[new2dogs]

My 4-1/2 month old Tibetan Spaniel mix puppy used to nip/bite a lot when i first got him a couple of months ago, but has been improving since the day we brought him home(nipping/biting less frequently, being more calm overall). However, just recently he began nipping alot more (as much if not more than when i first got him). I noticed that his puppy teeth were coming out (few loose teeth and a couple already fell out) and was wondering if that could be the cause of the increased biting. What steps should i take? I'm worried that he will continue this behavior and his improvement in behavior over the past couple of months has been reversed.

 

[cshellenberger]

The Bite Stops Here is a great exercise for getting him to stop biting you just need to be consistent. Has anybody been playing with him in a way that he'd think it was ok for him to nip/bite? if so, they need to stop or your progress will be lost.

 

[Clankz]

A dominance issue may be surfacing as well. Be sure to let your pup know who the "pack leader" in fact is. Laying your pup gently on his back and placing your hand gently a top his chest area may help a bit (helped with my Pit pups when they were young).

 

[cshellenberger]

Do Not Alpha roll this pup!!! This has nothing to do with dominance, it's a rule thing ONLY. If you want to set yourself up as a good leader to your dog, use this NILIF (nothing in life is free) and this Doggy Zen to teach the dog what is expected of it. TRAINING will do far more than dominating a dog, leadership should never be forced whether it's with people or dogs.

 

[Corteo]

Agreed. Right on Carla

 

[jesirose]

A dominance issue may be surfacing as well. Be sure to let your pup know who the "pack leader" in fact is. Laying your pup gently on his back and placing your hand gently a top his chest area may help a bit (helped with my Pit pups when they were young).

No, no, no.

Google "bite inhibition" and do the bite stops here game. Puppy play biting and teething have NOTHING to do with dominance, and even when it comes to "dominance" issues (such as resource gaurding) alpha rolls do not help.

 

[new2dogs]

Thanks for all the information. He's not very nippy to me, but with my girlfriend he can get pretty bad (broke skin a few times). I'm not sure why the behavior seems to be directed more toward my girlfriend than anyone else (happens whether i'm around or not). As for other family members and strangers he meets, he is pretty friendly. I read some articles on bite inhibition when I first got him and have been trying to apply it to my pup (could be the reason for the improvement in behavior I saw).