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While the vast majority of these bites are not very serious, a small percentage is quite serious, even to the point of being deadly to the victims. As responsible dog owners it is our duty to attempt to never allow this behavior in our dogs by proper training.
The first steps to stop your dog’s biting and nipping begins when they are a puppy. Many owners, especially inexperienced dog owners, do not realize the importance of not allowing their adorable little puppy to bite any human. As puppies this is just a normal instinct for them because they are learning about their surroundings, being playful, it helps relieve teething, and they are not yet old enough to understand this is unacceptable behavior.
Begin as soon as you bring your new puppy home to teach him or her that any nip or bite towards you, a family member, or other people is not allowed. Decide on the command word or words you are going to use when the pup bites, and in a firm voice say “NO” for example. Command words work best if they are one short word the young dog is able to understand. Once you have selected a command word for a certain behavior never change or alter it as this only confuses the puppy and they will not understand the constant use of different commands while you expect one particular behavior from them.
As a puppy nips at your hands or legs gently put your hand around their snout closing the mouth and in the firm voice give the NO command. Be patient as this sometimes takes a few weeks for it to dawn on the pup he or she is not allowed to behave in this manner. After you have disciplined the pup give him a chew toy so he begins to understand this is what he is allowed and expected to bite.
Another thing that has worked well for us with several dogs over the years is to tap the dog on the nose with a finger, while saying NO. Supposedly this works for cats, but we found it works well on dogs, too.
And of course, don’t forget to praise the dog when it does obey.
With patience and gentle yet firm training you can stop your dog’s biting and nipping long before it could become a serious problem.
How do you deal with this issue? Please add your tips and comments below.
Rebecca
says:I disagree with both of the above methods to stop biting. I have seen many pups who had their muzzles grabbed actually get worse and become aggressive. If you notice how dogs play with each other, you will notice they bite each others mouths/muzzles in play. To grab or tap a puppys muzzle could backfire on you, depending on their temperament. Removing yourself and/or the puppy from the situation will help. A shake can or squirt bottle works as well.
Kim
says:Tapping them on the nose is not necessarily a good idea as that may damage their olfactory nerves. Better to tap them on the bottom of their mouth if you’re inclined to physically reprimand your dog.
jan
says:how can you stop a dog 2 years to stop with her love bites?