Dog Bite Training: Protect Your Dog, Yourself, And Others
One of the most common issues faced by all dog owners at some point in their dog's life is a dogs natural tendency to bite. A dog with uncorrected, bad biting habits is both a nuisance as well as a danger to themselves and to the people around them. I would like to share with you some of my thoughts on the subject of dog bite training, some tips and recommendations, in this article.
Dog Bite Training -- Why Is It Necessary?
Why in the world is dog bite training so necessary anyway? Perhaps the major reason why dogs used as pets must be trained not to bite is that many of these dogs have not had an opportunity to grow up with a "normal" upbringing as small puppies.
In the normal course of events a young puppy will be born as a part of a litter of pups. During this time the puppies will be carefully watched over by mom, and she will take care of the proper training of her young brood. If any of her little ones bite excessively, the mother of the litter has ways of disciplining her puppies so that they will understand not to bite -- she will, in effect, provide all the dog bite training necessary (at least at that stage). Another thing that normally happens with young pups is that as they grow up, they will learn proper behavior through socialization with their siblings. If their behavior gets out of control their brothers and sisters will soon set them straight -- and that includes additional dog bite training while interacting with the rest of the family unit. However, the whole situation changes when a young puppy is removed from the presence of their mother and siblings at a very young age, to be sold off to an owner. The young puppy no longer has access to these natural "teachers" -- and he you, the owner must now provide the necessary training for your puppy, including dog bite training. The Serious Consequences of Not Doing Dog Bite Training Don't make the mistake, if your dog is biting excessively, of thinking that this behavior will simply disappear on its own: it won't. In fact this pattern of bad behavior will only grow worse. Dog bite training is essential because the little puppy that nips at your hand today, will in time grow up to be the very large dog who could someday seriously injure someone -- a child, an elderly relative or neighbor, the postal carrier, even other animals that stray into your yard! A dog who has not received dog bite training, who seriously injures another person, may cause you the owner serious problems with the police -- you may even end up in court, being sued for damages or personal injury. Dog Bite Training -- Learning Why Dogs Bite In my experience with many breeds of dogs, it seems to me that an important part of dog bite training is learning why it is that dogs bite in the first place. You must always remember that you are the owner; you set the terms and conditions of your dog's relationship and the details of their daily life. Once you know the kinds of things that cause dogs to bite, your dog bite training can address those situations, circumstances, and needs that cause your dog to bite in the first place. One big reason why dogs bite is as a fear response. When something stresses them or causes them to be afraid, many dogs respond to that stimulus by biting. They're biting instinct just takes over. An important component of dog bite training is to recognize what types of situations could be causing your dog to be afraid, and then either changing that situation or removing your dog from that fear producing environment. Another reason why dogs will bite is to defend their turf from outsiders or to protect loved ones. Now remember that in some situations you DO want your dog to bite. For example, if someone were attacking a loved one -- perhaps your young daughter -- and your dog engaged in biting in order to protect her, this is exactly the response you might want. Successful dog bite training, however, involves identifying those situations where your dog feels the need to defend themselves or loved ones, but which is not really necessary or appropriate. For example, your dog should not attempt to bite a letter carrier who comes up on your porch to deliver the afternoon mail. In other words, proper dog bite training involves training your dog to understand when biting is appropriate, and when it is not -- and that is not an easy task. A third reason why dogs will bite is to establish dominance. Remember that all dogs are basically pack animals: their genetic makeup predisposes them to strive to be the leader of the pack. A dog will bite -- either other dogs or other people -- in an attempt to establish dominance. Proper dog bite training, at least for human beings, will require that if your dog bites or attempts to bite you, that you not react in fear (which is exactly the response which will encourage them to bite again), but instead react in such a way that your dog understands that YOU are in control, that YOU are the leader, not them. In summary, proper dog bite training requires you to come to understand the psychology of dog behavior, as well as developing a proper understanding of the most effective ways to influence or change their behaviors. If you make mistakes in your dogs training, don't become discouraged -- dog bite training is not something that can be accomplished overnight, and quick fixes are usually not effective in the long run. Be patient and consistent with your dog, and over time they will learn.
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