Poky is biting at my ankles, HELP Well this is my second post. Still trying like the Dickens to House Train this little guy, but now we have a new item to think about. Poky gets really excited, as I know all puppies will do, but I would like suggestions on how to stop him from nipping at my hands, and ankles when I am trying to let him out. We put him on a tether, and while doing this he knips at the fingers, ok tell him no and he thinks we are playing. The newest is he likes to knip at ones ankles while walking. He is just a little guy, but he can certainly let you know that he is there if you know what I mean. I think he is just playing, but I really need to know how to stop this before it gets out of hand. Any suggestions welcome. |
LOL. We have the same problem with Dudley and he is 3yrs. old. I have a gate seperating the livingroom from the familyroom and when you go through it to go get the mail or whatever, he nearly eats your ankles off. I think he is playing too, but it hurts like heck. Nothing seems to work. I try to sneak out when he is in another room. lol!!! |
It's probably an impulse control problem more than anything. Dogs and kids and a lot of us adults don't have much of it sometimes! I would start with the Nothing In Life Is Free method of dealing with him by just Googling the term and reading from the sites about how to start your dog looking to you as his leader and establishing you as a pack leader in his eyes. This buys you respect in his estimation, someone to be looked up to, obeyed. Start some just basic obedience to help him learn to do what you say. In the Library Section of YorkieTalk are some basic obedience lessons to just teach the basics of sit, stay, lie down, etc., and to get him learning that doing what you say reaps an instant food or toy reward and praise from his leader. Below is the link to that Page. Go down to Guide Part V. http://www.yorkietalk.com/forums/pup...w-parents.html Once he's got the basics of obedience down and is respecting you as a pack leader, teach him "Leave It!". That is the thing that you can now start to teach him to stop what he is doing and when he does, he is instantly rewarded. That can apply to his chewing on shoes, going after a dropped pill of yours or - biting, nipping at feet and ankles. I will post a technique I have used for the "Leave It!" in a separate post. That is how I would approach the problem. Another thing to try might be stopping all play and activity and stand still, totalling ignoring the dog with folded arms and a complete cessation of attention as soon as the dog starts to nip but I've found that if the dog has poor impulse control, he will just keep nipping as you stand there, though if you keep it up long enough, he will eventually get bored and stop the nipping. And then when you start to walk again, he starts over. You stop again, fold the arms, ignore. In time, that technique can work though it is a slow way to do it for some dogs. I will post the "Leave It!" teaching technique that works fastest for me in a bit. P. S. Be sure and keep the obedience and all training fun and positive for the doggie! Good luck. |
LEAVE IT: I taught Tibbe using the trade-out method.Gave him a toy to take in his mouth as I hid a treat behind my back. When he dropped the toy in his routine play, I said "Leave it", immediately gave him the treat. Repeated over & over for a few times each session for a couple of days. He soon was dropping his toy on his own, trying to get a treat but he didn't, only got one when he responded to my instruction to do so. After a time as he was playing with a toy, I would say "Leave it" before he got the chance to drop it on his own and if he dropped & looked at me, I instantly treated him & praised him with a "Good boy"and would repeat the exercise again. Once I gave the command and he didn't drop it on command, I would say "uh oh" & turn away from him to start to let him know that "uh oh" meant no attention and no treat. After a minute -60 seconds, would turn back around and start over with "Leave it" and keep going through the treating/praising if he did drop it & turn to me and"uh oh", no treat & turning away if he didn't. At this point in the training, after he'd started learning to drop the toy as a result of the verbal command to "Leave it", if he dropped it on his own to get a treat, he got none. I only treated when I had said "Leave it", as this starts teaching him at this stage in the training that responding to the command is what gets him the treat now. Later, I would put toy on the floor & tell him to "Leave it", treating him if he avoided taking it in his mouth. Once he got very good at leaving it - dropping the toy on command, I would hold two treats, one in each hand, offering him one and holding one out in front of me so he could see it. Once he took the first treat, I would say "Leave it". He didn't know any better at first & his first reflex was eat treats, at which time I would say "uh oh", retract the hand with the second treat & turn away. Eventually once he dropped the first treat, he got the other offered treat immediately and big, big praises. Dropping food out of its mouth on command is a big step forward in the "Leave it" training. That is VERY BIG. Immediately I got two more treats, offered him one, held the other out in the other hand so he could see it and said"Leave it". He ate the first treat immediately! That's how it goes.So, I said "Uh on", turned away, retracting the hand with the other treat, waited 60 seconds then turned back & got another treat, started over with "Leave it". Eventually, he got it - a game - when playing"Leave it", you drop whatever you are given - whatever it is - even food - and you will immediately get a second treat. And big big big praises & happiness from mommy! Then I would place the treat on the floor and tell him to "Leave it", praising if he did. After a while, I even tried him on chicken pieces. He learned to drop a piece of chicken when I said "Leave it", because he knew he would get the second piece in my hand instantly! I could place the meat on the floor in front of him and he would back off if I said "Leave it". He did it to get the piece he knew was waiting - that piece of chicken & the praise. You can literally train a dog to do anything, even delay instant food gratification if you are patient, keep the sessions very short & let them know that if there is no proper response, no treat/praise is forthcoming but, oh, boy, if they do leave it, the reward is immediate & good! The last piece you have to know is when you use the "Leave it"command in a non-training way as when the dog picks up a sock or a dropped pill, always go get them a good treat & praise, praise, praise when they do drop the object. ALWAYS get them their treat. I don't care if you are ill - get the dog his treat & praise him lovingly. It will keep the lesson in his head that dropping the object or food in his mouth is the thing to do as he's ALWAYS going to get his reward/praise and a happy, happy mommie. There are many ways to do this lesson so as others give their methods, pick what best works for you and your dog. I prefer not to tap my dog on the nose or otherwise discipline him if he doesn't ignore or drop the object, though some do. With some nervous dogs that can cause them to become a little gunshy of the lesson. Make a game of it, keep it short, stay patient & repeat the game frequently- even when he is old. Hope he learns it well. It can save his life. Once he's learned "Leave It!", you can use that term when he is nipping at ankles, fingers or licking you obsessively or whatever to get him to stop, back off and get his treat and praise of "Oh, you good boy!". |
I need to use this advice with Joel, even though he's one now he still nips at my ankles only when he really wants to play and I'm walking away. He has gotten a lot better and stops when I tell him no. But it's hard because when he does it to someone else they really stop and play with him:eek: So first I have to get the humans to quit making it worse! lol |
Thank you for all your suggestions Have started working with Poky. Hoping to cure this problem. Thank you for everyones suggestions. Love the little Devil, but he sure has a different personality then the Bichons that I have had. |
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