A normal, healthy pup will want to bite and chew--on EVERYTHING!
This means your pup will try biting you!
RELAX! Your puppy is NOT aggressive.
Your puppy is not trying to dominate you.
Your puppy is not being naughty.
Your puppy is just being a puppy!
This does not mean that you should encourage biting. Furthermore, this does not mean you should ignore your puppy's inappropriate biting. It is important to address biting BEFORE it becomes a problem!
Some Background...
Puppies have very sharp, needle-shaped teeth. When a puppy bites, these teeth hurt, a lot! This is good. Puppies lack adult-dog, jaw strength. If they didn't have such sharp teeth, it would be hard for them to realize that they are capable of hurting others with their teeth.
Puppies need to learn BITE INHIBITION. This is a term that is used by veterinarians, trainers, and behaviorists to describe how hard a dog bites down when they place their mouth and jaws on a person or dog. Think of your dog's teeth like the brakes in your car. You can press the brakes gently or slam on them. At some point when you are driving you will need to brake, but how you brake depends on lots of factors... Is there a threat, are you going slow or fast, have you been paying attention, etc...
At some point in your dog's life they are likely to use their teeth in a fight, or to protect themselves or their stuff. When this happens you want them to inhibit themselves and use the minimal tooth & jaw pressure needed to make their point.
When Your Puppy Puts Their Teeth on Your Skin...
I allow gentle mouthing until pups are about 3-4 months old (they start getting adult teeth).
This is because I want my puppy to practice using their jaws gently. When a pup bites too hard, I say "OUCH!" in a calm, but clear voice. Then I walk away from my pup. I do not shove, grab, hit, or otherwise try to give the puppy a punishment. Don't hold their mouth shut or yell at them. The punishment is that you ignore them.
All puppies need SOME rough-play time. If my pup is too worked-up to use their jaws calmly, I bring a toy into the situation. They are allowed to be rough, bite, shake and growl at the toy. BUT... If they miss the toy and bite me by mistake, I say, "OUCH!" and walk away for 10-15 seconds. They get three attempts. On the third mistake, I stop playing with them for at least 20 minutes.
Once a pup is 3-4 months, I no longer allow teeth on skin. Should a pup make a mistake, I do the following:
1) On the first mistake, I re-direct them to a toy.
2) On the second mistake, they get an "OUCH!" and ignored.
3) On the third mistake, they get put in a confinement area until they calm down.
FINAL NOTE!
Give your puppy LOTS of toys, bones, and chews!!!
Teach your dog TUG!
>>>READ MORE ON TUG, CLICK HERE.
Teach your dog to TAKE-A-BOW!
Many of my clients dogs have a hard time playing with and interacting with other dogs. These dogs often play well with well-known, "buddy-dogs" and demonstrates good play-skills in comfortable situations, but do poorly with new dogs or in new places.
With work the dog can learn to meet and greet the novel dogs without being inappropriate, but there is often no play. In these cases the dog-in-training often starts getting jumped by the other dogs (in a not so friendly way). This happens after the Meet-&-Greet, because the dog-in-training sniffs a hello and then just stands there stiffly. This is awkward and invites aggressiion -a sort of preemptive strike against the dog who is standing stiffly and giving everyone the willies.
In these cases teaching a PLAY-BOW can bridge the gap between meeting and becoming friends. It gives the dog-in-training something to do (besides standing awkwardly). Furthermore, despite its trained-awkwardness it gives the other dogs something to do too -they can respond with more playfulness.
How To Teach A Play-Bow
Dog is standing...
1. Take a small treat and place it on your dogs nose.
2. Let your dog smell and lick at the treat, but don't let them eat it.
3. Slowly, very SLOWLY move the treat from your dog's nose in a straight-line down to the floor (right between your dogs front paws).
4. If your dog bends her elbows (even a little) while her tail-end is still in the air (not a down), praise and treat your dog.
If your dog's bottom flops to the ground, pull the treat away, stand-up and move away form your dog. Wait until your dog is standing to begin again.
5. Keep doing this for 5 or 10 minutes everyday until your dog easily goes into the position shown above.
NOW ADD THE COMMAND
a. Call it something cute! I like: "Go play" or "New Friend"
b. Say this new phrase or the word, BOW
c. Then pause.... wait 10-15 seconds.
d. Now give your dog a HINT: lure the trick.
If your dog does it, praise and treat your dog.
e. Repeat. Repeat. Repeat.
f. When your dog finally does this after the command and BEFORE the hint, JACKPOT your dog with 7 or 8 treats all at once!
g. Repeat some more.
h. Take it on the road; try it outside with no dogs around.
Don't be surprised if your dog needs a review in new places or once dogs are around.
Include a picture of YOUR DOG'S PLAY-BOW.
Comment below & send the pic to: kelley@dogEvolve.com
Nicole's dog CLOVER
READER QUESTION
My granddog is a boxer female 26 months old. In the mornings when I try to get her to go outside she snaps and growls at me. Can a dog sleep with a muzzle on? If they can is the my best plan of attack or put her back in her cage. Sincerely KB Houston TX
Dear KB,
Of course your dog could sleep with a muzzle on, but I wouldn't recommend it. I almost always reserve muzzles for dogs that BITE. Snapping & growling are warning behaviors -it is not to late to fix this problem. Both you and your dog deserve to sleep and wake-up in harmony.
