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Ask Yvette

Dear Yvette,

We have a 3 month old male Yorkie-poo and are looking for the best way to get him to break the habit of chewing on our fingers and toes. He has lots of chew toys and does use them, but when we are playing or holding him he always goes for the fingers and toes to chew on. Any ideas of getting him to break this habit? Thank you, Andrea

Dear Andrea,

Dogs, and especially puppies are very oral in their play. If you have had a chance to attend a puppy class that incorporates some playtime between the puppies, you have no doubt witnessed some of the interaction. Many people are in obvious discomfort as they watch their little ball of fluff engage in mouth wars.

This does not mean that as an owner you ignore it. Many people however do seem to take comfort in knowing that playing in this manner is normal for most puppies. Normal can often be distinguished by the severity of bites, and the context. For example, a young puppy that lip curls and snaps when you touch them or take away a bone is extreme and needs the intervention of a professional to assess the problem.

What you have described is a puppy that is doing normal puppy stuff. There are many ways of dealing with the problem. Most of these focus on teaching a puppy that there should be no biting. The method I prefer is a little more complicated, but it teaches more. It teaches a dog to be gentle with their mouth.

Why is this important? Because most people do give their dogs treats at least on occasion, and some dogs with rough mouths learn to stop biting. The dogs do not learn how to take things gently.

Start by focusing on situation where your puppy is rough. Using a combination of timeouts and praise, you can communicate to your pet when things are crossing the line. For most puppies, this is the worst 25% of nips or bites. As you play, as soon as you feel a rough bite, say, “Ouch.” It doesn't have to be stern, but your puppy needs to notice. Then say, “Timeout.” You can whisper this because the power is not in the word, but in the consequence. Then either leave your puppy, or place her in a timeout area for a maximum of 2 minutes.

After a week, you should notice that your puppy is choosing not to interact roughly. At that point, you can get pickier and go after some of the milder nips. Over the course of about 4 weeks, you should be at the place where your puppy shows good inhibition.

Be picky on the steps. Each component is there for a reason. The 2 minutes is there because any longer and most puppies will begin to entertain themselves. It is completely counterproductive to set up a situation where your puppy learns how to have fun during a time-out. Time-outs should be boring. The “Ouch” marks the moment a puppy nips too hard. You do need to follow-up. Failure to follow through with the timeout will only teach your puppy that “Ouch” means nothing of consequence. The word “timeout,” will also take on meaning. Your puppy will learn that when you say, “Timeout,” they lost the privilege of playing with you. More important, your puppy will learn that if the word is missing, the hands coming towards him are probably leading to good things. It's a little thing, but it is important to have a dog that lets you grab their collar during recalls.

In addition to the time-out exercises, playing games like settle and sit are great. I also recommend collar grab exercises for all puppies – they are invaluable. For dogs that are mouthy with food, exercises like, “leave it,” and “gentle” can make a big difference. Oddly, a simple trick can also have a big impact on nippy mouths. Teaching a puppy to touch the palm of your hand has had a significant effect on many puppies in my classes. The puppy becomes so interested in targeting the hand, that nipping vanishes.

Most of these exercises are taught in a puppy class where your puppy can also receive the benefit of exposure to other dogs and other people. If you do happen to see anything that seems extreme, do not hesitate to contact a professional. It is far easier to modify the behavior of a puppy, than that of an adult dog set in their ways.

Yvette is an award winning pet writer and pet behavior columnist. She also is the author of Meeting Milo, a North American dog bite prevention program to reduce the approximately 2 million children bit by dogs annually. She is the owner of AwesomeDogs.ca and works as a behavior consultant in London, Ontario.

This column was originally featured in The Londoner
See more of Yvette... www.awesomedogs.ca
www.meetingmilo.com

Yvette has 2 dogs of her own, KIKI and KAYA. Take a look...

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