It’s an unfortunate situation, but one which many dog lovers have to accept – puppies can bite. It can be a major challenge trying to control biting behavior, but there are some ways in which you can teach your dog to reduce and eradicate this behavior.
Puppies will at first start to bite because it’s fun and part of their daily play. It’s a completely natural and even essential behavior, especially when they are teething. Puppies love to bite their sharp little teeth into anything that passes their way during the development phase of their teeth, including the hands and feet of their master (and in worst case scenarios, children).
The good news is that most puppies can be trained to manage and minimize this problem quite easily. The faster that you start to train your puppy or young dog not to bite then the easier things will be for him and for you in the future.
There are a many different prescribed training methods that are proven to work in preventing dog bites, but before you turn to any specific techniques, keep these general rules of dog training in mind;
- Socializing your puppy or dog and their training go hand in hand in rearing a well behaved animal.
- Never hit your dog as it simply does not work! Your puppy will just think you are playing or could be afraid of you. This could even lead to bigger problems than just puppy dog bites in the formative years.
- Generally speaking the advice to help prevent dog bites is to encourage acceptable behavior and always discourage unacceptable behavior. This rule is fundamental in the training of any dog.
- Whatever technique you choose to train your puppy, the golden rule is to stay consistent in what you teach him. This means that you (or any other person who comes into contact with your puppy) should keep in mind the chosen strategy every time your puppy starts to bite and chew.
- If you do not clearly communicate with your dog, he will not understand that what he is doing is wrong. It’s up to you to show him what is acceptable behavior – you really need to take the role of leader of the pack for this.
- Another reason (admittedly extreme) why puppies and dogs bite is that they might be trying to show that they are the dominant ones. When you have a puppy believes he is, his biting will only be the beginning of your troubles.
A Proven Technique to Stop Dog Bites
Your initial goal should be to teach your puppy how to control the force with which it bites. Usually it is a result of how strong the other puppies in the litter have been biting, but you become responsible once the puppy comes home and starts to live with you. This will help to ensure that the damage is minimal if the dog does bite someone in the future.
#1: Be Firm and Try to Re-Direct the Dog Bites
If you notice the biting problem early enough then it should be easier to correct. Start to redirect biting on your flesh to a bone marrow or a chewable toy. For very young puppies, this is often all you need to do in order to stop the problem. As soon as he starts to bite your hands, tell him “no” in a firm voice and replace your fingers with a toy (or ice if your puppy is teething).
#2: Pretend That You Are Hurt
This is probably the most popular training technique and a favorite with professional dog trainers. Pretend to your puppy that you have been hurt every time he gives you a bite. This method mimics how dogs behave as puppies.
You can use this natural technique by making an “ouch” noise as soon as your puppy bites you. Raise your voice slightly, move away from him and stop playing for a while. Your young dog will soon come to understand that as soon as you bite, he will lose his playmate (you).
#3: Teach Your Young Dog a Voice Command
Try to teach your puppy the command “drop it” – this technique works very well, but is more suitable for slightly older puppies who have already show a propensity for biting. An older dog that bites can be a little easier to train in this way and this method typically should be used when you no longer have a puppy.
#4: The Physical Yet Harmless Approach
In cases of severe dog bites, as soon as your puppy bites your hand, say “no” loudly and quickly put your thumb in his mouth on top of his tongue and place another finger under his chin. Hold this position for approximately a couple of minutes, but not too strong. This will make your puppy feel uncomfortable and he should learn not to bite you again.
#5: Use the Bad Tasting Glove Method
As a last resort, and one which is a bit of hard work, but it can be very effective, is to put on a pair of gloves which are coated in something very bad tasting. The puppy will soon learn that when he bites you it tastes bad. Some trainers have used mustard… but again, this should really be a last resort.
If none of those techniques work, and you still have a young dog that bites, then the chances are that he will grow up to increase this bad behavior. In cases such as this I highly recommend that you seek the services of a professional dog trainer.
This article was researched, written, and supplied by Nina Solonsyuv from the Accident Claims Advice website. They offer legal advice in the event of people receiving dog bites including information on an online calculator for claims that website visitors can use to understand what a dog bite compensation claim could be worth.
Image courtesy and copyright of flickr.com/photos/airbeagle