Biting, Mouthing, and Teething
Biting and mouthing is very common in young puppies and dogs during play and while they are teething. Biting Dogs are generally loving, sweet, adorable, affectionate, and wonderful most of the time. It only takes one specific thing to happen to make the dog bite. We will discuss the causes of biting and what you can do to prevent your dog from biting.
Inhibit Biting
Dogs must learn to inhibit their biting before they are 4 months old. Generally they would learn to avoid this behavior from their mother or littermates. But, because we take them away from that environment at a young age, the learning to inhibit biting must be taken over by you.
Socialization Prevents Biting
By allowing your puppy to socialize with other puppies and socialized dogs they can pick up where they left off when they left their litter. Puppies need to roll, tumble, and play with each other. When they play they bite each other any and everywhere. This is when they learn to inhibit and control their biting. If they are too rough or rambunctious, they will find out because of how other dogs and puppies react and interact with them. This is something that happens naturally and something that we cannot accomplish. It can only be learned from trial and error. There is nothing you can say or do to educate them for this. They must learn from their own experience. Another major advantage is that your dog will grow up not being fearful if you provide him with socialization. They will learn to vent their energy in an acceptable manner. Puppies that have other pups to play with may not treat you like a littermate. So the amount of biting while they play will decrease dramatically. Also puppies that do not have other puppies around to play with are generally much more hyperactive and destructive in your home.
Lack of Socialization Causes Biting
Lack of Socialization often results in fearful or aggressive biting. The two major reactions a dog has to something that it is afraid of are for him to avoid the situation or act aggressively in an attempt to make it go away. This is the most common cause of children being bitten. Dogs that are not socialized with children are generally the dogs that bite. The most important time to socialize a dog with children is before the puppy reaches 4 months of age. If there is anything that you do not want your dog to be fearful or aggressive towards, you must socialize your puppy with whatever it is before your puppy is 4 months of age.
Trust and Respect Inhibits Biting
There are many other reasons your dog will bite and you must take an active role in teaching them. Before you begin to teach your dog anything they have to know two things that are essential; trust and respect. If your dog does not trust you than why should he respect you. If he doesn't respect you, your relationship with him will be like two 5 year olds bossing each other around.
Use of reprimands and Biting
NEVER hit, kick, or slap your dog! These will erode your dogs trust in you. He will still love you but just not trust you. A unique characteristic of dogs is their unconditional love for you. You do not have to do anything to acquire your dogs love, but you must gain their trust and respect. Another area where we destroy our dogs trust in us is when we scold or punish them for accidents by soiling in the house. When you are housetraining a puppy, there is NEVER an appropriate time to punish or repremand them. If you catch your dog in the act, just go straight to the towels and cleaner. You have no right to scold him, because if he is going in the wrong place--- it is your fault for not watching him, not his. If you find and accident after the fact, just clean it up.
Tips on Biting!
1. Reprimand alone will never stop biting.
2. If no respect exists, the biting WILL get worse. If you act like a littermate than he will treat you like one.
3. If there is no trust, the dog may eventually bite you out of fear or lack of confidence.
4. Inconsistency will sabotage your training. If you let your dog bite some of the time, then biting will never be completely eliminated.
5. Do not forget to followup. The dog must understand that it is the biting that you do not like, not the dog itself. Make up afterwords, but on your terms, not the dog's.
