Plain And Simple Ways To Train Your Dog Not To Bite

With pet ownership comes responsibility. Unfortunately, many dog owners are still irresponsible with training their pets properly. In fact, an annual barrage of law suits, medical bills, and instances of dog euthanasia result from dog bites each year -- almost 5 million according to the Center for Disease Control. This often avoidable behavior can be taught to dogs from a young age, which is a good thing for both dogs and their owners.

Training a dog to refrain from biting can vary by the breed, age, and personality of your animal, just as with anything else you teach him. Here are some tips to help you teach your dog not to bite:

Puppies have the tendency to always mouth and nip and it's best to nip this behavior in the bud when they are still young. Even though you might think it is cute when your little pup plays by nibbling at you, if you encourage this behavior, you will end up with a big problem when your pet is grown.

Puppies as young as five weeks old can begin to respond to simple commands. For biting behavior, a gentle, firm "No!" and a slight squeeze of the muzzle can be a good place to start.

Be careful not to squeeze the muzzle too hard or high enough to hurt his nose. Dogs have very sensitive and delicate odor receptors and you wouldn't want to damage this in any way.

The squeezing isn't really a form of punishment. It is to teach the dog that the verbal command goes along with discomfort. Dogs don't like having their muzzle squeezed and learn to associate biting with the unpleasant feeling and may be reluctant to bite in the future.

What can you do to train your dog besides discouraging bad behavior verbally and physically? Allow him to develop appropriate social behaviors as early as possible. This will develop his confidence and self-assurance, which in turn will make him less frightened of strangers, and less likely to attack.

It's a good idea to let your dog get to know other dogs, as long as they're not aggressive themselves. This allows your pet to become aware of a variety of smells and appearances that might otherwise arouse his suspicions, and tends to negate his normal territorial reactions.

Although dogs have the tendency to mouth and nip, they naturally inhibit this behavior when they are playing with their mates. Train them to develop this behavior by expanding his playmates to include your family members, guests and other pets.

When your pet first meets an animal from another household, begin by restraining them both. Slowly, allow them to meet each other and sniff, or do whatever seems natural for them to get tot know each other.

Put your dog at ease by having the dog sit and stroke its back. Check your dog for signs of aggression like body tension, snarling, and erect ears. After stroking your dog touch the other animal to convey the smell of your pet to that animal. After checking to make sure there are no signs of aggression and the other dog got a scent of your dog then allow them to interact.

Young dogs may be trained not to bite by as early as four and a half months. It can take longer than that, so try not to get frustrated. Each breed of dog is different and training will differ with individuals as well. Be advised that elder dogs, especially those not trained as pups or socialized throughout their life, will be more difficult to train.

While most dogs can be trained not to bite, there are some that still bite despite being trained. Pet owners should also be trained how to handle their dogs properly. If your dog still bites, make sure it cannot interact with other people or be expose to other animals.

If you apply these dog training techniques with patience and persistence, your dog should gradually let go of his tendency to bite. While it may take some patience on your part, it's well worth it in the long run.

Article Source: ArticlesMaker.com

About the Author: Is your dog a bad boy? Find out how training him can be as easy as 123 with the dog training techniques you'll learn about at http://www.positivedogtrainingtechniques.com/. 

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