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  #1  
Old January 16th, 2010, 11:31 AM
katieg katieg is offline
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Question Puppy nipping! Help!

Hey everyone! I'm new here

My husband and I got a new little Boston Terrier puppy in December. Now she is 3 months old and we're all getting along very well. But there is one problem...she nips. Actually, on occasion it's more of a bite than a nip.

I feel like I've tried everything! I try yelping, squealing, saying ouch!, walking away, putting her in her kennel, I even got a little spray bottle. But whenever I do any of these things it just makes her want to bite my hand even more.

When I walk away, she'll follow me and try pretend biting my feet, when I give her a little squirt with the spray bottle she just barks and wants to get at my hands even more.

When I give her a "timeout" in her kennel she starts barking and I want to try and curb this behavior so I don't want to take her out until she stops barking. But sometimes that can take quite a while.

I want to be consistent, but I also want to be consistently doing the right thing. Thanks so much for any advice you guys can give!
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  #2  
Old January 16th, 2010, 03:44 PM
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luckypenny luckypenny is offline
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Hello KatieG, welcome to pets.ca .

Puppy nipping is perfectly normal behavior. We've recently adopted "Jaws" , and the scars on my ankles are still healing . It's taken about a week and she's learned that biting people results in 'no fun.' She still tries it every now and then but is so much gentler. Soon she'll learn that any teeth/skin contact is not permitted.

This is the method we use successfully with puppies. I'm sure you'll find the article most useful. Remember to keep patient and consistent as it can take some time before puppies 'get it.'

http://www.dogstardaily.com/files/PuppyBiting_1.pdf
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Old January 16th, 2010, 05:35 PM
babydoll101 babydoll101 is offline
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Thank you so much for this thread. My puppy does the exact same thing and I have been wondering how to teach her to not nip.
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Old January 16th, 2010, 05:38 PM
babydoll101 babydoll101 is offline
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Darn, I can't open the file
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  #5  
Old January 16th, 2010, 07:12 PM
katieg katieg is offline
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Thanks for the article, luckypenny! I know it's natural for puppies to bite but I'm just so afraid it's going to become a habit. I'm going to try and continue to be consistent. I'll let you know how it turns out!
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Old January 16th, 2010, 07:46 PM
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luckypenny luckypenny is offline
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Here you go, babydoll101 . If you can, go to www.dogstardaily.com and see if you can download the book (it's free), "Before and After You Get Your Puppy" by Ian Dunbar. There are also all sorts of invaluable videos and articles on that site.

Puppies bite. And thank goodness they do! Puppy play-fighting and play-biting are essential for your puppy to develop a soft mouth as an adult.
Puppy Biting is Normal, Natural,, and Necessary!! Puppy biting seldom causes appreciable harm, but many bites are quite painful and elicit an appropriate reaction—a yelp and a pause in an otherwise extremely enjoyable play session. Thus, your puppy learns that his sharp teeth and weak jaws can hurt. Since your puppy enjoys play-fighting, he will begin to inhibit the force of his biting to keep the game going. Thus your puppy will learn to play-bite gently before he acquires the formidable teeth and strong jaws of an adolescent dog. Forbidding a young puppy from biting altogether may offer immediate and temporary relief, but it is potentially dangerous because your puppy will not learn that his jaws can inflict pain. Consequently, if ever provoked or frightened as an adult, the resultant bite is likely to be painful
and cause serious injury. Certainly, puppy play-biting must be controlled, but only in a progressive and systematic manner. The puppy must be taught to inhibit the force of his bites, before puppy biting is forbidden altogether. Once your puppy has developed a soft mouth, there is plenty of time to
inhibit the frequency of his now gentler mouthing.

Teaching your puppy to inhibit the force of his bites is a two-step process: first, teach the pup not to hurt you; and second, teach your pup not to exert any pressure at all when biting. Thus the puppy's biting will become gentle mouthing. Teaching your puppy to inhibit the frequency of his mouthing is a two-step process: first, teach your puppy that whereas mouthing is OK, he must stop when requested; and second, teach your pup never to initiate mouthing unless requested.

No Pain

It is not necessary to hurt or frighten your pup to teach her that biting hurts. A simple "Ouch!" is sufficient. If your pup acknowledges your "ouch" and stops biting, praise her, lure her to sit (to reaffirm that you are in control), reward her with a liver treat, and then resume playing. If your pup ignores the "ouch" and continues biting, yelp "Owwwww!" and leave the room. Your puppy has lost her playmate. Return after a 30-second time-out and make up by lure-rewarding your puppy to come, sit, lie down, and calm down, before resuming play. Do not attempt to take hold of your pup’s collar, or carry her to confinement; you are out of control and she will probably bite you again. Consequently, play with your puppy in a room where it is safe to leave her if she does not respond to your yelp. If she ignores you, she loses her playmate.


