Reasons Why a Dog Bites

 reasons to put your dog down aggressive

Every puppy brought into a home will go through a phase of biting, which is merely a part of their natural instinct for survival.  However, in a domestic situation, biting has to be stopped.  It is important to understand that biting from day one is something you need to avoid.  Even if you think it is cute and harmful, puppy biting can lead to mature dog biting if the dog is not taught that this is an unacceptable behavior.

For this reason, you want to bring your puppy home and start with basic obedience training, as well as early socialization.  With this, you will nip the problem in the bud, never allowing it to become a problem.  This means the dog will learn from the beginning that some things are allowed and some are strictly prohibited.  Therefore, the first reason dogs bit has to do with nature.

Dogs will also bite out of fear.  Some breeds such as the Chihuahua, while not typically biters, are high strung and fearful.  Therefore, you should not avoid these breeds but understand that some human training may be needed.  For instance, small children will need to learn to respect the dog’s space.  These breeds should not be approached from the back, coming from a position where they cannot see, these dogs should be handled carefully, and not surprised.  Often making small changes such as this will resolve the problem.

Then, you have dogs that bite because they have aggressive behaviors.  In this case, it is important that you work with the dog on some strict training and even consider hiring a professional who can intervene.  In this case, the process of breaking the biting habit will be a difficult one, as well as a long process.  However, with determination and patience, you can teach your dog that biting is not an acceptable behavior.

Regardless of the reason a dog bites, this can be a serious problem with horrific consequences.  Therefore, the quicker you can get on top of the biting problem the better.  In most cases, avoiding any type of rough play and providing praise when your dog does not bite in a situation will go a long way.  However, there are times when discipline is necessary.

By discipline, this does not mean yelling or hitting but being firm and direct.  For instance, start by telling your dog “no” or use the word “ouch”.  The goal here is to get the dog to make the connection that biting is bad.  However, to reinforce the verbal commands, you may need to take hold of the dog by the loose skin on the neck, pulling him back.  This does not harm the dog but helps him understand that you are the alpha of the pack, not him.

Remember, with an aggressive dog, particularly one that bites, you have to be the boss.  Again, with persistence, you will train him to take the following position to help.  If you feel you cannot handle the problem, the never be afraid to ask for professional help.  After all, these people are highly trained to handle dogs with this type of behavioral problem, having tools and resources that you may not possess or know.