# Nipping



## swaye (Mar 28, 2013)

Continues nipping at our feet and hands despite our yelps on "pain", ignoring, and stopping play. Sometimes ignoring works and she walks away, but all too frequently as soon as we start walking, she is at it again. She thinks yelping is a game we invented, I think. She will be 3 months on April 3 and been with us almost 3 weeks. Am I being impatient to see very little improvement? Thank you.


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## davetgabby (Dec 29, 2007)

quite normal , takes more patience and absolutely no interaction. here http://www.clickertraining.com/node/3249


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## HavaneseSoon (Nov 4, 2008)

Lots of patience. Dexter did it alot when he was a pup as I walked down the hallway. I would "yelp" and stop walking. After a while, he got bored and quit.


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## sprorchid (Mar 30, 2010)

I thought the ankle nipping would never end. even when I would walk away, he'd nip...

he hasn't done it in 2 yrs and he's 3 now.


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## swaye (Mar 28, 2013)

I thank you for all responses. When doing reading/ research, I wish "experts" would clarify this behavior; that for some, curbing and cessation of this developmental need may take longer.


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## Beau's mom (Oct 6, 2011)

Hang in there! Beau's nipping seemed endless when he was a puppy. I finally ended up just quietly putting him in his crate until he settled down. At first, I was afraid it would make him dislike his crate, but he would just lie down and go to sleep (after a minute or two of fussing). (He still loves his crate!) Fact is, I thought I was at the end of my rope when I suddenly realized he had stopped nipping altogether.


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## krandall (Jun 11, 2009)

swaye said:


> I thank you for all responses. When doing reading/ research, I wish "experts" would clarify this behavior; that for some, curbing and cessation of this developmental need may take longer.


I think that part of the problem is that nipping comes from different places. In some puppies, it is simply a matter of teething, and "this helps my mouth feel better". For these, a frozen, wet washcloth can be a HUGE help to gnaw on. For others, they haven't learned good bite inhibition from mom and siblings, so it is mostly play, and YOU need to become the "teaching puppy" by squealing "OUCH!!!" and then putting them on ignore for a couple of minutes. Those are the two easier kinds.

Then there are those where the biting (ESPECIALLY ankle biting) comes from strong herding instinct. These are probably the ones that take the longest to learn. Herding instinct is a modified prey drive, and it is just hard wired in to go after the ankles of anything that moves. For this type, keeping them WELL exercised, using a "flirt pole" so they have something to chase that they really like (and can't hurt!!!) and a LOT of patience is needed. These strong herders will learn too, but it is such an instinctive behavior that it takes longer for impulse control to overcome the desire to nip. (in fact, working on impulse control exercises like "doggy zen" in a separate context, when they are NOT so worked up, can help with the problem too!)

I think we sometimes forget that Havanese come from a herding background. This is stronger in some than others. Kodi (thank goodness!!!) had learned good bite inhibition from an experienced mom and his 4 sibs before I brought him home. But he has EXTREMELY strong herding instincts. With no training at all, he instinctively knows how to round up our neighbor's chickens and herd them back into their pen. He has had ZERO herding training... this is 100% built in. I am SURE that much of the ankle nipping we see in this breed comes from this herding instinct, because it's a phase that ALL my friends with herding breeds go through with their pups. (more so than people with other breeds)


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## krandall (Jun 11, 2009)

Beau's mom said:


> Hang in there! Beau's nipping seemed endless when he was a puppy. I finally ended up just quietly putting him in his crate until he settled down. At first, I was afraid it would make him dislike his crate, but he would just lie down and go to sleep (after a minute or two of fussing). (He still loves his crate!) Fact is, I thought I was at the end of my rope when I suddenly realized he had stopped nipping altogether.


That's another point... often, a puppy who is getting really nippy and not listening is a TIRED puppy. You put them away, and the zonk out immediately. If it consistently happens during the "witching hour" (late afternoon/early evening) this might very well be part of the problem.


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## swaye (Mar 28, 2013)

I was not aware of the inherent herding instinct. Very good information to know. Again, the info I read did not mention this, that I can recall (I have read much and a lot of it was repetitive). We work hard at tiring her out. Training (including leash walk training), play, and potty trips outside. I'm tired  Sometimes, I wonder if there is a fine line between activity/exercise and over stimulating until they become out of control because they are not yet able to calm themselves? I think I see this in our pup. I know when our GSD was a pup that was an issue. Just how much activity time should these pint size dynamos have?


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## krandall (Jun 11, 2009)

swaye said:


> I was not aware of the inherent herding instinct. Very good information to know. Again, the info I read did not mention this, that I can recall (I have read much and a lot of it was repetitive). We work hard at tiring her out. Training (including leash walk training), play, and potty trips outside. I'm tired  Sometimes, I wonder if there is a fine line between activity/exercise and over stimulating until they become out of control because they are not yet able to calm themselves? I think I see this in our pup. I know when our GSD was a pup that was an issue. Just how much activity time should these pint size dynamos have?


I don't think there's a one-size-fits-all answer to that. But I think that as you get to know her over the first few weeks, you'll find the right balance for your pup!


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## FinallyIvy (May 11, 2013)

Yes I find that my 10 week old Ivy nips at our fingers during play and when harnessing because she is teething. She does it to my husband more than anyone else. I immediately stop play and return to her pen where her teething toys are. She's getting better.


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