[Nibbler]

so lately spezza my 9 year old maltese mix has been nipping my 9 month old daughter, and I know sometimes its her falut for touching his tail, but sometimes he just randomly nips her.....walks up to her and nips her. he started doing this with our cats to every once and awhile.... hes never done that before and weve had him since november, he was the last one into the house.... any suggestions on how to correct nipping ?

 

[stardust]

spray him with a water bottle and it corrects them

 

[Sasami]

Hmm, I'd start recording when the nips happen to see if there's a pattern. What she's doing when he nips her, where she is, what time it is, etc. Does he growl at all or give any warning signs (tensing up, etc.)? Is he drawing blood?

 

[Nibbler]

Hmm, I'd start recording when the nips happen to see if there's a pattern. What she's doing when he nips her, where she is, what time it is, etc. Does he growl at all or give any warning signs (tensing up, etc.)? Is he drawing blood?

thanks for the thought i have been monitoring it its not constantley just randomly sometimes shes petting him which i would understand him nipping but sometimes shes just quietly playing on her playmat when he walks up at nips.

as for the spraying with water it doesnt work with him it just leaves me with a puddle as hes a rescue dog and very fearful it just makes him pee.

 

[Labman]

I don't like the water bottle either. You need to identify what is going on. At 9 years old, I hardly see it as the typical puppy play. You may even need a privater trainer or behaviorist that can see what is happening. Find one that uses positive methods. not water bottles. See www.apdt.com

 

[Nibbler]

I don't like the water bottle either. You need to identify what is going on. At 9 years old, I hardly see it as the typical puppy play. You may even need a privater trainer or behaviorist that can see what is happening. Find one that uses positive methods. not water bottles. See www.apdt.com

it actually wouldnt really suprise me if it was puppy behavior as spezza has spent most of his life in a shelter, weve only had him since november.

 

[Kendalle]

does it make her cry when he nips her?

If yes then i would consult a trainer, if no then it probably looks worse than it is and he is being gentle. I would try to get him to play with a toy near her and not force him to be super close he might be feeling like she is a litter mate or he might think of her as compition for attention. Does he do it more when you are sitting with her and not him? or are you across the room and he just walks up to her?

I would tell him no and ignore him and make him go away instead of picking her up. I just mean invade his space so he backs up not by forcing him by picking him up or putting him in a time out. if you notice he is walking up to her and you think it is to nip call him and if he comes praise him. If he doesn't try to bisect them before it happens.

 

[Nibbler]

today was the last straw where looking into trainners as he randomly bit her she wasnt even bugging him she was watching cartoons on the floor and he came up to her bit her arm and when i said no spezza and went up to them he bit her again and was going for a third try he drew blood on the second one from her fingers,i think he would of done a lot of damage to her if i hadnt picked him up and when i did pick him up and said no spezza you dont bite the baby he grawled at me. so trainner it is hope this works

 

[Labman]

We have a 10 year old Lab and currently a 7 month old Lab. I am pleased with how well he plays with out current puppy and 3 others we have had since he came into our care 2 years ago. However many dogs by the time they are that old want nothing to do with puppy biting games.

Young Labs, which I know best, and other puppies tend to very bad about biting. You see a litter of them, and all the ones that are awake are biting another one or themselves. I am not even sure they realize that when they are alone, if they quit biting, they would quit being bitten.

I don't see the behavior I described above in Spezza at all. It could be sometime in the past a young child was allowed to abuse him or even a lack of early socialization to children. A good trainer should be able to recognize what is really happening and suggest positive methods to correct it. The older the dog, the more difficult to change behavior, but it can be done.

 

[Nibbler]

We have a 10 year old Lab and currently a 7 month old Lab. I am pleased with how well he plays with out current puppy and 3 others we have had since he came into our care 2 years ago. However many dogs by the time they are that old want nothing to do with puppy biting games.

Young Labs, which I know best, and other puppies tend to very bad about biting. You see a litter of them, and all the ones that are awake are biting another one or themselves. I am not even sure they realize that when they are alone, if they quit biting, they would quit being bitten.

I don't see the behavior I described above in Spezza at all. It could be sometime in the past a young child was allowed to abuse him or even a lack of early socialization to children. A good trainer should be able to recognize what is really happening and suggest positive methods to correct it. The older the dog, the more difficult to change behavior, but it can be done.

what i dont understand is why hed start attacking her now hes the last one into the house ? hes been here since november shes been here since august. so shes been here longer, and he never did anything before.

 

[Sasami]

Has he been to the vet recently? Since he's so old I would bring him in for tests, there might be something wrong. That's usually my first guess when an older animal has sudden behavior changes like that. He could be in pain.

If that's not it, bringing in a good trainer is a good idea. Good luck, I know this must be upsetting.

 

[Labman]

what i dont understand is why hed start attacking her now hes the last one into the house ? hes been here since november shes been here since august. so shes been here longer, and he never did anything before.

I have watched both my children and my grandchildren with dogs in the household. It is possible she is becoming more mobile
and a greater threat to him.

I agree on the vet visit.

 

[Nibbler]

he has a vet visit for next week i never thought that maybe something might be wrong, so will get him checked and go for then.

 

[stardust]

omg im sorry yeah definatallie take him to the vet and get a trainer

 

[jeff jey]

Lets hope nothing has to happen to him. Good luck.

 

[Nibbler]

The vet found nothing wrong with him, we unfortunatley had to rehome him to a child free home, he lives with a friend of the family who is older and actually has another dog, the same age as him and same kind, he loves visiting there so this was the best option after he bit my daughters head, as hard as it was to give him up. after a lot of tears we know this is the best decission for him.

 

[txcowgirl]

Shelters shouldn't do false advertisement. I'm glad he went to a home he knows and likes. I know it was hard for you girl but it was the best option for everyone and you can still see him!

 

[Kendalle]

It isn't necessarily a false advertisement from the shelter, shelters can only go off of what they see and are told by the previous owners. They may never have seen this behavior, he could be fine with kids but not babies. Some are never exposed to babies.

 

[Blacksheep]

Wish I saw this earlier. Sounds like behavior correction...in fact, sounds like what Luna did and her "everything in the house is mine." She used to get away with it because we too thought she did scared peeing...but it turns out that she'd pee just so we'd feel bad. I only know this because I had another rescue dog that did something similar.

 

[Nibbler]

It isn't necessarily a false advertisement from the shelter, shelters can only go off of what they see and are told by the previous owners. They may never have seen this behavior, he could be fine with kids but not babies. Some are never exposed to babies.

what txcowgirl ment is (because me and her chat on fb) they said that they would take him back without problem, but when we tried to return him to the spca, or seak help they wanted to charge us 100 dollars . and were competely condisending to us,and wouldnt take him back , as well before we adopted spezza we specifically asked if he had been tested with children of all ages and babies and other animals.all in all he has a good home.

(there txcowgirl corrected your name)