When pinning doesn't work, then what
My little bully is 6 months old now and she doesn't bite nearly as much as she did when she was little, but she still gets nippy and is now trying to assert dominance in the house again with the occasional attempted humping (she did it at the dog park the other day for the first time).
So, I pin her and she instantly goes calm, then I let her up and she goes right back to the what she was doing before biting etc.. It's like she has learned if she acts calm and relaxes she gets let up faster.
Any ideas, help would be appreciated.
Comments
Alpha rolling in comparison to the above - although not involving pain - is a rather psychological violent and threatening act on the dog.
The dog is “pinned” to the ground on its side or back, if necessary (strong resistance) in addition it will be pinned to the ground by holding it down at the throat.
Performed by a skilled owner/trainer and applied to a very strong minded individual this method MAY have some validity.
I am still not a huge fan, because I prefer positive learning versus intimidation and I favor every method that gives the dog a real - and the DESIRED - learning experience. Alpha rolling in my opinion does not provide that.
As you have probably been using the first way, what you have done is practically not more or less than a calming exercise.
This is something very hard to do effectively with a young and wild EBT. And if you want to keep practicing it for later benefit in the future, you will probably have to accept that you will need lots and lots of repetition to make this exercise a real calming ritual.
For now it will obviously not help you much as an “off-switch” for nipping. Because your dog does not see any serious correction in you performing this action. All she has learned obviously so far is that as soon as she calms you will let go. So that’s what she’s doing. She is obviously just NOT connecting the dots and is not UNDERSTANDING that the nipping is what making you mad and that it is undesired.
Now, you could try to apply more force and be more intimidating and get closer to the original alpha rolling. But honestly I don’t see much point in doing that with a dog that is not aggressive at all towards you and does not try to dominate you.
She is challenging you and pushing the limits - just as youngsters use to do it.
You are experiencing ONE of the disadvantages of pinning right now: It is no real learning, if applied gently as in your case, because she does not see the connection between her behavior and the consequence. If applied with a lot more force, it would probably impress her more, but if things go south it could lead to resistance, such as aggression or even biting, a much more tricky situation that you would then have to handle very firmly in order to get out of it unharmed. Looking at the original situation of just a little nipping, I feel like this would be a lot of fuss around nothing.
Especially because alpha rolling also bears great potential of damaging the still fragile and sensitive bond between you and your pup.
Just asking: Have you already tried to consequently interrupt ALL interaction IMMEDIATELY and sending her into her crate (if necessary with doors closed) or another room to stay there for a short time alone to calm down and to be separated and not get the chance of interacting with you?
Repeat this an entire day with her, or two or three or for a week - just consequently EVERY TIME. As soon as she nips take her out of the picture, ignore crying, but let her be with the pack again as soon as she calms down. If she starts nipping again, same procedure - EVERY SINGLE TIME. Nipping = ALL interaction stops immediately.
The point of this is that you take away what she desires most at that moment and wants to achieve by the nipping: Attention.
Even the gentle pinning IS some kind of attention after all.
DON’T fulfill this desire or you enforce the negative behavior even by performing the gentle pinning.
On the other hand when playing with her, you can do a lot of games that involve your hands, teach her to gently take a very small treat from between your fingers. Yelp, if she bites trying it and do not give it away. As soon as she just licks or so, praise enthusiastically and give her the treat. Repeat that, make it a game.
Also when playing tug or so, every time she is gentle on your hands, make that a learning moment! Praise and pet her, yelp when she gets your hand during play, ignore her and interrupt the play and any interaction for a few minutes. You’ll notice when she gets what went wrong and she will start and try to be more gentle on your hands. She will make the translation to feet also, if you practice all of the above consequently for a while (and ideally stay consequent with it forever
Dominating in the dog park means immediate separation of the two parties and if necessary calling it the day and leaving the dog park. She’ll get it sooner or later, although there’s no guarantee that she will completely stop doing it, if it’s just in her nature. But it is possible to train and show her over time that it is unwanted, so you are able to interrupt it on command or - if you are really good some day - right BEFORE it happens, because you notice the signs early.
All of these measures WILL TAKE TIME, lots of repetition and most importantly - CONSISTENCY!!!
Don’t give your dog any chance to think twice or be unclear about your intentions. You cannot literally tell her things, so your actions are the words.