Phoenix is nipping : (

[Den Anne Pen]

Maybe someone can help me.

Phoenix {9 mths) jumps up and nips when i come home i know he's excited but he does'nt stop i have to hold him down or he'll keep going.

He is VERY hyper with the dogs too but they put him in his place. I use a sqirt bottle to disapline my dogs BUt he does'nt care it does'nt bother him it seems like he thinks i'm playing
Basenjis hate water so i don't get it.

I tell him NO and sqirt him it he does'nt listen i have also tryed the time out thing but that does'nt work eithier so i'm not sure what else i can do for him to get it in his STUBORN head that nipping is'nt right. IT hurts pretty bad yesterday he got me in the boob.

He usally does'nt jump except when i get home because the other 2 do i don't mind that but i just don't want him to nip while doing it.

Denver nipped for alittle while when he was little but after about 2 weeks he got the hint

I know the other people that had him would just say no and it that did'nt work they'd put a muzzle on him.

So i think that's why it's alittle harder because he was'nt tought that it's not right when he was younger

Does anybody have any suggestions on this He's driving me Crazy

[lv4dogs]

When he jumps up on you try telling him "off" instead of down. This way he won't be confused with down (as in getting off) and laying down. This is mighty helpful for when you need him to get off the bed or couch or counters or whatever too.
A good way to get him started is to gently Knee him in the chest, just enough to push him off of you, while saying off.


As for the nipping try yelping like a dog when they get hurt. Everytime he nips yelp really loud.

[Den Anne Pen]

Thank you luv4dogs but I tried the yelping thing and he thought i was playing he went into his puppy dance i talked to a trainer today and she suggested to put bitter apple spray in his mouth when he does it.

I"m not sure about that suggestion i want him to stop but i really don't think spraying that in his mouth is going to work i think he'll just not greet me at the door because he'll think he's going to get that stuff in his mouth.

Does anybody have any other suggestions?

[K9soul]

Well, one question that immediately comes to mind is do you talk to him and give him any kind of attention when you first get home? If you do, this could well be exacerbating and encouraging the problem. Awhile back, we started ignoring our dogs when we first came home for the first 10-15 minutes until they had settled down and gone off to lay down. Then we call them to us for pats and attention. They weren't nipping but Tasha was bad at jumping and both of them were shoving and competing to get scratches and attention. Doing this for awhile completely solved that problem. Now when we get home they run up to greet us and then almost immediately go back to what they were doing. We took the "drama" out of homecoming and they aren't so frantic now when we get home. We call them individually and they don't both come and compete for attention because if they do, we ignore the one who is being pushy until he/she gives up and goes off to lay down.

I wouldn't do the bitter apple spray in his mouth. If I were you I think I'd start out by coming in the door and the moment he starts jumping or nipping, I'd turn around and walk right back out and close the door, wait 30 seconds or so, and come in again. I'd rinse and repeat until he got the message, that the jumping/nipping just made you go away and didn't get him attention (either positive or negative attention). I'm not sure how persistent he is and it might really be tiring to do this at first, but I think if you are persistent it will pay off and he will start understanding that he needs to be calm and cool before he will get attention when you come home.

I hope these ideas will help in some way

[Den Anne Pen]

Thank you K9 I'm going to try the leaving thing when he does it. they do know to wait till i call them to get attention when i get home. i know he's just excited and i don't care so much about the jumping up but it's the nipping i don't like he does'nt care if it your leg, arm, belly, boob ect.
I think he thinks it playing
I've heard if they take a pup to early from it mom and siblings that they don't learn the playing behavoir that's excepted.
I wonder if this has anything to do with it.
He also can play pretty ruff with Cheyanne and Aspen too.