Cavecanem or anybody else that could help

[My_chestnut_mare]

Saffy my pup is doing fantastic but i can not get her out of the habit of biting when you try to pet her sometime. Also she is ruining my daughters clothes(not bothered about the clothes)by biting her legs of her trousers as she is walking or if emily is walking saffy sometimes jumps up and catches her sleeve on her jumper and pulls and tugs at it .

How can i stop her with this or will she just grow out of it?
I have told Saffy NO! firmly but she must think im playing as she starts barking at me and jumping up.

 

[Colleen_Miss_Tom]

Have you tried a loud noise every time she goes to grab hold of clothes ? if you have wooden floors, drop keys . Or possible a bottle with stones, something that will rattle . Once she goes to grab hold either throw the keys or shake the bottle whilst giving a firm " NO !! " .

What age is saffy ? .

Col x

 

[My_chestnut_mare]

hi saffy is 13 weeks today so she still learning but a habit i want to nip in the bud now.

 

[FinnishLapphund]

When it happens, stop moving and stand/sit dead still, since it sounds as if voice commands or anything just triggers her more. It might take a while but she will learn that biting when being patted or pulling and tugging in clothes = no fun and no response.


Randomly praise her with a calm but happy voice when you see her being calm, e.g. when she is laying resting, praise her a little but if she gets up, you stop. Continue until she understands that laying calm = being a good girl. It might not seem to have any connection and maybe it doesn't but just like some small children thinks sleeping/resting = boring and playing = fun, it doesn't hurt teaching our dogs that resting also equals fun but in a different way.

 

[My_chestnut_mare]

OOOOOH thank you both very much that is really really good advice.

Cant wait to start trying it to morrow. Have already put some wee stones in to a plastic bottle.

like the idea of the stay still dont move.

thanks

 

[Booboos]

When she nips at people give a high pitched squeele and keep your hand (or whatever she is nipping) right down there without pulling it back. You don't want to pull back because this makes it a tug or chase game. You want to squeele as high as possible because this indicates to the dog 'you have really hurt me, this was not play'. You may notice that the first couple of times she will give you a bit of a quizzical look as if to say 'you hurt easy!'. Keep it up and you will teach her that you are very sensitive to bites and she must be extra careful. It's really worth percevering with this exercise as it teaches them bite inhibition.


For biting objects like trouser legs: personally I don't like the word 'no' because it is too common, everyone says it all the time and it loses its significance. Pick a neutral and weird word (I use ''uh, ah") and use it to mean 'whatever you are doing, stop it because if you do not stop I will stop you". The important thing here is to say the word in a nice, calm manner and if she continues the behaviour drop anything you might be doing to get her to stop. If she is biting your trousers, say the no word, then gently disentangle her from your trousers, if she comes again repeat, keeping very still, refusing to turn it into a game. It's really important that you always follow through with the no word, so that the dog learns that when you say it, one way or another the behaviour will stop (which is why 'no' is not a good word for this, we throw it around all the time).


Hope this works for you.

 

[CorvusCorax]

Hi there, sorry I never got back, nothing to add, you got some great advice

 

[My_chestnut_mare]

hi cc no worries. Yes brilliant advice and she has been really good as i have tried it today