Help I have an ankle biter!!!

chans

Hello all! I'm 20 years old and have a shih tzu poodle mix. I have had dogs before but this one is really just mine! We have done some dog training and he passed! The only main problem is his ankle biting. When we walk we will bite your feet, pants, shoes, etc. I have tried a lot of different techniques from the vinigar to the "yelping". It also happens when he gets really excited playing fetch. I am in need of some advice and tips to try! Thanks

cshellenberger

Sounds like he's doing it to get attention.

Be a tree! No looking at him, no talking to him. If that doesn't work, but a barrier between you immeadiatly, still being quiet walk into a room and close the door between you or put him in a gated off area. REWARD for NOT biting you, any time he comes up to you without biting, LOTS of praise, petting attention and yes, treats. Teeth touch cloths/skin fun ends

You MUST be ruthlessly consistant to stop this.

Curbside Prophet

I never heard of the vinegar technique...you'll have to teach me what that is. I'm surprised that yelping didn't work, but I also didn't see you use it either, so it could be something in your delivery. However, IMO, a very good technique to use in this situation is ostracism. I'm learning more and more that a dog's communication is very subtle...where a non-response can be a response. Therefore, the minute this dog bites at your ankles, end the game and walk away. This isn't going to work on the first try...it may take hundreds. However, understand that your dog does strive to read your body language, and he may just need more time to understand that you don't approve. So, my advice is to walk away and ignore him for a few minutes...you may need to remove yourself from the room and close the door behind you. Practice doing this over and over. Give it weeks if you need to. But the minute he does this, walk away.

chans

Thanks everyone for getting back to me so quick. I have tried the walking away method. The thing is when I walk away from him he is following me and as i'm walking away he continues to bite. I usually end the game (if its a tug of war time) or go into another room and shut the door.



You mix part water and part vinigar in a spray bottle. I guess you are suppose to use it to discourage bad behavior. They don't like the smell. Example if he is chewing on "X" spray "X" and he won't chew. Isn't very effective.

Curbside Prophet

Excellent points all around and how very true the above statement is. I agree, it would be much easier to show someone what to do than tell them how to do it with words. But we try the best we can, right?

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britishbandit

Ok, I have a question too. I have an "ankle biter" named Tysa...LOL. But she doesn't bite human ankles, just PJ's!!! Poor guy has teeth mark scars on the back of his legs. I can get her to stop, but getting her to not do it in the first place is proving to be a very hard task. I don't usually have problems teaching commands and training my dogs and understanding their behavior, but this one has me stumped. I've asked advice on other forums, but to no avail.

Only answers I've gotten is that she must have a "natural herding instinct".....nah, don't think that's it, or to keep them seperated.....not happening, she's not trying to murder him, just the occasional ankle bite. LOL But something I do want to try and sort out regardless.

So, any new suggestions? She has also tried this on a few occasions with Maya, who is only 14 weeks old, but that only happens on the rare occasion if they are outside together and Tysa gets over excited and spunky.
And, although Maya will give a little yelp, Tysa doesn't bite hard like she does on PJ, and hasn't broken any skin from it on Maya. I'm sure as Maya gets bigger she will though.

Oh, guess I should add that Tysa will do this to PJ whether he is in the house or outside. And for no apparent reason that I can tell. Sometimes he'll just be standing looking out the window (nothing there, and he's standing perfecly still, and being quiet), and she'll go over and nab him one. Other times she'll do it when they play, and sometimes when he's getting attention and she's not, and at the gate if someone walks up towards the house.

DogAdvocat

I'm a big fan of distraction followed by alternative commands followed by praise. For ankle biting, whether it be on humans or on "PJ" (which I assume is either pajamas or another animal), I'd use distraction in order to get the dog's attention refocused, then give an alternate command. Now the trick is to know what kind of distraction to use. One that's been effective on my dogs is a loud noise - just one sharp loud noise. A loud "AAAACK" can work, or a hand clap, or a hand slap on a counter, or one of my favorites is a plastic baseball bat (kids toy), slammed down on a flat surface. This is even effective in housebreaking issues because if it's used while the dog is in mid-pee, the muscles flex and the dog stops peeing.

I do want to do a disclaimer on this - it's important to know the temperament of the dog that you're doing this with. I would never do it with a overly submissive dog or a dog that tends to have fear issues. But a dog that is well-adjusted will often stop what it's doing, look at you and wag - as long as the dog doesn't associate the sound or the tool with being hit. The idea is not not scare, but just to get immediate attention, and then do the normal alternate command (sit), and praise (good boy, sit).

For many of these ankle biters, whether herding behavior or not, they tend to do it from behind their person, making it impossible to even reach them. Attempting to do so just makes the person angrier, and until the dog realizes that anger, the dog think's it's just a big game. It can only end badly. But a loud noise puts a stop to it immediately, and prevention depends on the ability of the person to be able to read their dog, and predict when the dog starts thinking about biting/nipping. Redirecting immediately, into a praise-able activity will solve that problem.

britishbandit

I understand what you are saying DogAdvocat and PJ is a dog, not my pajamas...LOL. I didn't pick his name, that was it when I got him at 7 months and just kept it. Although most of the time I call him "Peej" or "Peejypoo"...HAHA

As I mentioned, I can get her to stop doing it, but getting her not to do it in the first place is the problem. It takes only a spit second for her to go from laying down at my feet, to a quick snap at his hind leg. It really is driving me insane (not to mention PJ). And yes, it is ALWAYS the hind legs she goes for.

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