Weimaraner Dog Training: Free Tips to Stop Dog Nipping

For this Omaha puppy training session we worked with Lyly and Tucker, a brother and sister Weimaraner duo. Their guardians asked me for help with some basic Weimaraner dog training.

They wanted to stop the pups from getting too excited. They were also jumping on people and nipping when they were happy.

How to Successfully Communicate with Dogs

Since the dogs were out back when I arrived for the session, I asked their guardian to let them in. This way I could see how they behaved when meeting a new person for the first time.

I often meet dog parents who try to calm their dogs. They repeat phrases like “it’s OK” or “good dog.” What the human is attempting to do is verbally communicate to the dogs what they want.

Dogs don’t speak English. They learn through association. If you repeat certain phrases when dogs are excited or upset, it can teach them the behavior you want to avoid.

A better method is to pet the dogs for sitting when a guest arrives. We call this manding. If the dogs don’t sit and try to reach the guest, the guardian should step in quickly. They should keep their hips facing the dog until they stop.

Basic Weimaraner Dog Training Tips

After the greeting, I sat with the dogs and their guardians. I wanted to learn more about their daily routine, training, and confidence levels.

The dog’s parents had set more rules and boundaries than most clients I work with. Both dogs were also well trained for their age. This structure allowed us to move faster than I typically do in my sessions.

I explained that it is important for guardians to pet or correct the dog within three seconds. This helps the dog understand what the human is trying to say.

I also recommended that the guardian practice my petting with a purpose method. This involves asking the dog to sit, come or lie down before petting it or providing her with any attention. By asking the dog to “pay” for attention by sitting, we help it learn to ask, not tell, the human what to do.

I also advised the guardians to avoid petting or interacting with the dog when they are in an excited state of mind. Many people mistakenly think excitement translates to happiness for dogs. While many dogs are excited and happy, it is still an unbalanced state of mind.

By waiting for the dog to calm down, we can give them attention or a reward. This helps the dog learn that balanced energy is what we want at home. It shows the dog what we reward and respond to.

How to Stop Dog Nipping

One of the main problems the guardians wanted me to help with was Lyly’s habit of nipping people when she gets too excited. I share a number of tips and techniques to stop dog nipping that I have learned as a dog behaviorist in the video below.

There will be situations where different techniques will be more appropriate than others. But these secrets to stop dog nipping will come in handy for the immediate future until the dogs completely stop nipping.

ROADMAP to SUCCESS

• Avoid using the expression “It’s ok” when the dogs are excited
• Do not pet the dogs when they are in an excited state like when coming home.
• Pet Lyly and Tucker with a purpose.
• Define human’s personal space and disagree when dog gets too close or nudges, leans on or jumps up.
• Get into a habit of walking through and not around the dogs so they get used to deferring to humans.
• Enforce rules and boundaries consistently. This helps the dogs understand their place as followers. For example, have them sit at the door, stay away from humans eating, and wait on the stairs.
• Reward or disagree within 3 seconds to help the dogs better understand what you do or don’t want.
• Only let dogs out of the kennel when calm.
• Do not give the dogs inappropriate objects to chew on like old shoes or water bottles.
• Make the dogs sit and wait for permission to go out the door.
• Take Lyly out for some exercise before guests arrive if possible.
• Continue training the dogs with new commands and tricks.
• Look for opportunities to ask the dogs to wait or delay gratification to help them develop more self control.