How to Get My Pit Bull to Stop Nipping

Pit bulls must be taught not to nip.

Nipping, play-growling and other rough play are all completely natural games for puppies, and pit bulls are no exception. Pit bull puppies are not unusually rough or hard to train. They are terriers, which can be a bit stubborn, but you can use simple steps to teach your pit bull to stop nipping. One method is the bite inhibition method. This method teaches the dog how easily humans get hurt, so if the dog ever does bite someone -- maybe if it is injured and scared -- it will be more likely to inhibit that bite.

Instructions

1. 

   Games should be safe for children as well as adults. This game is dangerous.

   Avoid rough play sessions and do not allow others to play rough with your puppy. Rough play -- wrestling, fake growling, fake screaming for help and similar games -- teach puppies and even adult dogs that rough play is acceptable. But your dog will play the same way with your grandmother as it does with your 18-year-old rough-and-tumble son. Make it a strict rule that no one is to roughhouse with the puppy.

2. 

   It's cute when a tiny puppy mouths at your feet, but it could get painful as the puppy grows.

   Teach bite inhibition. Cry "Ouch!" or even a whine similar to the sound a hurt puppy makes, the second your puppy puts its mouth on you. Dogs are very precise with their bites -- if the dog snaps at you, it intended to snap; it didn't miss. They learn that precision when playing as puppies. If a puppy bites its litter mates too hard, they cry, and that is how the puppy learns to back off. It still bites, but not as hard. Do not wait until the puppy's nips hurt before you "cry." You want your puppy to learn that even the slightest touch hurts humans, so "cry" the second the puppy's mouth touches you.

3. 

   Teach your pit bull to be calm and gentle at all times.

   Be consistent. Inconsistency confuses the puppy, or teaches it that rough play is OK. The puppy will try to play rough, and keep trying, hoping you will say yes. When people play by fake crying for help, it teaches the puppy to ignore cries for help or even to accelerate the game. So if a small child screams in fear, the dog may think the child is playing and intensify its game, causing serious harm to the child.

4. 

   Fetch is a good game for your pit bull.

   Provide plenty of exercise and appropriate games. Your pit bull is an energetic, athletic dog, so it needs to have long walks daily, as well as free romping off-leash in a safe area. Your pit bull should be tired out at least twice a day, and usually more while it is still growing. Fetch, tug, hide and seek, and tricks are all good, appropriate games, as long as you create rules and limits for each one.

Tips & Warnings

• Neutering helps prevent aggression if done before sexual maturity.

References

• Diamonds in the Ruff; Bite Inhibition Excessive Mouthing & Biting; Carol Byrnes

Resources

• CSU; Effects of Gonadectomy on Health, Behavior & Performance of Pets; R. Bowen; March 2008