Helpline: My Puppy Bites Me!! =(

 

Ok, this is just an exaggeration.

Does your puppies' teeth and you skin seem to have an affinity for each other? Mouthing and Nipping is very common for puppies (especially when they're teething or changing into adult teeth!) but aggressive biting and growling is not. Either way, teeth and skin should NEVER go together. Today we'll talk about the problem of mouthing and nipping in puppies.  

Mouthing and nipping are two different issues. Mouthing is more of a communication skill to express a need or confusion or to simply gain your attention. It usually involves lesser force and pressure, but still really annoying and can escalate into a ruckus if we unknowingly encourage it! Nipping, on the other hand, is a puppy thing; it involves slightly more pressure. When your puppy still hung out with his litter-mates, he nipped during play and to determine his rank. When you bring your puppy home, this behavior continues. Nipping puppies are bossy and manipulative and need a firmer regimen.

To correct these behaviors, your want to create a cause-and-effect in your puppies' minds, at the same time, you do not want him/her to think that the effect is coming from you. Any reaction that you give to your puppy is a form and attention and it encourages whatever action (or state of mind) your dog is doing (or in). We need our doggies to learn that nipping and mouthing is not a fun thing to do at all. 


Please note that it is inhumane to correct a puppy younger than 3 months as they do not have the capacity to understand the concept of "wrong". Correcting them at this phase will scar your pup permanently and erode his/her trust in you! (:

Young puppies mouth a lot. They mouth when playing, and they also mouth to

communicate their needs (much like barking).
If your puppy starts mouthing, ask yourself these questions: Is he hungry or thirsty? Does he need to pee/poop? Is he tired? Does he need to play? 

Remember, puppies mouth when they have a need (even if the need is attention).

Here are some steps you could follow:

1. If your puppy doesn’t need anything and he still won’t quit, crate or isolate him with a favorite toy. Don’t scold your puppy as you isolate him. We do not want your pup to see the crate as a negative object. Calmly place the puppy in his area. 
2. Encourage you pup to lick you instead. We like to use the word "Love-Love" whenever our pup licks us. You can try rubbing some butter or honey on your your skin to get him/her to lick you, he/she will slowly learn to lick instead of nipping/mouthing!
3. It is important to ignore your pup when he/she is nipping softly. Keep your hand still.
4. If this situation escalates, turn quickly to him/her and say "NO!"is a firm voice. Stare at him/her for a few seconds. Do not be the one that breaks eye contact. (Most pups will look away quickly)
5. Refocus his mind with a "Love-Love" command (or the word of your choice) to let him/her understand you both would appreciate the licking more than nipping.
6. If your pup still persists, try spraying some "bitter-spray" (natural ingredients only, please) on your skin. Or giving a slight tug on your pup's collar.
7. If necessary, crate your pup. Remember, stay calm.

Other important points to note:

1. Changing a Pup's behavior requires consistency. Stay firm with the rules, do not relent.Otherwise, your dog will learn that rules are not meant to be followed.
2. Postpone all games of "confrontational" nature to a later age. These games include wrestling, tug of war, chasing your puppy around, and teasing. These games teach puppies to challenge you, to be confrontational, to be dominant!
3. Bitter-Sprays can be lifesavers, spray it on objects that your dog seem to like to nip on, be it the coffee table, electrical wire casings or your hands.
4. Using a lead/short leash at home, to give a quick tug if you catch him/her nipping anything.
5. If he continues to nip, ask yourself these questions: Do I look convinc-
   ing? Am I tugging or pulling? (Pulling encourages play.) Is my puppy taking
   me seriously? 
6. Always consult a professional (dog trainer/behaviorists) if in any doubt. Do not "correct" your pup too harshly.

We sure hope these little pointers helped! :D

Every doggy can be the sunshine of our lives, strict rules and boundaries just need to be enforced right from the start.

An ill-trained doggy will have  more tendencies to make mistakes, and both you and the doggy will end up feeling frustrated and upset!

Lets aim to put that to a minimum!  :D

Do keep the helpline suggestions coming in! (:

Featured Doggy: Yorkshire Terriers

The Yorkshire Terrier AKA Yorkie is a breed of dogs belong to the Toy Group, they are one of the smallest dogs in the world. Originally from the UK, the Yorkshire Terrier was developed from a combination of Scottish and English black-and-tan terriers, Maltese, and the now extinct Clydesdale Terrier. From each litter the smallest dogs were selected for breeding, and gradually to the Yorkie we know and love today!

Yorkies are born Black and Tan/Golden and their coat will usually turn steel-blue/blue/gray (a good estimate would be the colour of their parents!) as they mature.

They are spirited, bold, adventurous and highly intelligent! Do not let their size fool you, if their human do not lead them like a pack leader does, they will start to take over! This usually leads to snappy behavior and even aggression!

Because they are so smart, they learn tricks and commands really quickly, they also quickly learn how humans react to his/her behavior. As they are pure terriers, they tend to be independent and might not like to follow commands. The trick is to use motivation, things he/she likes, to get him to do the action that you want. Then, slowly phase out instant gratification and practice delayed gratification. Your yorkie will be an angel in no time =) They definitely require us humans to be firm and disciplined. Yorkies are ideal for lively owners who appreciates their bubbly character!

Yorkies are tiny dogs which requires owners to be gentle when handling them. As a generally rule, the smaller the dog, the less sturdy the dog is, so supplements should be considered for this breed of dogs. As their bones and body parts are more fragile than larger dogs, it is not advised to walk them with a collar as it might damage their trachea.

(Putting a leash on a dog's collar is advised for other dogs as it encourages obedience and gives a better window for correction of unwanted behavior. Even though a harness encourages pulling, it is recommended for smaller dogs as it is gentler on their necks. Therefore, owners should pay EXTRA attention to your Yorkie during walks and not let them walk in front of you, pulling you, tugging you!)

The cuter the dog (yorkies are insanely cute if you haven't noticed) the more likely the owner is going to baby the furry companion. This is psychologically very unhealthy for a dog! Do not tolerate any signs of dominance and correct it at once! If you catch your dear lil' doing something he's not suppose to do, no matter how cute it looks, (of course please use compassion and logic to evaluate what is wrong or right for a dog to do) correct him/her with any humane technique to let him know that this particular behavior is unacceptable!

Here in Singapore, it is recommended that Yorkies' coats be clipped short for practical reason. That said, regular brushing is needed to prevent their coats from tangling or matting!

Yorkies are available here at PreciousPups, contact us if are interested!