IANA dog trainer, but anecdotally, from someone who's dealt with a good many dogs (I used to foster for Dachshund Rescue of North America):
The best trick I know for dealing with nipping is to give a loudish, high-pitched YIPE! anytime you feel teeth. The same sound a dog would make if you stepped on its foot or tail. It makes the dog more aware of the issue without being either punitive or dominance-oriented. It's worked well for me.
Love the drawings, sorry about the drama, and it's obvious Charlie will never need stilts!
Thanks for the updatery. Charlie continues to be so Big! I'm glad the hysterectomy helped (so did mine, although my problems were not as severe as yours), and sorry about your dad.
We used the same technique for teaching the spaniel-- the high-pitched yelp is what they get from their litter-mates when they are learning how to dog, and it translates as, "you're playing way too rough, ow, cut it out!" If all humans in the household do it at the slightest touch of teeth on skin or clothing, they eventually clue in that, when playing with two-foots, No Teeth at all.
This is separate from what you do about mouthiness that is about dominance (possessiveness over toys or food, demanding attention), or, heaven forbid, biting that Means It.
The spaniel is also fetch-challenged, but she'll do speed-fetch-- we offer a second ball/frisbee/rope that gets thrown the instant she drops the one she has. She still doesn't always get the basic spatial relations involved. Dear dog, I cannot throw a toy that is currently located in your mouth, kthx.
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Charlie is so adorable. As is Pepper. And fantastic drawings!
Sorry about your dad. That sounds brutal.
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The best trick I know for dealing with nipping is to give a loudish, high-pitched YIPE! anytime you feel teeth. The same sound a dog would make if you stepped on its foot or tail. It makes the dog more aware of the issue without being either punitive or dominance-oriented. It's worked well for me.
Love the drawings, sorry about the drama, and it's obvious Charlie will never need stilts!
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This is separate from what you do about mouthiness that is about dominance (possessiveness over toys or food, demanding attention), or, heaven forbid, biting that Means It.
The spaniel is also fetch-challenged, but she'll do speed-fetch-- we offer a second ball/frisbee/rope that gets thrown the instant she drops the one she has. She still doesn't always get the basic spatial relations involved. Dear dog, I cannot throw a toy that is currently located in your mouth, kthx.
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That is a packet of news and no mistake. Charlie and the dog together probably break some law of maximum allowed cuteness.
I am so sorry about your parents' situation. And I hope you soon recover completely from the surgery.
P.
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