05 May Dog Biting – the Causes and Preventions

Dog biting is a common habit that, if left uncontrolled, can have many harmful consequences. Dog biting is not only dangerous but also very annoying and painful. To solve the dogs biting’s problem, we must first see why they bite, and then we can stop this dog habit with some solutions. Dogs bite at different ages for different reasons. For example, puppies bite when teething and relieve pain, but the causes of an adult dog biting are different from puppies. An adult dog’s biting indicates that he has a disease. Every year, many people in the world go to the hospital because of being bitten by dogs, and it’s interesting to know that most of these people are bitten by domestic dogs.

It’s never a good idea to let your puppy play with your hands and feet, even if it sounds interesting. This teaches the puppy that it can bite you as well. However, when a small puppy plays with your fingers or pulls on your socks, it’s adorable in appearance; But this practice teaches the dog a nasty habit! If you don’t want your dog to do something, don’t let him repeat it even once. It’s always easier to prevent a habit than to correct it.

Causes of dog biting

Puppy’s habit

Dogs spend a lot of time playing, chewing and being curious about objects when they’re puppies. The puppy uses his mouth and teeth in all of these natural activities. That’s why he bites when he plays with people. This puppy’s biting may seem cute at first, but when the puppy grows up and reaches 3.4 months old, these bites become painful. But a dog that’s accustomed to biting you, based on his breeding experience, doesn’t realize how much pain you feel from these bites and therefore continues to do so. Dog training is the best way to break this habit in puppies, which of course, require a little time and patience. You can correct this behaviour over time by using dog treats and even using different words and commands.

Sense of ownership

When a dog wants to protect his “possessions”, various problems begin. Possessions mean fun for the dog, like his toys, food, territory and even his owner. Guard dogs and shepherds show most of this sense of ownership.

Fear

The biggest fear of biting is usually encountering strangers such as a veterinarian or repairman who comes into the house or is in unfamiliar situations. Never suddenly approach a stranger dog and teach children not to do so. You have time to dispel dogs’ fears of different situations or strangers. The best way is to turn that weird and unfamiliar experience for the dog into an exciting or delicious experience.

Defend territory or family

Dogs may bite in defence of themselves, their territory or a family member. Mother dogs also strongly protect their puppies.

Escape

Running away from a dog, even while playing, can cause him to bite. They may at first think it’s part of the fun, but even that can quickly turn into aggression.

Illness

Injury and illness are also common causes. If the dog isn’t well, he may not even want his loved ones to approach or touch him.

Dog biting his tails

This bad habit is more common in puppies; However, sometimes adult dogs may do the same. There’re several reasons for biting the tail; you should first find the root of the problem and then look for a solution.

Dogs bite their tails at the beginning of each period of their lives.

The puppies bite their own tails out of curiosity and recognize their bodies as if they say to themselves: what does follow me, let me bite and see!

Older dogs also bite their own tails because of reducing alertness and ageing. In fact, older dogs become accustomed to repetitive and unreasonable behaviours such as biting the tail, which is a behavioural problem and should be corrected in consultation with a veterinarian.

Clumsy and bored dogs may bite their tails.

Dogs that aren’t active enough are often alone at home and bored, may bite their tails to entertain themselves or get your attention. Note that this behaviour is a behavioural problem; So you have to fix it. Try to spend more time with your dog, take him for a walk, and play with him when you’re at home. Also, give her various toys, especially chew toys, to keep her entertained.

A dog has a health problem or illness.

Fleas, ticks and all kinds of parasites and allergies cause pain and itching, especially in the dog’s anus and back, and the dog bites his tail and tells you: I’m in pain, please help me! So if you see a dog biting his tail too much or scratching his back, check his body for external parasites.

Dog biting his foot

Puppies may bite their legs as they bite their tails. But biting feet, in general, is a serious problem that you should pay attention to it; Because most of the time, it happens due to allergies to the substances he inhaled. The same pollens, dust and moulds that cause “hay fever” in humans cause severe skin itching in dogs.

