nipping

[ConantheBarbarian]

Hello all! My boyfriend and I just brought home our first addition to our family...a Bull Mastiff puppy! He is nine weeks old and his name is Conan. I have some questions concerning his nipping. We try to put a bone in his mouth everytime he starts this. Is it ok to allow gentle nipping? We want him to know that it is ok to play, but not too rough. How do we teach him the difference without confusing him? When he nipps too hard we tell him "NO" and give him his bone/toy which he eagerly takes and we give him plenty of praise for that. If he nipps too hard, I stick my thumb and forefinger back in between his jaws gently, and this seems to annoy him and he will stop, but he will nip again. I know he is still so young, but any advice would be greatly appreciated. Also, we are not crate training him, my boyfriend insisted. We pen him in the kitchen during the day. He has deffinately been making messes,but he has to be by himself for a good part of the day. Im worried that even after disinfecting the kitchen floor twice a day, he still smells it and will continue to pee instead of learning to hold it. I go home for lunch around 1pm to a mess and another one when i get home around 5:30. Is this too long for him to be alone? Thanks in advance for any help!

[GretaJack]

No nipping should be allowed at this age. This is when they learn what is allowed and what is not. Anytime you feel teeth you need to correct him and then continue with what you have been doing, giving him something appropiate to chew on. Puppies love to explore with their mouth. That is why they nip humans and chew on many things. He is young and will learn quickly that he should not put his teeth on your skin if you correct him. Congrats on your new puppy. Bull mastiffs are simply awesome!

[Dax]

First - tell you boyfriend that a crate is a necessity. If you are coming home at lunch it is not too long for the pup to be locked up. ALSO, it will help you with the training. You haven't yet entered the stage where mischief seems to find them. My 3 month old rotti uses her crate as a safe haven - she will retreat there on her own when she needs a little nap or peace & quiet.

Puppies express a lot of things with their mouth (even love). The have a need to taste and touch. You will probably never break your dog of "mouthing" you but he needs to learn now to restrain himself. If you get a cage - when he gets too rough you can give him a time out. Rewarding him with a treat or toy for making you say "OW" I wouldn't recommend. Most dogs will out grow this need and you can use foul tasting bitters, etc. if it doesn't occur naturally. Be sure to practice cleaning his teeth with your fingers now by rubbing gums, etc.

[ConantheBarbarian]

Thank you doglover and GretaJack for both of your quick responses! Glad to know that we are basiclly on the right track so far. One more question though...at what age should he grow out the nipping?

[GretaJack]

Within a couple weeks of the puppy being with you, you should see a decrease in nipping. Your pup and his litter mates played this way, so this is all he knows right now. Once he learns that there are other ways to interact with humans it will become less and less. Then once he has lost his puppy teeth (anywhere between 4 and 8 months on average)he need to chew for comfort should go down as well. After that, chewing and nipping will be for entertainment and out of boredom. The easiest and cheapest way to keep your pup a happy chewer is to buy chews and toys and introduce them a couple at a time, then take them away for a while. When you give it back, it is brand new to the pup all over again. Have fun!

[ConantheBarbarian]

thanks again GretaJack!

[erdog3]

Hi there, nipping at you or your clothes is definately a no, no, as greta has said, give something else, sometimes they can be persistant and you might even have to withdraw your attention to him and place him in your kitchen area alone for a while say for 5 mins each time he nips, he will soon get the idea that nipping is out. Your toilet training: don't expect too much till about 12 weeks, they don't have full bladder control till then, if he has nowhere else to go then he will do it on your kitchen floor regardless of the smell etc. Someone really needs to let him out about every 2 hours at his age if you want to train him to go elsewhere.

[ConantheBarbarian]

Thanks for the advice ellierat!

[erdog3]

Hey, your welcome, if you still have probs write back in and ask, pups can be heaps of fun, but heaps of trouble too!!!