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If you've ever been nipped by a puppy, you know those teeth can
be as sharp as ice picks. While other dogs generally have thick
skin and can handle a nip relatively undamaged, we humans are
not quite so fortunate. And yes, a puppy bite can definitely
break skin.
So how do you put a stop to your puppy's nipping?
First, it helps to understand that he's not biting maliciously.
Biting and mouthing are natural activities for puppies and young
dogs. They instinctively nip when playing with their siblings.
This is the way they interact with the world around them. Left
with his family, a puppy would soon be taught by his mother and
siblings to control his bite. But most puppies are removed from
their mothers before they've had a chance to learn this lesson.
With this in mind, taking advantage of your puppy's natural
instincts can actually provide you with an easy, painless way to
inhibit his biting. All you have to do is let him play and
socialize with other dogs. Puppies love to tumble and roll and
play. They also love to nip. If your puppy becomes a bit too
rough in the company of other dogs, the rest of the group will
quickly correct his inappropriate behavior. As simple as it is,
this socialization with other dogs is easily the most effective
way for him to learn to control himself when he's tempted to
nip.
There are other benefits to socializing your puppy as well.
He'll learn not to fear other dogs. He'll expend his excess
energy. And you'll find that he interacts better with the rest
of your family. Puppies that miss out on socializing with other
dogs tend to be hyperactive and destructive and exhibit other
problem behaviors. In addition, unsocialized dogs will often
react aggressively to new situations. So any efforts you make to
expose your puppy to other dogs and new people (especially
children) will pay dividends in many ares of your puppy's
development.
This can be particularly helpful if you have children in the
family. Children are closer in size to dogs, and they often have
that same puppy-like energy that can be interpreted as
aggressive by a dog. So while your puppy is still young (four
months old or even younger), this is a good time to have him
interacting with children in a proper manner that excites
neither your puppy or the children. This can be especially
important if your puppy is from a breed of large or aggressive
dogs.
The next way to work with your puppy in eliminating biting
behaviors is to gain his trust and respect. This goes a long way
toward making all training easier and more effective, especially
if you're working to correct problem behaviors.
How do you gain your puppy's respect? By treating him with
respect.
Whether you're training your puppy or just playing, always treat
him with respect. This means no hitting or slapping your puppy,
even in situations where you're trying to correct inappropriate
behavior. Physical punishment will not only destroy the trust
and respect of your puppy, it'll make him afraid of you. More
important, it's often ineffective. Reprimanding your puppy will
not stop him from biting. It'll only confuse him.
Using positive reinforcement, which generally means treats and
plenty of praise, will teach him much faster and more
effectively to play without biting.
A puppy that bites will grow up to be a dog that bites unless
you teach him better. Left alone, these negative behaviors only
become worse. So deal with them early, and deal with them
positively, and you'll establish the foundation for a loving,
healthy relationship with your puppy for the rest of his life.
About the author:
David Silva serves as the webmaster of Dog Training Unlimited.
To learn more about training your puppy visit us at: Puppy
Training.
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