Need Help with a Blue Lacy Pup

[Mo_Trapper_1]

We got a Blue Lacy pup and the problem is he want to chew on everything! Your hand, your feet, shoes, couch, what ever it can. We have gotten him chew toys but that has not help. We have said no smacked his nose with a news paper, my hand but nothing seems to stop him if anyone can help I would appreciate it a whole lot Thank You Mark.

[harley]

Mark

Have been going through a similar trail with my young lab. Your going to have to be more persistent than the pup. Have only ONE thing that he is allowed to chew on. When you find him with something else take it away with a verbal admonisment ( LOUD) and replace it with his ONE item. When he refuses to quit biting your hand, shoes when your in them, your going to have to get stronger than a whack on the nose. Rolled up newspaper works fine, smack him once, if he bites again, smack him again, harder, if he bites again, smack him again, HARD, if he bites again, smack him again, HARD yell at him scare the hell out of him chase him and hit him again. You've got to be stronger than the pup. Once he understands what hes not suppose to do you have to adopt a ZERO tolerance.

Our lab pulled a pair of Levis off my wifes clothes line, she took them away from him with a strong NO and popped him once with them. He understood he wasn't supposed to do that. When he did it the second time she went after him, screaming yelling and really whalin on him with the pants, obviosly a pant leg is not going to do physical damage to the dog, this seemed to make a lasting impression on him. He hasn't done it again.

I'm NOT advocating beating the dog to cause pain or damage, but YOU have to set the limits. The flip side is lots of encouragement and praise for doing the right things. If you can't pet the dog because he wont stop biting, the first step is to STOP the bite, the second is the reward for not biting and sitting quietly, the petting and a gentle voice.

Dogs are pack animals and agressive by nature, you have to be the Alpha male.

If you have access to a good obedience class in your area it might be time well spent for both you and your dog.

Keep in mind that bad habits are tougher to break the longer they are allowed to develop. Good luck and keep us posted.

[Bluedog]

Its really tough for the lacy dogs, as they have that biting/chewing instinct. If you watch them herd, they do so with their mouths, attacking the face of the animal instead of the rear legs like a border collie. I think that is why people like them for hogs, because they corral them by the ears. Mine tree well enough too, so if I had a place to take them they would be decent coon/squirrel/coyote/whatever dogs.

Harley's suggestion is very similar to what I did, although instead of one item, I went with one type of item (pig ear). The downside is that you have to keep several available. The upside is that he instinctively grabs a pig ear in his mouth before greeting anyone, so he doesn't nip.

My dogs have become lap dogs, unfortunately, but they have the making of great hounddogs, having both sighthunting and scenthound instincts. And they run like lightning; no alley cat is safe in my neighborhood, hahaha!