I lost a momma dog and had to hand raise a litter. To try to immulate a momma dog, I would take forefinger and thumb and gently pinch a small bit of skin right at the nape of the neck approximating a momma's bite to reprimand the pup. I also used the sharp "NO" as the momma dog would give a warning bark. You don't need to hurt them -- combining the sharp "NO" with the nip using your fingers will be enough for them to realize it is a negative warning. Then I'd replace my hand with an appropriate chew toy, but not allow any more hand contact for several minutes (5-10 is enough, more than that and they have forgotten why). I would reward gentle biting when it was obvious they were holding back full strength hurt, by praising with the gentle voice they like and petting extra, adding in a belly rub or ear rub. Be consistent.
I ONLY did this because the momma was gone -- no breeder should sell a toy-size puppy before 12 weeks. That gives them the advantage of getting mom's teachings, along with sibling socialization skills and allows a more stable health situation before all contact with mom is stopped. You would be surprised at the emotional/social differences in pups allowed at least 12 weeks with the litter & mom VS pups taken away too soon. If you are in a situation that you could return the pup for another month with mom, that would be great. But usually people don't want to hear that -- so I will just give the info for future reference. |