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Originally Posted by FlDebra  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. |
I have watched my mothers train their puppies and this is the manner in which they do it. They will also growl a very low growl as awarning before they nip at them. She will take each puppy and roll them onto their back and hold them there. All of this is part of socializing them into the pack and teaching them to be submissive.
Here is a link to some exercises that you can do to help with the training.
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