Specman

She is 23 and not a child. It was not a serious bite but unacceptable behavior. He is reactive to people entering the house especially those he is unfamiliar with. He did the sneaky come from behind ankle nip not a hard bite but, not good behavior.

This only happens when I am not there to correct him. I would appreciate any suggestions for correcting this behavior especially when your not there! When I am home I make him watch me or do some training activity to keep his focus on me.

He is 15 months old right now and I think or hope that some of his resent behavior my be influenced by poodle adolescence which is the topic of another post.

Thanks

Chagall's mom

Oh dear, that's unsettling. I have not dealt with such behavior, others here who have will soon come along I'm sure. I had this article from Whole Dog Journal bookmarked, it may offer you some guidance. Just sharing some excerpts from it to fortify you for now. Good luck getting things resolved.
If Your Dog Bites Someone Take Immediate Action to Manage This Behavior - Whole Dog Journal Article

Why dogs bite
All dogs can bite, and given differing circumstances, all dogs will. Although we humans regard any bite as aggression, for dogs, biting is a natural and normal means of canine communication and defense. It’s actually surprising that our dogs don’t bite us more often than they do!

Most biters can be improved
The good news is that relatively few dogs are beyond help. If you make a commitment to helping your dog feel more comfortable with the world, there’s a good chance you will succeed. You will understand why he has bitten in the past, and be able to avoid his stressors while you work to convince him that what are now stressors for him are actually good things.

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Just be nice.
Cabryn Chagall, CGC

fjm

Excellent article - thank you!

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To sit with a dog on a hillside on a glorious afternoon is to be back in Eden,
where doing nothing was not boring- it was peace.

~ Milan Kundera

N2Mischief

Chagalls mom, you always have the best articles!

Chagall's mom

So nice of you to say. I like to read, and often can't resist sharing what I've read. (You should see what I bombard my children and grandchildren with!! I think they're half sorry I use a computer.)

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Just be nice.
Cabryn Chagall, CGC

CT Girl

Very true. Thank you.

msminnamouse

By corrections, do you mean physical or just how to solve the problem?

He's unhappy with what he feels are intruders in his home. To compound on his negative feelings with physical corrections might make his bites worse.

I'm sure the article gave very good advice.

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