# How do you disciplining your dog.



## mrbnichols (Mar 22, 2012)

How does everyone discipline your puppy. Lexi will be five months old at the end of the week. The only problem that we have is she loves to bite our hands and arms. I have given her a bone, toy, scolded her, locked her in her kennel for a few minutes, held her motionless, but nothing works the minute you let her out she goes right back to doing it. I know she is just playing but sometimes it really does hurt a little. So what does everyone do to discipline there dog?

thanks
Blaine


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## threefsh (Apr 25, 2011)

We cross our arms and turn to face the other direction until Riley calms down. No eye contact, no sounds, nothing... just ignore her until she stops. It's been working really well and she's FINALLY improving.


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## redrover (Mar 17, 2011)

I used the same method as threefsh when Jasper was going through his biting stage. Everything else just ramped him up. So I would say, "Ow!" and then stand up and give him my back. Then he started going for the feet. So I'd leave the room, shut the door in his face, and ignore him for somewhere between 1 and 2 minutes. The message was that not only did it hurt, but I wouldn't play with puppies that put their teeth on me. After a few days it kicked in, and he's excellent about not nipping. The dogs do NOT like social isolation.

For other things, I truly only have to say something in disapproving voice. He knows immediately that he's been naughty. I'm not really sure how he knows, but he does.


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## KonasPop (Aug 9, 2011)

sounds silly and i'm sure others wont agree but we growl just like mama or older dog - low and long and loud not sharp and fast, just real low and slow until she looks at you - then stop and ignore her.

Depends on what you're doing when she's biting/nipping - is she playing, did you just come home, are you cleaning the floor?, are you feeding her? whats trigering the bite

e.g. growling doesnt work when you just come home and are standing in the doorway - need a different tactic for that, but your root problem there jumpping for a 5month old. if they can get your hands its likely they're jumping up - no no in our house, but some allow. 

If you just having a play on floor and she starts getting spunky and testing your hands, you can either ignore like others will suggest or start your growl. maybe cuase i've done it too much now i know instintively when i should do it - hard to explain in writing. 

almost of all of it is puppy learning right now - so no biggy, its a very natural thing to test and go through. 

Just determine what sparks it and then come up with the plan to be consistent every single time. Growling has always worked very quickly for our doggies. Also works for guarding, food, toys etc.


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## Lindsey1420 (Jan 28, 2012)

I guess I used a more harsh approach. I first started with "OUCH!" but that didnt work. So when Jack was biting too hard and would not stop I held him by the front of the collar and wrapped his bottom lips in his mouth on his teeth. I would say "No Bite!". I was told to do this by a trainer. It worked. Jack still gets hard with his biting but not as much. Now all I do is say "NO Bite" Every now and then do i have to wrap his bottom lips in his mouth.

Now my husband is a different storey but will have to start a new topic for that.


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## city_dog (Feb 16, 2012)

I've disciplined a couple of different ways:
When Sammy first came to us, he used to hump my leg all the time. I would push him to the floor (gently but firmly) and hold him down until he looked away from me/ became submissive. It only took 2 times for him to stop humping ANYONE's leg. Plus he learned who the boss was.

When I rubbed him with his hound glove, he would turn and nip me on the opposite upper arm. I realize that this is him "grooming" me back, but it pinched and left bruises - I was worried he would hurt one of the kids unintentionally.
When he would do this I would shout "OUCH", stop grooming him and ignore him for 1 or 2 minutes. 
This has really worked for Sam. 

Good luck!


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## finch (Sep 19, 2011)

Finch is nearly a year now and just started doing this again in the last few week, but only to me and only at the dog park (talk about embarrassing!). I have tried so many things to get her to stop, but she just keeps jumping and biting my arms. If I cross my arms and turn around, she jumps at my back grabbing my jacket or anything she can get. I think she is just really worked up & excited and is treating me like the other dogs. On my drive home from the park today, I decided to start carrying my leash with me (I usually hang it by the entrance) and when she starts I am going to clip her on and take her for a walk in a heel around the perimeter of the park, away from all the fun. I think that might get her to 1) calm down and 2) realize that all the fun stops when she does that. If that doesn't work, then I am just going to leave the park (with her) when she does it. Playtime over.


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## Ozkar (Jul 4, 2011)

I don't "Discipline" any of my dogs as such. It could be you are meaning something different by using that word, but if you are wanting to actually "Discipline" your dog the way we speak of disciplining children, then I would consider an alternative approach.

Mine are all taught the meaning of "No" as a puppy, so I just maintain the rage. As in, I just keep at it until the behaviour stops. All three of mine went through it and even now can still get away from themselves when they are excited. But, now when this behaviour pops out of the box, a gentle "No" brings them back into focus.

As I keep saying, consistency and patience are the keys to any behavioural modification. train them regularly and make the training the same each time for a given command. 

At the Vizsla get together on Sunday, Astro spent half his day walking up to people and sitting at their feet looking up at them. He knows if he wants to be fed or receive a pat, he must sit first. So every new person, or every person with food, was greeted with a bounding exuberant puppy who would stop inches from them and pop his bum straight down in the hope of a pat or a feed. 3 or 4 months ago, when I first got him, he would bound up and pop his paws on someone's chest or shoulders before I could blink. So, just keep up regular training on the biting and it will cease I am sure.

With the mouthing, it sounds like pup does need some education on bite inhibition. As in how much pressure can be applied to a human, if at all. I am not all that worried by a Vizsla wrapping their mouth around my hands. They are a very mouthy dog. They explore almost everything through the nose and the mouth. Hence, they use it a lot. Ozkar will often put my hand in his mouth while we walk. Out in public, through the house or pretty much whenever he feels the need to be touching me. However, over time, we taught him how much pressure can be applied and he is so gentle, all you feel really is a warm, wet mouth and no teeth. He is very gentle when he does it now. But, it did take a lot of ouches, a lot of stopping playing with him and a lot of gentle "No's" to get him to that point.

Keep at it and try not to allow yourself to get frustrated. To your Vizsla, if you loose control of your emotions it can reduce their respect for you. 

Good luck.


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## mrbnichols (Mar 22, 2012)

Thanks for all the responses. I have tried the leaving the room thing a couple time now and although she still does it I think she is learning or getting better.

Blaine


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## datacan (May 15, 2011)

OH, easy. 
I make him pay attention to me and redirect his attention to something constructive. 
The most I did is tap his hind quarter (thigh muscle area) to get his attention. They really don't do much to deserve harsh punishments.
My friends gets angry with his GSP and keeps wondering why the dog doesn't come when called ??? Our Sam comes in when called because there are no negative consequences in his life.

YES, he once peed on the neighbor's cat's head as it was basking in the sun. I went over, grabbed my dog by the extra skin on his neck and back side, lifted him off the ground not so much for what he has done, just to keep the relationship on the positive side, since they were watching in horror.


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