Puppies and Nipping

Puppies as we know play games in different ways than we do, the types of games they are used to engaging in are biting, wrestling etc. and they start playing these types of games with their pack members.

Humans often times send out the wrong messages to dogs and puppies and in the case of children, this is very common. Not all children know exactly how to handle or treat a dog and they many times end up getting nipped at.

Often times a child that reaches his or her hand over to pet and the puppy and then all of a sudden pulls his or her hand away because they are not entirely sure and secure about it might end up causing their worry to become a reality. Obviously when this happens, the reaction of a child is to start yelling and crying and running, which only causes the puppy to chase after the child and bite at them more, grab onto their clothes and pull them etc.

Ok, so you say "what should I do when the puppy does this to my kids?" well the best method to controlling this problem would be to get involved in a puppy training class. All of the family members should become involved in the training, kids included. (If you have children living in your house, this is a must). Puppies are naturally very active and like playing around, they do not always control their behavior and in the case of smaller children this can be dangerous. So becoming involved in a puppy-training program can help to prevent a lot of future problems.

Parents should never allow their children to play with a puppy or dog unsupervised. If you cannot supervise your children while they are with the dog, you should place the puppy in his crate or a puppy area away from the children. Remember that allowing a child to play with a puppy or adult dog unsupervised can cause a big unwanted accident.

Make sure to provide your puppy with plenty of exercise and that he does not get bored. A puppy that is stressed and bored or is not getting enough exercise will most likely become more aggressive. If your puppy is still aggressive despite all your efforts at providing his needs try doing the following whenever he starts to bite and nip:

• Don't grab at the puppy's face and shake your finger at him saying "No!" as this will just cause the problem to increase and make it worse, the puppy will see this as a sign of playing and will go for it even more.
• If the puppy happens to bite or nip at you or one of the family members, instead have the bit person turn his or her head away from the puppy and cross his or her arms. Ignore the puppy completely for around half a minute or until the puppy stops nipping or attempting to nip at you again. When the thirty seconds are up, pay attention to the puppy again and have give him an obedience command such as to "down", "sit", etc and once he obeys, treat him with a reward. If he bites or nips again, game time is over.
• Teach your puppy to play different types of games so that he gets plenty of exercise and attention, but do not touch him too much or tempt him.