Aggressive Nipping/Biting...
okay... glitch in Blaze's second day at home!
He has the sharpest puppy teeth I have evern experienced... I have bite marks all over my upper arm (he likes to jump up and bite if I'm sitting down on the floor near him) and hands. I am trying to keep in mind that he WAS a 'farm puppy" with a brother and a sister, a mom, and two other dogs that he probably played a lot with-- nipping and biting, etc., and it's only the second day he's been with us so he hasn't learned that this behavior is not acceptable, but it's getting a *bit* frustrating.
I have tried "rolling" him (a technique I learned in the book "mother knows best") and staring into his eyes to make him know I'm the dominant person here... but that just riles him up!! whoo....he does NOT like that. I've tried putting him in his crate for "time-out" (which is really silly because he's only 10 weeks old)....
ADVICE, anyone? what has worked for you... and does your corgi puppy do this, too?? I remember my other dogs nipping, but nothing to this degree...
He has the sharpest puppy teeth I have evern experienced... I have bite marks all over my upper arm (he likes to jump up and bite if I'm sitting down on the floor near him) and hands. I am trying to keep in mind that he WAS a 'farm puppy" with a brother and a sister, a mom, and two other dogs that he probably played a lot with-- nipping and biting, etc., and it's only the second day he's been with us so he hasn't learned that this behavior is not acceptable, but it's getting a *bit* frustrating.
I have tried "rolling" him (a technique I learned in the book "mother knows best") and staring into his eyes to make him know I'm the dominant person here... but that just riles him up!! whoo....he does NOT like that. I've tried putting him in his crate for "time-out" (which is really silly because he's only 10 weeks old)....
ADVICE, anyone? what has worked for you... and does your corgi puppy do this, too?? I remember my other dogs nipping, but nothing to this degree...
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Sam on
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This is one of many challenges faced when pups are not raised in a home. Little to no human contact and they just do not understand that playing with people is not the same as playing with other dogs. Some are far more mouthy then others. I would not roll him, I would not stare at him. Staring is a dogs way of challenging....something you do not wish to do. Rolling is an ill conceived notion....pups flip their belly up to show submission, the other dog does not roll them. I do agree it is good practice to teach a pup to be tolerant of being on their back but it should not be done as a punishment or during a behavior episode. Bold dogs will fight back.
You may try a finger flick on his nose and use the ahh ahh noise. This should redirect his teeth momentarily. As he settles pet him. Repeat. Have plenty of toys handy, as he get mouthy give him a toy to chew on instead. Teach him how to retrieve, this will help expel some energy as well as redirect his brain.
Time, patience, lots of exercise and consistency will help loads. Be patient, only be on the floor with him when he is calm and ready to be petted and cuddled and give him plenty of good things to chew on. Time to find a training facility near you.
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Permalink Reply by Charlie on
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Charlie's had 5 other puppies, several adult dogs, adult and human children at his breeder, and he was still a very nippy puppy. I had scabs on my arms for 6 weeks. He has tested high on prey drive, and medium on pack drive. Pups with less prey drive and more pack drive learn bite inhibition faster. So exhale! He will learn not to nip and outgrow this phase.
When he nips, yelp like another dog would if bitten too hard "Oooowwww! No bite!". Then stand up and turn your back on him (or step out of the room for a few seconds) until he settles down. When he sits or settles, tell him he's a good boy. If he starts again immediately with the nipping (which is highly likely) repeat the whole deal. It is very important that you move away from him and avoid/ignore him after you 'Yelp'. Ignoring him just for the 30 seconds he needs to settle down is enough of a time out. I think the whole 'put them in their crate for 5-10 minutes' is the "time out" that we humans need to calm down and not loose our temper. If you are losing your cool and feel like yelling or swatting, put him in his crate for 5-10 minutes until you cool down. LOL : - )
Alpha rolling for punishment is a terrible idea. (Mother does not know best...throw away that book!) The Monks of New Skete invented and published that technique in the 1970's and shortly thereafter, publicly apologized and said it was a bad idea. It is no longer suggested.
I did read a suggestion to very gently hold the dog's muzzle closed, only for a second or two, then let go. The idea is not to hurt, but to mimic what a mother dog might do to an overly rambuncious puppy. I was desperate and tried it once or twice, and it absolutely failed for us. Charlie just played and nipped harder with that technique. I really do not believe in using any physical corrections whatsoever as punishment (I was desperate at the time...and it didn't work). Giving a verbal correction followed with ignoring the dog until he settles has always worked much better.
Anyway, you may be in for a few weeks of pirrhana teeth marks...or he may learn quickly. But give the Yelp/Turn your back/Ignore technique a try...and give yourself a long time out if you need to. : - ) Look for ways to redirect his behavior where you can turn a situation into a "good dog!" with a yummy reward. He'll repeat behaviors where he gets good things (treats and petting) and he'll quit doing things that make you ignore him (no reward).
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Permalink Reply by Arang&Mark on
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you can get a test for that to show what your corgi is more driven to? how do you do that?
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Permalink Reply by Geri & Sidney on
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Our obedience teacher taught us exactly as Charlie described, and Sidney learned really fast to not use his teeth!
