A dog nipping or biting you when he is excited is actually more common than some may believe. Many dog owners have issues of this kind and they would like to solve them. Well, you can and it is very simple. How to stop my dog from nipping when excited? You will need to follow simple steps and options that will help you get the job done.
These do work well and they are easy to follow. Keep in mind that dogs bite when they play because they think you like that and they want to play more. They do not want to cause pain to you.
How To Stop My Dog From Biting When Excited
1. Use Chewing Toys
The first step or the option here is the simplest and actually very effective. All you have to do is to get chewing toys and play with the dog. You will basically redirect his energy and he won’t have to bite you when you two play afterward. All dogs love to chew and these toys are ideal for this purpose.
This is a simple step but it does take time, a lot of it. Eventually, he will stop biting you and he will look for his chewing toy. On the other hand, this means that he will stop doing this bad behavior and you can play better.
2. Use Taste Deterrents
Here we have an interesting option. You can use taste deterrents. These are available online and in some pet shops. As the name suggests, these are solutions that have a bad and awful taste to dogs. You will have to apply it to your hands and you can play with the dog. Every single time when he bites you, he will get that bad taste. Soon, he will stop doing this simply because it is awful to a dog.
There are 2 main things to know about these. Never spray these into the mouth or eyes of a dog. It will cause a lot of problems. You should use this as the first option. It is not dangerous to a dog in general, but it is far from pleasant. Try other methods and if they do not work, try this one. You should use it on really stubborn dogs who don’t want to stop biting you all the time.
3. Use Positive Reinforcement
This method can be the most effective and the most appealing. It is very useful if you dog knows about it. In simple terms, if you have been using it in the past your dog will know that he can get treats when he behaves properly.
When you two play and he doesn’t bite you, give him a treat. When he bites you, do not give him a treat. Over time he will realize that not biting you will give him a treat so he will stop doing it. You can use this for all kinds of cases.
4. Never Punish Your Pet For Doing This
Punishing a dog in his case scenario is a bad thing. He may start developing anger or fear towards you which means he may attack you. He will not understand why you will punish him every day. The bottom line is simple. This method doesn’t work and can make things even more severe. Your pet may start biting you more than ever before.
Doing this can also affect your pet in many other ways. All of these are negative. Even if you just tap your pet on the nose and yell at him, will be a huge issue in this case. Some dogs may even start to snarl and bark at you.
5. Use A Leash
This particular option is useful when you have guests and you want to avoid this issue. You will have to leash your pet. He should calm down immediately. But, some dogs will become hyperactive when this happens so you cannot use this method on them. In that case, you will need to use a crate. It is an effective and more severe method.
Once you are alone with your pet, you can release him and play with him. Basically, this option protects your guest rather than doing something more. But, some dogs may realize that they are doing a bad thing so they are leashed. He may stop biting you after some time. Overall, a dog who likes to bite you when you play won’t be able to harm a guest.
6. Detention May Be Needed
Detention technique we have here can be the best in some cases and very bad if you don’t use it correctly. First of all, this doesn’t mean that you should leave your pet in a locked room for hours. It simply means that you should stop giving him attention when he bites you, hits you or does anything bad. In this scenario nipping you is a bad thing.
When you play together and your pet bites you, stop playing with him. Drop the toys and just ignore him. Do this for 3-4 minutes. After that, you can start choosing his affection once again. But, if he bites you again, do the same thing.
Some dogs are hyperactive when you play so even if you start ignoring them, nothing will happen. If this is the case with your pet, leave the room. Stay away for 5-10 minutes and ignore your dog completely. Do not say anything nor play with him. After that time, you can start playing again. This is done to tell your pet he did something wrong. Once he understands that biting you is a bad thing, he can stop doing that.
The Final Word
How to stop my dog from nipping when excited? Now you know the answer. Try all of these steps and find the ones that work the best for your dog. In most situations, a few of these will work well while others will not be effective. With time, your pet will stop biting you so you can play safely and enjoy more.