Stop Dog Biting – How To Stop Your Dog From Biting You, Your Friends & Other People
A dog that bites is more than annoying; it is dangerous. Not only do you risk injury to yourself and your family, but if your dog bites someone, there is a chance you may have to put them down. Even if your dog doesn’t bite, it’s important to be able to recognize the pre-cursers to this behavior so you can stop it from occurring in the first place. Starting obedience training from an early age can stop these habits developing.
Why Does Your Dog Bite?
Dogs always bite for a reason. Before you seek to remedy this behavior, you should take some time to understand the cause behind it. Understanding your dog’s behavior and motivations are your best tool in obedience training.
Some dogs are simply aggressive in nature but can be calmed down with proper training. Some have bad experiences, for instance being attacked by another dog which causes them to attack others as a form of offence. Other dogs have been taught to act this way. They may have been mistreated or abused in the past, or simply had owners who did not invest their time in training properly.
Fix It Before It Becomes A Problem
Some trainers believe that dogs that bite where taken away from the litter too soon. When dogs are with their mother and litter mates, they learn through play when biting is appropriate and how gentle or rough they can be. It’s a good idea with puppies to provide them with plenty of chew toys. It’s a natural instinct for dogs to chew when they are young. Providing toys that a puppy can recognize as their own will make it less likely that they chew up your furniture or other possessions.
People sometimes describe puppies as ‘mouthy’, they lick and nip people on the fingers and toes. While these actions can seem cute and affectionate, they are the early signs of biting which can lead to aggressive behavior later on. A puppy that licks your toes every morning is cute, but much less so when they are a fifty kilo hound with sharp teeth.
The best way to stop your dog from developing bad habits is to cut them at the bud. When your puppy licks or nips at you, reprimand them with a firmly spoken NO. Use a low tone. If there are particular times of the day when your dog nips of licks you, reward them when they don’t. For instance, if your puppy licks your hands when you pickup something from the ground, give them a pat and tell them they are a good dog when they don’t do it. Positive reinforcement is important.
If you haven’t already, enroll your dog in an obedience class. Even a short course over a few weeks will make a huge difference to the behavior of your dog as well as your skills as a handler and trainer. Don’t worry if your dog is already an adult, it turns out that you can teach an old dog new tricks. If it’s possible, all of your family should attend these classes. Every member of the household should discipline and train the dog with the same methods, as consistency is important.
Teaching Adult Dogs Not To Bite
You can apply the same principles when training an adult dog. Many dogs will bite or nip you during play. Often dogs don’t understand that they are hurting you. Next time you are at a park watch how dogs play together. When one dog becomes too rough the other dog will yelp and withdraw for a minute before they resume playing. Repeat this scenario with your dog. If play becomes too rough, stop completely. Tell them NO, in a stern voice and completely stop your interaction for a minute or so, then resume. If they bite again, repeat this. After a while they will begin to learn what kinds of play are appropriate and when they are being too rough.
(Make sure you never physically hurt your dog, this just establishes a sense of fear in them which will only enhance their aggression)
If telling your dog NO, or ignoring them doesn’t work, you can try holding their snout shut. After they have bitten or nips, gently hold their mouth shut for a few seconds. This takes away any sense of control a dog has over the situation, reminding them of who is the boss. This is a very uncomfortable feeling for a dog which they will want to avoid. After a few times this should stop them from biting. Be gentle with this method, being careful not to damage your dogs mouth or nose.
If your dog growls or shows other signs before they bite, you can stop them before they do with this firm NO. They will learn quickly that you are not happy with their behavior and hopefully stop.
You can try aversion therapy to stop your dogs from biting, however the previous methods described are more effective. Aversion therapy involves having a glove coated with bitter apple or a similar substance. When your dog bites your hand it will taste the bitter apple, which will discourage him or her from wanting to bite again.
Make sure your dog gets plenty of exercise; daily walks or jogs are a great idea. This lets out a lot of energy which makes dogs calmer. When you are not at home, make sure your dog have plenty to do. Give them new toys every month or two, and a good sized bone that will take them a while to chew.
Re-educating Aggressive Dogs
Of course, not all bad behavior can be remedied with a simple verbal reprimand. If your dog’s aggression problems are worse that the scenarios described above you will need to take serious action. A dog attacking a stranger when provoked is not good, but if a dog is violent towards your friends, family or even yourself you may need to call in an expert.
When you are out of the house a muzzle may be required. This will stop your dog form biting anyone else outside of the home. Some dogs would never dream of biting their family but feel threatened by other humans or dogs and only bite in these situations. If this applies to your dog, you may like to contact an obedience specialist about socialization.