I got my dog when she was 7 months and now she is about 13 months. She bites and nips at me all the time. I have had a personal trainer come to the house and that has not worked I have tried water, yelling oww, slapping her nose, and even a muzzle. I just don't know what to do.I am almost at the end of my rope with her.She is not breaking skin though. Some one help! Someone told me to use a shock collar. I really don't want to and that would be a last resort.

You haven't established who is the top dog in the pack. It seems that she thinks she is. You need to very firmly tell her "No" when she does that, and forcibly roll her onto her back, grabbing her throat. (When I have done this, I've added a growl, with my mouth at the dog's throat. I never had to do it again with any of my dogs.) Make sure that she knows at all times that your "No" means exactly that, "No," not "Maybe." Do not give her a great deal of loving attention immediately afterward. She needs to learn to obey the leader of the pack without question, and she needs to know that the leader is you. If you teach her this, all that may be necessary in the future is giving her a harsh look (A good dog knows when it is about to do something wrong, and will often look at you as it starts to do it.); at the worst, a firm "No" may be needed.

This may sound harsh to you, but you have to realize that dogs are pack animals. They want to be in a pack, and they want to know their place in that pack. Dogs are far happier and far more content when they know where they stand.

This is play-biting.The dog doesn't break the skin. It's puppy behaviour.It's what this dog did to its siblings and its mother. Mum would tolerate this a bit before slapping the pup down. She'd give it a cuff, knocking it down, and make a sharp disapproving growl. If the pup did it again she'd physically hold it down and growl..Yours has not grown out of this behaviour, and has had no reason not to, because so far and viewed from its viewpoint the game has been rewarding. It gets attention, enjoys the game,and takes your response as encouragement.

Don't ever use a shock collar.

An ordinary collar is quite enough. What you do is say 'No' very firmly and jerk the collar sharply, pulling the dog's head down, the moment it tries this. What you are playing into is that a dog's neck is its vulnerable point for a mental more than a physical reason.In a fight the victor gets the loser down on the ground by the neck (A submissive or submitting dog will show its neck.Also you'll one dog meeting another and turning the head, so exposing the neck to it: that's a sign of friendliness, saying 'See, I trust you. I'm not threatening ') Add a loud disapproving growl.Every time the dog tries again do the same so it knows it is being dominated and expected to submit. If it really persists do what DG suggests. Never do anything to have the dog think that you have approved of the behaviour.Ignore the dog afterwards, look away.

This will require persistence. The dog has reached an adult age and is still enjoying puppy behaviour without learning not to do it.You don't say what breed the dog is.Some breeds are a long time in maturing, so are still mentally puppies at a year or more.These are all large breeds.But for most breeds, the age yours is is adult.That means that somehow it has come to think that this particular behaviour is being rewarded or accepted.

In short, act like its mum ! You may need a bit more force, the 'pup' being bigger, but the message is the same.

Dorian and Fred are right: establish dominance. But you don't have to hit the dog or muzzle it, you need to be firm and react immediately to inappropriate behavior. What might be acceptable to a dog is not acceptable to us and it has no way of knowing that until we teach it. Don't yell things the dog doesn't understand. You have ti train it. And please, don't use a shock collar! If you can't control your dog, you both might want to consider attending obedience classes.

What I have found to be most effective is to let her bite your hand a little then as she does, cram your open hand down into her mouth to pull back the sides of the jowls. Do this forcibly and the dog will never bite you again. At least none of mine ever did.

quote:

Originally posted by Kendor:
What I have found to be most effective is to let her bite your hand a little then as she does, cram your open hand down into her mouth to pull back the sides of the jowls. Do this forcibly and the dog will never bite you again. At least none of mine ever did.

Yes, Kendor. I bet they loved you for it.

My husky Loki is now with a trainer out of town due to the fact he bites. At first it was more playful bites and i didn't correct him well, for one thing the dog weighs almost as much as i do..anyway, he has since bitten me a few times drawling blood with the last time actually i fell on him out of my computer chair ( i know don't ask) and he mauled my ear very bad. I had to go to the emergency room and all have it all fixed up had to get a tetnus shot and placed on an antibiotic the dr there said it could have been alot worse if he had got my carotid or whatever. anyhow, this dog is my life and my family was going to get rid of him but, wiht my begging and all went to the personal trainer that he is currently staying with. This trainer traines police dogs. Im hoping it works. My whole point being is listen to Dorian that is just exactly what the trainer is telling us about the pack and the leader of it should be you. Everything Dorian said in here is what he has told us about after correcting do not give affection they need to earn it all in one way or another and that the dogs are much happier if they have you as head of the pack.He even says they should do something to earn their meals..even if its sitting or begging or whatever. I hope my dog does well and we are able to keep him so time will tell. In my opinion i would based on what ive learned not let your dog play bite or whatever it is hes doing stop it now even if he is not breaking the skin now he may later if it continues.