Biting is in the nature of dogs and is part of their lives. You cannot expect them to suddenly stop biting, but it is worth paying attention to what they are biting! Behaviour such as pulling on a leg or other items of clothing, destroying various objects and the dog biting its handler are unacceptable. How can you teach your pet to behave in this way?
First of all, it is important to remember that the causes of the problem can be very different. An adult dog usually bites its handler for a completely different reason than a puppy does. Analysing the behaviour of the household pet and those who care for it helps to determine the cause of this behaviour and to take appropriate steps to eliminate it.
It is worth noting that the problem of biting, however, largely affects puppies and not adult dogs. This does not mean, however, that it does not occur at all in the latter group. The lower frequency of this phenomenon among adult dogs is the result of responsible upbringing during puppyhood. A dog that has been given boundaries and clear rules of behaviour from the very beginning is less likely to exhibit undesirable behaviour.
Why does a puppy bite?
Biting in puppies is often connected with the growth of teeth and their replacement. This is when the problem of itchy gums arises, which can be very distressing for the puppy. Another reason is that young, playful dogs are not yet aware of how hard they can bite or that their bite can hurt someone. The role of the dog’s mother is important in such learning. It has been noted that the lack of control of the biting reflex in adult dogs may be due to too early separation from the mother. It is assumed that a puppy should stay with its mother until at least 8 weeks of age. When a small dog bites while playing with its mother or its siblings, it naturally learns not to do it too hard. Unruly puppies quickly learn from their mother that biting hurts when she makes them aware of this by grabbing such a toddler with her teeth herself. In this way, she sets boundaries and teaches the puppies good habits.
Why does a dog bite its handler?
The reasons why an adult dog bites its handler can vary. It is not uncommon for it to be a desire for attention. A four-legged dog that is not provided with appropriate stimuli often bites out of boredom. The reason may be the lack of appropriate toys and activity in the form of longer walks that are attractive to the pet. When an adult dog bites its handler, it can also mean that the dog is in pain. Pain as a result of illness or injury can lead to the dog not being able to control its behaviour. A suffering dog may then bite involuntarily, even though it does not actually want to hurt its handler.
Human bites by domestic pets are often simply the result of irresponsible behaviour on the part of humans themselves. Strongly embracing the dog, leaning over it or waking it from a nap may be met with a defensive reaction from the dog. Other inappropriate behaviours that can trigger aggression include starving the dog or restricting its freedom, such as locking it in a cage for many hours. An adult dog also bites when the guardian does not have a strong position “in the pack” and the dog fights him for dominance. As we mentioned above, biting can also be the result of a puppy being separated from its mother too early.
Adult dog biting – how do you teach it?
In order to solve behavioural problems in pets, it is necessary to find the causes. You can look for them yourself, but often the help of a specialist is necessary. It is worth remembering that some dogs may have a history of trauma (e.g. pets from a shelter that have been taken in as a result of intervention). In their case, bad habits and aggression (which is often simply due to fear) may be firmly entrenched.
The behaviour of the carer is crucial for establishing the right relationship with the dog, even if the latter has no traumatic experience on its record. In order to avoid being bitten by a pet, care must be taken to ensure that its most important needs are met. Constant access to fresh water and good quality wet dog food is essential. It is important to take walks appropriate to your pet’s activity and to meet its need for contact with its guardian. It is also important to set boundaries in the human-dog relationship from the very beginning. When playing together, the dog (even if it is a puppy) should not be allowed to bite our hands. This is one of the most common mistakes made by carers. A young dog usually bites lightly and such games do not bother many people. However, when it grows up, they become bothersome and painful. It will be difficult to explain to the pet why it was previously able to pull the guardian’s leg or bite his hand, but now cannot do so. It is far better to set clear rules from the outset that everyone will abide by. Therefore, when a puppy or older dog bites its handler, give a firm command of ‘not allowed’ and give the dog a toy as a substitute. If this does not help, repeat the command and end the game. In this way, the pet will quickly understand what behaviour is not tolerated by the carer.
At the same time as training the pet, care should be taken to educate the household and other people around the dog. Awareness of what behaviour should be avoided (firmly hugging the dog, disturbing it when it is resting on its bed, stroking its paws or tail, etc.) will help avoid situations that could lead to biting. Special attention should be paid to children, who need such guidance and who are usually the most vulnerable to being bitten.
It should also be borne in mind that, in order to satisfy the dog’s needs, intellectual stimulation of the four-legged dog is necessary. For this, a sniffing mat in which treats can be hidden or a kong toy containing wet dog food will be perfect. Such play is very engaging and extremely attractive for dogs. It also helps to tire them out and thus calm them down. Such entertainment can be offered to the pet at the end of a shared game with the carer.
What should be done when a dog is aggressive towards its handler?
If an adult dog bites the carer, you may suspect that this is a pet with a history. In this case, it will definitely be more difficult to work with him. Traumatic experiences such as being beaten, caged or other forms of violence that cause the animal to distrust people at a later stage. Given that some dogs can have months and sometimes even years of such experiences behind them, it is hardly surprising how they behave. Such dogs require enormous amounts of patience and systematic, long-term work. It is important that they are placed under the roof of a responsible carer who can cope with a four-legged dog with such a large and heavy load of experience. It is also not uncommon to need the help of a behaviourist to help dogs and their carers work together to overcome the harm they have suffered and develop appropriate behaviour.
If a dog bites its handler or household members and shows aggression towards them, its behaviour may also be the result of inadequate training as a defence dog. In this case, the consequences can be very serious, so it is worth contacting a behaviourist immediately for professional help.
It should be remembered that in order to develop a correct relationship between dog and guardian, the attitude of the guardian himself and other family members is very important. It becomes crucial to establish clear rules in the home, which should be respected by both the household members and the pet under their care. There are very few situations in which a dog actually wants to hurt a human being. Most of them are provoked by people who do not understand how important it is to satisfy all the needs of the pet and to read its behaviour correctly. Therefore, it is worth getting to know your pet better and becoming familiar with “dog language” and the warning signals that the dog sends towards humans when it feels threatened. It is also important to respect the dog’s comfort zone and not to overstep boundaries that can lead to potentially risky situations.
