- May 20, 2017
- Comments: 0
- Posted by: admin
If you see your puppy chewing on something they shouldn’t, never tell them off by pointing your finger towards their face as this gives off wrong signals and may even teach them to nip at your hand.
You should also never squeeze a puppy’s mouth area shut or hold them by the scruff of their necks. You should never use any physical actions or gestures towards them either – this kind of “tell off” treatment generally makes your puppies behaviour even worse.
If you decide to considering a form of “taste deterrent” to prevent your puppy from chewing on things, you should first discuss this with your vet first to make absolutely sure the products you are going to use are “puppy safe”
It is essential to start encouraging your puppy to play “non contact” games such as fetch or tug of war and also to avoid wrestling with them even if it appears as good fun!
Naturally puppies get very excited when they’re stroked and patted which more often than not can lead to them using their mouths. A really good way of getting them to remain calm is to try and distract them by showing them a puppy friendly treat. This can help a puppy to start understanding that he she can be stroked without having to nip at you or chew on your hand, and to focus more on the treat.
When your puppy does nip you, as it ultimately at some stage will, you need to loudly and clearly say “ouch!” and then walk away. This technique will surprise the pup and very soon they’ll start to get the message that nipping you is bad, nipping tipically arises when your puppy finds themselves on their own for long periods at a time, however when your puppy stops nipping you and obeys your commands, it is highly important you reward them with lots of praise, love and affection.