apple spray, or a long-distance squirt gun. Never stare at your
pup while you spritz or spray her; doing so turns an unpleasant result
into a confrontational interaction.
4. Leave a leash on your puppy so you have something to direct her with
and can avoid physical confrontation. If your dog's not wearing the
Teaching Lead, place a short lead onto her buckle collar.
5. If your puppy begins to mouth, turn to him, use a lead or collar to
snap her head from your body, or spritz the region he is nipping with a
spray. Do not glare at him; otherwise, he will perceive your actions as
confrontational play.
6. If he continues to nip, ask yourself these questions: Do I look
convincing? Am I snapping or pulling? (Pulling encourages play.) Is my
dog taking me seriously? You may need more training before you earn his
respect.
Fun And
Games With Your Puppy
Along with learning his responsibilities and duties, your puppy is also
open to learning whatever tricks and games you want to teach. But
before you decide to teach him any game or to let some cute puppy
behavior continue, ask yourself whether what you think is cute now will
be cute in a full-grown dog.
Dogs of all breeds will “Fetch,” “Bring,” and “Give.” Especially if you
have a sporting dog that you might hunt with someday, teach the “Give”
or “Drop it” command at the same time you teach “Fetch.”. Otherwise,
you will spend your hunting days chasing down your dog to get the birds
you thought you were going to have for supper!
Once you have taught the basics, you can teach him anything that works
well to amuse you both, bond you, and make your lives together happier.
The more you are your pup's teacher, the more firmly your pup looks to
you as the leader of the pack. As your puppy knows more, he will
welcome advanced lessons, be the lessons about what games you like to
play or what jobs you want him to do.
Just like children, but on a more limited scale, the puppy thrives on
going beyond the basics. While you stick firmly to consistency in
things like feeding times and obeying certain commands, you and your
maturing puppy can also cope with varying amounts of inconsistency. It
is in these areas of innovation that you allow your pup's own unique
personality to blossom. Practice with this free online dog training
lesson
Many people find great fulfillment in obedience training their dogs. A
basic obedience course is necessary for anyone who is going to raise a
civilized puppy, but one can go far beyond the basics. It all depends
on what you want. Watching a well-trained obedience dog work is a
pleasure, and in dog shows, it is the obedience ring where you will see
the real honesty of dog and owner functioning as a team.
You can go beyond obedience into tracking, too. One does not have to
have a bloodhound to participate in this sport. The puppy who has been
taught the game of “Go find” can grow up to “Go find” in a very serious
way. Dog-sledding is also becoming an increasingly popular sport. If
you have ever watched well-trained herding dogs work, you know what
precision they exhibit, and you can guess at the time and love it took
to train them.
The more you learn about your puppy and his breed, the more you will
see that your horizons are limited only by how much time and expense
you want to invest in having fun with your canine companion.
A message from John
Mailer
I hope you found the information you were looking for. I know how
frustrating it is to have a problem with your dog. Remember your dog
naturally seeks your attention and may be confused by YOUR reactions.
For further information feel free to browse through my other dog
articles
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