Content
- Dog biting: causes
- How to make the puppy stop biting
- Dog biting: is it possible to avoid it?
- How to make the dog stop biting objects
- What to do when a dog bites the tutor
Puppies are tender, docile and curious animals. This is a very important phase of the pet's life in which it must learn how to behave within the family nucleus, for example, learn to inhibit the bite to avoid hurting the guardians, children or even other animals. For this reason, it is important to teach the dog not to bite furniture, plants, toys, hands, and so on. In this article by Animal Expert about how to make the dog stop biting, let's focus on your dog's teeth problems and explain why and how to handle this situation.
Dog biting: causes
Like humans, puppies are born toothless. In the stage that goes from the transition period to the socialization period, around one month of life, it is when the baby teeth start to come out. Later, after 4 months, these teeth will grow and the definitive dental arch is formed.
Just like children, dogs suffer pain and discomfort that are alleviated by biting objects, hands or anything they find in front of them. That's why it's common to see a dog puppy biting all the time.
If the puppy has been separated from the mother too early, before 8 weeks, for example, this is an additional problem, as the puppy has not had the opportunity to learn to inhibit biting with the mother and siblings, so , will not know how to control the force and can hurt without intending to. In addition, the puppy may also bite for other reasons associated with its natural and species-specific behavior. Sometimes, when playing with you, it may bite your hand a little, but rest assured that this is normal, especially when they are puppies.
How to make the puppy stop biting
If your dog was separated from his mother too soon, you should start socializing him as soon as you have started the vaccination schedule and the veterinarian has cleared the street. Contact with other older dogs will be essential for him to learn how to play and, consequently, how hard to bite.
This process is extremely important for the puppy because, in addition to learning to manage the force of the bite, it will also know how other animals of its species behave. Socialization can be slow but it is very important for the puppy dog since your future adult puppy will behave in one way or another depending on what you learn at this stage.
Don't be afraid to bring your dog closer to bigger puppies, just make sure it's a sociable, friendly dog that won't hurt your puppy. Since, if that happened, it could cause trauma to your dog.
If you are interested in knowing How to make the dog stop barking, also read this article by PeritoAnimal.
Dog biting: is it possible to avoid it?
before you know whichmake the dog stop biting, it is necessary to take into account that although puppies learn new behaviors and orders with some ease, it is certain that they are not always able to memorize, so it is normal that they forget some details. Teach your puppy from an early age what toys he can bite and what things he cannot bite.
During the socialization process and the lack of a natural mother, you must be a reference for the dog's behavior. For this reason, we recommend that you have a relaxed and calm attitude at home, do not play abruptly and always use positive reinforcement, this way you will have a healthy and happy puppy.
For your dog to stop biting hands, shoes and other elements he finds at home, it is essential have lots of toys and teethers for him, you can find on sale in specific pet stores.
It is noteworthy that the punishment should not be applied to puppies, avoid aggressively reprimanding because it can have the opposite effect, since this way you will inhibit the dog's behavior and will impair learning, causing stress, anxiety and worst of all, spoiling your relationship.
Read on to learn how to get your dog to stop biting step by step.
How to make the dog stop biting objects
Consider the following factors to know how to make the dog stop biting objects:
- It is essential that, since a puppy, your puppy relates to biting certain objects in a positive way and, for this you should enthusiastically congratulate him every time you find him biting some of his toys, so he will make a better association and in adulthood he will have these commands assimilated.
- You should teach him to let go as, in addition to preventing him from biting objects, this command helps prevent him from eating something in the street or stealing toys from other dogs, which could lead to a dispute or fight.
- Once the dog has understood the meaning of the word "loose", put it into practice every time you find the dog biting something it shouldn't, the idea is to replace the "no" with the chosen word, so that it understands that it is doing something wrong and immediately release the object. A good option is to approach him with one of your toys so he understands that biting it is the right thing to do.
- Avoid scolding your dog if he has bitten something more than 30 minutes ago, as he won't remember.
- As your dog learns to let go of objects, it is essential to start reinforcing positive behaviors, such as when he bites the correct toys. Leave toys that he can bite around the house and, each time you see him doing, congratulate your dog warmly, with a treat, a "very good" or a caress.
This is not a short process and depends on the dog's intelligence and repetitions of these behaviors. The dog will list sooner or later what he or she doesn't have to bite. The most important thing is to have patience and a lot of affection to offer the pet.
Be aware that there are some toys not suitable for dogs, see more in the article Toys not recommended for dogs.
What to do when a dog bites the tutor
You may have wondered a few times what to do when a dog bites the tutor, know that this behavior is normal when he is playing, but can also do it in situations of nervousness. To avoid dog biting feet and hands, follow these tips:
- The moment the dog bites you hard, you should emit a pain sound so that he learns to identify pain in humans. Then stop playing so that he understands and associate the sound with the end of the game.
- This exercise must be repeated many times until the dog correctly assimilates the sound with pain and the end of the game, so the dog will understand what is happening.
When the dog learns to control the force of the bite, avoid games that make him very excited because in these cases he can lose self control. Reward "very good" for quiet games and positive attitudes towards you and others.
At this point work as in the previous case. The key is to avoid situations that encourage the dog to bite feet and hands and, on the other hand, to reinforce positive attitudes such as biting the correct toy with words, treats, petting, etc. The most important thing is to be patient and give a lot of love and affection to your pet, after all, this type of behavior does not change overnight and requires time and effort.
Learn more about canine teething in this PeritoAnimal article.