Dog Training for Biting

As a dog owner you probably don’t enjoy a dog that mouths, chews or bites during a relaxed or playful interaction. Even a dog that is mouthing can cause an injury – especially if it is an adult. While a puppy bite won’t hurt as much as a bite from an adult dog, it’s important to teach your dog not to nip or bite as early as possible. Once the dog has developed the habit, it becomes more difficult to suppress.

Play Versus Aggression

It can be difficult to understand the difference between aggressive and playful mouthing. If your dog is mouthing and his face and body seem relaxed, this is most likely playful and it generally isn’t as painful as aggressive biting. If, on the other hand, your dog seems stiff and his muzzle is wrinkled, he may be mouthing with more of an aggressive attitude. This type of aggressive mouthing is also likely to be painful and delivered quite quickly.

Gentle Behaviour

Your dog can be taught to control his mouthing and the force of it. When dogs are in a pack they instinctively learn how hard they can bite based on their play with other dogs. It’s the puppy bites too hard, his playmate will stop playing and will yelp. This becomes a learned behaviour for the aggressor because he wants to continue the play but has lost his playmate as a result of a hard bite. The same type of lesson can be learned from humans. Your pet dog can be taught how to be gentle with some simple training techniques.

Mouthing problems should be handled as soon as they develop. In some cases this may not be feasible if you are adopting an older dog. In this type of scenario, the training should start as soon as possible so that the dog understands the new relationship between him and the owner.

Dog owners may find the training quite challenging since the possibility of injury is always present. It’s best to work with a professional and experienced dog trainer that knows how to curb biting, chewing, nipping and mouthing issues so that you can pat and play with your dog without worry.

Learn more about dog training for biting at www.cck9.ca. We look forward to discussing any concerns you may have about your dog with you. We’ll let you know what can be done about biting and what you can expect from our program so that you can make an informed decision before moving forward.