Biting your feet, scratching your ears a lot, and rubbing your head and face too much can be signs of your dog’s skin allergies. In this case, be sure to take your dog to the vet.

Prevention

There’s no way to reassure yourself and eliminate dog biting completely. But you can significantly reduce this risk.

Sterilizing dogs

Sterilizing dogs reduces their desire to roam and fight with other dogs. This way reduces the possibility of the dog biting 4.5 times.

Socially training dogs in the community:

Socializing dogs means introducing dogs to many strangers and unfamiliar people or providing situations where they don’t fear, panic, danger and don’t get nervous. Expose your dog regularly to various situations, such as other animals, loud noises, large cars, bicycles and anything else that may cause fear. Start at the youngest possible age and provide enjoyable and positive experiences.

Gain the dog trust again

If your dog bites you because you scared him, you need to re-establish trust in the relationship. The best exercise for building trust is walking the dog. Provided that you act as a calm and decisive leader. This helps the dog know that nothing bad is happening around you; In this way, his trust is strengthened again. Introduce them to new places, new people and dogs as you both walk comfortably. Increasing the exposure to novelty for your dog will reduce his fear.

Behaviour training

Avoid aggressive and militant games with your dogs, such as wrestling or tug-of-war. Do not let your puppy bite your hand. Determine and limit your dog’s behaviour. Don’t expect your dog to give up unreasonable behaviour and bad habits without any action on your part.

Keep the dog in an enclosed space.

Don’t let your dog stray. Dogs that spend a lot of time in the yard or are chained outside are relatively dangerous. Always keep your dog in sight.

More care during congestion and new conditions

If you don’t know how your dog reacts to new situations, you need to be very careful. If your dog is frightened in crowded places, keep him at home. If your dog reacts strongly to mail or passengers, guests or other people, keep him in another room. Getting help from a specialist to train your dog and his guidance will help keep your dog calm and comfortable in these and other situations.

Toy

There’s nothing wrong with playing energetic games with your dog so that he can use his teeth, but you should do such games with a suitable toy. It’s better to play games that are less harmful from the beginning. From the moment you start the game, have a series of solid and good toys. Whenever your dog likes to use his teeth, you can put those toys in his mouth.

Show your pain

Another effective way is to react to your dog’s biting. Whenever your dog uses his teeth on your skin, say a long sigh or something similar. You can even do this when you have no pain from his biting. This will cause your dog to retreat for a few moments. During this time, you have time to re-prepare his toys. The important thing is that you shouldn’t care about your dog for a short time and show that the game is over. When you want to start the game again, have the toys ready by your side.

Learn to “let go” commands

Teaching a command such as “let go” can be very effective in biting and eating inappropriate items. This command often helps your dog get out of play. However, whenever your dog becomes proficient in this command, you can do it while playing with him. Of course, don’t forget to encourage your dog when executing the command.

Never punish

Punishing dogs show attention to them and encourages them to do the wrong thing again. It also damages the strong bond between you and your dog. Punished dogs show more violent behaviour, both behaviorally and psychologically.

Be aware of the dog’s body language

Dogs use body language to communicate. Pay attention to what your dog’s body language tells you. Behaviours such as showing teeth, drooping head or ears that are flat on the head, grunting are symptoms of dog discomfort. If you see a dog showing this type of body language, get the dog out immediately.

Encourage your dog

Whenever your dog plays well, remember to encourage him. This will make your dog want to behave in a way that makes you happy. In fact, it’s a win-win situation.

It’s almost impossible for your dog not to touch you with his teeth. This is how they do to explore the world around them, have fun or get your attention. Don’t stop training your dog until you see his correct behaviour. If your dog is still behaving violently after all of this, be sure to seek professional advice. Larger puppies and adult dogs that are still biting need a thorough mouth and teeth examination.

Never let your young puppy’s teeth touch human flesh. Instead, you should direct your dog’s behaviour and desires toward things like dolls. Your dog needs to learn well how to live with you, which includes playing. “Do not bite” training allows your dog to have fun with humans as well as other dogs. Mishka’s specialized team will accompany you in all steps of grooming and training your dear dogs. Just trust us.