I’ve never had dogs

Some of the advice above, IMO, is dangerous

Considering all the posts from people on here who have owned dogs, who generally agree it’s the most effective reaction, I’d have to conclude you have no idea what you are talking about.

coffeeking,
don’t agree with you about ignoring the dog would reduce you in status relative to the dog. It’s easy to see how older dogs use this to assert their dominance to younger dogs by just ignoring them. And it works the same way in humans!! If you are ignored you immediately feel less important than you did before you got ignored.

Surprised me when I saw them too, they were fairly large dogs. His comments echo’d someone above pointing out that it mimicks the nip they’d get from a pack leader if they went too far.

coffeeking – so you’ve never had dogs – but you’re advising on puppy training 🙄 You don’t need to ‘dominate’ a pet dog – just look at it’s eyes, it already knows who’s boss (the one with the tin opener)…

I’d recommend getting ’The perfect puppy’ and doing a puppy socialisation and training class.

don’t agree with you about ignoring the dog would reduce you in status relative to the dog. It’s easy to see how older dogs use this to assert their dominance to younger dogs by just ignoring them. And it works the same way in humans!! If you are ignored you immediately feel less important than you did before you got ignored.

That depends if the dog is being violent or just doing it for attention, if it is just doing it for attention then sure ignoring it *may* work (certainly didnt with my other halfs dog) but if they are being violent (biting/asserting themselves on you) then you cannot back away.

None of these methods work with ferrets BTW, I’ve tried them – they’re smarter than that, if you ignore them they’ll bite harder until you stop ignoring them and play 🙂

you can get from pet shops a can of air (pet corrector) that makes a loud hiss (you do not spray it at the dog), the woman who ran the puppy training class i went to thoroughly recommended this in order to break the dog’s behaviour – or you can try a water pistol and you squirt the dogs face.

http://www.doggiesolutions.co.uk/pet-corrector-3222-0.html

we had a similar prob with our jack russell, we did not have to go down the spray route but a few months of pulling her off, grabbing her by the scruff and a stern ‘i don’t want a biting dog’ (remember its the sound and intonation) did the trick.

i would also thoroughly recommend that you ask around and see if there is a local puppy training class. it is well worth attending if you can find a good one, training a dog is more about training the owner.

I keep meaning to get a water pistol. Our dog sits by the gate waiting for a passing dog so he can unleash yappy hell on the passing dog/walker- pogo-sticking up the sides of the wall/running the length then letting out a high-pitch screech when he realises the dog has ‘escaped’ him. A quick blast each time should stop this 🙂

coffeeking – so you’ve never had dogs – but you’re advising on puppy training

I said *I* have never had dogs, not that my immediate family has never had dogs, or that I have no experience with dogs. Plus I wasn’t giving advice, I was merely commenting on other peoples methods and suggesting it seems contrary to the generally accepted methods.

I never once suggested this dog needed hitting or that I had a better solution, I was merely discussing the advice given – I’m sorry, did I forget and walk into somewhere where discussion is not allowed? If we all refrained from making comments about things we didn’t have direct personal experience/knowledge of this forum would be pretty much empty 😉

I have just had the same problem with my German Shorthaired pointer pup. She was 7 week old when I got her. It was fun a first but she seems to have stupidly strong jaws and teeth compaed to other pups I have played with or owned. I resorted to a swift light tap on the end of the nose every time she bit hard enough to feel her teeth biting my feet or hands. I also do a loud ouch at her face which she does not like atthe same time as tonking he nose. After about a month i has carmed down to lever of which I find acceptable.

Its a fine line as you dont want to take all a puppys fun away, but on the otherr hand if its becoming an issue then it needs sorting. I still let he bite me lightly when I play with her as she does love to play rough and be wrestled about.

Rolled up newspaper across the nose.
Not hard, just simple tap.

Failing that you could always…

He’ll never bite you (or anyone) again

hora, thats really quite unpleasant!

Buy a cat, let him bite that.

Hitting a puppy will not solve your problem.

You feel like a complete knob when you do it, but letting out a very loud high pitched yelp (like a puppy) every time it chews to hard on you will sort your problem out.

Also just getting up and moving away will teach the dog that if it chews you “play time” stops, so it’ll learn not to chew on you if it wants to keep playing.

Dogs are very simple creatures, loosing your temper or being violent towards them will not solve behavioral problems, being completely consistent with them will.

Buy a cat, let him bite that.

I know a few dog&cat families, never seen one where the dog was the boss lol.

I know a few dog&cat families, never seen one where the dog was the boss lol.

All right. Buy a cat, let him try and bite that, then see him learn VERY quickly

followed by a slap!

get rid of it and upgrade it for a higher level being?

though bear in mind you wont own it, it owns you.

Sandwich and a couple of the others had the correct advice about yelping in pain, then pushing the dog down onto the floor belly up to assert dominance for a few seconds, and stopping any further play for a few minutes.

Hitting the dog or swatting with a newspaper, even if there is no pain, can lead to the dog becoming nervous or headshy and ducking/turning away from your hand whenever it thinks its going to be told off, which isn’t ideal when all you wanted to do was give some affection.

Do not hit the dog with your hand always use a rolled up newspaper or similar otherwise the dog will associate you lifting your hand as an impending admonishment,and cower, this will make you look like cruel owner any time you try to pat it.

All right. Buy a cat, let him try and bite that, then see him learn VERY quickly

I wish. My dog is suicidal.

Be kind, there’s no need to hurt a puppy. It’s still a baby and teething, and biting is part of play for a dog.

I used to wear a welding glove which the puppies associated with play, and they were allowed to nip at that, but not at a bare hand. This was for Wolfhounds and Great Danes. When they got bigger, if they bit or nipped my hand I would push it further down their throat and say “No!” – they really don’t like that and stop.

Teach it the meaning of “No!”. Rolling on to back as mentioned earlier and hold down for a few seconds is also something they understand.

Dogs are social animals, they don’t want to hurt their pack members, but they have to have their place in the pack reinforced.

from a purely psychological point of view that covers all the steps, informs of the ‘crime’ and asserts dominance I’d put my money on the Yelp-turn away and assertion of dominance as being the best combo.

And it so does work exactly the same way for kids….