Dog nipping after being teased

[sirrahved]

Hey everyone!

Our pastor has a pug, female, that is about three years old. She was recently tormented by some people while she was out in the yard (they threw water balloons at an eight pound dog!) and she has been nipping people ever since. She nipped me on our first encounter. She hasn't just been nipping strangers, though. She nipped someone who visits her on a weekly basis.

Any advice?

[lizbud]

If this incident was a one time thing, than I don't think it's the
reason the dog nips. People constantly playing with the dog's
face could cause nipping, or teasing him with a toy around his
face.

[elizabethann]

That's awful! The poor pug! What idiot would throw water balloons at a poor defenseless pug? They have breathing issues as it is and they don't need someone throwing water at them!

Sorry, but I ADORE pugs and it just makes me mad to hear that!





Perhaps you can just be patient and gentle with her and offer her food when she doesn't nip or is behaving nicely? Good luck.

[KYS]

That is so sad.
Sounds like she is fearfull now and needs
to learn to trust people again.
Poor baby.

[lola_520]

my puppies were out in the yard one time and some really mean people were in my back yard kicking the pups and trowing baseball balls at the dogs and whn I came home I saw them but they ran before I saw who they were my pups were sad and were biting too I don't know what to do either!!

[Lescoop77]

I can relate to this one - about a year ago I went out in the yard to find my neighbor kids poking at Pandy through the fence - she was barking w/ hair raised etc. I'm sure this had happened before - but ever since then she nips/bites kids - especially if they are running anywhere near her.

I had her evaluated and he told me that she probably wasn't weaned from the mother at a young enough age ( I got her at 8 weeks, he told me they should be taken at 4-6). Said that the kids aren't the sole reason she's nipping but it doesn't help either. He also said that something must have happened to her as a puppy, like either she was kicked, held too much, pulled on etc. by kids and she remembers that. She is 2 1/2 years old and said that even though it seems like it just started ( which it did out of the blue) since she is getting "older" she feels more confident to bite. He suggested basic obedience classes.