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New to Aussies

by Ashley Guy
(Iowa)

We are new to owning an Aussie... And we love her to pieces. She is a very loveable and hyper. She stays close to me and is protective. My issue is... how do I get her to stop biting my male dogs legs?

They get along... very affectionate to each other, but her bad habit is biting his legs. I always correct her when I see her do it, but she eventually goes right back to it.

Aussie Behavior Problems? Australian Shepherd Lover's Guide To Australian Shepherd Training & Care

Comments for New to Aussies

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Alternative
by: GrammaBunny

No matter her age, when you catch her, don't yell, just hand her a toy or chewie. Lead her away from the other dog if necessary.

Aussies are nippers!
by: Anonymous

Oh my, what a darling Girl! Nipping is a strong trait of an Aussie. Hopefully, she's just nipping and not biting too hard. She's a puppy with lots of energy and a mind that's still developing. When she nips, continue telling her "No!" Be consistent, firm, and patient with her. Takes time, but she'll learn. These dogs are incredibly intelligent. While she's small, you might consider having lots of company at your home, so she gets used to people in and out. You can see if she has the tendency to nip people or kids while still a pup. If she does, you can get a head start at correcting her before she matures more. Good luck!

Substitute
by: Christi

Agree 100% on 100% of the time providing an alternative to the "negative" behavior. I will get up and lead my pup to a different activity. (Much like raising a toddler - consistency is key.) When our pup was teething, I provided ice cubes in a big round metal roaster. He'd have to chase them to "catch" them and the crunching satisfied much of his desire to gnaw on inappropriate things. We also give a non-angry sharp "Uh!" to get this attention so he's aware of a need to pay attention or stop a behavior. Nipping at legs is part of the herding drive and unless you want a lifetime of it, it needs to be extinguished consistently and kindly.

Reward
by: Anonymous

Be careful about rewarding unwanted behaviour with these highly intelligent problem solvers. You don't want your dog to learn to ask for treats on demand by repeating the unwanted behaviour. Perhaps a play with a toy would be a better distraction.

Nipping
by: Anonymous

I agree with the previous comments. I have had Aussies in my life for 16 years and love the breed. I have found when bringing a puppy into the pack that the other adults will take a lot of puppy play from the new addition, but at some point they would correct the puppy, not viciously but firmly, when the play is hurtful or unwanted. Obviously, if the other dogs are more docile, they may not offer the correction themselves. This was the most successful correction to the unwanted behavior toward the other dogs.
Also, one of my pups would nip my heels out of excitement going in an out of our sliding doors. When this occurred I would gently but firmly reach down and push the pup to the floor giving a strong "No". They are extremely smart and only took a few times to correct the behavior.
Good luck with your pup! Aussies are awesome dogs!

Thanks
by: Ashley

Thanks for all the positive information.
Our Pieper is almost 8 months old and we got her when she was 8 weeks old.. And we have been working pretty hard with her. We have come to find she is very bullheaded. I've bought her several toys that encourages her to work for her treats...balls...frisbees...bones...squeaky toys...shoes to chew. And she still insists on eating everything else lol. As far as the nipping. She does it to all of us....my butt is her favorite lol. I thought I owned her but no she owns me lol. She doesn't seem to like commands at all. She is super smart and can do a lot of what shes been trained to do. Our struggle is of course...nipping the big dog and she has hurt him twice. We do revert her attention but she's pretty adamant about his legs. Our other struggle is potty training!!! I've got her crate trained...that was super easy...but she still uses the bathroom inside. I've hooked bells to the door and have tryed training her to use the bell. No luck. We take her out and she just runs....which is normal with her energy level....And if you put her on a tie out she will just bark. Barking is something we can't get her to stop either. Sorry if it sounds like a lot of complaints...but we want our dog to be happy and trained. We knew she would be a little difficult due to her breed and nature. But after doing the same commands and training. We can't get her to stop the negative behavior. I was considering obedience training and was criticized for it. But I want our dog to be the best she can.

barking collar
by: Anonymous

Hi...I have 3 Aussies...mom and 2 male 10 week old puppies!!
Mom likes to nip heels...yikes...I will work on that.. when someone comes to visit or I take her out she gets off the leash...I only tried that twice. Sigh...
I was successful in stopping the barking using a barking collar...iI had to because my neighbors called the animal place and they fined me HEFTY!! NOW SHE knows better...
Some people think barking collars are a mean way to correct this problem...bbut IT WORKED!

problem....one of the puppies is not peeing in crate...THE OTHER IS....GRRRR
help

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