Stop Puppy Nipping At Your Hands
A puppy is probably the cutest thing in the world, but if it’s an issue, you need to stop puppy biting as quickly as possible. Many owners don’t realize that this behaviour can lead to issues with dominance and aggression later in the dog’s life, no matter how cute it might seem when your puppy is rolling around on the floor.
This must be done by the time your puppy is eight weeks old. The reason for this is their mother teaches it to them anytime they nip at their brothers or sisters. After all, the siblings are going to bite back and it hurts! Sometimes though, the mother doesn’t get to get the puppy for a full 2 months.
The Early Days
Any family that takes a puppy home before the 8 week mark or was never introduced to the issue should be taught quickly. After all, you don’t want your puppy to go from nipping someone to biting them.
First thing’s first. Never hit your puppy in response to the nip. If they don’t think you’re playing, they may become afraid of you, developing serious phobias and anxieties that can lead to aggression issues later in life.
Addressing the root of their behavior is the best course of action. So when they do something good it’s important to encourage them, but when they do something bad you have to acknowledge the negative behavior. If you play games it will only confuse them, and so will wrestling, tug of war, or anything else that can lead to nipping.
It’s all about consistency, and if you stick with it you will see how easy it is to stop puppy nipping before it grows into something else. Even if you feel you’re being too harsh it’s for their own good.
The Training
When you start training your puppy, try to enrol them in obedience or socialization classes. There are actual bite inhibition classes where trainers will mimic the behaviours of the puppy’s mother, teaching it that the bites are not socially acceptable. Socialization is good for many other reasons as well. It teaches your dog to respond well to other dogs on the street and will reduce any aggression they show toward other dogs.
If you’re going to do this on your own then certain actions need to take place. If they start nipping tell them NO, and then redirect them to a toy or bone. Eventually they will realize it’s not okay to nip at others, but doing it with a toy is acceptable.
Another route you can take is acting like you’re hurt when he/she nips at you. Just remember to make the whimpering sound they would make so your puppy can relate. See, your dog doesn’t want to cause you pain, and once they understand it’s hurting you they won’t do it anymore.
You will find that the training it takes to stop puppy nipping is extremely important during the relocation process. This is especially true if your puppy is young. The goal is to make sure they understand it’s not good to bite by the time they are 10 weeks old. Down the road, life will be much less stressful since you won’t have to worry about further aggression.
Are you looking for good advice to stop puppy nipping ? If you are looking for a great free stop puppy nipping guide, and some of the best puppy training advice on the internet, then click here. http://www.PuppyAdviceOnline.com
Sep 07, 2010 | | dog training

