biting/aggression

[KateML]

Just this past week my almost 2 year old cairn terrier mix has started to act aggressively towards me and grab my forearm with enough pressure that I feel the bite. I have used a stern voice and pushed him away then stood up and ignored him (arms crossed and no eye contact) He still jumps up at me a few times and nips at my arm before finally stopping.
Is this a good approach? any ideas, this is NOT acceptable.
Kate

[Yoda]

When he does that , grab his mouth and hold it shut for a few seconds and tell him NO in a very stern voice.

My ex used to bite my dog back and she finally stopped doing it . Im not saying to do that though.

[IRescue452]

Is there anything new in your routine that has changed since this started?

[CagneyDog]

Was he by a bone? Or being territorial over a toy or something?

[KateML]

The only thing different is we had to throw out his kong and had not yet replaced it. He actually goes through one every couple of weeks as he chews big pieces off and we have to get a new one. So not sure if he was needing stimulation, something to bite?
It has subsided this week, thank goodness.

[ginagt]

Have you seen the heavy duty kongs for aggressive chewers? They are made out of a black rubber instead of the red. You might also look into getting a bigger size kong that way he won't be able to put as much of it in his mouth and maybe reducing or at least slowing down the destruction. You might have to look online for a larger kong. I know my local Petsmart only has the large and I am using the king kong.

[KateML]

Yes he has a small reg kong which is what he loves and a medium extreme black one. For some reason they don't make the small one in the extreme black rubber and this is the size he loves as he can get it right back into his jaw and really bite. So I just keep buying new small red ones and he does play with the larger black one but its not a favorite.

[HollywoodNVegas]

I would agree that his biting may very well have to do with some territorial or dominance issue. What is his background - how long have you had him and from where did you get him, etc? There are many little factors than can effect a modification alternative.

He may be upset over his toy being thrown away.

What you can try doing is, when he goes to bite you, stand up and walk away. Avoid eye contact, avoid acknowledging him. You may want to avoid grabbing his snout - that may cause an adverse reaction from him since you don't know the cause. After a few minutes, bring your attention back to him. If he continues the behavior two more times (repeat the ignoring), then it is time for a time out. Make it positive - don't spank him into his kennel or wherever you may place him. Put him in his area and ignore him for at least five to fifteen minutes (must be quiet on his end). Then, retry it.

Avoid pulling your arm back - that gives him a sense of victory. If anything, push your arm towards him for a quicker release.

Let me know how it goes.

[KateML]

He is a shelter pup and we knew there were going to be some issues. He was found as a stray in Nunavut (Canadain north) and taken to shelter where he was for 6 weeks. They then flew him to our area shelter where he stayed for three weeks until we adopted him. He was only 11 months old and very high strung.

[Dixieland Dancer]

Originally posted by Yoda
When he does that , grab his mouth and hold it shut for a few seconds and tell him NO in a very stern voice.

My ex used to bite my dog back and she finally stopped doing it . Im not saying to do that though.

Please don't do this holding the dog's mouth shut routine! I find it on the abusive side and definitely not necessary.

An immediate and firm no with no physical contact and then a obedient position such as a firm sit or down (down preferrably) for a good minute or two should be adequate. If you are consistant when this occurs with the same response, your dog will realize this is not appropriate behavior. The key is your response and your consistent discipline.