Dog biting is a serious social and medical problem. Most dogs and puppies are generally loving, affectionate companions and only rarely does something happen that makes a dog react by biting. But the number of dog bites each year exceeds 4 million instances and 800,000 of these bites require medical attention. The majority of dogs that bite either belong to the family or to friends of the family. Most bites occur at home or in another familiar place. Most owners wait until a bite happens before trying to deal with their dog biting problem, and are generally unprepared when it does happen. Many times, the owner’s response when they are faced with a biting dog does little more than make the problem worse.
Dog biting and mouthing are common in puppies especially while playing and teething. Without hands, puppies and dogs rely on their mouths to explore their surroundings. Puppies need to learn to inhibit their bite. Normally, they would learn this from their mother and littermates. As they play, they bite each other and if they are too rough, the other dogs and puppies will react negatively (yelp, avoidance, etc.).
Since puppies, for the most part, are not with their mothers or littermates, it is the owner’s responsibility to socialize their dogs. As stated before, puppies learn to inhibit their mouthing and biting by being socialized with other dogs. Lack of socialization with people and other dogs often results in fearful or aggressive behavior - such as dog biting. Introducing your dog to many different types of people and situations can build confidence. Dogs that are not socialized with children often end up biting them since they do not know the proper way to interact with kids, especially when the kids are playing rough or running and yelling.
Inconsistency will sabotage your training. If you let your dog bite some of the time, then dog biting will never be completely eliminated. When a puppy or dog mouths or bites, yelp in a loud pitch voice and turn away from the puppy. This behavior mimics the natural responses of other dogs. When a puppy mouths or bites, give him a toy to redirect his or her energy away from biting. Obedience classes are a great place to start - especially when all members of the family learn training techniques and participate in your dog's training. Also, teaching your children the proper way to approach and play with a dog will help cut down on snapping and mouthing.
What to do if your dog bites someone – confine the dog and check on the person that was bitten. Be ready to provide the date of the dog’s last rabies vaccination. If you can not provide proof of a rabies vaccination, your dog might be quarantined for an extended period of time or even euthanized to prove that the animal does not have rabies. All dog bites should be completely cleaned, dressed and examined by a physician, if necessary.
Dog biting seems to be nearing epidemic proportions in the United States. With proper training (of both your dog and your family members and friends) and socialization, dog biting need not be something that you need to worry about.
