Add Tips for Preventing Biting

Biting is a natural instinct for dogs, especially puppies. Puppies need consistent training to teach that biting is not acceptable. This can take some time, but it’s a lot easier to train a puppy not to bite than an adult dog.

Another thing to keep in mind is that puppies bite when they are teething. Supplying dogs and puppies with appropriate chew toys or bones is a good way to help them relieve that biting instinct on an inanimate object rather than your hand!

• Have you reversed your dog's bad biting habit? How did you do it? Help others by telling your story. (Click EasyEdit to add it to this page!)

Types of dog aggression resulting in biting are many and include fear aggression or submissive aggression, territorial aggression, and dominance aggression. And there are different causes for each type of aggression.

For example, dog owners can induce or reinforce fear aggression by the way they greet and pet their dogs. If you lean over your dog, look him straight in the eye with your shoulders squared and reach down from above to pet him, you might find your dog rolling over on his back in the most submissive posture a dog can assume. A submissive, fearful dog is not a confident dog. He may react in many situations with biting and aggression out of fear which the owner has reinforced.

Some dog owners have found a lessening of fear aggression by simply changing the way they greet their dog. They will squat down instead of leaning over the dog and reach up from the floor to pet him.

There are situational causes for aggression. Has your dog been tethered? Have you played rough games like tug-of-war that reinforce aggression?

And there are physical causes for aggression. Is your dog in pain? Does he have epilepsy?

By the way, many believe that "once a biter, always a biter!" This is not true! It may be true for some dogs, but not for all. It sometimes requires the assistance of a professional animal behaviorist to help the family determine the type of aggression, causes, and potential behavioral therapy techniques.

Resources to Stop Dog Biting

"No Bite!" on Dog Owner's Guide

Stop a Dog From Biting

Stopping a Dog from Play-Biting or Nipping

How to Stop Dog Aggression

Doggone Safe (dedicated to dog bite prevention)

Stopping Dogs from Fighting