Why would she nip at me?

shellyk

shellyk

New member
Ziva our 10 month old puppy behaves very well at obedience class. She has gone to classes through advanced obedience and we have just started rally. She was supposed to take the CGC test last Sat but they postponed it. I think she would have passed.

At home she is still rowdy! Ok - she is off leash and she's a puppy. Friday my DH brought her to the park & ride to meet me. She and our other dog were sitting with my DH on leash. When I approached she jumped up and nipped me on the arm. I was shocked and backed away and she did it again. What gives? If she had done this to a stranger I would have been totaly freaked out!!!! :shocker:
 
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wrknnwf

Active member
This is fairly normal behavior for a pup of any breed, so don't be alarmed. You do need to work on her greetings, though. Just like they teach in class. The whole point of learning the CGC exercises is so you put them into play everywhere else with everyone else.

She needs to learn to sit and stay BEFORE anyone approaches. Your husband should have insisted on a polite greeting, even if it was with you. If he doesn't know how, please teach him.

Also, if you're greetings are too "happy", or if your husband was egging her on ("Who's that!" Is that mommy?") that may be exciting her. Think about how they teach you in class. First you greet the person looking them in the eye. That gives them time to settle their dog without you giving the dog attention. Then you ask if you can pet the dog. You do so gently on the shoulder or chest. All of these steps help the dog learn control through consistent repetition. You can practice this with your husband, too.

In addition, you should totally ignore her for the first few minutes that you first see her no matter where you are: when you come home (or leave home), see her at the park, pick her up from the groomer, vet, etc. When she is calm and has matured a bit, you can get down on her level for a more controlled greeting.

She will probably grow out of this with your help. But don't expect it to happen overnight. She's still a baby.
 
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shellyk

shellyk

New member
Wow! You called it! I greeted them excitedly and I think my husband said something like that. I guess we set her up for that behavior. Both of us know better :shuffle: or we should!

Thanks - it really helps to have someone gently point out our mistake.
 
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wrknnwf

Active member
Believe me, I know how difficult it is to stay calm and focused when you see your baby. I just want to grab'em and hug 'em and tell 'em how happy I am to see them. It's really hard not to.

But if you have the patience to work through this stage, it will pay off big time and you will be able to relax later and greet her more like you want to, after she is mature. And she will be more reliable around other people, too.

Just keep telling yourself that you have plenty of time to play and be silly at other times. But not when greeting. At least for now.

Good luck and don't give up!
 
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