Updated by Sheryl on Dec 16, 2021
Dogs are carnivorous animals evolved from wild wolves so that nibbling and biting become a natural canine distinct. Their teeth are not so much for chewing, but rather a weapon to protect themselves. However, dogs did not realize that their fangs are a threat to the safety of humans and may put themselves up for euthanasia. Teaching your fido what is and isn't allowed to bite on is a matter of great urgency. Read to learn about how to stop a dog from biting.
Dogs are very excited when they are biting, so don't try to irritate an excited dog even more. Follow these three tips at the first time.
Don't struggle to get free or try to run, which may make situation worse. Running usually triggers the chasing instincts in canines, and they may think that it's part of the game.
It's better to stay quiet and ignore your dog to discourage this behavior. At this time, you can throw something that the dog is interested in at a distance to divert his attention and make him let go first. If it doesn't work, you can make an angry sound, and pat him on the body to relax him (Do not be too heavy).
Immediately after the dog relax his bite, make a defensive posture and try to make yourself look stronger. Dogs will unconsciously flinch and become timid in the face of creatures that look more powerful than themselves. Try to keep calm and quiet. You can use any tool at hand to disguise yourself as powerful, but don't try to provoke the dog. In the process, stay away from the dog slowly.
In general, dogs don't attack or bite people on their own initiative. Lack of understanding of dogs' behavior and psychology is the most common cause of dog bites. Dogs will bite you only if they feel offended unintentionally. To prevent dogs from biting, follow these methods from two aspects, one is to discipline the dogs, on the other side, it is necessary to pay attention not to do behaviors that will cause the dog to bite.
Dogs are easily excited when playing. When they are excited, they may bite. Once they have this tendency, you should give verbal warnings at first, yell at them loudly. Then say no to them with an extremely serious expression, and then make a command gesture to tell him that you are the "leader" and they must listen to you, and finally, snub dogs. Let him know the consequences of doing so. Never use treats to distract them, so they will think it is an encouragement to their behavior. Only when dogs are really quiet can they be rewarded. This also works with puppies.
Provide chewing toy to avoid dogs biting people or furniture. If they just bite you gently, prepare a bone or toys so that they have alternatives to grind their teeth. It must be noted that if dogs show their teeth, it means that they want to bite at the moment.
Kill the dog's extra energy is helpful to prevent dogs from biting so that the dog will no longer have extra strength to bite your hands and feet as well as the furniture. You can play tug-of-war, or take a long walk with your dog, which will also bring you closer to your dog.
Paint things that dog smells disgusting on items that you don't want to be bitten by the dog, so that the dog will lose interest in these objects or your fingers. In addition to spraying diluted vinegar water on items, targeted anti-bite agents are also available on the market.
If the above tips do not work but the dog has exercise needs, please wear a muzzle for the dog to prevent it from biting.
Puppies will bite sooner or later, and they have no sense of how hard the bite was. If they are not stopped through training, puppies will bite more fiercely when they grow up. Don't spoil them! Owners should remember that when dogs are young, they must be trained with the idea that you will never tolerate their biting. In general, trainings are difficult for adult dogs. For example, the social training can be carried out three months after the dog is born.
Train a puppy not to bite through obedience training. Confirm your "leader" authority in training, tell the puppy that bite is not allowed, let it know that the you are stronger than him, so that puppies don't have the intention to overstep you. Teach puppies basic commands such as "NO!" "Stop!" and so on. Set rules that puppies must abide by at home, such as when to eat and when to play or go outside. Use above commands to restrain the puppy when it makes some impermissible behaviors. You can verbally criticize him and deprive his toys and snacks. Repeat this training for more times, and the dog will understand "bite = not allowed".
The main reason why some puppies bite is that they have too little contact with people, so they will bite on strangers because of vigilance and fear. The key is to do social training to eliminate the dog's fear of outsiders. Therefore, owners should take the dog out for a walk, such as going to the pet park. On the one hand, puppy is accessible to exercise, on the other hand, puppy can get in touch with strangers and strange dogs. In this way, dogs will know how to get along with other dogs, and they will not be scared or threatened to bite.
Puppies will go through the teething period. During this time, they experience soreness in their gums and may try to bite on everything, including your hand and feet. The remedy is to prepare some molar toys for the puppy. As puppy's teeth are relatively less powerful, so softer chewing toys are better, such as plush balls. Don't tease the dog to bite with your hands, it will only remind the puppy that he can bite on your hands! Some owners may put their hands into the puppy's mouth, or move their hands quickly in front of the puppy so that the dog will keep chasing and biting. Stop it in time, let your pup grab and bite the toy by itself, and don't use your hands as a toy.
Energetic dogs, such as Teddy, formerly a hound, are in a daily state of excitement. Puppies are more likely to get excited than adult dogs. Dogs may also bite because they don't get enough exercise and go crazy at home. So, stop a puppy from biting when excited is essential. It's necessary to use other ways to consume puppy's energy. Pups will sleep quietly on the ground or play alone when they have enough exercise every day. Therefore, try to take it out for a walk every day, half an hour every day is enough in general. The specific time can be adjusted according to the dog's state after exercise.
Every canine is capable of biting. Pups usually bite people when they are threatened. And unless your fido is severely ill, all dog bites are provoked by some action or event. Therefore, it is important to understand what kind of interaction provokes the dog's aggression biting. Here are some reasons why a dog may bite:
Fear is a significant cause of most dog bites. It is usually directed towards strangers. For example, if someone suddenly approaches a dog from behind or pat him, the pup can get startled and bite. Waking a dog up with a loud noise may also arouse biting tendencies.
Canines can be possessive about their property, and "property" can be anything from their favorite toy, territory, treat, puppies for a mother dog, or even humans. Your fuzzball may show defensive behavior by biting anyone or anything getting too close to their possession.
Even the friendliest dogs can become snippy if they are suffering from pain and chronic injuries. Such fidos can react aggressively towards their trusted humans as well.
Running, cycling, and even jogging can trigger the predator pursuit of some dog breeds. The dog may start chasing by considering you as a prey.
Lack of socialization, lack of training, and ignorance of rules is also common cause for dog biting. Some owners do not stop puppy from biting in time when the dog is young, but let it do this "acceptable" behavior so that puppy will think biting is funny. Because no one taught them how to do it, they didn't know that biting was not allowed.
Canines often exhibit some warning signs before they bite. Knowing the symptoms will empower you to avoid similar situations in the future.