meredian

I am not any kind of expert, but we are learning so many great things from reading Dr. Ian Dunbar's books, and we're making great progress on bite inhibition. One of Dr. Dunbar's tips for teaching bite inhibition is to teach your dog to enjoy being held.

Following Dr. Dunbar's advice we have started picking Wade up and giving him a hug when he is in a calm and relaxed state. The first few times he was very, very squirmy when we tried to hold him - Dunbar says don't let go when they are squirmy! Use a calm voice, rub their belly, and hold on tight until they calm down. Once they do, offer lots of praise and release your pup. Since we've started doing this Wade seems less inclined to bite our hands - perhaps because we have introduced an opportunity for close contact that does not involve playing. So far, so good.

Again, I'm no expert! We're learning this all from Dunbar's books and I think that one came from

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Rusty

And, after all, what's not to like about more cuddle opportunities? The cuddles are one of the best things about having a poodle (or any dog), in my opinion. :-)

MaryLynn

This is great, I am so glad you're having success!

The cuddles are good for you, too

lily cd re

I am glad you are having success. Keep at it and make sure to bookmark Dog Star Daily!

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Catherine
Lily AKC: CGC CD HIT CDX RN RA RE RAE NAJ; APDT: RL-1; CPE: CL1-R, CL1-H
Peeves AKC: CGC BN