My 4-month puppy nips and jumps. How to get family on board?

Question

4 month old pup started pushing boundaries. With anyone who is not me, he nips or jumps and is not calm. I have clear limits alone, but perhaps pup's behavior is from a lack of consistency on my family's part. I don't want to say "Never feed the dog," but my leniency backfires when someone unknowingly rewards begging. I don't want to say "Don't horseplay with him," but again this backfires when the my sister gives him a belly rub, oblivious to the fact that he's nipping her skirt. What do I do? Pet's info: Dog | Golden Retriever | Male | unneutered | 4 months and 10 days old | 25 lbs

Rebecca, DVM · Accepted Answer

Hi and thank you for using PetCoach. I can be difficult when different family members have different ideas about acceptable behaviors. But puppies are just like any baby and need consistency to understand what is expected of them. One way to make sure everyone is on the same page would be to read the same book or articles. The Perfect Puppy https://drsophiayin.com/product/perfect-puppy-in-7-days-how-to-start-your-puppy-off-right/ is a great resource on puppy behavior that you will probably find interesting and helpful and even more helpful if you can show your family. Even if they don't read the entire book, it can be helpful to say "this is what the experts recommend so this is how we should try to interact with Basil." Sometimes families don't want to listen to each other, but may respond better to an outside source. My owner family sometimes won't even take my veterinary advice unless I show them that other vets recommend it. LOL. I feel your frustration. But it is in Basil's best interest for everyone to be on the same page, so maybe this will help. This site may have articles to share too http://www.veterinarypartner.com/Content.plx?P=SRC&S=1&SourceID=47

My 4-month puppy nips and jumps. How to get family on board?

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