Nipping at pants legs of guests

[DakotaDuck]

Have a 75lb Dogo Argentino mix. Sweet dog and I learned is very family protective. When strangers walk onto our property as well as people she has seen multiple times, she goes behind them and nips on their ankles.

She sits on command but if the person moves, she's back up and trying to go behind them. Its difficult to keep her attention. 

[Adrienne Farricelli]

Hi there,

Welcome to the forums! 

Yes, Dogo Argentinos' are known for being very protective dogs. Like Rottweilers, they are naturally alert and make excellent watchdogs. Originally bred in Argentina for big-game hunting (pursuit of big-game such as wild boar and puma), these mastiff- type dogs are naturally courageous and strong, with a strong protective instinct toward their family. With these dogs, early socialization is crucial considering they are so large and powerful. 

I am glad to hear that she is only nipping, hopefully she's just a puppy or teenager dog under the age of 1 who is still in the process of learning and is playing a little rough. Regardless, it's important to address this behavior sooner that later. The more she gets to practice this behavior, the more ingrained and difficult to address it becomes. Following are several tips to tackle this behavior. 

Use Management

Management is an important strategy to implement because it prevents the dog from rehearsing the problem behavior, it prevents the behavior from getting rewarded and it helps keep everybody safe. You can prevent ankle biting by simply managing his environment. This may consist of the following strategies:

• Erect a fence. If your dog is biting the ankles of people walking by your property, make sure to erect a physical fence that is tall and sturdy. 
• Erect a baby gate or use an exercise pen to confine your dog if the ankle biting involves visitors
• Crate your dog for the duration of the visit 
• Keep your dog in a dog-proofed room
• Walk the dog for the duration of the visit
• Use a leash. Keep your dog on a leash at distance from the guests so that your dog is not tempted to bite people's ankles or pant legs

Behavior Modification 

If your dog is biting because she is fearful or guarding something (like a person, a toy, her property), you'll need to implement  behavior modification. This may consist of presenting moving people at a distance that don't evoke chasing and biting, while associating the moving strangers with positive outcomes. The dog can be on leash for extra safety and if biting is a concern, the dog can be muzzled. 

One exercise that may be helpful to start with is the Look at that game implemented under the guidance of a dog behavior professional. Basically, the dog must learn to associate the sight of moving people with treats. Once positive associations are formed, the dog can then be trained to perform an alternate behavior that can be cued to replace the problem behavior. 

Training

Training involves teaching the dog to respond to cues that are often incompatible with the problem behavior. For example, training a dog to your mat behavior at a very fluent, proficient level using high-value reinforcers (treats) can help your dog make good choices. A dog lying on his mat cannot be biting ankles at the same time.

You can also train your dog to play a "treat toss" game. This is a game I invented when dealing with a very nippy teenager English setter that used to nip anybody who happened to moved. Basically, all you need to do is toss treats when your dog is around people and encourage her to go "find them." The goal is to make the dog addicted to this game by using super valuable treats that surpass the value of nipping ankles. 

This game gives dogs a nice workout since they'll be chasing tossed treats, while also helping dissipate their exited energy and emotions. Furthermore, with the mouth busy catching and eating treats, the dog cannot nip people at the same time. 

What if My Dog Won't Listen to My Training Cues?

You mentioned that your knows how to sit on command, but apparently struggles when a person moves. In many cases, this is a sign that the dog is too over the threshold and hasn't learned the cue to a fluent enough level. We can help the dog out by giving the dog more distance from the people walking around and practicing in less distracting settings, before moving to more challenging ones. Keeping the dog on leash is important so as to prevent her from practicing the behavior. Every time she has a chance to nip, she's being reinforced. 

It also may help to invest in higher value treats so that the desire to chase treats ranks higher than the desire to chase and bite people's ankles or legs. 

What if My Dog Won't Take Treats?

This is also often a sign of a dog too over the threshold to be able to enjoy the treats. These dogs are often in fight or flight mode and need some behavior modification to help take the edge off. Consult with a dog trainer or behavior professional to help you out. 

Don't Forget to Increase Mental and Physical Stimulation!

A mentally and physically tired dog is less likely to exhibit problematic behaviors. Provide structured exercise like fetch, long walks and incorporate mental challenges like puzzle toys or fun training sessions.

I hope this helps,

Happy Training!

Best,

Adrienne