Although they are so lovely, puppies and young canines may be a handful. There are a lot of biting problems in many pet homes. Most of the time, nipping is a phase that passes with maturity on the side of the dog, time, patience, management, and training.
But what do you do while waiting? How can you be certain that the nipping stage is only transitory? Is it necessary to put them in dog training classes?
Why Do Puppies Nip?
Around 4-6 months, when they are teething and growing stronger, puppies frequently get snappy. In truth, this is the age when many dogs are most destructive, even if they were perfectly quiet puppies only a month ago.
That seems a little harsh. When you think they’re becoming older and wiser, their behavior gets worse. People usually think they are “out of the woods” when the puppy starts to seem more and more like a dog, but biting and chewing frequently get worse as the puppy gets older rather than better.
Then, How To Stop The Nipping?
The dog gets along better with one family member than the others, which is the only tip we have for Naughty Nipper. This suggests that human conduct might play a part. It’s unlikely that she is “testing” him, hates him, or purposefully targets him because he doesn’t provide for her. Thus, the puppy isn’t trying to install some Alpha Scheme to rule the house.
No, it’s probably much simpler than that.
Some people’s gait or hand movements make them far more enticing to bite.
Small children who move erratically are frequently a cause for concern, but it can also be an issue if a family member walks slowly, is inconsistent, or plays harshly with the dog. Without watching a film of the dog and people interacting, it might be difficult to determine which is the problem in any specific circumstance.
Typically, we take several approaches when nipping:
- Control the puppy’s drive to play, destroy objects, eat, chew, and pull on things with their mouths. Your dog could use their teeth in the “wrong” manner if they aren’t given adequate stimulation. Visit this page to see our wide selection of chews and other great teething toys.
- Ensure that your dog receives enough sleep. Nipping frequently peaks when puppies start to feel tired. The excitement of a visiting spouse could be one facet of the problem here. Like kids, puppies need a lot of sleep, and when they’re tired, they frequently act agitated or frenetic. To provide the puppy with somewhere to rest, use a Puppy Palace.
- If your puppy bites, discipline them calmly and negatively. To stop a behavior, negative reinforcement involves REMOVING (negative) something the puppy wants. In this case, you should cease looking at the situation and turn your back on it. If the dog charges, you should get to your feet, tuck your hands under your armpits, and flee. Scolding, swatting, shrieking, or spanking your dog won’t help in the long run, even though it could be helpful in the short term.
- Following each “error,” develop a plan. You discover where your plan needs improvement every time your puppy nips. Note the precise time the puppy bit you. Was it immediately before sleeping? They were forced to sleep a bit earlier. Had they not chewed in a while? They might have needed more enrichment.
- improve your engagement and training approaches to provide your puppy with more ways to communicate with you. Puppies occasionally learn that making you squeal is enjoyable or that biting you works best to get you to get a toy and start a game. We desire your puppy to interact and play with you in novel ways.
If you need more tips on stopping your puppy from nipping, you can also check the best dog training blogs.
Conclusion
When a puppy bites one owner and not the other, it is rather common, and it may be very damaging if you are the persistent victim. Although it is hard to read a dog’s mind or discern its true emotions, it is crucial to be watchful and monitor your pet dog’s subsequent activities.
Biting may be your dog’s way of communicating with you. Using the right obedience training techniques is important, but avoid scaring your dog into dread of you. Find the ideal balance between asserting your authority and maintaining Fido’s sense of security in your presence.
Check out our other dog obedience training blogs if you need assistance with puppy training. We at Dog Obedience Training are committed to assisting dog owners in ensuring that their dog is trained and behaves properly. To discover more about how to train your dog, read our other entries.