Overview
Stop your dog bitting with this dog training exercise, taken from the Dog Training Planner.
Curbing play-biting, mouthing, and nipping is the top priority for new puppy parents. Consistency and a positive, gentle approach allow us to quickly and effectively teach a puppy to make the right choices. The emphasis is on teaching the puppy the appropriate behaviours, instead of correcting them for making reasonable mistakes. Remember that puppies love to interact with their human(s) in all sorts of ways, and learn from every interaction that we have with them.
As an alternative to using aversive punishment, this multi-faceted approach allows us to creatively connect with our dogs by employing positive reinforcement and harnessing a relationship that is based on trust and respect.
Your puppy is likely to nip or bite because they’re teething. It is important to remember not to punish them for this behaviour as this can make the problem worse.
Video
If you scroll down a bit, you’ll see that I’ve written out all the steps from the video for you. I know. I know. I really am that nice (lol).
Videos are great if you’re a visual learner!
Most people learn dog training drills best by first watching a video tutorial, and then having the written steps available during the training session, so they don’t get confused (Hey, if you want to completely avoid confusion, you might like to get your paws on my Dog Training Planner).
Illustrated Cheat Sheet
I hope you like my illustrated cheat sheet. Feel free to download it for personal use. It includes a painting I created for it (you can see my dog art here).
One Step At A Time
Hey, if you don’t want to download and use the illustrated guide above, I’ve also included all the steps below for you. I’ve done you a huge psychological favour by hiding each step (except the first one).
Complete a step before opening the next one.
This one-step-at-a-time philosophy dramatically increases your chances of completing all the steps.
3 Ways To Stop Your Dog Biting: No + Ouch + Teething Toy
Step 1: No!
Use a stern voice to say, “No” when your dog bites.
Step 2: Ouch
Every time your dog bites, or nips at you, make an ‘ouch’ sound. It needs to be loud enough for the dog to hear, but make sure it isn’t aggressive or punishing in any way.
You want the dog to realise that biting can hurt you.
Step 3: Teething Toy
Whenever your dog begins to bite or nip, distract them with a teething toy.
Repeat until the behaviour stops.
Puppies may often bite, or nip because they are teething. Be sure to have teething toys available and do not punish your dog for biting. It is important to shape the behaviour you desire with positive reinforcement.
Before you go, read on to discover the secret sauce to dog training success...
Loving Leadership
Have a philosophy of loving leadership when training your dog.
As a loving leader, you should be constantly working on the communication pathways with your dog. At the bare minimum, your dog should also have some basic commands such as the lie-down command, sit command, and stay command.
When your dog knows a few basic dog obedience commands he or she will feel loved because they know what you want and have no anxiety or fear about what they should be doing and when.
Once your dog has a few commands under his or her belt (I mean, collar), practice behaviour dog training, command dog training and tricks dog training regularly to ensure your dog is physically and mentally healthy. As you are probably acutely aware, untrained dogs have a way of taking over the control of a home if not taught otherwise (which can be a nightmare). A trained dog, however, will bring years of doggie love to your household.
Pssst. Don't tell anyone, but you can become a loving leader by getting your paws on my Dog Training Planner. You can get my Dog Training Planner for a limited time at a 70% discount.
