Need advice, r we doing the right thing to stop the behavior

Jedi · New member Joined: 30 Mar 2006 Posts: 13

Hello~

We have a 7mth old pomapoo. He a loveable dog and is pretty good. but at times he gets very hyper, and he jumps towards you to bite you (playfully I am sure) and then jumps away. He is super fast and it is hard to catch him. My husband likes to catch him, pick him up and close his mouth shut and say no bite firmly. Sometimes when we put him down he will do the same thing but usually, most of the time he will go get a toy to play with. My question is by picking him up isnt that rewarding him?? And if so how should we handle this.

IF we try to point at him and say no bite, he will bark loudly at you and just keep barking till you try to catch him then he will run away. kind of like he is talking back. And if we ignore the barking he will do it for a long time and then come bite your toes or something to get your attention.

if we try to push him away he takes that as you want to play and does it even more.

I just really hate it when he is like that. any suggestions would be great. lately i have been putting him on a leash in the house so i can step on it to catch him.

Thanks for any input or advice!

Dukesdad · Posted: Mon Aug 14, 2006 9:00 pm Post subject:

I would avoid picking him up, but holding his muzzle is a good way to teach that the behavior is not acceptable. If possible, instead of picking him up, try holding him down on the floor while grabbing the muzzle with a firm "NO".
Dogs precieve most any response they get from you as positive but the reaction to the muzzle technique is buried somewhere in their psyche. Thats the way pack leaders dish out discipline in the wild.

Jamiya · Moderator Joined: 19 Mar 2004 Posts: 5593

You can also try saying something like "oh no!" and leaving the room. You need to have a door or gate or something so he can't follow. Then you come back in after a few seconds and leave again if he keeps doing it. The idea is that he gets no attention at all when he's doing it. BUT this may take many, many repetitions for it to work, and your timing needs to be good. You also gradually up the criteria - like first you come back if he's quiet for 2 seconds, then make it 5 seconds, and work up from there.

You can also try teaching him to sit when approaching a person. He can't be jumping on you and nipping at you if he's sitting.

Chezza · Posted: Wed Aug 16, 2006 8:13 am Post subject:

I would say a good sounding gruff or growl at him and say "NO".. Maybe even get a water bottle and spray him whilst saying "NO" to him..
"Naughty".. Maybe seperate him when he does it, and telling him "no" at the same time...
If its not sorted it can become a permanant habit.. Yet it may become a serious more bite..