Certainly the most serious of all negative behaviors a dog can exhibit, biting, cannot be tolerated under any circumstances.
Understanding the root cause will help you identify the most appropriate training technique to correct and eliminate this negative behavior.
Why do adult dogs bite? Understand that aggressive behavior is actually the norm for dogs in your own room. Growling, baring teeth, growling, and biting are forms of communication. Aggression towards humans is a way for the dog to establish himself as an alpha dog. It can manifest itself when the owner does not take adequate steps to properly train and socialize the dog.
The bite can be triggered in several ways:
– Your dog learned in the past to fear a certain object (such as a brush, a muzzle or a rolled up newspaper)
– Dog seeks attention if left unattended for periods of time – Perhaps a child hugs the dog too hard or too fast; this will not be perceived as a gesture of love on the part of the dog, but as a form of annoyance or even a threat.
– If a dog is confused about his position in the family hierarchy, he might resort to biting to test his dominance over the humans in the house.
– Teasing or teasing the dog with a toy, their food or treats could cause a dog to retaliate by biting
– When its territory is being invaded (common in overly protective terriers and shepherds and Dobermans) – If the dog experiences physical pain
– Poor eyesight (common in older dogs suffering from cataracts) could cause confusion
– The dog is a “shepherd” and instinctively snaps at the heels of larger animals, including humans.
These are reasons, not justifications. Biting cannot be allowed, no matter the root cause.
Obviously, the method of correction will depend on the cause of the bite.
If it is an object the dog is afraid of, make it a soft play object until the fear is gone. But don’t use the object in a game of tug of war. That just encourages more biting and grabbing. Try a simple game of hide-and-seek with the object, or drop it and retrieve it. If you can’t connect the bite to an object, the behavior may be attention-seeking. Try saying “no” and walking out of the room, to show the dog that his attention is lost rather than gained by biting or biting.
Children must understand the importance of approaching all dogs slowly. It will be much easier for you to teach children this lesson than to teach your dog to accept what he perceives as a threat.
Your job as owner, from the start, is to establish yourself and all other family members as alpha “dogs” in the hierarchy. The sooner you do this, the fewer behavior problems you will see in your dog. The most effective way to accomplish this is to start obedience training right away as soon as your dog is introduced to the home. This is actually a welcome scenario for your dog. He simply wants to know where he belongs in the pecking order. He will welcome you as the alpha dog. In return, simply shower him with love and kindness.
Teasing and teasing bites are easily eliminated by training humans to show common sense. This is behavior that should never be displayed by family members, house visitors, or even strangers when observed.
Correcting territorial bites may require trial and error. First of all, if your dog hasn’t been spayed or neutered, take care of it now. You can drastically minimize irritability in your dog. And it is known to reduce aggression from territoriality. But the changes will happen slowly after the operation. Like several months. If your dog is already groomed, booster training could be effective. Positive reinforcement in the form of praise or treats or both when the dog demonstrates good behavior. And, negative reinforcement in the form of a firm “no” or “bad dog” (be consistent) when aggression is demonstrated. It may also be necessary to separate the dog from the rest of the family for a short “time out.” These should be 30 seconds long so that a lesson is learned without creating fear or even more aggression.
If the bite is due to a dog in pain, the cure is obvious. Take your dog to the vet immediately. If it’s due to poor eyesight, it’s up to you and the whole family to adjust your behavior and be cautious, gentle, and slow in approaching. And using a soothing voice when you approach your dog. This is just humane treatment for aging dogs.
If your dog has herding breed lineage, it’s a natural instinct to herd sheep, cattle or children if there’s a shortage of livestock in your home. While this can be comical at times, it can lead to injury if the dog starts snapping at your heels. These dogs are high energy and highly intelligent, but often require constant training throughout their lives. Never allow this behavior no matter how cute it is at the time. A firm “no”, “sit”, “stay” every time the dog “herds” can be effective. An extreme measure may employ the shaker can technique. Sealing pennies in a soda can and shaking the dog to correct behavior has been known to work. Personally, such a tactic would scare the hell out of me, so I can only assume it does the same to the unsuspecting dog. Scaring a dog could lead to a fearful dog. It is just my opinion.
Remember, dogs instinctively want to please their owners. Therefore, biting is an abnormal behavior for the domesticated and well-adjusted dog, which most of the time can be corrected. You owe it to your dog and your family to know proper dog training techniques.
I use an excellent resource to ensure I am an informed dog owner: the DIY Dog Training Manual. Learn more by visiting my site referenced below.
