August 1st, 2010 by Jenny

My lab pointer likes to nip and bite, she is a very frolicsome dog but what she doesn’t realize is that her tiny nips and bites can do some damage to my skin and other peoples’ skin.  Although nipping and biting is fun and innocuous in a puppydog or kitten, it is not when a full-grown dog with full-grown fangs does it.  

It is very important to keep your pet under control and train them when they’re young so they know what behavior is acceptable and what isn’t.  Worse yet, if your pet starts off believing that nipping and biting is okay it can become more assertive behavior, so to stop the nipping and biting by following these steps.  

One way to stop your pet’s constant nipping and biting is to provide them with enough toys that they can play with and put in their mouth.  When my dogs were puppies I regularly let them bite or nip on my fingers , however , you do not need to permit them to try this all the time because they will think your fingers are there for them to chew.  Providing them with enough toys to pinch and bite gets their mind off of your fingers.  For dogs, rubber toys or rawhide bones are perfect for them to chew.  For cats, a rag or play mouse is ideal for them to play with.  

The next time your pet makes an attempt to nip or bite your fingers, let out a yelp similar to the sound of another animal.  If your pet believes they have hurt you, they will realize that biting or nipping at your fingers is not a good thing to do.  They may even lick your fingers.  When your pet stops after your howl, make sure you give them a pleasant pat or a treat.  

This next method always worked for me.  An easy, loud, and firm NO! And ignoring them for one or two minutes always seemed to do the trick.  The firmness and solemnity of your voice will alert your pet to the proven fact that biting and nipping on you isn’t acceptable.  And when you stop playing with them they feel ignored and eventually will associate your dissatisfaction with their nipping and biting.  You may grab their collar, look them strongly in the eye and shake them sharply informing them who the director is.

Go to my dog barking at night blog get much more articles on Training a Doberman.