nipping

[cmorgan.1505]

At almost a year we are still having issues with Thor wanting to play nip when someone pets him. I don't have the issue with him as much as my husband (his fault) or people that come over. How can we help break this? We tell him no bite and I tell my husband all the time to just stop playing with him when he does it and he will, but it does not always work. *sigh*

 

[ajcooksey]

I think with a lot of bad habits desensitizing is the key. Ours stopped nipping very young so I don't know how much help I'll be but we have our hands in their mouths almost everyday. We like to have them desensitized to anything the vet might due such as look in their eyes/ears/mouth. So everyday we are in there somehow and I know that I can put my hand in either of their mouths anytime even when they are playing with each other and I know I won't get bitten. We did that also because I have little nieces and a nephew and the last thing I would want is for them to get nipped. I'm sure the more experienced people will have some advice too

 

[TerriW]

How old was he when you got him? Seems like an odd question, but if not at least 10 weeks old, pups seem to hang onto that nipping habit longer because their mama wasn't there to nip back and break him of the habbit. And yes, at one year old I would still say he is a 'pup'. IMHO.

 

[cmorgan.1505]

He was almost 9 weeks when we got him. I can put my hands in his mouth and he will not touch me at all, but I'm head dog around here to him at least. lol It's funny that you say that about nipping back because my dog back home at my mothers, I would bite back if he nipped me and it stopped that. My parents thought I was insane, but it worked (I mean, it wasn't like I was drawing blood).

I totally agree that he is still a pup and will be for at least another 6 months to a year. I just wondered what I could do to help fix it.

 

[victoria1140]

Have something in the other hand to distract him as most excitement nip.

Also if he nips he has to understand its wrong so high pitched sounds can work

 

[miriamstolle]

Our trainer told us today to act like a tree (be steadfast and immovable), turn away, and give no indication of interest or attn. That is so hard because those nips HURT!! We will see how it goes.

 

[cmorgan.1505]

I've tried the high yells of ouch and they work 50% of the time. I'll share with the hubs the idea about the toy because he is the one that gets nips most of the time.

 

[lacey9875]

There was a time when I thought Maggie was part land-shark. All our clothes had holes.

The high pitched yell only excited her more, so I squirted Bitter Apple spray into her mouth ( usually while it was attached to some part of me ) and told her NO very firmly. You have to be loud, deep and firm with it. Just don't spray from far away or you'll get it in his eyes.

 

[victoria1140]

also try the nilf especially with hubby so she understands he is higher in the household in the pack order

 

[cmorgan.1505]

Nilf?

 

[YorkvilleNewfie]

Nothing in Life is Free: http://k9deb.com/nilif.htm

 

[ajcooksey]

Hmmm maybe since we had two they taught each other what was acceptable and that helped curb their nipping? Also they do work for everything so we turn their zoomies into training situations. They are far from perfect and definitely a work in progress but they have come a long way.

 

[cmorgan.1505]

I thought that was what it meant (after googling it lol), but just wanted to be sure. Thor does "work" everyday with helping bring in the mail, which he oh so loves!! You just can't get the mail with him and not have a piece for him to carry. It's super cute.

I think the main issue is he feels that he does not have to listen to anyone but me. If my husband gets that low deep tone then Thor will listen to him. This may also be some teenage issues because he is being a little more hard-headed lately.

 

[rip3000gt]

cmorgan - How have you been making out with Thor and the nipping?

My Winnie is almost 10 months and she has had an issue like yours. She nips constantly at me. I work like most 5 days a week usually 9-5:00ish. I try to take her out in the morning for a walk usually about a half an hour. If not a walk we play fetch for about the same amount of time. When I get home Its the same thing but I try to make it last longer. When we are on our walks she is fine. When I have her in the yard playing fetch I can throw her ball a few times but then when she gets bored she comes up and nips at my legs or hands. She does the same thing every time she and I are outside. If I am not giving her my full attention she will nip at me. She also will start to bark and do a playful growl. Her tail is wagging the whole time. She is just trying to get me to play with her.

I don't know what to do because if I give the High pitched yelp she just starts barking more and more. If I stand still or ignore her she just nips more or she will take and poke at me with her nose. She does this almost all the time when I am around her. It makes it really hard on my days off to do any yard work outside because she just doesn't stop. My mom is usually home with her through out the day and she rarely has any issues with her. How ever my mom is older and can't play with her the way I do.

She gets extremely excited to see me all the time. I know she is just looking for attention but I need to get her to understand that what she is doing isn't okay.

I am just getting very frustrated. Any advise is needed.

 

[Leonard and his bud Snuffles]

http://www.newf.net/Forums/showthread.php?t=48980 I did the vinegar/water spray in the mouth, and it broke the cycle.

 

[rip3000gt]

Tha is for the link. What others are describing is exactly what she is doing. I did t realize this type of behavior must just be the newfie way with some. I will try the vinegar and see what happens. Thanks.

 

[AngusMcDubhsMom]

There was a time when I thought Maggie was part land-shark. All our clothes had holes.

The high pitched yell only excited her more, so I squirted Bitter Apple spray into her mouth ( usually while it was attached to some part of me ) and told her NO very firmly. You have to be loud, deep and firm with it. Just don't spray from far away or you'll get it in his eyes.

AGREED. Angus used to have me in tears and bleeding until I started squirting him in the nose with Binaca ....yes, breath spray. He stopped pretty quickly because the yelping on my part alone didn't do it. Be loud and firm too.

 

[rip3000gt]

Last night I had some bitter apple spray that I tried spraying. At first I sprayed her directly in her mouth as she was trying to nip at my knee(I was sitting in a recliner so the knee was the easiest for her). She freaked out and starting barking and freaking out. She definitely did not like it. After a few minutes she went back to trying to nip at me so I sprayed my pants. It really did stop her from nipping at me but she still got frustrated and barked and barked. Throwing her in her crate is the only thing that calms her down. The only issue with that is getting her in there. If I'm outside she wont let me near her to escort her in. I stopped by a local dog training center and I will be enrolling her in a Nose Work class. We will see how it goes.

 

[OodlesOfNoodles]

Sounds like for the time being she should always have a leash attached to her then, so you have something to grab on to get her inside if need be.

Keep up with the spraying - it's not necessarily an instant cure, but we have had success with the vinegar/water spray - it just takes patience. The bitter apple didn't deter our guy all that much.

You could also work on teaching her the 'quiet' command if the barking becomes a thing. Take advantage of the time she's barking and stick a treat in her face. She'll stop barking to smell/eat and the second she does, mark it (yes or click) then add in the quiet command. Eventually progress to the point where you say the command 'quiet' (or whatever command you want to use for it) and she has to be silent for a certain period of time before she gets the treat. Someone else on here (can't remember who, sorry!) has taught their dog 'whisper', meaning to bark quieter. We haven't managed that one ourselves, but it could be another option!

Re: the nipping itself - our guy is around 14 months and has been a bit of a terror with me during his life in terms of nipping and pulling on arms at random moments. We use the vinegar/water in a spray bottle and it really does work. We've recently had a recurrence of it happening on walks (I think it has to do with the winter gloves coming out and him REALLY wanting to play with them), so I've taken to carrying the spray bottle with me on walks again. Because we've been so consistent with it, I rarely ever actually have to spray him; usually the sight of the bottle is enough to make him second guess what he was about to do. He gets this look on his face right before he's about to start up...so I constantly watch him so I can correct him the instant I see that face, and before it escalates. Because trust me, I get it - it hurts when it happens. You know they;re just playing, but it's painful, aggravating, embarrassing and really just a giant pain in the butt. Having patience is the biggest thing I'm afraid.