Pets Australia Issue 70 August 2017

Do you have a badly behaved budgie

or a misbehaving mutt? Animal

behaviourist Dr Kate Mornement shares

some handy hints to help get common

pet behaviour blunders under control.

PETS | Behaviour and training

Photos: tombaky/BigStock.com, SH2/BigStock.com, Zoo Studio

74 August http://www.facebook.com/petsmagazine

TUG WITH TEETH

Q:

Dear Dr Kate, I have a six-month-old Border

Collie named Fly. He’s very cute and full of

energy! One of his favourite games is tug-o-rope

with me and while I love it, recently, he’s started to

bite on my hands as well. His puppy teeth are sharp,

but it doesn’t cause me too much pain, although I

am worried about him keeping this up in the future.

How can I get him to stop this behaviour?

Jarrod, via email

A:

Hi Jarrod, wow! Lucky you having a Border

Collie puppy! Fly sounds like so much fun. Tug

is a game that lots of puppies and adult

dogs love to play with their owners. Being

a puppy, he’s still learning right from

wrong. He’s not biting you on purpose or

trying to hurt you, rather, he’s accidently

biting you as he adjusts his grip on the

rope toy. The good news is that you can

teach him not to bite your hands when

playing tug-o-rope. Decide where on

the rope toy is OK for Fly to bite (for

example, the bottom half of the toy). When playing

tug with Fly provide lots of verbal praise and continue

the tug game when he stays within the acceptable

area for biting. When Fly moves past the acceptable

area and towards your hand, immediately drop the

toy. Be consistent in rewarding Fly with praise and

by continuing the game for biting and tugging in

the acceptable area. Immediately stop the game by

dropping the toy when he bites outside the acceptable

area. Fly will quickly learn that biting anywhere near

your hand ends the game and he’ll avoid doing that

because he wants the game to continue.

Many adult dogs and puppies love to play tug.

s

WRITE TO Dr KATE

Does your puppy pee in all the wrong places?

Does your kitty scratch the new couches? If you

have a question about your pet’s behaviour,

write to our resident animal behaviourist,

Dr Kate Mornement from Pets Behaving Badly

(petsbehavingbadly.com.au

question to ). Send your

Naughty or nice/PETS

Bag 154, North Ryde NSW 1670 , Locked

question to or email your

[email protected]

with the subject heading “Naughty or nice”.^

Stay tuned, as your question may be answered

by Dr Kate and published in the magazine.

WWWWWWWWWWRITTE TO

D

NAUGHTY

OR

nice

Animal behaviourist Dr Kate

Mornement with her canine

pals Joseph the Labrador and

Archie the Boxer.

PLF070_pg074-075_Naughty or nice.indd 74PLF070_pg074-075_Naughty or nice.indd 74 28/06/2017 1:52:14 PM28/06/2017 1:52:14 PM