Dog Training – How to Control Biting
Posted By Erika on July 14, 2010
For dogs biting is as natural as eating and breathing. They must be taught when it is appropriate and when it isn’t. Puppies learn about such things from their mothers and siblings. The whelp of a sister when the play gets too rough serves to remind the dog to be gentle. A firm nip from the mother will also teach the dog that bites hurt. Unfortunately, often when we bring home a puppy, it hasn’t had time to fully learn these things. Puppies that come from pet stores are likely to have been separated from the mothers too early. It’s going to up to the owner to impart the lessons.
Just because a new puppy seems overly prone to biting, you shouldn’t think that you have found an aggressive dog. This is very common. It just means that the dog will require firm training to teach them correct behavior.
The age of the puppy will determine your exact strategy for training. Young dogs require a different touch than older dogs. Young dogs are easier to teach. If your puppy is less than four months old, the following techniques should be used.
Teach the puppy that licking is preferable to biting. Biting should be addressed with a firm “no” and with your pulling your hand away. Licking should be met with praise. Encourage licking by coating your fingers in something tasty. Get him used to this rather than biting.
If the biting continues, and the dog is not hungry, put him aside with a chew toy for a while. If you are dog crate training the puppy, and you should be, this is when he should be sent to his room. Give the puppy a little time to work things out with the toy and then take him back out. Remember that screaming will do nothing. It might even make the puppy more prone to bite. You certainly don’t want a puppy that learns to associate biting with a feeling of fear. Once he gets older, the fear response could retrigger the biting response and cause serious problems.
The proper response to a puppy bite is a firm “no!” and a firm look into his eye. After a few moments, simply return to the previous task. It might take a few times, but eventually the puppy will learn that his biting doesn’t please you. The puppy wants to please you more than anything and will soon find a behavior you prefer. A sure sign of an experienced dog owner is over-reaction and violence. This teaches the dog nothing and is actually playing to their more primitive world. Dogs need to instead learn what constitutes proper behavior in our world.