How To Stop A Sheltie From Nipping Ankles

In one of his books on dog behavior, canine psychologist Stanley Coren tells the story of a Sheltie who tried to herd ripples in a water puddle. These dogs are classic herders and their instinct to nip is strong.

To stop your Shetland Sheepdog from nipping and biting, use focused training and provide sturdy chew toys and opportunities for the dog to stay active throughout the day. These pets respond well to training but find it hard to resist their strong innate urge to herd and nip.

HERDER’S TRAITS

Herding dogs, including Shelties, inherited the instinct to herd from wolves. As a pack, they would herd a flock of prey animals and then cut one off the flock to surround and catch it. As domesticated animals, herding dogs have been excellent at keeping livestock and cattle safe and guarding the farm.

Today Shelties are much more likely to be companion pets than working farm dogs but their herding instincts are still strong.

High Intelligence

High working intelligence is typical for dogs of the herding group.

According to Stanley Coren, Shetland Sheepdogs are in the top 10 breeds with the highest working intelligence. This means that these dogs are highly responsive to training.

In general, the following is true for the breeds of such a high intelligence range:

They learn very basic commands with less than 5 repetitions and respond appropriately to the first command 95% of the time
They respond to commands very promptly, even if you are at a distance, which does not come easily to most other dog breeds

The skills of the trainer are not very important for this breed. In other words, your Sheltie does not need a professional trainer, and you can train your dog even if you are a novice.

High Energy

Most herding dogs are diligent and active almost to the point of being restless.

The positive implication is that Shetland Sheepdogs make fabulous activity companions – they thrive running, hiking, and spending time outdoors in general. On the other hand, if these pups have nothing to do, they get impatient, and bored, and could even have some behavioral problems at home.

Vocal

Shetland Sheepdogs love to bark, like most herding canines. As farm dogs, they were responsible for vocalizing when they saw strangers or predators, so they are hard-wired to make a lot of noise as needed.

Prone To Nipping And Shasing

Nipping ankles is just a tool they used to guide livestock, so for herding dogs are still prone to chasing and, on occasion, nipping small animals or even people who are running.

This behavior is a concern, particularly if you have young children or pets at home and your Sheltie does not control the urge. Shelties get along very well with cats, for example, but are still somewhat likely to herd them, even household cats.

TO STOP A SHELTIE FROM NIPPING

Freeze and shift attention

The idea is to make nipping unrewarding.
Don’t move your hand or foot when the dog bites, because dogs think of that as a game. Instead, make your hand or foot go limp.
You could make a yelping sound to startle your pet, to imitate the way dogs communicate discomfort.

When your dog lets go, pet him or offer a treat or a toy for distraction.

Time-out method

Taking the fun away from biting is the goal too
When your pet bites, freeze until he/she lets go.

Then ignore the dog for a few seconds.
Pet him/her if he is not biting anymore.

Actual time-out

Staying in a crate for a short period could be helpful for some dogs to collect themselves and calm down. This method is more effective with young excited pets rather than mature dogs.

HOW TO DISCOURAGE NIPPING AND CHASING IN GENERAL

Teach Impulse Control

Teach your herder to control impulses. For example, when you play fetch, see if you can get your pet to sit calmly for a few moments before throwing the stick. Reward your pet if he or she does wait, and that’s okay if not – try again later.

Patience is a transferable skill. If your dog learns to use self-control when playing fetch, the animal might practice it in other situations, too.

When you notice that your pup is about to bark or start chasing a runner or a biker in a park, use a command to distract him. You could call your dog’s name to get your pet’s attention and have him or her focus on you.

If your dog obeys, offer a treat or verbal praise. If not, kindly correct the behavior by lightly pulling on the leash or distracting him with a toy.

Correct the behavior every time until your dog consistently comes to you when you call or simply does not chase or bark at a moving person.

Note The Triggers

It is important to understand what triggers your dog to nip and bite. If runners make your dog react, then keep your dog on a close leash around runners until you trust him to ignore runners.

