While biting and mouthing might be cute and painless for small 10 pound or less puppies, it can
be a big problem when the dog grows up to be an adult. Puppies need to be trained to control their biting before they
are four months old. Many puppies learn not to bite from their mothers and littermates, but often puppies are taken
away from their family before they learn this lesson. Therefore it is up to you to teach them proper behavior.
Allowing your puppy to play with other puppies and older dogs can help train them not to bite.
Puppies love to chase, tackle and play with each other. When playing together, they constantly bite one another.
If one of the puppies starts playing too rough, the rest of the group will punish them for their behavior.
Proper playing and socializing also has other benefits, such as teaching your dog not to be fearful
of other dogs. It also gives them an outlet for their excess energy. Puppies that do not get to socialize with other
puppies, become more destructive and hyperactive. Also they often exhibit other behavior problems.
Lack of socialization often causes fearful and aggressive behaviors to develop. Your pet may react
aggressively to new situations. If you want your dog to be a good member of the community as well as your family,
you must give him/her opportunities to socialize with other people, especially children. Dogs make a distinction
between their owners and other people, and between children and adults, therefore it is important to socialize
them with both children and adults.
The best time to socialize a puppy to young children is when they are still very young, usually
four months old or younger. Mothers of young children may be understandably reluctant to allow their children to
approach large dogs or older puppies. This is especially true with large breeds and breeds that have a reputation
for aggressive behavior.
Teaching your puppy to trust and respect you is a very effective way to prevent biting. Gaining
the trust and respect of your dog is the basis for all dog training and for correcting problem behaviors.
You should never hit or slap your puppy during training or any other time. Physical punishment
is the surest way to erode the trust and respect that must form the basis of an effective training program. Reprimanding
a dog will not prevent them from biting, it will just scare and confuse them.
In conclusion, training your pet not to bite is a vital part of his/her training program.
Biting behaviors that are not corrected will only get worse and what seemed harmless can quickly escalate to dangerous
and destructive behaviors when your puppy grows up.
|
|
