Nip Biting Before It Threatens Your Family’s Safety

Every once in a while, the news will present horror stories about pets biting children or neighbors. As a responsible owner, it is up to you to make sure your pooch will never put anyone else in danger. Whether he’s a guard dog or a favorite at the local dog park, biting should not be something he is taught to do. Instead, you have to teach him not to do it! If you have a puppy or a full grown dog, you can teach him not to bite.

The inclination to bite normally develops as a puppy. You bring home that cute little ball of fur, and overlook his biting tendencies; passing them off as playfulness. When a dog is young, then his biting may be a form of play or it may be a way to establish his rank in your home. Many behavior experts turn to the pack animal drive as an explanation to biting. Either way, it must be stopped early. But before you start an anti-biting training regimen, figure out if your pup is biting or just chewing. A puppy likes to chew things, and if your hand is there then he will chew it. Give him toys, and do not allow him to chew on your hand. He may not have a biting problem after all! If the toys are not a distraction and he obviously likes to bite, then take action immediately. Enrolling in an obedience class is the best way to handle the situation. However, not everyone can enjoy the luxury of professional training. In these cases, you must take training into you own hands. If he tries to bite, give him a firm “no” and remove your hand. As he starts to understand that you do not want him to bite, you can slip him a treat when he doesn’t bite or when he responds to the “no” command.

Playful puppy biting can develop into playful dog biting in a matter of months. If your dog is allowed to bite as a puppy, then he will continue to bite until he is stopped. The problem arises when your pooch begins to see himself as a leader or co-leader of the household. If your child touches his food bowl or takes away his toys, then he may bite the child just because he sees himself as superior. Once again, professional training is usually the easiest solution, because you have the help of an expert. However, the dog is still fairly young and can be trained in the same way as a puppy. You cannot let him think that biting is the preferred behavior. At this point, you need to address the way you have been training him in other areas. Do you play aggressive games with him or let him rule the house without any consequences? Try to find the root of the behavior as you correct it.

Once your pup grows into an adult, biting prevention is completely necessary. Some area laws will force a dog to be euthanized if he bites a person. The last thing you want is for your beloved pooch to be faced with that sort of situation. When your dog reaches this stage, then you may want to dig deep into your pocket and call in a behavioral specialist. The specialist can help you identify what is going on, and make suggestions on how to improve the situation, more than likely recommending a professional trainer. Outside of the training, there are things you can do at home to help deter his aggressive or protective behavior. For instance, if he insists on eating when he’s hungry, then make it clear that he eats when you say so. In other words, you should not be giving into him and further strengthening his position as pack leader. The easiest way to do this is to establish a routine and make him follow it. The trainer will have additional suggestions.

A biting dog is a big problem. If left untrained, the dog may legally lose his life. You should start teaching your dog not to bite as a puppy. As cute as it may be in the beginning, allowing it to continue will cause a big problem. As your pup grows older, the problem is still fixable, but you must be willing to fix it. At some point, the training may be out of your hands, so don’t be afraid to seek guidance from a professional!

This article was written by Collin Walker and sponsored by pet-super-store.com a website featuring aluminum dog crates and dog strollers.