Coton de Tulear puppy nipping and chewing

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Coton de Tulear puppy nipping and chewing

by Deborah
(USA)

My little Zoe is 4 months old and is a combination of a very sweet dog and a little nipper. I have tried several things to stop her from nipping, but nothing seems to work. I was hoping that I could get some tips as what to do.

She is also a terribly destructive chewer. She chews EVERYTHING! Wood, shoes, metal, etc. I have tried to put every kind of deterrent on the market on things that I can't move, but she actually seems to like it! LOL!

Advice on that would be appreciated also. Other than that, she is really a sweetie and also a little clown. We adore her, but just wish we could correct her bad habits. Any information would be greatly appreciated. Thanks so much.

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Coton de Tulear puppy nipping and chewing

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Apr 30, 2011
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Chewing & nipping
by: Karey Ann & Ziggy - doodles

Ziggy just turned a year old in March of this year. He chewed his share of things to, and we found various chew toys, etc for him, which helped alot. You just have to remember he's a puppy, and ALL puppies will chew it feels good to them & their little mouths. His favorite things were socks!
When he would get destructive with his chewing, we would divert his attention with a chew bone. (Ziggy likes the "chicken Legs" they are country style drummettes that have are actually a dental bone)
Here is the web site, if you can't find them in your area: www.waggintrainbrand.com & they're not very expensive, & there are 5 little "legs" in a pack. They're small, and are great for smaller breeds.
As far as the nipping goes, he's probably playing. Ziggy does it alot when My son is running & playing with him. In the mornings, he nips at my pajama pants, and growls at me, he's only playing. Sometimes during this type of play, he does nip my legs, & the tops of my feet. I usually just tell him to settle down; & if you hollar "ouch" most of the time Ziggy will stop, out of fear of hurting me...
Granted, nothing happens over night, you just have to keep in mind everything is a work in progress.

Oct 18, 2010
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chewing
by: Anonymous

I have only had my coton for a month now. I love him to bits. But he does love to chew and he does nip. For chewing we have bought him some small raw hide chewies. He loves them. I never scold him when he chews, I just replace with a raw hide chew. For nipping, well the kids love running past him as he will run behind them and nip at there feet. He has made it a game. But If I just tell him to be nice Very firm, he will look at me. I just repeat every time he does this and he is now starting to calm down with that. We try to divert his attention to other toys. He is happy as long as someone is playing with him.

Oct 08, 2010
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Chewing
by: Iris Miller

Hi I just want to add, remember, the puppy is teething just like a baby, and needs to do that chewing. When Tuffy lost his baby teeth he actually came up to me and put them in my hand or at my feet!!!
It is a good time to play tug of war with them with a soft toy so as not to pull those baby teeth out too soon. I also taught him "ow" and no biting" when he nipped, and being a Coton, very smart, he caught on right away.When he gets rough in play I still say "Ow" in a high pitch voice like a puppy and he backs off immediately.

Oct 06, 2010
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Nipping and Chewing - the puppy days
by: Gale

Oh Deborah, I remember those early months when Luc chewed EVERYTHING. Does wood or metal really taste good? The good news is that he totally grew out of that phase and there are definitely things you can do to change your dog's behavior NOW.

You can read about my experience with Luc and get some tips on how to stop dog chewing here.

I would also suggest you sign up for these 5 free dog training videos from Doggy Dan. One of them shows you how to stop dog chewing by teaching the Redirect command.

The one thing I learned that has helped me the most is that sometimes the most powerful thing you can do to change your dog's behavior is to just ignore her. Sometimes our reactions accidentally reinforce their bad behavior. If we get all upset or give them ANY kind of attention they will keep at it.

As far as nipping and biting, remember that biting is natural for a very young puppy but at 4 months your dog should start to learn that this is no longer acceptable. Keep appropriate items like chew toys around for your dog to nibble on.

When your dog nips at you and you stay calm and immediately (and calmly) turn away from her, she gets the message that there's nothing in it for her. After a few times she should get the message.

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