Nipping

Nipping

Prevention is Key

Nipping and Mouthing are forms of social play for both dogs and puppies. From ages    3-5 weeks puppies learn to play together. If play becomes to rough or a bite is to hard, the puppy will either yelp and stop play, or attack back. Since puppies have no hands, they use their mouths as a way to explore their environment. Human skin is much more sensitive than even the fur of a puppy.  For this reason puppies must learn alternate ways to socialize with humans. It is important to always supervise small children.  If a child is playing to rough, redirect them and show them an alternative way.

Prevention is Key.   Avoid rough housing and tug-of-war games.  Make sure your puppy or dog is getting plenty of mental and physical exercise. Try using treat toys along with a game of hide-and-seek.

Spraying your hands with Bitter Apple, will leave a unpleasant taste in your puppies mouth. This will deter further mouthing or nipping.

For highly social dogs  a method called “freezing” works well.  The instant the puppy touches your hand, stop; do not jerk your hand back or away. Discontinue any further affection.

Try giving your puppy pea size treats while you calmly pet her.  Have a number of them in one hand ready to distribute while you pet her with the other.  This will help condition her to having you touch her while rewarding her for good behavior.

Be consistent with your training. It’s not Ok for your puppy to nip sometimes and not others. This leaves the puppy confused, and they won’t understand when and where

the boundaries lie.