| Some
puppies will playfully bite your fingers or your toes. It appears
cute and you laugh, but it will give your puppy the impression
that it is alright to bite skin. Some puppies like to tug socks
and puppies look adorable when they do this. If you just watch
your pet with smiling eyes, your puppy will assume that you approve
of it biting anything that he sees, like clothes and rugs. Puppy
biting is always a bad habit. And all dog trainers agree that
the best thing an owner can do is to prevent such bad habit from
forming. In fact, the general rule in training your dog is to
never allow it to do something that you don’t want it to repeat
again. The
best technique to prevent your pet from developing the biting
habit is to give a loud yelp and leave the puppy when it begins
to nip at your toe or your finger. Since puppies are naturally
gregarious, your pet will take your leaving as a form of punishment.
It will realize that it has done something wrong. And it will
remember that the last thing it did was nip at your toe. Therefore,
nipping the toe must be wrong and not allowed by the master.
To make
sure that the puppy will not assume that playing is wrong, you
may return with a toy. You may teach the puppy to play with
the toy. If it goes to nip your toe again, repeat your reaction
– yelp and walk away. You may even glare for a good measure.
But you may expect to do this training technique for several
times before the puppy fully understands what you were teaching.
In the meantime, you need to be patient and persistent.
While you
are teaching your puppy not to develop the biting habit, there
are also certain games that you must avoid. Some examples of
these games are tug-of-war, chase and tackle, and any other
games that incite the puppy to bite a person.
If your
puppy continues to bite and this is accompanied by an alarming
growling and aggression, then it will be best for you to contact
a behaviorist who can better understand what is causing this
dangerous display. You must also have your puppy examined by
a veterinarian. The biting may be your puppy’s way of telling
you that it does not feel well.
At the
same time, educate your children on how to treat the puppy well.
They must never startle any puppy or dog. A scared puppy will
bite. They must not tease or hurt the puppy. Even the most loyal
and tolerant puppy may retaliate if it cannot stand the abuse
anymore. |