Even with smart dogs, be prepared to exercise patience to see a reliable change in your pet’s behavior. If you want the nipping and biting to stop right away, then your best bet is to prevent the dog from being in situations where he may be tempted.

Respond Methodically

Any impulsive acts by an irritated owner, such as jerking the leash, yelling, or swatting at the dog, will not yield any results. You may stop the behavior for the moment in time but the dog will nip again when faced with an opportunity. He could become defensive or aggressive with it, too.

Teach Verbal Commands

Try using the same command every time you want a particular behavior to stop, at least in the beginning. Once the dog learns to behave appropriately in any given situation, you will not need to give a command. Your dog may need a reminder now and then, although border collies are among the breeds that memorize commands for a long time.

It is important to pick the right time for training.
If your pet is too excited and overstimulated, pause the training until your pet is calm enough to be receptive.
Train in a familiar environment to minimize distractions.

Provide Plenty Of Opportunities To Exercise

Shelties and most other herders are highly active. Providing them with an opportunity to exercise will help them release some of their above-average energy. An energetic dog is less tempted to chase and bite ankles if he or she is tired enough and regularly gets physical and mental stimulation.

Provide Opportunities To Socialize

If your dog wants to chase bikers, exposing it to people and bikes will help to desensitize it to those triggers. But watch your pet closely until it becomes trustworthy around people on bikes.

Chew Toys Are Important

Offer a variety of chew toys, toys, and puzzles for smart dogs. Your pet might love some of those toys and completely ignore others. If the dog finds a couple of toys it likes, it will probably use them to give freedom to its biting instincts.

Try rotating toys to prevent habituation and boredom. Some dogs pay no attention to a toy one day but become fascinated by it a few weeks later.

Establish Dominance

At the heart of any obedience training therein lies the establishment of dominance over your dog. Your pet needs to recognize you as the leader for any training to be successful. There are several ways to assess if your Sheltie views you as the leader.

If your dog easily relinquishes his food to you during his meal, that is a sign he accepts your dominance. Teaching your dog to let go of his food when you ask him to is a way to establish dominance.

It does not mean you have to take away the dog’s food often. You could even just give it back after a few minutes. But if your Sheltie is eating and you politely take his lunch away, he should give it up.

If your pet has any significant behavioral problems and shows aggression in such situations, do not push him. It would warrant getting help from a professional trainer, for everyone’s safety.

Be Consistent And Patient

Although Shelties are highly capable of learning new commands and behaviors quickly, they also have very strong instincts. For that reason, it could still take some time for them to stop a behavior they are hard-wired for.

Some owners can impulsively give their dog a swat to deter the nipping but it is important to note that punishing corgis is not just pointless but also counterproductive. They will not learn that way but may become anxious.

Respond in similar ways to a behavior you want to discourage, so your dog knows what to expect from you.

SHELTIE PUPPY AND NIPPING

If you are planning to get a Shetland sheepdog puppy, it is wise to be proactive and prevent playful nipping from becoming a bad habit. This breed can benefit from early socialization and puppy classes.

Puppy classes are an opportunity for very young pups of all breeds, dimensions, and temperaments to play together and learn from the interactions.

When puppies play together, they teach each other that biting is undesirable. They bite each other. The victim squeals and withdraws, and the fun game is paused. That happens over and over again until the offending puppy catches on that playing is more fun when no one bites.

Stop Puppy Biting

SHELTIES AND KIDS

In addition to teaching your dog to refrain from mouthy behaviors, children who are old enough need to be taught how to interact with the dog.

Young school-age children will not modify their activity level in general but they can learn to stop chasing or trapping the dog under the table, for example. Such actions are not appropriate for any dog, because they can be perceived as threatening. Even a very well-behaved dog can snap in self-defense.

If the kids are too young to understand some basic rules of behavior around dogs, then their interactions with the dog should be watched closely.

Young children and dogs should never be left alone unsupervised.

Although very young kids and Shelties need more attention when they are together, the breed typically does well with children of school age. These dogs love playing and doing tricks, and proper training can help with most behavioral issues.