New pup chasing and biting legs

[Puppypanic]

We have a 10 week old Dalmatian pup who is mostly very good.

When he jumps up or tries to nip we turn our back on him and tell him to get 'off'. If I try and ignore him and walk away he then thinks it is great fun to chase my legs and nip either them or my jeans which is obviously unacceptable.

Any ideas how to get across the no message with a bit more success?

[Puppypanic]

I do try and put one of his chews etc in his mouth when he nips but with varying success - the walking away definitely seems to trigger his round up and nip instinct!

[GingerWrath]

Ours used to do that and I'd make a loud gruff 'ah ah' sound every time, they soon grow out of it!

[Gorran]

I'm doing the same as Gingerwrath, as well as a very stern 'no' and grabbing a toy of hers and giving her that.

We tend to only have two or three mad half hours a day - when she's going mad biting things, running off with stuff she shouldn't have (our fault for leaving it around) and nipping at my girls' dressing gowns, shoes etc. - but they're hard work when they're happening!

[AnotherLoad]

my 9wk old pom does this, my main worry is she will be stepped on whislt chasing the kids feet.

i say a firm NO and have also tried to distract her with one of her many chew toys with no luck :(

sorry no advice, some one else may be more helpful!

watching with interest :)

[CharlieMaroc]

I had this too! For my dog the saying No or Ouch or whatever was a real turn on, made her much worse, as did the movement in walking away. It excited her more. She used to sit on the stairs (stairgate only fitted at the top) and nipping on the way down. Took six times of stepping back behind the stairgate cross arms and turn back - coming out being nipped, back inside etc) and she got the message. Downstairs, I found complete silence, break eye contact, cross arms, turn back and sit cross-legged on the coffee table or the sofa or whatever worked a treat. After weeks of trying all the different distraction techniques, this was the one that worked for us. Hope it works for you.

[AdoraBell]

My two GSs were doing this, I once turned just before the nip and caught the look of really intense concentration on his face as he opened his little jaws, it was almost a shame to stop him. I used a short sharp NO combined with moving them away with my hand. They've stopped now, too busy annoying the big dogs.