MOUTHING AND NIPPING

Mouthing and nipping is often a problem with puppies as they are learning what is acceptable behavior. This is a behavior that can be stopped to prevent biting people or other animals. Here are a few tips for early training:

* Put a leash on a puppy when in your house to keep him or her from trying to nip at anyone or items you don’t want to have chewing marks on.
* Take the puppy or dog out for regular exercise and offer appropriate toys to gnaw on.
* A good item to relieve teething pains is a wet rag that has been wrung out and frozen. Replace it as it begins to thaw.
* If your puppy or dog playfully nips or bites at you, say “ouch!” or “no!” loudly and offer a proper chew toy.
* Use a product such as Indoor Bitter End, a bitter tasting spray training aid to discourage pets from chewing or biting. Try a little on the dog’s lip if he or she keeps trying to mouth or nip.
* Rough playing can encourage nipping and biting. Playing with the dog is good, but when aggression begins to happen, it needs to be curbed so that your dog doesn’t inadvertently begin to nip and bite out of playfulness. Back off on the playing and offer chew toys if this begins to happen. Stop bad behavior immediately. Use other commands, such as “sit” or “down” to redirect the dog’s behavior and calm him down.

JUMPING UP

Puppies and dogs will sometimes jump up on their owners or other people because they are more sociable or bold. Sometimes they do this behavior because they have associated jumping up with being rewarded by petting and praising attention. Dogs love you as their owner and often want to show their love by jumping on you. Sometimes they are just over friendly! We think it’s cute to have a puppy jumping at us, but if this behavior is allowed over a period of time it can become an annoyance. Dogs don’t understand the difference between allowing them to jump up at certain times and not other times, so teaching them not to jump is the best idea.

Jumping up gives the dog attention, so it is important how you respond. Pushing the dog away could be interpreted as a sign of play. A better idea is to teach the dog when to jump, if that is your desire, and when to stay down.

Begin teaching your dog not to jump by crouching down to his or her level to pet them. That keeps the behavior under your control. Use specific words, such as “down!” when the dog is jumping at the wrong times. Reward your dog with hugs and praise only when four feet are all on the ground so that confusion of rewards and jumping doesn’t happen.

If your dog is prone to jumping when a friend comes by, you may want to put a leash on to keep him or her from leaping up. Say “no!” or “down!” if attempts are made and use the leash to hold the dog in place. When the dog obeys, offer praise and petting to reinforce good behavior.

Dogs will not only jump on people, but on furniture if they are not taught to stay down. This is another behavior that is encouraged sometimes by visitors who think the dog is cute and cuddly. The dog reacts by jumping up on the furniture or on a person’s lap. Your command in this case needs to be “down!” or “off!” along with a gentle nudge to get the dog down on the floor. If dogs are allowed on the furniture at other times, they will not understand when suddenly they are shoved off a visitor’s lap or the furniture at other times. It is better to train the dog to stay off the furniture at all times, to avoid this confusion.

If unwanted jumping behavior continues, such as when you come home from work, you will need to try different strategies, such as ignoring the dog for a period of time when you first arrive at home. After the dog is calmer, then you should bend down and give some attention at that time.

The more you reinforce good behavior and correct bad behavior, the more your dog will respond to the good reinforcement. Be patience and practice the training often. For persistent jumpers, consider hiring a trainer to teach the dog the right behavior.