Chithedobe said:
Manchesters,
I share your philosophy that teeth are never, ever, ever to touch human skin. Dogs in the wild manage to not make the mistake with those higher in the hierarchy and when/if they do the consequence can be fatal. I also think that this is probably one of if not the most important lesson to teach a pup. I have no doubt that your method works and works well. On the other hand, there's an old saying "there's more than one way to skin a cat". To say that those who disagree with your method or prefer to use other methods, don't know what they're talking about it harsh and unfair.
No, there is only ONE way to skin a cat PROPERLY--it involves a knife, and a cat.
I have dealt with Dobermans, Whippets and Manchesters. 3 breeds that are very mouthy, and also very soft emotionally. The method I learned over the years works quickly, easily, and without confusing the dog. Yelling "Ouch" or other such silly things do NOT work, and in some cases may incite the pup to bite more. Time out is stupid......like the dog knows why it is being ignored. Re-direction may eventually work, but why waste your time and the pups time? After maybe 5 or 6 chin shakes, and a few growling sounding NO BITES, the pup is able to be corrected with just a growled sound of the owner's choice...like EHHH EHHH. Short sweet and too the point with no confusion or misunderstanding on the part of the poopie pup!!!
As I said, I have raised hundreds of puppies from the moment the sack came off till (for the most part) the time of death. I don't think anyone else here has had the extent of experience I have had.
Perhaps I should also explain this is NOT my method, but the result of things I have read and tried over the years. IT WORKS. It works quickly and painlessly. There is no confusion for the pup that there would be by flapping hands around or slapping at the pup.
AND there is the danger with the "redirection" by giving the pup a toy or something else to chomp on that the pup my think it is being rewarded for biting people.
With the correction I used, it was amazing how quickly the pups got the message, and quit putting their teeth upon me!!!
Now, my stepmother was another story. There was one pup in particular that liked to chomp her. Appropriately his name is Gator Gut, rofl. He was a tiny pup, and is still the smallest of the males I have. He would try to chomp the end of my nose off from the time his teeth broke thru the gum. It did not take but a few corrections, and he would not dare even think of nipping me. My voice really put the fear into him, rofl. That growl worked every time.
I would bundle the pups up into a duffel bag, and walk next door to Helen's with them, and we would sit out on the back deck while they toddled around playing with her dogs and tormenting them.
Helen would pick Gator up (he was TOO cute to resist) and hold him up to her cheek. He would reach out, and sink his teeth into her. Or just scrap them along her cheek. She would yelp, hold him away, shake him and tell him "No bite" like she was talking to a baby bird!!!!!! She almost whispered it! She just would not talk harshly to him, so he went right on chomping, rofl. Finally I felt sorry for her, and when she picked him up I would watch him like a hawk, and when I saw his beady eyes focus on her flesh, I would tell him "GATOR NNNOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO BITE"!!!!!!!!! It would work, lol.
When they were toddling around on the deck, he would go over and sink his teeth into the instep of her foot, roflmao. Thank God he only weighed about 3/4 of a pound, and his mouth was not all that big, lol. But Helen would still yelp.
So......sure, there is always a different method to do anything. Just like if ya wanna cross the river, you can either swim, or use a boat!!!!! I prefer a boat, rofl. Just bear in mind every time a pup puts a tooth back on a person, it is 10 steps backward. I prefer the "one step approach"!!!! My confidence is not in myself, but in the technique that I have seen work on scores of bitty little brats!!!
