elkhound

Q: How can I get my Norwegian Elkhound to stop biting me when I come home? I have a six-months-old Norwegian Elkhound puppy, and she's the most loveable, affectionate dog but whenever I come home, she's so excited to see me that she always ends up biting me. She doesn't break the skin, but she bites hard enough to hurt. I tell her NO very loudly, and I've grabbed her snout, but it doesn't seem to help. Any suggestions? Photo Credit: Micadog/Flickr CC Answers and Views: Answer by Tiger Flowers Before Norwegian Elkhound, I had Akitas for about 6 years. So when I got my Elkhound I figured I'd train her the way I trained them. I even had a rescue which I had to train out the mistakes of past owners. Think like a mother dog, if the puppy bites another pup it yelps, cries, and whimpers. This works well and is something they understand naturally. The only difference I've seen so far in training is our Akitas didn't bark. So you would have to be aware of their attitude when I give you this look you will get bit! Elkhounds don't have that. Mostly they are wanting attention and they need to know who the leader is. If you raise your voice or smack at them they will just make a game of it or shy away hurt. I wish I had a lot of room for her to run but since I don't I cleared the way and I tell her when its time to play rough or when she needs to be gentle. The gentle she is still working on but I have two cockatoos that I allow to fly when they want. So far she is doing quite well at giving them their space. But like the Akitas they take cues from their owner, if you are nervous then the dog will be..you need to establish that you are the leader. My dog does not come into the kitchen to eat her food until I say its ok. Believe me, when you have a 120 lb dog bowling you over you learn real quick to teach them whos in control Answer by Dog Expert 101 completely ignore her like she is not there until she calms down. eventually, she will, and when she does give her a treat and get on the floor to her level and praise her for being calm. good luck! Photo Credit: Harold.Schock/Flickr CC Answer by Craig W I have a purebred Norwegian elkhound. This is the best, most loyal, and affectionate dog on the planet. Do NOT listen to the dog expert 101. This is common advice that may work for many breeds but the comments from the owner of the part elkhound are much better advice. The elkhound is emotionally needy and very smart. It is fine and a good idea to yelp like a puppy when hurt or whimper and turn your back to show the biting hurts – even if it doesn't hurt that much. Now my dog when bored would lunge and bark at me and bite my arm – never hard enuff to hurt nut a bystander would swear I was being attacked. I had a lot of difficulties controlling this. Then one day I turned it into a game where I actually encouraged the jumping and biting and tugging and then stopped the game demanding a sit-stay. Then restarted the game again repeatedly. This allowed me to establish control over this behavior and let my dog know when it was okay to play like this and when not to. Read More: How to stop my Border Collie puppy from biting me? How do I get my Pug dog to stop biting? How to stop my Morkie from Teething and being Aggressive? If you are leaving your dog alone it is prob boiling over with excitement to see you. I would suggest you really get a good command of the sit-stay command and then when you enter the house, demand a sit-stay. When our dog succeeds – be sure to greet all the other humans first and then give your dog lots and lots of praise and hugs. Also perhaps be ready for a great bit of playtime. I used to tie the leash onto a stuffed toy and let my pup chase and pounce and maul it – you have an excellent dog but it does need stimulation every day. For the record my dog even as a pup never chewed or cause unwanted damage once – but the first two years were a LOT of work. Answer by Pam You just need to get a small spray Binaca, the breath freshener. When she goes to bite you, spray a small amount in her mouth. It does not hurt the dog and sends a clear message that this behavior is not acceptable. Worked like a charm for my stubborn shepherd! Know better? Give your own answer to this question!