Your homestead is a busy place and unfortunately, puppies tend to be curious about the world around them. Younger dogs may also use play to learn social and other skills, and while playing, they may nip the animals or people who they are playing with. Here are some ways to deal with your curious puppy while maintaining your homestead.
Stop It Before It Gets Out of Hand
If your puppy is one that likes to nip a lot, you will want to make sure that you train them to stop this behavior before it gets too out of hand. Otherwise, you could find yourself in a situation where you could be in a lot of trouble. Most states hold the owner responsible for any injuries their dog causes. Even if a state has a one dog bite rule, you don’t want your animal to be seen as vicious or risk legal issues in the future. Therefore, it is critical that you teach your dog not to use its mouth when interacting with other people or animals that it encounters. By teaching your pet this, your livestock will be safe and the chances of your larger livestock retaliating against the puppy, will drastically decrease. The sooner that you start teaching your dog not to do so, the more likely it is that it will have broken the habit by the time it reaches adulthood.
How Dogs Handle It
To handle your puppy’s nipping and put a stop to it, you can use a tactic that you can borrow from other dogs and their behavior. One thing dogs do that you can copy is that they will yelp to let their canine companions know that they are playing too rough. This is a tactic that you can use when your dog uses their mouth to nip your hand, leg, or any other body part. Ideally, you will do this whenever your dog tries to bite or nip at you even if it doesn’t hurt. Over time, your pet will understand that biting causes a negative reaction and that it shouldn’t engage in such behavior. Though other animals might not know this yelp, by training your puppy to associate negativity with biting, they’ll be less likely to take their energy out on your horses or workers.
Teach Your Dog Basic Obedience Skills
It may be possible to get your dog to stop biting by using commands such as “leave it” or “drop it.” This will teach the animal that it should only use its mouth to eat food, play with its toys, or for other approved purposes. You can also teach it commands such as “stay” or “heel” to reduce the chances that your dog will wander away while outside. Teach whatever commands you decide on to other workers or family members on your homestead so they don’t try methods that deviate from how you want to discipline your puppy. It takes a village to raise a puppy! A local vet or dog trainer may have more insight into how to suppress your dog’s urge to chase or bite other living things.
Young dogs need plenty of guidance to ensure that they reach their full potential as members of your family. By teaching them not to bite, you can minimize the odds that they will hurt you, other people or other animals that they encounter. This way, you’ll have a peaceful and happy homestead.
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