Puppy Obedience Training – Puppy Biting Problems
One of the first problems you will encounter with your new puppy is puppy chewing and biting problems. Biting and chewing is of course normal puppy behaviour. Everything is new and exciting to your puppy and your puppy is very curious about his environment and will explore everything with his mouth. Puppies also need to chew to help them with their teething problems, so always make sure your puppy has lots of suitable chews and toys to keep him happy and prevent him from chewing up your possessions. Some people make the mistake of giving their puppy an old slipper to chew but I would advise against this because how is your puppy to tell the difference between your old unwanted slipper and your brand new designer shoes! So if you do not wish to come home one day to find your best shoes all chewed up, it is prudent just to give your puppy proper puppy chews and suitable puppy toys to play with.
When puppies are still being weaned by their mother they learn to play-fight with their siblings and during these games they will often nip and bite each other. Puppies are just like children in this respect and playing and fighting is great fun for them and teaches them to how to interact at the same time. But of course as part of your puppy obedience training plan, your new puppy must learn that it is not acceptable behaviour to bite.
A good method to prevent your puppy from biting and to show him that it is not to be tolerated, is by using the Startled Surprise Method. When you are playing with your puppy and he nips or bites you, cry out OUCH!!! very loudly and stop playing with him. Your puppy will be very startled and will probably stop biting. If he does stop biting, praise and reward him. If he continues biting, you must simply get up and walk out of the room. Wait outside the door for a moment or two and then go back into the room. If you puppy is very naughty and he continues to bite you again, then simply repeat the process and walk away from him and go out of the room. You puppy will be dismayed at being left alone in the room and after you repeat this process a few times he will get the message that biting is not acceptable behaviour.
So when your puppy bites or nips you and you yell OUCH!!! and he stops biting, remember to reward and praise him. You should always praise your puppy when he does things right and give him treats and rewards. This is a much better and more humane way to carry out puppy obedience training. Yelling, shouting and getting angry with your puppy on a regular basis will only lead to your puppy growing up to fear you or dislike you. Puppies love to please and owning a puppy should be a pleasurable experience for you both. So make training fun your puppy. Be patient with your puppy, praise him, love him, reward him and you will be rewarded too with his unconditional love, loyalty and affection.
If you would like some more help with training your puppy you can find more puppy obedience training information here
Aug 20, 2009 | 0 | dog training, puppy obedience training
