FARM How to cure a "nippy" puppy...quick?

[Limner]

Our GS is getting up in years, so we were looking for a new puppy when a friend's neighbor's lab cross dog had puppies, sired by their English Mastiff male. BOTH parents are sweet and laid back and very friendly. We have had very good luck with both ENGLISH mastiffs and lab crosses, so we got a female pup for the Dude. She probably about twelve weeks old now, a beautiful golden yellow, built like a brick and seems to be pretty bright for her age. She was VERY nippy with us when we got her and I broke her of that VERY quickly the first week. I grabbed her muzzle and growled "NO BITE!!!!!" loudly and firmly. We had to do that with a Rottie cross years ago, and it works.....IF you are there IMMEDIATELY when the dog tries to nip. ( Our Rottie grew up to be good natured and long suffering around kids. But you had to train him to be good).

Now she's all licks and sweetness when an adult picks her up and plays with her.

Problem is...when our six year old goes out to play, the pup nips HIM. On the heels, and this afternoon, on the inside of the thigh, above the Dude's cut off shorts. She drew blood, just a few drops, but still! Those little puppy teeth are sharp!

(and YES, she has had her first round of puppy shots....dunno if those included rabies....but I really don't think that is the issue with her)

When they are romping in the yard, yards away, I can't be there the very second that the pup starts to nip, and I need to know what to do. The pup evidently has figured out the adults are Alpha....but not a little boy. I really don't want to get rid of the critter. We have grown attached to the little thing. But she won't be little long, and we need to break this habit NOW. Or she's outta here.

 

[jazzy]

squirt gun works real good.

 

[Dennis Olson]

Okay, this is what I learned from reading dog behavior books back when I was waiting for Hermione-pup. I used it on her and it worked. The authors of these books were personally recommended to me by dog behavior experts with whom I spoke back then.

First, PUPPIES are going to be nippy. It's their nature. And during the teething months, they get VERY mouthy and are biters and chewers. That CAN'T be stopped, but it can be redirected via Kong toys and the like.

Second, as to nipping, when the pups are young, when they get too exuberant and hurt another pup, that pup will let out a yip and turn away from the offending pup. Think of it as a puppy version of "shunning." These books were universal in their recommendation of that as the method of training a puppy not to nip.

When you are bitten, let out a sharp "YIP!", and turn your back on the pup. No matter how much he circles you trying to re-engage, keep your back to him for several minutes. Then you can go back to paying attention to him. Though not instant, this DOES reinforce the method that he learned when in his litter. Additionally, sometimes it might have been necessary for the mom to nip the pup back by way of discipline. I did that to Hermione a few times, and she got the idea pretty quick. I'd YIP and turn and bite her gently but firmly on the ear, accompanied by a growl.

Some people would think my actions crazy, but they were very effective, and stopped the nipping in fairly short order. Dogs understand "dog language" a lot more easily than human language.

(And squirt guns are for cats. Most dogs LOVE to be squirted.)

 

[Publius]

Shock Collar with a few extra portable remotes that can be carried around while out working on the farm.

 

[Dennis Olson]

Shock collars are very expensive. (The one I got for Odin was $250 for example). The remotes are half that cost, so "a few extra remotes" could end up with a total cost of $1000. Also, a shock collar is WAY too over-the-top for a PUPPY with a little nipping problem. Why not just shoot it and solve the problem instantly?



ETA: And I don't know how big a farm you're thinking, but my shock collar remote has a line-of-sight range of 1/2 mile...

 

[Melodi]

And squirt bottles mostly work on short haired cats, they are pretty useless against the long haired breeds especially those like Norwegian Forest Cats who tend to like water anyway...we were taught to do the "nip" thing back, with our baby Wolf-Crosses years ago (used hands made to feel like teeth, push down on the neck to force the cub down with a sharp "NO" or growling sound) it worked very well. We never did get Winna to stop pawing, but neither of them nipped after a certain age except the objects they had been taught were OK to nip (their toys mostly).

 

[Adino]

we do very similar to what dennis posted only i like his better and am going to keep it

we have used crying and howling but will add the turned back and shunning

but they do need something to chew on or they will like little kids put whatever is closest in there and chew away

 

[Dobbin]

And what humans take as "nips" are simply a way to play for puppies.