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Permalink Reply by James on
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Cheez-it is very nippy as well, I spend a few minutes a day sitting with him and letting him lick my hands and arms and making an "OUCH" when he bites. Unfortunately this plan does involve getting bit, but after a few days he has stopped biting so hard except occasionally. Here are 2 great links I found on the topic...
This one is a really good read..
http://www.jersey.net/~mountaindog/berner1/bitestop.htm
Clicker anti-bite training (I havent used this yet)
http://www.clickertraining.com/node/168
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Permalink Reply by CaptainCorgi on
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Well every herding dog has the instinct to 'nip' and 'mouthing' is in all puppies, but from what you are saying it sounds a little bit out of hand, especially when you mentioned he gets riled up when you roll him over. My Eowyn of course nipped when she was little, but I only got scratches from her sharp puppy teeth. She never bit down so hard or get riled up when I rolled her over. It sounds to me since he was born on a farm and probably had little human contact, he doesn't know how to interact with humans as of now. He might also have been the dominant puppy and doesn't like to be dominated. I think consistent reminders of who's in charge will help. With everything you do, let him know you are in charge. Also if he gets to out of hand, a quick scruff on the neck will almost always calm a puppy. It reminds them of when their mother scruffed them when she picked them up. (As most puppies, or any animal baby, goes limp when their mother picks them up by their necks) Dogs will also scruff each other to show the other that's enough.
Good luck!
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Permalink Reply by Cindi on
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Physical corrections (i.e. nose thumping, popping, hitting, etc.) don't work. Aggressive correction will always, eventually, lead to aggressive actions on the part of your pup.
First, pups are taught bite inhibition in the pack between 6-10 weeks of age. If a pup is removed from the litter too early, biting can become a very real issue. That's why I don't suggest folks get a puppy before 10-12 weeks of age. But that's another story... :-)
If your pup plays too rough, use a good, high-pitched "OUCH!" to get their attention. (It mimics a yelp.) Then turn away, divert your presence and your attention away. For example, you're on the couch and your pup starts play biting really aggressively. You "OUCH!" and then put the pup on the floor and walk away, ignoring him.
There are two things your pup understands well: food and attention. By withdrawing attention, you are speaking volumes to your pup that the behavior is not acceptable. "OUCH" and "NO BITE" can be learned rather quickly if you are consistent. There are no exceptions to the "NO BITE" rule....ever. You must be consistent to stop the behavior.
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Permalink Reply by Kimberly on
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Wow-- THANK YOU, everybody, for all that advice!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I feel much better now that I have some strategies to use other than the alpha roll. And I will throw out that strategy, I promise, especially now since I have seen it DOES NOT WORK. I feel like such a bad owner--- I had no idea rolling was considered bad, and didn't know that suggestion was dismissed years ago. Oops. Thanks for setting me straight.
I was getting really worried about Blaze's aggressiveness but with your advice I am feeling much better. I know he's only ten weeks old-- still a baby-- so I have hope. :-)
Working now on finding a good trainer....what age should Blaze be when I start taking him for lessons? I may be wrong but I think 10 weeks is still too young for structured lessons...
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Well don't feel bad. A handful of "old school" trainers still teach the alpha roll and other "forced" methods. The majority have moved forward to techniques that build good behavior through making the dog happy to please you because he trusts you (not do what you want because he's scared of you and afraid of the consequence).
It doesn't sound like Blaze is being aggressive, which would be baring his teeth, seriously growling and biting as more of an attack. Sounds like he is very play oriented (prey drive) and probably nips you (way too hard) then "smiles" at you like he's having fun. No intent to hurt you, he just doesn't know it's painful. It's not necessarily the case that he did not receive human socialization at the breeder, but you could give the breeder a call and ask. He sounds a lot like Charlie, who was with his littermates and parents until 10.5 weeks and was in the breeder's home with human family. Charlie was harder to break from the nipping than my last dog, or most of the shelter puppies I worked with. He's not an overly dominant dog and certainly not aggressive. He just has a high play/prey drive.
Go ahead and call around for puppy kindergarten options, trainers, and prices. Make sure they teach "positive" techniques. Depending on your geographic area, their may be a waiting list for the next class, so you'll to get his name on a list.
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Actually, your pup is in the learning curve around 10-12 weeks (give or take). You know how a child is a voracious learning when they're a toddler? Consider this toddler time for your puppy. Also, you start off on the right foot. That means you have less difficult behaviors to correct.
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Permalink Reply by Ziska Childs on
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I'm agreeing with all the above but here's one more which works really well if the "ouch!" doesn't work- put peanut butter on the back of your hands. Nipping turns to licking and becomes a habit....
Ziska
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HAHA that sounds sooo cute!!! I may do that as a "treat" if he reduces his biting...
and Charlie-- I agree with you-- he isn't "aggressive" as in being mean, just really, really playful and doesn't get that he is hurting us!
I have been in contact with his breeder, who happens to be a vet (and her husband, too)... she confirmed that Blaze was the dominant pup in the litter and agreed that he has a bad tendency to play too rough.
I will try the techniques you all mentioned. Thank you so much!!! Thank goodness for forums like these...
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