How To Stop Your Blue Heeler Puppy From Biting

Posted in Puppy Care | By: Lea Mullins | 06 Jun 2010 10:05 pm    

Blue Heelers come from a long line of Australian Cattle Dogs. In fact, many would find it interesting to know that the name “heeler” comes from their habit of nipping at cattle’s feet while herding them. Although Blue Heelers are more commonly known today as humble pet companions, there will still be times that their natural instincts may get the best of them.

This is why puppy training is essential for Blue Heelers. Nipping may not seem like a harmful thing especially among puppies. But as your Blue Heeler starts to grow, such a habit may become a problem. When Blue Heelers nip on other people or animals, they don’t do it to intentionally hurt them. But whatever the case, it is always better to try and eliminate this habit as early as possible.

As herding dogs, Blue Heelers are naturally full of energy. Contrary to popular belief, this playful energy can also be a cause for nipping. To help your Blue Heeler channel this energy to a less invasive habit, there are a few things you can do. Having your dog go through a variety of exercise activities will definitely help.

Training Blue Heeler puppies is almost the same as training any other puppy except that they might appreciate more time outdoors due to their extremely high endurance. Aside from taking them out on daily walks, it would also help to initiate play times on a regular basis.

Work on teaching your Blue Heeler puppy all the basic tricks such as: sit, stay, and rollover. By teaching them these things your dog will soon develop the discipline to obey your other commands. Whenever you notice your Blue Heeler pup starting to nip on something, reprimanding it with a stern “no” will suffice. Never use physical punishment because you may simply end up scaring it than disciplining it. Having chew toys around will also work well in lessening the desire of your pup to nip on things.

In such cases, positive reinforcement will help you as well. Once your Blue Heeler puppy does something to your liking, reward it with a small dog treat or with some play time. If it does something contrary to your liking, let it know what it did wrong as well. Along with this, be sure to properly socialize your dog too.

Years later, once your Blue Heeler grows into its full size, you’ll be thankful that you’ve gotten the nipping habit out of the way. Do your best and start puppy training as early as you can.

Lea Mullins explains how to stop your your Blue Heeler puppy from biting. Visit trainPetDog.com to learn about puppy care and puppy training.