My small dog nips people's ankles. How do I stop this behavior?

Aggression toward people is unfortunately a very complex issue and outside the scope of the answer length I can provide here. I highly recommend speaking with a trainer or behaviorist in your area that can help you by observing the issue in person (or over video) and tailoring a more specific plan to Ellie and your needs. That said, it is possible Ellie is feeling fearful of people in the house, and that the roommates walking away (while she nips at them) are inadvertently rewarding her because they go away when she nips. You have her listed as a mixed breed, but some herding breeds will also nip or bite at ankles too when they want more attention, are trying to get attention, or are trying to control the situation. Simply yelling at her when she nips is probably making her stress levels higher, and may be encouraging her to ramp up the behavior. Working on positive reinforcement techniques, such as having Ellie on a leash while the roommates toss her a treat, but not get close enough to approach/pet her, and then backing away without turning while you give more treats and praise her if she is calm and interested in the treats instead of the people may help her start to form a positive association with them (IE she gets her favorite snack whenever they are around) rather than a fearful one, while still keeping enough distance that no one gets hurt. If you're interested in learning more about animal behaviorists, or finding one in your area, this link can also help: https://www.dacvb.org/page/about

I hate to hear this is happening. If you do not want to rehome her, I recommend to work with a professional trainer because this will give you the best results the fastest. Canine aggression is a complex behavior as it can stem from dominance, possessiveness, fear, anxiety, resource guarding or a combination. Most people are not familiar with reading canine body language and training. A professional trainer is fully capable of reading the body language and then teaching you how to modify this behavior. Researching on your own will also be helpful. Familiarizing yourself with canine body language and dog training can help you to recognize what your pet is trying to say. You can find many books written on the topic and there is a trainer named Victoria Stilwell who I think is particularly helpful. Best of luck.

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! You are likely describing teething which is basically a normal type of behavior when puppies are growing up and it is secondary to mouth discomfort as teeth are growing. I recommend that you get Zoe teething type toys which you can get at your local pet store or online. Anytime that he tries to nibble at you, you say no and give her the toy. This is likely going to resolve the issue. Good luck and have a great day!

It is not recommended to file teeth or remove teeth as a way to curb aggression in dogs. It is important to determine what is triggering the biting, for example: does it happen when Alvin is over stimulated/excited? Does he seem fearful? Is it when someone is near his food or toys? Does he get aggressive when playing? Once you can identify a trigger you can then try to prevent it from occurring and/or redirect him to something appropriate like a chew toy. It sounds like the behavior is pretty bad if you're thinking about things like filing teeth, so I think it would be best to consult with a veterinary behaviorist to help identify triggers and formulate a behavior plan.

Sounds like you have a rambunctious little puppy!. Australian Cattle Dogs have been bred for many years and made to think that biting at or herding together animals was their job. Part of what you are seeing, therefore, is instinctual. This is not to say that you will not eventually have a dog that stops biting at you. Just like any undesirable behavior, obedience training with significant repetition will be required in order to make Daisy understand what is appropriate and what is not. The mainstay of most training regimens nowadays is positive reinforcement. By this, I mean that anytime Daisy does something that you like, Whenever she takes the alternative, she needs to be rewarded accordingly. You may also want to consider obedience training courses with a reputable trainer. Hope your training goes well. Don't give up! It can be frustrating but things will come around.

It sounds like Beau needs some guidance on what is and is not considered appropriate behaviour for a dog. Dogs use their mouths to play and to explore the world around them, but need to learn that it is not ok to bite humans. It is important to help his develop bite inhibition and redirect him to an appropriate activity, as well as to teach him that biting humans means they won’t play with him until he calms down. Visit the following links for more information on how to work on these goals at home https://www.aspca.org/pet-care/dog-care/common-dog-behavior-issues/mouthing-nipping-and-biting-dogs , http://www.veterinarypartner.com/Content.plx?P=A&S=0&C=0&A=1731 . I also strongly recommend working with a reputable trainer to help set boundaries for Beau. Visit https://www.aspca.org/pet-care/general-pet-care/behavioral-help-your-pet for information on how to find behaviour help near you. Regular exercise and enrolling Beau in a training class to help him burn off some excess energy and learn how to play appropriately are also important steps you can take to help him succeed.

Hi there and thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to address your questions! It sounds like Jacky is dealing with aggressive behavior. This can be playful and it can be aggressive. Behavioral modification training classes can really help out with this behavior and socializing him more in public can really be beneficial. If he is a stressful dog, you can try pheromone collars to help calm him. But behavior classes are going to help quite a bit if you are able to get him into a class. Otherwise, there are loads of resources online for behavioral training for dogs and correcting this behavior. Persistence and patience are key! I hope this helps guide you in the right direction. Please let me know if you have any other questions or concerns and I would be more than happy to help you further.