No Pressure

Once your pup's biting no longer hurts, still pretend that it does. Greet harder nips with a yelp of pseudo-pain. Your puppy will soon get the idea: "Whooahh! These humans are soooo supersensitive. I'll have to be much gentler when I bite them." The pressure of your puppy's bites will progressively decrease until play-biting becomes play-mouthing. Never allow your puppy to mouth human hair or clothing. Hair and clothing cannot feel.
Allowing a puppy to mouth hair, scarves, shoelaces, trouser legs, or gloved hands inadvertently trains the puppy to bite harder, extremely close to human flesh!

Off!!

Once your pup exerts no pressure whatsoever when mouthing, then —and only then—teach him to reduce the frequency of his mouthing. Teach your puppy the meaning of "Off!" by handfeeding kibble (see the SIRIUS Puppy Training video). Your puppy will learn that gentle mouthing is OK, but he must stop the instant you ask him to stop.

Puppy Must Never Initiate Mouthing

At this stage, your puppy should never be allowed to initiate mouthing (unless requested to do so). Please refer to our Preventing Aggression booklet for a detailed description of the essential rules for bite-inhibition exercises such as handfeeding, play-fighting, and tug-of-war. By way of encouragement, mouthing-maniac puppies usually develop gentle jaws as adults because their many painful puppy bites elicited ample appropriate feedback. On the other hand, puppies that seldom play and roughhouse with other dogs, puppies that seldom bite their owners (e.g., shy, fearful, and standoffish pups), and breeds that have been bred to have soft mouths may not receive sufficient feedback regarding the pain and power of their jaws.
This is the major reason to enroll your puppy in an off-leash puppy class right away. Should a dog ever bite as an adult, both the prognosis for rehabilitation and the fate of the dog are almost always decided by the severity of the injury, which is predetermined by the level of bite inhibition the dog acquired during puppyhood. The most important survival lesson for a puppy is to learn bites cause pain! Your puppy can only learn this lesson if he
is allowed to play-bite other puppies and people, and if he receives
appropriate feedback.

For more detailed information about bite-inhibition exercises, read our Preventing Aggression booklet and watch the SIRIUS Puppy Training and Biting DVDs. Both are available on-line from www.amazon.com. If you feel you are having any difficulty whatsoever teaching your puppy to play-bite gently, seek help immediately. To locate a Certified Pet Dog Trainer (CPDT) in your area, contact the Association of Pet Dog Trainers at 1-800 PET DOGS or www.apdt.com.


© 2004 Ian Dunbar
behavior blueprint by Dr. Ian Dunbar
w w w . d o g s t a r d a i l y . c o m
__________________
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  #7  
Old January 19th, 2010, 05:57 PM
babydoll101 babydoll101 is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by luckypenny View Post
Here you go, babydoll101 . If you can, go to www.dogstardaily.com and see if you can download the book (it's free), "Before and After You Get Your Puppy" by Ian Dunbar. There are also all sorts of invaluable videos and articles on that site.

Puppies bite. And thank goodness they do! Puppy play-fighting and play-biting are essential for your puppy to develop a soft mouth as an adult.
Puppy Biting is Normal, Natural,, and Necessary!! Puppy biting seldom causes appreciable harm, but many bites are quite painful and elicit an appropriate reaction—a yelp and a pause in an otherwise extremely enjoyable play session. Thus, your puppy learns that his sharp teeth and weak jaws can hurt. Since your puppy enjoys play-fighting, he will begin to inhibit the force of his biting to keep the game going. Thus your puppy will learn to play-bite gently before he acquires the formidable teeth and strong jaws of an adolescent dog. Forbidding a young puppy from biting altogether may offer immediate and temporary relief, but it is potentially dangerous because your puppy will not learn that his jaws can inflict pain. Consequently, if ever provoked or frightened as an adult, the resultant bite is likely to be painful
and cause serious injury. Certainly, puppy play-biting must be controlled, but only in a progressive and systematic manner. The puppy must be taught to inhibit the force of his bites, before puppy biting is forbidden altogether. Once your puppy has developed a soft mouth, there is plenty of time to
inhibit the frequency of his now gentler mouthing.

Teaching your puppy to inhibit the force of his bites is a two-step process: first, teach the pup not to hurt you; and second, teach your pup not to exert any pressure at all when biting. Thus the puppy's biting will become gentle mouthing. Teaching your puppy to inhibit the frequency of his mouthing is a two-step process: first, teach your puppy that whereas mouthing is OK, he must stop when requested; and second, teach your pup never to initiate mouthing unless requested.

No Pain

It is not necessary to hurt or frighten your pup to teach her that biting hurts. A simple "Ouch!" is sufficient. If your pup acknowledges your "ouch" and stops biting, praise her, lure her to sit (to reaffirm that you are in control), reward her with a liver treat, and then resume playing. If your pup ignores the "ouch" and continues biting, yelp "Owwwww!" and leave the room. Your puppy has lost her playmate. Return after a 30-second time-out and make up by lure-rewarding your puppy to come, sit, lie down, and calm down, before resuming play. Do not attempt to take hold of your pup’s collar, or carry her to confinement; you are out of control and she will probably bite you again. Consequently, play with your puppy in a room where it is safe to leave her if she does not respond to your yelp. If she ignores you, she loses her playmate.


