No Bite!  A Guide to Stop Your Dog or Puppy from Biting

Puppies are just like new babies.  They need direction that will teach them what is and is not acceptable behavior.  If you have taken on the position of new parent to a new puppy, there are a few things that you can do to teach them that biting is not OK.  This will be especially important if they will be sharing the household with small children, as they will not be able to defend themselves if the dog does bite.

You should first think about how dogs and puppies play amongst each other.  They do play rough and get excited but when one dog hurts the other, it is known by the loud squelch that is verbalized by the dog that has been hurt.  You can use this method to teach your new puppy when they are doing something that is not acceptable or that causes pain to the person they are interacting with.

Playing with your new puppy is the best way to get them familiar with their surroundings and with the people that are living with them.  If the puppy nips or bites at you, verbalize the fact that they hurt you.  Do not physically harm them.  They are learning what is right and wrong so you need to give them time to adapt to the new rules.

When you get nipped or bit by the puppy, loudly say "ouch!" This will mimic the loud squelch that comes from another dog as they play too rough.  Once you have said ouch, turn your attention away from the puppy.  You want them to connect their biting with their playmate leaving their side.  They will learn quickly that if they want the physical interaction then they should not bite.

New puppies have the desire to chew and they lose their baby teeth, just like baby humans.  They need something to chew on so they can relive the desire to chew.  If you keep chew toys available to them then the risk will be much lower that you will walk into a room and find your favorite pair of shoes torn up or a hole that has been chewed in your furniture.

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While many chew toys are great for allowing the puppy to get their chewing desires met, some are not so great.  The chew toys that are intended for tug of war games teach the puppy that they can bite and be played with.  If you do not want them to bite while they play with you any other time then you should not get them used to it with the tug of war toys.

It is important that every member of the family practices the same training with the new puppy.  The children should learn how to interact with the puppy.  Children, like puppies, have to be taught the boundaries as well.  If the entire household provides consistent training then the biting issue will disappear very quickly.

If you have tried these methods and your new puppy continues to bite then you may want to use a more physical approach.  If the puppy puts their mouth on your hands or fingers, gently grasp their bottom jaw between your forefinger and thumb.  You do not want to apply so much pressure that you hurt them but you do want them to feel uncomfortable.  As they move their head away, move your hand with them.  Do this for ten seconds or so and they will likely get the point very quickly.

Training an older dog to stop biting can be more challenging.  At this point in their lives, they have already developed some bad habits so reversing them may be difficult.  If you are worried that your dog will bite the guests in your home, it is a great idea to purchase a muzzle for them.  This will eliminate the unfortunate event of someone you care about being bit.

You should use the verbalization techniques with older dogs as well.  If you the dog growls, nips, or really bites at someone then you should immediately say "AAAH!"  This will tell them that you are not happy with their behavior.  Dogs do not do well when they feel like they are being disciplined so they will eventually learn that it is not acceptable and the behavior will stop.

Be sure that you do this as soon as the bad behavior takes place.  It does not do any good to correct a dog several minutes after the incident because they will not connect the correction with biting.  They will connect it with whatever they were doing when you corrected them.  If you are consistent with your reprimands then the dog will learn a high level of respect for you that will help them to stop biting so they can make you happy.

If you feel as if the dog is trying to be dominate by biting, snipping, or growling there are other methods that may help to stop the behavior.  You need to show them that you are the boss so before you feed them, make them come, sit, and stay.  You may need to bring some professional training in the picture if the dog is not picking up on your direction.  They need to learn to be obedient and this comes with learning to follow your direction.

You should also keep the food bowl down for a specific amount of time.  If you leave it down and then take it up, you are showing the dog that you are in charge and that you control everything, even the food.  You are the leader of the pack and you have to show them that they are not the dominate force in the house.

You should have boundaries in your home that allows your dog to know where their space is and where yours is.  If you keep them from climbing up on the couches or other pieces of furniture, this will show them that you are dominate and that is your space.

By following some of these great tips to keep your dog or puppy from biting, you will ensure that everyone living in the home is safe from an overly excited puppy or an untrained full size dog.

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