It sounds as if your Boxer is a Bed Guarder. On the Guarding Scale (1-10) your dog is a light-weight. She only guards the bed, after having been there all night. Heavy-Duty Guarders will claim it as theirs (growl/snap/snarl) as soon as they lay down.
I'm not excusing the behavior, but I do understand it. I am a deep sleeper and DO NOT like waking up. I hate waking; I routinely abuse my alarm clock in the morning. The best days start with someone brining me coffee in bed!
Coffee MAKES me happy; coffee is NOT contingent upon my BEING happy :) As you read the following keep this in mind --The coffee I get in the morning is NOT a reward for waking up in a good mood. The coffee is a nice way to prevent me from being cranky.
By contrast, punishments for 'grumpy morning behavior' will not work. Think about it. If you already hate waking up to leave your warm, cozy bed your attitude will not likely improve if you get in trouble for not being a morning person.
WARNING:
Punishments: yelling, hitting, squirting, dragging, pinning, rolling, etc WILL MAKE CERTAIN BEHAVIOR PROBLEMS WORSE. In this case, the dog already hates leaving the bed in the morning. She is NOT is her right mind --me before coffee (cranky!) Punishments for cranky morning behavior will make your dog have an even bigger negative (yucky) association with waking up.
Try this instead...
1. Before you wake your dog, go to the fridge.
2. Get something tasty (some cheese or a hotdog).
3. Approach your dog, but stop before you are so close that she will yell at you.
4. Then, say something in a sweat voice: "Morning Girl -Rise & Shine." The phrase can be whatever you like saying and can say nicely.
5. Then toss a treat, right to her. Toss it on the bed, or even bounce it off her head.
DO NOT WORRY IF SHE BARKS OR GROWLS -Remember she is NOT a morning dog. She doesn't mean anything by it, she's just grumpy.
6. If she eats the treat, toss another and then toss the rest on the ground.
7. As soon as she is on the floor call her to the door and give her once last treat.
Please see the following ARTICLES for more information.
Dog Faces: Reading Body Language
Muzzles -When & How Should They Be Used?
Muzzles --Is Aggression The Only Use?
Everyday I play the same game with my Houndy-mix Eddie. I give him a rawhide and he buries it in the yard. He spends a few good hours being paranoid about it -rushing to the back garden at the slightest sound; leaping to his feet if the other dogs go outside; and finally not-so-cleverly giving away the secret location. When its time to collect the bone I move around the yard and watch Eddie's face. I can tell by the paranoid look in his eye when I am getting warm... getting warm... RED-HOT! Then, I collect the rawhide and store it for the next day.
Today's "Secret" Location
Why do dogs bury things?
There appears to be no answer. Don't get me wrong, there is a good deal of conjecture and lots of opinions, but no real scientific answers. The common theories seem to be that dogs are:
1. Saving snacks for later
2. Hiding food from other hunters
Whatever the reason, some dogs are compelled to bury their stuff. From a behavioral perspective the "WHY" is only one part of the mystery. The "HOW" is equally as interesting. The burying of bones (and other stuff) is a Fixed-Action-Pattern. This means that all dogs follow the same basic recipe and that they don't need to learn the ropes from any other dog -it comes pre-installed as a complete behavior.
Scratch with paws...
Push with nose...
Scrape with muzzle...
Push with nose...
Scrape with muzzle...
There are variations for sure, but the basic building blocks are performed the same way by the tiniest lapdogs and the biggest hounds.
So, why do dog's bury bones?
Because their genes tell them to; because long ago dogs that buried stuff had some kind of advantage over those that didn't and they survived and produced more dogs that buried stuff.
Even A Well-Behaved Dog Is A DOG!
Dogs need to do Dog-Things. Puppies, like children need to do everything and they have short attention spans.
A common behavior concern is chewing! Punishing a dog for being a dog is a sure way to ruin your relationship with your new pup. Dogs need to chew. They should not be punished for being dogs.
Puppies and inexperienced dogs see the whole world is an unexplored chew toy. There are endless places to find new chews and hundreds of ways to sneak a chew. If your dog isn't getting the chew-fun she needs from her toys, your dog will find something new to chew.
My clients are constantly frustrated and overwhelmed when they focus all their energy on catching their dog chewing forbidden items (table legs, tissue, clothes, remote controls, etc...) Make your life easier; make your puppies day. Put most of your energy into creating chew options, not just limiting them. Make toys and chew puzzles fun and exciting for your dog.
Then watch your dog! I spend countless hours just watching my dogs enjoy their chew-time. Their chewing pleasure is a site to behold. You too can learn to marvel at their canine abilities to chew, nibble, rip and dissect.
Just pick the items they chew on for them and make them worth their while so they won't want to waste time experimenting for better options. Then take some time to appreciate what they liked most, what they were good at chewing and how they can lull themselves into a near meditative state on the perfect chew.
