Laika is constantly grabbing my jumper sleeve

I’d also add that as humans, we can’t just do whatever we like. I’m not sure if it was here or on another blog that I saw someone talking about this. If we want to act like dogs, why don't we introduce ourselves by sniffing their bums? And let them sniff us back while we're at it? A dog will put up with more from a creature it understands, like another dog, than from one it doesn't share a language with, like a person. I play with my dog using a ball; it’s obvious I don't start nibbling my dog to play or get down into a "play bow". On the other hand, a threat is still a threat, even if you don't share the same language. Whether it’s a human shaking a fist at me or a lion raising a paw, my instinct would be to protect myself.

I’ve never seen a mother dog do that, and I’ve known some pretty nervous bitches with litters of eight pups, yet they never did it. Honestly, you can search all over the internet—I’ve tried—and you won't find a single video showing it. You see all sorts online, even rabbits having baths, but never a mother dog doing that. It’s odd that no one’s ever filmed this supposedly common behaviour that people always harp on about to justify this method. On the other hand, my dog does do this with a soft toy; if it’s a toy that looks anything like an animal, he grabs it by the scruff and shakes it—that’s how a dog kills its prey. Now, something else you do see, which I suppose you could just about call discipline, is a mother dog carrying her pups and putting them back in their place whenever they wander out of the nest, but as I said, that only happens in those first few months. After that, you do get dogs who play by grabbing each other’s necks; maybe some people mistake that for punishment. When Enzo and Govou play, it can look quite rough, but it’s just a game—Iago plays like that too. You have to be able to tell if it's a threat or not, but punishing a puppy by grabbing it by the neck? No. Playing by grabbing the neck happens, and they make these noises that some people think are growls when it’s really just "play-noises" (I’m not sure how else to put it). I wonder if that’s what people are confusing with punishment, because I’ve often had people watch my dogs and ask, "Are they fighting?" when they're just playing. If that’s the case, puppies "punish" their mums more than the other way around, because they have a reflex to latch onto her and they'll go for anything! It's worth noting there’s a big difference between play and a kill; in play, the dog just nips or mouths, but in a kill, the dog really seizes hold. As for humans, our dogs know we aren't dogs. We can't play with them the same way another dog would, so when we do that, it’s understood as a threat—especially since the people using this method are trying to punish the dog, not play with it.

Not necessarily. Mother dogs actually do this to discipline stubborn puppies—they grab them by the scruff and give them a bit of a shake (it’s more of a nudge than a proper shake, and there’s absolutely no intention of harming them). There’s shaking and then there’s *shaking*; it’s all about the intensity. Sometimes it feels like a necessary step to show your dog you’re not happy about a serious and recurring issue. It’s not a minor gesture, so you shouldn't do it without using a bit of common sense. If you’re too rough, the dog will definitely see it as an attack. Personally, I think the best way to correct this habit is to ignore it, but you’ll need a lot of patience because these furry friends can be very stubborn! :)

Ignoring them is the best solution. With little Iago, it was the bottom of my trouser legs, but he doesn’t do it anymore because I ignore him. If I find the situation is getting a bit much and I’m struggling to ignore it, I just move to another room. Grabbing a dog by the scruff, however, causes several different reactions. The first and most common is probably the dog completely freezing—so yes, this method "works" because the dog feels like it’s facing a death threat. The second reaction, which is what my dog does (I don’t use this method, but my dad once grabbed Iago like that), is screaming. I think it’s the most horrific sound my dog has ever made. The third is biting. And there is nothing to say that a dog who screams or even freezes won’t turn on you and bite one day. No mother dog punishes a puppy this way, unless she is actually rejecting the litter and intends to kill one of her pups. I think a member posted on here about six weeks ago about a dog that was doing that, and she ended up killing one of the puppies—that speaks for itself. At most, a mother will go for the neck and growl; it’s a very clear threat, but if she has already grabbed the pup, it’s all over for them. Don't confuse this with the very short period where a mother carries her pups by the scruff. That doesn’t last long, and despite what you might read in online comments, you won’t find a single video of a mother dog doing that as a punishment. Some dogs play by grabbing each other's necks, but they’re dogs and they understand each other. In any case, a dog will perceive this as a "kill bite" coming from a human, because it’s being used to punish them. One more thing: vets are medical specialists, not behaviourists. Only a behaviourist can really help you with this.

Evening, She’s likely just trying to get your attention. Instead of telling her off, ignore her completely while she’s doing it (no talking to her, no eye contact, etc.). She’ll stop eventually! :) Never shake a dog by the scruff of its neck... it’s essentially a killing move. It really is something you should never do.

Hi, I think you should tell her no and give her a telling off, and if that doesn't work, well, you can grab her by the scruff of her neck near the collar and give her a little shake. That's how their mum punished them when they were being naughty. I should point out that my vet told me this, so I reckon it’s right. I do it with mine and he always ends up listening in the end, just don't do it too often, okay? Hope my advice helps, x