Canine will learn what is acceptable and unacceptable however you teach it.

Dennis' method is probably closest to what dogs actually do.

But he would know...

 

[Willow]

Never leave the child alone with the dog until the problem is corrected. Every time she bites and doesn't get corrected the behavior is reinforced. You are teaching her the behavior is acceptable and every reinforcement of the bad behavior fixes it stronger in her brain as a good thing.

Find an obedience class and take your child to the class to handle the dog. The child gives the command, but the adult gives the correction. The dog will think the child is just as dominant as the adults in the home. If you have already taken a dog though obedience then you can do this at home. I've seen this method work many many times.

The shock collar should not be the first option. Also, puppies chew and nip but they have the ability to learn what is fair game and what isn't.

Willow

 

[Limner]

Thanks for all the replies. They're giving me hope. We gotta get a hold of the situation, for sure. A shock collar is kinda outta our price range right now, tho' we might be able to borrow one. Ours is a good sized front yard, so it'll have to have a bit of range but not too bad. But I do think we need to have a good talk with the Dude about dog discipline. He'll be motivated to learn; he's heart broke at the thought of getting rid of his puppy.

 

[Adino]

i only use shock collars when i think i need to be removed from the discipline

for example, i had a standard schnauzer that was a digger/houdini impersonator

when i yelled at her to stop diggin her take away was don't dig in front of me

so i put the collar on and went into the house

she dug she got a zap

she looked around and didn't see anything

dug again zapped again

happened a couple more times

she then came to the conclusion that digging was the course of her pain. and she stopped

kinda hard to remove yourself from a nip situation

and i agree w/ dennis its overkill for a puppy nipping

 

[Willow]

Adino...love the way you used the collar. Sounds like you used it correctly too! Thanks for sharing that.

Willow

 

[mbabulldog]

And what humans take as "nips" are simply a way to play for puppies.

Canine will learn what is acceptable and unacceptable however you teach it.

Dennis' method is probably closest to what dogs actually do.

But he would know...

I can sorta see Dennis looking like that...

that being said, I've done dog training with the side-gig I have with PetStop. Shock collars can actually be counter-productive to a dog less than 5-6 months of age. The social behavior corrective he suggests I've used, and works. You have to be patient...could take one "session", or could take several sessions over several days. It will also help establish pack hierarchy in the household...

An earlier poster who grabbed the muzzle with a firm "no bite" statement is in essence doing the same thing, so everyone should see a pattern here. pups are kids, kids looking for direction. a small amount of "tough-love" will pay off in spades....

 

[Adino]

and like w/ kids numerous minor course corrections are a lot better than few major course corrections

 

[CapeCMom]

We used about 20 pennies in an empty soda can to cure our rescues out of bad behaviors (recommended by a trainer) . When they did something naughty we would shake the can loudly at him. They don't like the noise at all and figured out that they could avoid the noise if they didn't do the behavior. One was 9 months old when we started it.

 

[IRoberge]

Problem is...when our six year old goes out to play::

I don't know much about dog training.....

I just can't believe that little dude is 6 already!!!! Where did the time go?

 

[Limner]

I don't know much about dog training.....

I just can't believe that little dude is 6 already!!!! Where did the time go?

YUP. He'll be in first grade this year and is already reading third grade stuff and becoming a Lego engineer, LOL!

 

[Knighttemplar]

I've used the thumb in their mouth with leverage. Thumb hooked over lower jaw and leverage hand up, like you are trying to lift them by the jaw bone. Be careful not enough pressure to hurt them just enough to keep them from closing the mouth. Keep presenting hand until they refuse to accept.

 

[magnetic1]

I don't recommend this but.......

my 2 yr old grandson was in the back yard and the Saint was about 5 months old...
the Saint ran up to Mason to play and nibble at him and the kid whacked him on the nose with a big stick...those 2 have been best friends ever since. I still laugh about it but at the time both Jessica and I were running to their spot to intervene.

Kids and pups!

 

[Ogre]

Son had a pup that wouldn't stop nipping. One time when he bit, my son "cried." Next time he did it, he "cried" again.
That was the end of the nipping. YMMV

 

[Limner]

Thanks ya all.....we're gonna tackle this with a whole new attitude and some new strategies, now....