Stop Your Dogs Biting Problem
A dog that bites other dogs or humans is a hell of a problem for its master. We do hear stories about canines of all sizes, especially a Rottweiler or a Pitt Bull, mangling an unsuspecting passerby, or pouncing on kids who are playing around, or attacking other dogs. Though these reported instances may be rare happenings and not everyday occurrences, the fact remains that dogs do bite. That realization should be reason enough for every dog owner to nip the biting tendency of a dog in the bud itself, and preempt the possibility of it developing a biting habit.
There are preventative measures one can take to make their dog does not develop a biting problem. The best way to do this is to begin an anti-biting training program when your dog is still a puppy, by socializing them with other well behaved dogs. The other dogs will correct the pup on their own and help you to teach it not to bite. Training your dog early in life that biting, although instinctual, is not acceptable behavior is by far the best approach to having a dog that wont bite.
Since most pups are taken away from their mother and siblings after only their second month of life, it is very important that you take on the mother roll. Dogs learn the majority of their behavior during the first four months of life, which is why rescue dogs and dogs that come from puppy mills are more prone to biting than dogs whom come from responsible and respected breeders.
Puppy mills are often horrific places where dogs are kept in cramped overpopulated pens, by owners who could care less about their mental well being so long as the puppies fetch them a profit. Pups which come from such conditions are basically wild with major emotional, mental, behavioral, and sometimes health issues. These dogs have never been exposed to proper etiquette and simply dont know any better.
Even those, who own a rescue dog that easily bites others, can train the dog to give up its biting habit. It is definitely easier to train a young dog, but that does not mean that it is not possible to train an adult dog to be rid of its tendency to bite.
The same techniques apply when training an older dog as training a puppy, but the training must be done at a lower intensity. If your older dog is prone to biting other dogs and animals then it would not be wise to let him loose in a dog park with the hopes that the other dogs will cure him; just as it would be extremely unwise to let a dog with a child biting problem loose in a playground. Thats just a law suit waiting to happen.
The training has to be done step by step, by walking it around the vicinity of the park and familiarizing it to the presence of other dogs, and in stages letting it mingle with other dogs. Persistence and commitment are the secrets of curing a dog of its biting problem.
Posted in Dogs