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How to Stop Dog Biting
Dog biting is a behavior that shouldn’t be tolerated, no matter
the age of the dog. Puppies learn from littermates and adult
dogs that nipping and biting are unacceptable if left with the
group long enough. If the puppy hasn’t learned this concept by
the time his new family takes him home, it is up to the new
owners to teach him.
Teaching Puppies Not to Bite
Whether a puppy is biting during
play or chewing because he’s teething, it is important to teach
him that biting people or other animals is unacceptable.
Providing a consistent message is important. This can be
accomplished through a combination of techniques.
- Time out – If a puppy nips during play, immediately stop play
and put the puppy into his crate for 2 to 3 minutes. Once
released from his crate, you can pet him, but don’t immediately
resume play. This is mimicking the way his littermates would
teach him not to bite.
- “No bite” – If the puppy bites, either
from play or due to teething, immediately stop activity and with
a single finger, bop him lightly on his muzzle with the stern
command “No bite!”
- Provide acceptable chew toys – With teething
puppies it is important to provide them appropriate toys they
can chew on to relieve the discomfort they are feeling. If they
try to chew on you, use the “No bite” command and give them a
toy to chew on.
- Socialization – It is important to socialize a
puppy, not only to other people, but to other animals as well.
This builds the puppy’s confidence and prevents him from being
fearful and potentially biting, in the future.
Teaching Adult
Dogs Not to Bite
An adult dog who nips never learned the
boundaries of play during his puppyhood. The methods outlined
above can be used to educate him and teach him the appropriate
boundaries.
Teaching adult dogs who aggressively bite begins with respect
and trust. For the dog who bites family members, he must be
taught who the alpha family member is and what his own role is
within the family. Ways to teach him the family chain of command
are:
- Enforce long down-stays of 20 to 40 minutes. If he gets up,
reposition him and make him down-stay.
- Don’t pet him when he
comes up demanding to be petted
- Don’t allow him to go through a
door before you do
- Don’t feed him until after the family has
eaten and the meal has been cleaned up and put away
- Put toys
away and inaccessible to him once play has ended
- Do not play
tug-of-war with him as it reinforces the power struggle
A dog
who bites strangers typically bites out of fear. The important
thing to do here is carefully socialize your dog. Invite friends
over to your house, explaining the situation and providing them
with dog treats to offer to your dog. With your dog on leash,
even inside the house, introduce your dog to the new person and
have them feed him the treats as they enter the door. Keep
activities calm, allowing your dog to gradually gain confidence
with strangers.
With a bit of effort and consistency you can teach your puppy
or dog proper social behavior when it comes to nipping or
biting. Once he’s gained confidence and learned the benefits of
appropriate behavior, you both can enjoy time out in public and
socializing with others.
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