Dog Nipping At Visitors Heals

[lanny]

I have two small female dogs, a Maltese and a half-maltese, half Yorkshire Terrier. Both dogs are basically friendly and like people; no visciousness in either.

When someone comes to visit, both dogs get excited and, like the small dogs they are, bark. The Maltese wants people to pay attention and begs to be picked up. On the other hand, the half-Maltese wants peoples' attention, too, but shies away from being picked up.

Lately, the half-Maltese has started to nip a people's heals and pants legs. If she gets the chance when they come in, and almost always, when they leave. She doesn't bite, just nips. I've had these dogs for a few years and this is a relatively new habit.

I have no idea why she is doing this and I am out of ideas on how to train her to stop.

I would appreciate and insight as to why she does this. And I would very much like ideas on how to stop her.

Any suggestions?

[isanbirder]

I shall read this thread with interest. My small 'toy poodle', featured in the Isan forum as 'Dog found', has just started doing the same thing. I think in his case it's as much trying to assert himself with the other two 'toy poodles' as anything else. At the moment I yell at him and he seems to respond.

[doggie888888]

I am sure Cesar Millan would have a whole chapter on nipping, yapping small dogs.

I think a stern NO plus The Claw applied to the neck (it's like a nip that mummy dog would inflict on a mis-behaving puppy) whenever the undesired behaviour occurs will teach the dog quickly to stop doing it. Sometimes totally ignoring the dog until it is calm also helps alleviate excitable behaviour when a visitor arrives.

[F1fanatic]

I'd try a stern (but quiet) no and, if that didn't work, put myself between the person and the dog - radiating disapproval.

Personally, I've also found that if I'm close enough, a low growl works better than saying 'no'.

It needs to be stopped in the bud though, otherwise it will only get worse...

Edit - I've also found that a water-pistol works wonders with behavioural problems., again if you're close (and quick) enough.

Edited June 10, 2012 by F1fanatic

[bina]

for small dogs neither of the above methods are recommended although the 'low growl' is always a good starting point. the nippiing is chasing the poeple out of the house so that when they leave, she knows its because she is nipping at them : cause and affect doggy style.

because small dogs are small, they get stepped on often and start to defend first (bite first ask questions after); also, like a certain small captain of a large army, small dogs dont always know they are small, so if they are a bit dominant , they use domination actions ,and BECAUSE they are small, they get away with it which is why there is a plethora of small nippy dogs...

if the same dog was a boxer, it wouldnt ever get the chance to act that way. people forget that small dogs have teeth. also, the genetic make up of many breeds of small dog is : dog for amusement purposes only. they were never bred for working, fetching, hunting, or 'wanting to please' their owners. therefore training is different (excluding some terrier breeds and poodles who are all actually working dogs).

shyness and fear are the other side of the same smallness coin:

physical force with a toy breed can often exacerbate the problem by making them even more defensive.

the best way ive found is to give the dogs have their own 'space', bed, box, blanket or chair, and when people come to the house, the dog goes or gets sent to his space, and after people are in the house, they can offer the dog a tiny weeny eensy piece of sommething that the dog loves, call the dog over to them, give it to the dog, and thats that.this place is also the 'safehouse' for when rowdy kids show up or space taken up by too many people so that a small dog may feel nervous (justified most likely).he has an escape area like his bed, or chair.

foofoo was my prime example of napolean syndrome, when we adopted him, he had taken over an entire house and household, and wasnt just nipping but ferociously attacking feet. he ruined friend's soccer shoes, ripped holes in jeans and put holes in (forutnately understanding) people (including my mother's tush and my ex brother in law the computer geek's butt).

nowadays, foofoo has his own chair and blanket and when strangers arrive or poeple that he really doesn like show up, he almost automatically goes on his own to his place and stays there. for whatever bizarre reason, he doesn t bother with any thai friends of hubby (the alpha guy) but absolutely hates tall caucasion looking males, including my son when he comes home from army. it always takes a day or so for foofoo to stop attacking son's feet. (after being in army shoes that may be the reason:) .in the beginning i used to pick him up and put him forcefully in his bed; he would growl and i would body block him and growl out a strong no, and when he stopped growling and started looking friendly, i would release him from his bed with a 'good boy', and nothing more.

an other problem with small toy breeds is the overprotective owner syndrom; when an owner reassures the dog 'its ok, poopy mootzi' style . it reinforces the dog's defensive behaviors. again, a strong presence from you, being put in the 'safe area', told to stay, allows the small dog to feel protected, neutralizes both sides, helps it feel u are in control,.

some of the problem could also be the age of the female, some females once they hit two or three years old become very house territorial, our bitch is very house 'proud' when other dogs come near or enter, much more so then the dog. having had large dogs (boxers and staffs), owning my own lhasas and working with pekineses and other small creatures, it was a learning curve, i had to learn abot breed types, responses, and watch interactions. very different then a lab or a rottie or even a fox terrier. also most have been bred for coat colour or smallness or cutsiness, not intelligence or personality...

bina

israel