How To Cure A Pembroke`s Bite
by Anonymous
My Pembroke Welsh Corgi, Booker, has a serious problem. He won`t stop biting, and I don`t mean a nip, I mean a bite!
Plus, he is only 4 weeks old.
What should I do to cure his serious bite?
Answer From the Editors at Dog-Spoiling
Hi,
I am glad you are addressing this biting problem early on while it should be easy to resolve.
Before we answer your question, it may ease your mind to know that the Pembroke Welsh Corgi is considered to be a very intelligent breed that is quick-to-learn and one that wants to please.
You may also want to read our answer to another visitor dealing with a similar puppy nipping problem.
Now on to your question...
At four weeks old, I'm assuming your puppy dog is still living his life as part of a litter. The behavior you are seeing is typical of the way puppies interact at this age as they seek to find their position in the pack.
When it comes to biting and nipping at each other during play, they also learn when they are being overly aggressive or biting too hard, through the other puppy's adverse reaction, or their mother's intervention.
Side note: The heritage of the Corgi is as a herding breed where nipping was a tactic used in his job for rounding up the herd.
When a puppy is mature enough to be separated from his litter mates and moves on to a new home, the new owner must continue to build on what the puppy has learned in the litter. This includes communicating to the puppy, through positive training techniques, that biting - directed at humans - is unacceptable behavior.
That being said, puppies explore their world through mouthing and chewing at almost everything in sight, so they do need an acceptable outlet for this natural behavior. A plentiful supply of teething and chewing toys can help tremendously in redirecting those needs.
Also, while dealing with this problem, it's best to stay away from playing combative games with your puppy, such as tug-of-war, any kind of physical rough-housing, or even chasing. Games of this kind can be counter-productive as they tend to stimulate a puppy toward the biting type of behavior we want to avoid.
In addition to the previous suggestions, socialization and basic obedience training is highly recommended. Training is a very important part of establishing your role in the "alpha" or "pack leader" position - i.e. taking over where his mother left off.
When the vet gives his OK for your puppy to be out in the world, socialization will help him learn how to interact in a variety of situations and places, as well as with other people and other dogs. You will be his trusted leader in all of these explorations. Puppy obedience classes are one way to start this process.
A well-trained puppy learns to respect his leader and become more responsive to direction. It also helps him to bond with you and want to please you. This in turn enables you to more successfully address and solve problems such as biting, before they get out of hand and dangerous.
Do take a look at our page on puppy biting and nipping, where you, and others, can find a lot more information about this common puppy problem.
Thanks for being a caring dog owner.