Dog Trainer Camperdown – Eazy Dog Training Sydney – Stop Nipping

Advice from a Dog Trainer in Camperdown – How to Stop Nipping

Eazy Dog Training Sydney offers home training, puppy schools, manners and agility classes in Sydney. If you’re looking for an experienced trainer, contact your local dog trainer in Camperdown today!

First, nipping and mouthing is completely normal canine behaviour. However, it can develop into a serious problem if reinforced and allowed to continue into adulthood. An adult dog’s mouthing is a lot stronger than a puppy’s, so even when it’s just part of normal canine play style, it can still cause damage and pain to humans. After all, there’s no such thing as puppy biting. It’s just a puppy that’s doing it at the time but if allowed, you’ll soon have an adult dog doing the same thing… With a lot more strength!

If a puppy is not taught from day one that mouthing/nipping is inappropriate, they will continue into adulthood.

Some dogs like to use their mouth more than others but every dog should be taught boundaries. Puppy mouthing and nipping should never be allowed with humans. Other dogs and toys are for that reason! All though, most mouthing and nipping is just playful behaviour, it can easily get out of hands if a dog gets overly excited. Some working dogs, especially herding breeds such as Border Collies, Australian Shepherds and kelpies will sometimes try and nip at a person’s feet, mimicking the cattle herding behaviour they were bred for.

How Can I Teach My Dog To Stop Nipping?

• If your pup nips or mouths you at any time, withdraw all attention immediately and walk out of the room. Wait outside for a minute or two and then come back in the room. If the nip happens again repeat the same exercise until your dog realises that it’s the nipping that stops all interaction. This must be consistent! Everyone needs to have the same rules for the puppy.
• Get your dog plenty of chew toys to redirect the nipping onto something more appropriate.
• Teach your dog games such as fetch or go find instead of rough wrestling.
• You can play tug of war but it must be done with boundaries. A dog should never get over aroused to the point that they don’t listen to you anymore.