Dog Nipping
Nipping and play biting
Nipping
- the playful biting and mouthing of your hands and
clothes by your dog - is particularly common among
puppies, but can also occur in older dogs that haven't
been taught proper bite inhibition.
It's natural for dogs to mouth and nip. They explore
the world using their mouths - to a dog, his mouth
is as important as eyes and hands are to us. Nipping
is very different from true aggression: it's a form
of communication, interaction, exploration, and play.
From birth, pups use their mouths to explore the den,
their mother, and their littermates. From a few weeks
old, they use their mouths to play with their siblings:
puppies play by biting and mouthing each other. Some
adult dogs - usually, those with owners who encourage
rough play, or who were removed from the litter at
too early an age - retain these same tendencies to
nip during play and in moments of emotional duress.
Sibling play is actually how young pups learn a very
important lesson, called bite inhibition. If a puppy
bites another puppy too hard, the other pup yelps
loudly in pain and stops playing with him. This teaches
the biter that such a degree of bite force results
in an undesirable outcome: social isolation. When
other puppies bite him, that's how he learns what
that pain feels like. (This is one of the reasons
that puppies removed from the litter too early are
often 'maladjusted' - they've missed out on some of
the important lessons their mother and littermates
have to teach).
Even pups that have learned basic bite inhibition
from their siblings usually need to be reconditioned
again upon entering their new home: humans are much
more easily damaged than dogs, so it's necessary for
us to intervene and refine the puppy's bite pressure
even further. A dog without any concept of bite inhibition
is both annoying and dangerous to have around: a harmless
play session can rapidly turn into painful ordeal.
Puppies aren't capable of inflicting serious damage
- although their little teeth are razor sharp, their
jaws are too weak to do much more than elicit a trickle
of blood - but an adult dog can do a great deal more
than just scratch the surface, and it makes very little
difference to a wounded human that the dog "didn't
mean to do it"!
Here's what to do to teach your dog good bite inhibition.
Note: this same technique is applicable to older dogs,
although the same results may take a little longer
to attain.
- When playing with your puppy or dog, you'll need
to choose the level of mouthing that you're prepared
to accept. Some owners are content for their dogs
to touch their hands with their teeth, as long as
no pressure is exerted; others (particularly those
with large, strong-jawed dogs) prefer to get the message
across that no tooth-contact is acceptable whatsoever.
- Whenever you reach your level of tolerance with
your pup - he might give you a good nip, or he might
just grab your fingers gently in his mouth - squeal
shrilly and loudly in pain and immediately turn your
entire body away from him. Get up and walk a few paces
away from him, keeping your face and eyes averted.
Don't speak to him, and don't touch him. The aim here
is for the puppy to be completely socially isolated
for the next 20 to 30 seconds - long enough for the
lesson to sink in, but not long enough for him to
forget what it was that elicited such a response and
start playing with something else. (Note: if there
are other people present, you'll need to ensure that
they mimic your behavior here - don't allow them to
start playing with or otherwise paying attention to
the puppy or dog, or else all your good work will
have been undone).
- Most young dogs, and some older ones, seem to have
an innate need to chew something - anything! - whenever
they're being played with or petted. To keep the focus
off your hands, and prevent him from learning what
a delightful chew toy your fingers make, supply him
with a more appropriate chew: anything with a slight
give to it should do the trick. Rawhide bones, pigs'
ears, or squeezy rubber toys all go down a treat.
- If he should start snapping for your hands or face
while playing, correct him quickly with a sharp, "No!",
or "AH-ah-aaah!" He should stop, startled.
As soon as he stops, praise him (you're praising the
stopping, not the original behavior - don't be confused
by their close proximity) and then quickly redirect
his attention to an appropriate chew. When his jaws
close around it, praise him again and give him a pat.
- Never use physical force to correct your dog for
inappropriate chewing or mouthing. Not only is it
mostly unnecessary, but in most cases it will actually
encourage further nipping and biting. The cold-shoulder
technique (as outlined above) is the most effective,
and humane, manner of conveying your displeasure to
your dog. He wants to please you: he just has to figure
out how to do so. He has a much better chance of doing
so if you refrain from corporal punishment and give
him 30 seconds of isolation instead.
- If your dog's getting really revved up and is making
repeated attempts to nip you, despite cold-shouldering
him, he might need to cool down a bit. In this case,
the 'time out' method is appropriate: take him to
his crate, or to a small room by himself, and leave
him there for five minutes to chill out a bit. When
it's time to bring him back into the heart of the
household, you can start playing again - just try
to tone it down a notch or two until you're sure he
can tolerate the play without further nipping.
- For a dog that needs little encouragement to become
overexcited and mouthy (high-energy herding breeds
in particular are prone to this), choose non-contact
play whenever feasible. Frisbee and fetch are great
choices; even tug-of-war, provided your dog knows
a reliable 'drop it' command, is suitable. Avoid rough
play like slap-boxing (where you hit the sides of
a dog's face gently with open palms) and full-on wrestling
at all costs: these games encourage nipping, but also
call a dog's instinctive aggression into the mix,
which is something to be avoided. Keep games friendly
and low-key instead.
For more information
For further information on typical doggie behavior,
including a fantastic resource for training how-to's
and loads of detailed information on preventing and
dealing with problem behaviors, check out Secrets To
dog Training. Written by a professional dog-trainer,
it's an absorbing guide that deals with all the subjects
a responsible dog-owner could ever want to know about
- well worth a look.
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Secrets To Dog Training
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