7 month female havanese

Question
than god i found your site. i have a 7 month old female havanese that won't stop barking and nipping. she tries to chew everything. it seems like more playing than biting. i give her plenty of attention. I've done the chew toys, hot sauce, submissive position thing, everything i can think of. i got her in September at 9 weeks. my husband has just about had it.please help me. i've trained poodles, beauviers, and this little one has me stumped.

Answer
First, get this little "dogsnot" into obedience classes and start working with her every single day. Then you and your husband must start practicing "Nothing in Life is Free" with her. http://k9deb.com/nilif.htm   Be careful of the attention you are giving her; maybe she is being indulged too much and she is considering herself the Little Princess. She must work for every single thing she wants in life... food, petting, toys, etc.

As to the barking, there are a couple different things you can try. One may work better than the other, depending on the dog.

A spray bottle filled with water and set to shoot a stream of water often works on many dogs. Some dogs will need something a little stronger, such as lemon juice or Bitter Apple, before this works. (Be careful the last two are not sprayed in the eyes.) Dog barks, spray in its vicinity while firmly saying, "QUIET!" Some dogs will need to be sprayed directly in the mouth with the lemon juice or Bitter Apple the first couple times before they get the message. When the dog stops barking, immediately PRAISE! "Gooood QUIET."

Seal some pennies in an empty pop can. When the dog barks, throw the can near the dog's feet while firmly saying "QUIET" as it lands. (Timing is everything...) Praise when the dog is quiet. Eventually you should be able to just shake the can when the dog barks as you give your QUIET command. Never forget the praise.

The spray with Bitter Apple always works the best for me. (Some of my dogs think spraying water is FUN.) The penny can only works for about three days for me, and then the dogs start blowing me off again. Other people have more success with this method.

As to the nipping, it is easier to correct when the puppy is still little, but what I do is to pinch the puppy's lip HARD when it nips, as I stare it in the eye and roar in its face (like a lion), as I then loudly say "NO BITING!" This should be a quick pinch and release (like a dog bite). Get MAD. That is what her mother and littermates would have done if they had been bitten too hard. If this correction is done right, she will most likely apologize by licking your hand. If she does, talk to her in a more pleasant voice.

Chewing is a stress reliever in a dog. Make sure she always has proper toys to chew on (I like large knuckle bones myself), and keep all "contraband" picked up so that she does not get into the wrong things. If she is chewing on cupboards or furniture, use the Bitter Apple on those places.

Some foods can cause bad behavior in dogs. Make sure you are feeding her a quality food such as Eagle, Wellness, Canidae, or Solid Gold. The first ingredient should be a meat protein (preferably a meat meal), there should be limited grains, and NO by-products.