How cute and funny these little ones are!So spontaneous, playful, touching! And at first we are not even irritated by the loud, ringing yapping, or the plaintive night whining (until you take it to bed), or the puddles all over the house, or the persistent biting during games. All this is touching for a while and evokes only positive emotions with surges of tenderness and delight. However, the baby grows, and with him the problems grow - problems with raising and keeping a dog in the house. For example, harmless and almost painless bites of a puppy very soon become quite noticeable. And if there are children in the house, then they are also unsafe. How to wean a puppy from biting? This question is relevant for almost all new dog owners. Let's listen to the advice of professionals and experienced amateur dog breeders.
A bit of zoopsychology
Why does a puppy bite?It turns out that such behavior is quite natural for a small dog. Teeth in dogs (as well as in other predators) are one of the main tools of survival. With the help of teeth they protect themselves, get and absorb food. And in puppyhood, a dog learns to use the tool given to it. This happens at the level of instincts. Puppies bite during games with their mother or siblings and in this way learn to regulate the force of the bite. In addition, such behavior helps to establish a hierarchy of relationships in the dog community. How does this happen in a pack? A baby bites his fellow tribesman and understands from his reaction how strong the bite is. If the bitten puppy squeals, then the "biter" will be more careful next time or will not bite his fellow at all. When a baby gets into your home, your family becomes his family. Therefore, he continues to behave in exactly the same way. And instinct and life experience make him do this. It is by biting that the puppy invites the owner (mistress) to play. And what does the owner do in response? One of two things: either chase the baby away, or accept the invitation. The puppy perceives pushing away as a continuation of the game, and if the owner starts playing with him, then the frolicking doggie gives free rein to his sharp teeth. Often the baby gets excited and starts biting angrily, showing an aggressive mood. Such behavior can become habitual for an adult dog if the owner does not puzzle over the question of “how to wean a puppy from biting” in time and does not re-educate the bully.
Re-education methods
The first thing that professionals recommend is toys.Play with your dog not with your bare hands (or feet), but with toys. Let it bite them, not you. If the baby still grabs your hands or clothes with its teeth, do not let it do this, instead give it a toy to bite. Just do not forget to continue the game. Very soon, the puppy will realize its need to bite during play with the help of a toy. And if it wants to invite you to the game, it will bring the toy to you and shove it right into your hands (or push it with its nose), showing its intentions. If everything happens exactly like this, then the problem is solved! You can also use a more “natural” method: behave like a dog. Namely, as soon as the attacker bites you, squeal (or make another similar sound), step aside and show that you did not like it. The baby will understand that he did something wrong, that he hurt you and upset his beloved Human. If you behave like this, the puppy will soon start biting less often, and then stop altogether. After all, he wants to play and communicate, and “biting” stops the game. If your puppy is stubborn or simply does not want to change his habits, or you did not have time to deal with this problem before the baby began to get permanent teeth, you will have to be tough (but not cruel!). The situation when a puppy continues to bite the owner after four months of age means that the dog is trying to dominate, considering itself the head of the family. In this case, it is necessary to make the puppy understand who is the boss in the house. How to do this? As soon as the contender for the title of leader begins to growl and bite, take him by the scruff of the neck, press his muzzle to the floor, look sternly straight in the eyes and firmly say “no!” (or another prohibiting command). And then declare a short-term boycott of the dog (for about twenty minutes). By the way, some dog handlers and zoopsychologists advise the owner to growl when the dog is trying to establish dominance! Will you dare to try? What you should never do is shout and hit the puppy. Firstly, he may take your behavior as part of a game, and secondly, he may simply get offended and embittered. Be wise, because you are a reasonable person, and your dog is just an “unreasonable child”. How long do puppies bite and how can you wean them off this “bad habit”? Everything depends only on you, and to some extent on the dog itself: its temperament, character, intelligence. In any case, only your patience, persistence and tact will help solve the problem and re-educate the little stubborn dog. He will definitely understand you and will definitely learn everything! It simply cannot be otherwise, because a dog always understands a person. The main thing is that he can explain this to her. We recommend reading:
