I recently got back a puppy I had sold 3 months ago. She is a cocker spaniel. The previous owners told me she kept biting her kids in the face. When they brought her back i noticed the 5-6 year old girl was more in charge of Mom than Mom in charge of her. We have noticed that when you go to reach for her on her back from behind she will turn around and bite. She also doesn't like to be on her back in your arms for very long. She doesn't seem afraid of any certain sex, but has nipped and growled more at males than females. Both kids were girls. I am certain she was mistreated, but now how do I break her of the nipping, before she hurts somebody.

I'd start by giving her a chew toy or a rawhide and then gently stroke her backside while she's preoccupied. At first make sure you're in her line of sight while stroking her then work up to stroking her while sitting behind her out of her direct line of sight. Once she's accustomed to that try it without the chew toy. Kid's can be too rough with puppies, especially if the little girl was a little monster without proper discipline or supervision. You just need to help the puppy associate touching (especially unexpected touching) with being a positive experience again.

First you have a Sheltie, then a Shih Tzu, and now a Cocker Spaniel... I do hope the admins take notice to your postings.

If you breed Cocker Spaniels then you would know they are notorious for their assertive active dominant biting. If you didn't know that, then shame on you. I would never suggest Cocker Spaniels for children (my opinion, as well as many others).

They need strong leaders, and someone not afraid to keep them in line.

You need to use Positive Punishment for corrections. Never back away when you get bit, this shows submission and lack of leadership. Push into the dogs mouth if they bite you until they yelp and scream. Watch how quickly they learn...

If she bites other people then spray her in the face with lemon juice & water. Let people who come over be aware about the biting and tell them to not shy or pull away; stand your ground and push in if she bites.

I agree with RyanHN, help her to know that touching isn't a bad thing. It will take some time, but if you are committed to her, it will work. I disagree with daleigh, I don't think that it is necessary to punish her in such a way. Start with gentle methods, and then if you are not successful, seek the help of a behaviorist. By punishing her for biting or nipping, you are treating violence with violence. I never was one who believed that if your child bites you, you are to bite them back to show them how it feels either, and to me, what is being suggested is similar. Good luck.

For my dog I've tried three methods:

1). Firmly push your hand against their nose when they nip. This will not hurt the dog but make it an unpleasant experience. Eventually they are supposed to get the hint.

2). Grab their mouth with both hands and say NO firmly.

3). Used a spray bottle of water and spray my dog in the face when they nipped.

1 & 2 did not work but #3 worked the best. I took about a week before our dog caught on. His nipping dropped 99%. Just be patient and most importantly consistent.

The Dogs Obedience Training Blog

I agree with ryan, you need to show her that there nothing to be afraid of!

Give her a really high value treat while stroking her from her head all way down her back. - im not surprised that she doesnt enjoy laying on her back in your arms - she is not a baby, but also this is not a position dogs are comfortable with if they feel more dominant than you.

Get your pack leader role back by walking through doors & gates before her, eating before your dogs & pretending to eat from her bowl before her, stopping her from sleeping on your bed is a defenate if this happens!

Keep petting her from different angles at different times while she is distracted by play or food etc, get her used to it, but this may take some time if she has been abused their or the kids would pull her tail or something.
Stick with the training, she will soon learn that you will not hurt her.

Good luck
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