How Do I Get my Shih Tzu Puppy to Stop Biting Me?

Question: How do I get my 6m old Shih Tzu to stop biting me? When I come home from work (my husband is with her all day) She spends the entire night biting my finger and toes. I’ve tried various form of discipline, and none of them have worked.

Answer: Your absolutely right- you need to get this behaviour stopped, and stopped quickly. There are three techniques that I recommend to quickly stop your puppy from biting you.

Tactic 1: “NO” and ignore - One of the reasons your puppy is nibbling on you is because she wants attention. Just as humans crave social interaction, so do our dogs. We can use this to shape behaviour. As soon as your puppy nips you, yell “NO!” and walk away - ignore the dog for a couple of minutes. Then return to the dog with a toy, and encourage him to play with the toy. If he bites you again, simply repeat. Be consistent with this technique - your husband will need to be consistent as well.

Tactic #2 - The Shake Can - If you cannot get your puppy to respond to Tactic 1 in a reasonable period of time, you can turn to the shake can. To make a shaker can simply take a clean soda or beer can, put at least 10 pennies in it and tape over the opening. When your puppy starts to nibble, shake the can or drop it as you say “NO!”. When he stops because he is startled, praise him and offer the appropriate chew toy.

Tactic #3 - physical grab - This is the “last resort” tactic, that I only recommend if 1 and 2 have not worked. As soon as the puppy nips you say “NO!” and grab the skin on the back of his neck. Don’t shake or lift him, but simply move your hand back and forth. Release the puppy and give him a toy. After a while, you can stop the grabbing and simply say “NO!”.

As with any training tactic, you have to be consistent. Over time, just like young children, your puppy will learn how to behave appropriately in your home!

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Tags: shih tzu

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Tags: shih tzu