No Pressure

Once your pup's biting no longer hurts, still pretend that it does. Greet harder nips with a yelp of pseudo-pain. Your puppy will soon get the idea: "Whooahh! These humans are soooo supersensitive. I'll have to be much gentler when I bite them." The pressure of your puppy's bites will progressively decrease until play-biting becomes play-mouthing. Never allow your puppy to mouth human hair or clothing. Hair and clothing cannot feel.
Allowing a puppy to mouth hair, scarves, shoelaces, trouser legs, or gloved hands inadvertently trains the puppy to bite harder, extremely close to human flesh!

Off!!

Once your pup exerts no pressure whatsoever when mouthing, then —and only then—teach him to reduce the frequency of his mouthing. Teach your puppy the meaning of "Off!" by handfeeding kibble (see the SIRIUS Puppy Training video). Your puppy will learn that gentle mouthing is OK, but he must stop the instant you ask him to stop.

Puppy Must Never Initiate Mouthing

At this stage, your puppy should never be allowed to initiate mouthing (unless requested to do so). Please refer to our Preventing Aggression booklet for a detailed description of the essential rules for bite-inhibition exercises such as handfeeding, play-fighting, and tug-of-war. By way of encouragement, mouthing-maniac puppies usually develop gentle jaws as adults because their many painful puppy bites elicited ample appropriate feedback. On the other hand, puppies that seldom play and roughhouse with other dogs, puppies that seldom bite their owners (e.g., shy, fearful, and standoffish pups), and breeds that have been bred to have soft mouths may not receive sufficient feedback regarding the pain and power of their jaws.
This is the major reason to enroll your puppy in an off-leash puppy class right away. Should a dog ever bite as an adult, both the prognosis for rehabilitation and the fate of the dog are almost always decided by the severity of the injury, which is predetermined by the level of bite inhibition the dog acquired during puppyhood. The most important survival lesson for a puppy is to learn bites cause pain! Your puppy can only learn this lesson if he
is allowed to play-bite other puppies and people, and if he receives
appropriate feedback.

For more detailed information about bite-inhibition exercises, read our Preventing Aggression booklet and watch the SIRIUS Puppy Training and Biting DVDs. Both are available on-line from www.amazon.com. If you feel you are having any difficulty whatsoever teaching your puppy to play-bite gently, seek help immediately. To locate a Certified Pet Dog Trainer (CPDT) in your area, contact the Association of Pet Dog Trainers at 1-800 PET DOGS or www.apdt.com.


© 2004 Ian Dunbar
behavior blueprint by Dr. Ian Dunbar
w w w . d o g s t a r d a i l y . c o m


Thansk so much that is great information!!
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  #8  
Old January 19th, 2010, 11:21 PM
Kay9 Kay9 is offline
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Just to add as well that they do outgrow it when they get their permanent teeth, not to worry.
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Old January 27th, 2010, 08:39 PM
katieg katieg is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Kay9 View Post
Just to add as well that they do outgrow it when they get their permanent teeth, not to worry.
I have heard that. But I'm still afraid that it's going to become a habit. She's gotten a little better with the nipping but sometimes when she's overexcited it gets bad again. How long 'till she gets her adult teeth? XD
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  #10  
Old January 28th, 2010, 12:26 PM
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luckypenny luckypenny is offline
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Our pup has her permanent teeth in and still likes to mouth every now and then, especially when excited. It's becoming more infrequent as we've begun to remove ourselves from play time when she forgets herself.

Once the adult teeth have come in and your pup has learned to control the intensity of her nips, you can begin these exercises: http://www.dogstardaily.com/training...ite-inhibition

Teaching your puppy with patience and consistency is all that's necessary to avoid nipping becoming a bad habit.
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Old January 28th, 2010, 09:46 PM
razorsedge razorsedge is offline
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I have 4 month old pup who I'm sure is part croccadile. At the pup class i'm taking him to, the trainer was showing us how we should handle the pups so they get used to it for when they're at the vet, or being groomed. The dog she was handling tried nipping/mouthing her and the trainer screamed. When I say screamed, I mean screamed so loud that 3 of the dogs peed and I'm sure a couple owners at the class did the same.

And you know what, the pup did not do that again. The ouch method works, but you gotta do it as if you just experienced the worst pain of your life.
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Old January 28th, 2010, 10:03 PM
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Stinkycat Stinkycat is offline
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I've tried the ouch method with our little pup, it didn't work, don't get me wrng, she stopped for the moment but went for our hands again right after.

I tried saying, "hey! no bites!" very quickly, so she stops, then I say, "good girl, kisses", then she would lick instead and be rewarded for this behavior by giving her a toy instead, we also used this method for her trying to chew on things she's not allowed to. Now she's 15 weeks and she never bites us or any other person anymore and she's teething.

I don't know if it would work for every dog but we found it worked for her cause she's a very 'out to please' kinda dog.
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