[CorinaT]

Good morning friends! I'm a newbie so please forgive me in advance for bringing up problems that I'm sure have already been discussed and dissected before! I have a 13 month old Yorkie named Ricki who incessantly bites and scratches feet, ankles, toes and shins. He is not an aggressive dog and does this purely for attention. Ignoring him is out of the question because it is extremely painful and must be stopped because l live with my Mom who has diabetes and Ricki has often made her feet and legs bleed which is very dangerous to her health. An infection in her legs and/or feet could eventually lead to amputated limbs!!! My Mom can barely walk and has no means of controlling Ricki once he starts nipping and scratching her. Ricki is rarely punished (unless you count ignoring him) l prefer to use positive reinforcement, but in this case, l need something immediate to stop him. I use the loud NO followed by my quieter DON'T TOUCH command while Mom is yelling OWWWWW! He usually pays attention to DON'T TOUCH but not in this case. How do people feel about using a water bottle in this case? I've always been against this method of training considering it harsh punishment, but I'm at my wits end! I've tried rubbing tea tree oil on her feet and legs, I've tried pennies in a can, I've tried time outs - nothing has worked so far! Please help me with your experience because this is my little boy that l love dearly, not having children of my own! But l may have to rehome him if l cannot fix this problem because, of course, l will not put my Mom's health in jeopardy!