My Dog bites
Do you have a puppy or adult dog?
Puppy biting
All puppies use play biting when they are excited. This is because they haven’t yet learned to play appropriately. Unfortunately, sometimes we come across older dogs that are still play biting. Often these dogs have been encouraged to rough and tumble with their owners and haven’t been taught to focus on toys. It is sensible to stop all play that involves your puppy being rough or using its mouth on hands or clothing. Try to predict when your dog is about to make a mistake and stop the game. It is important to teach your dog that playing roughly means an end to the ‘game’.
Top tips
- Encourage games with large toys or items that your dog likes to hold in its mouth.
- Teaching all the basic commands is helpful as if your dog becomes overly excited you can then use the “Leave” command or a “Sit” or “Down” to regain some control.
- Short play times are helpful and encourage your dog to play with other toys independently so that he can have fun and entertain himself without you.
- Make sure that you exercise your dog properly so that excessive energy doesn’t lead to mistakes when playing.
- Always supervise play with children as they often get overly excited and this leads to a dog making a mistake.
Biting in adult dogs
There are many factors which play a part in determining whether a dog will bite including its genetics, prior experience of biting, whether it was thoroughly socialised, humanely trained and whether it is appropriately cared for and kept in good health. It is possible for all breeds to bite and so the key to dog bite prevention is for you to be a responsible dog owner.
Seek professional advice
There are many reasons why a dog may bite and it is very important to get the right diagnosis. Many bites are driven by fear though some dogs will bite when frustrated, or even when over-excited if they haven’t learned to use their mouths gently. Dogs are a social species and will try everything to avoid having to bite so it is important that you learn how to read your dog’s body language and to identify when undesirable behaviour may occur.
Take precautions
If you know your dog has aggressive tendencies, then it is irresponsible to risk the health of others by not taking suitable precautions. There are legal implications for dog aggression and your dog could even be removed from your care. While it is advisable to seek professional advice if your dog bites, it is sensible to introduce a muzzle to limit potential damage. If you are unsure about how your dog may respond in potentially problematic situations such as when meeting new people or other animals, it is advisable to use a muzzle and a training lead to ensure safety.
Muzzles
Our Nylon Muzzle inhibits your dog from biting, barking, and chewing while still allowing drinking, panting, and vomiting. Our muzzles are available in an amazing 13 different sizes – to cater for all breeds.
Training Lead
Multi-Leads can be used to connect to two areas of your dog’s walking apparel such as their headcollar and collar or harness – this can give you extra control and manoeuvrability when out walking.
