Biting and tearing up carpet corners

keroppi78keroppi78
edited June 2009 in Behavior & Training
So Hiro has a problem... he likes to bite me... not serious biting but I guess I'll call it nipping at me. He likes to bite me everytime he's near me. I don't get it because he doesn't do it to my husband only me! The back of my ankles are all scratched up from him biting me when I walk and my arms and hands. We have bought him TONS of toys and chewing bones, so I dont' get when I'm near him, he goes to bite me. I tell him no but he just barks at me... Could it be b/c he's teething? I just don't get why it's only me he does it to!

He also likes to tear up corners of our carpet... I have put tape down (heavy duty) to try and save our carpet and to make him stop, but he keeps going at it and I think he's eating it!

Does anyone know why he is acting like this? We walk him all the time and play with him a lot so he's not bored...

Comments

  • shimaurashibalover92shimaurashibalover92
    edited June 2009
    .
  • JessicaRabbitJessicaRabbit
    edited June 2009
    What Hiro is doing has nothing to do with dominance. He may be testing some limits, but I would say more than likely he is trying to get attention and play. The behavior you are describing is what dogs do to each other to instigate play. In stead of saying "no". Stop. Turn you back on him. Even leave the room. Give him nothing. As far as dogs and children are concerned, negative attention is better than no attention. So ignore him. A few minutes later, call him to you, and do some basic obedience clicker training. It will show him more effective ways to get the attention he wants.

    When you catch him in the act of eating carpet, redirect him to something you would rather him chew. Again raising your voice and getting angry gives him too much attention. When he does chew on something you want him to chew praise the heck out of him. He knows he wants to chew, but you have to teach him what is okay to chew and what isn't. It all is the same to him until you teach him otherwise.
  • keroppi78keroppi78
    edited November -1
    Thanks! I will try that!
  • JessicaRabbitJessicaRabbit
    edited November -1
    Let me add, as hard as it may be, do your best to keep your cool. Yelling or even getting worked up WILL make it worse. Dogs really do respond better to people who are relaxed and have themselves under control, because they feel they can trust a calm person to care for them too.
  • SangmortSangmort
    edited November -1
    Yep, Jessica gives sound advice. Good luck & let us know he does! ~
  • starrystarry
    edited November -1
    to reassure you, toki has the same carpet problem...but we are working on it and he is doing better haven't had to deal with it for a month or so (knock on wood)
    as i've watched him i think the problem is that he thinks everything is his, i bring home plants, i bring home books he thinks its all a fun new toy for him
    so i agree gotta teach him what he can have and can not have
    if your carpets can't hold up through the teaching process, a quick fix is to cover the edges with something big and heavy (mine is his crate) and then this becomes his new focus
    but if you ever move that big and heavy object he may go after that carpet again so training would be the most sustainable way of handling it
    maybe the big and heavy object can sit on the carpet when you can't be nearby to catch the behavior
    let me know how it goes or if you come across any better ideas please share
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