Unfortunately, it happens to dogs to bite our hands when we play with them. How to stop a dog from biting so that it does not hurt anyone?
Some dogs may indicate by biting that they are threatened or feel insecure. They react to sudden movements or their owner’s loud voice. Many dogs from shelters, unfortunately, can bite strangers because they don’t feel confident in their territory and the new person is an intruder for them. Puppies bite the most, they remember playing biting games with their siblings, so they also bite their owners.
A dog may also bite furniture, upholstery, tear up pillows or clothes. shoes (most often those that are valuable to us) are also “victims” of such games. In order to teach a dog to bite, it is worth observing when it starts to bite. He may do it out of fear of someone or something or simply bite objects out of boredom. To prevent your dog from chewing, you should provide him with chews or toys that he can chew on freely. For puppies, there are chews that have strings attached so that you can play pulling games with your dog. After some time the dog will understand that it is the toy that is meant for chewing and not our favorite shoes
Dogs may also bite because of boredom. When we leave our dog at home for an extended period of time, we will probably notice that he has chewed not only his shoes, but even our favorite couch. If you can’t take care of your pet all day, make him not bored and feel safe. Leave his toys out so he can play freely in your absence. A good idea is to leave your old clothes sprayed with perfume on the bed. Your dog will be able to smell you, even when you are away from home. When you return from work, make sure to play with your dog and take a long walk.
While weaning your dog from chewing, it is also important to choose the right games. They should be done in such a way that the dog can direct all its energy at the toy and not at us. This is very important because otherwise your dog will not learn to bite. Choose toys that have a fairly large reach – long rubber bones or string will be appropriate. The dog should also be gently chastised for any attempt to bite our hand. Simply taking away the bite or stopping the play. This will send a message to the dog to stop biting us. He will notice that we don’t approve of hand biting. If playtime does not end with biting, you can reward your pet with a small snack or a walk. Dogs operate on the principle of reward and punishment. They understand that if they continue to act out of line, they will not receive a treat. Observe your dog’s behavior and choose toys according to his preferences. If your dog likes to drag objects, you can play tug-of-war with him. Don’t tease him too hard, though, as he may mistake aggressive behavior for play.
However, your dog may not bite you in play, but even during normal, everyday activities. For example, when you walk past him too abruptly or take away his food bowl. The dog’s aggressive behavior may be due to abnormal hormones or previous mistreatment. If the vet finds no abnormalities, you can see a dog behaviorist. He will show you ways to calm your dog down and how to behave properly when it wants to attack. Working with aggressive dogs is difficult, but it gives good results. With an aggressive dog, it is a good idea to slowly back off and find the cause of his frustration. It may be a misplaced bed or some object or behavior that he associates with mistreatment in the past. Dogs are very sensitive to such little things, especially if they have bad memories.
Photo by Jamie Street/Unsplash