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November 29th, 2008 by Paul Bennet

Training your dog to stop biting does not need to happen after a biting incident, it needs to start from when your dog is a puppy. The sooner training begins, the less likely it is that a bite will happen later. However, even dogs that are loving and sweet all the time may one day have a biting incident. Training your dog early that biting is not okay will help in prevention, but it never provides a 100 percent guarantee that there will never be a biting incident.

Start Early

When puppies are small, many people wait until the biting behavior stops, because the puppies are so cute. Little nips and growling around food or children seem cute. Yet, it is significant for puppy owners to visualize their grown dog doing the same thing. Then it is not so cute after all. In fact, the thought of the behaviors continuing should prompt training to start immediately.

Tip #1: Inhibit Biting

Part of the lesson in dog training to stop biting is to coach your puppy to restrain biting. Normally, dogs would learn to inhibit their biting behavior from their mother before they even reach the age of four months old, we as dog owner sees it once and decide to put a stop to it before it even starts. It is vital to practice this training, since the mother dog and siblings are not present to do it.

Tip #2: Make Your Dog a Social Butterfly

Letting your puppy socialize is the natural way to control biting behavior. When letting your puppy socialize with other puppies and dogs, puppy tends to play rough but learns to control their biting so they do not hurt each another. If dogs bite too hard, it gives negative reaction to other dogs, but still is acceptable as it is a natural process. Socialization with others is a natural structure of training, as you can do nothing, or say as a person to educate them as socializing does.

Tip #3: Build Trust and Respect

Building trust and respect with your puppy is the best and most effective way to put a stop to biting behavior. To show that they are the alpha dog of the household is one good reason for biting and aggression in dogs and just look at their owners and family members as part of their pack. Another basis for dog biting is fear, and dogs naturally aggravates when they feel pressured. But nevertheless, building trust and respect becomes a vital element of dog training to impede biting, and allowing it would make the dog feel comfortable and unafraid but without crossing the boundaries of respect with authority. Reprimands are important part of training, but reprimands without respect actually hinder progress. Interact with your puppy so that you form a bond, but let them know you have control over everything, including toys, food, bed, walks, and praise.

Keep in mind that essentially starting early in training minimizes the chances of dog bites that might occur later. Letting your dog socialized is the most natural way to inhibit biting behavior. On the other hand, when you allow your puppy to feel that they are loved and cared for and you institute a sense of respect for your authority, training the dog to stop biting would be a breeze.

November 26th, 2008 by Paul Bennet

Dog equals chewing. True. From puppyhood, dogs use chewing to teethe. But chewing can become harsh if left unchecked. With some effortless techniques to stop your dog from chewing can put away you a lot of frustration, and money, afterward. From the time when chewing behavior begins when your dog is a puppy, which is the time to prevent your dog from chewing on the wrong objects. But realize that chewing is normal for a dog, so for you to stop your dog’s chewing behavior, you must learn that it is more important to alter what they chew rather stopping the chewing itself. Keep in mind to take yourself through some easy steps to stop your dog chewing on the wrong things.

How to Stop Your Dog Chewing Tip #1

Chewing is completely common to dogs, and educating yourself on how to stop your dog chewing means getting a good grasp of the idea. Always keep in mind that no punishment will stop the behavior! It will even persuade them to chew more when left alone. Dogs normally chew out of habit, frustration, boredom, loneliness, and fear. In order to understand how to stop your dog chewing, start by giving your dog a lot of great toys as alternatives. Chew toys may cost you more than your old pair of shoes or socks but remember that chew toys are more helpful than that of your old stuffs. It will create confusion on your dog and you may face greater challenges in doing so.

How to Stop Your Dog Chewing Tip #2

Controlling your dog’s chewing behavior first comes by learning the art of redirection. On instances where you find your dog chewing on furniture, shoes or other personal items, remember to turn your dog’s attention away from your things and unto something more appropriate like a bone or chew toy. When stopping your dog from chewing on inappropriate things, give them a lot of praises when your dog starts chewing on the new toy than your personal things.

How to Stop Your Dog Chewing Tip #3

Most dogs chew on personal things when their owners are not home; they do so in hope of their return. The reason is, when you are thinking of how to prevent your dog from chewing, you need to give them alternatives to your tables, shoes, pillows, and so on. When your dog greets you at your doorstep with your things chewed, you need to train them to greet you with an appropriate toy. When your dog greets you at the door, do not greet them until you help them find an appropriate toy. Sooner or later, your dog will learn to appear at the door with the toy, and chewing then becomes seeking out the correct toy.

How to Stop Your Dog Chewing Tip #4

And when your dog is chewing while you are not home, and you believe that is not due to anticipation, most probably it is because of boredom. Active toys are a great help in training your dog to stop chewing on the wrong things. There are active toys that can help stimulate your dog’s mind and body. Items that can mechanically pitch a ball for your dog along with puzzle games that calls them to move pieces around the floor to get food are great ways to keep them entertained. Whatever the reason for your dog’s chewing, the key is to redirect them to more appropriate things. Keep in mind that teaching your dog to stop from unacceptable chewing, and giving your dog time to find the “right” items to chew-on can prolong the survival of your items like furniture, pillows, and shoes and keep them more intact.

November 26th, 2008 by Jason Roddick

A lot of people have already seen the symptoms of aggression amongst dogs like, bared teeth, growling and biting, yet most of the time people do not comprehend the reasons for aggressive behavior in dogs. Knowing the underlying reasons for this violent behavior is the first step to learning to apply them to your beloved pet. A well-bred dog is often a more cheerful dog, so understanding the origination of this violent behavior in dogs is essential to you as well as your dog.

Dominance Aggression

The need to establish supremacy is one of the reasons for a dog’s aggression. Dogs are pack animals with a strict hierarchy and it is their nature to seek dominance in a certain pack. Dogs normally assume that people are part of their pack so they take the alpha dog post.

Territorial Aggression

A dog’s territorial nature is also to be blamed for its aggression aside from dominance. Dogs are territorial so anything that they feel they own, they will protect. When dogs feel that someone is claiming anything that they own, or threatening any of their property or family, they will exhibit violent behavior. This kind of behavior although typical of dogs is still not acceptable to and compatible with human lifestyle.

Fright Aggression

Aggression due to fear is another defensive reaction from dogs who feel that they are in danger of being harmed. A frightened dog will fight and strike back because he wants to protect himself from the incoming threat or danger. Fear should not be neglected as this may be one of the probable causes of dog aggression that is usually mistaken for direct aggressiveness. It is usually characterized by growling, with the dog’s ears pulled back and its tail between its legs.

Predatory Nature

Most animals are predatory in nature including dogs. While other dogs are afraid, most dogs love to hunt, chase and prey on smaller dogs, animals and even kids.

Redirected Aggression

A behavior that most of us may not always understand is redirected aggression. This happens when a dog lashes out on other dogs or its owner instead of lashing out on the trespasser or attacker. A dog may redirect his aggression onto someone else because he is prevented from attacking the actual object or the cause of fear.

Medical Reasons for Aggression

Although aggression is usually something behavioral, there might be medical reasons behind it. Normally dogs can be trained to not be aggressive if it is something behavioral, but if it is because of a medical condition then it needs to be treated properly and professionally. Pregnant or nursing female dogs tend to be violent because of maternal protectiveness, and this violent behavior can be addressed by training them as early as when they are still puppies.

In most cases, the severity of aggressive behavior can be reduced but not completely eliminated. The first step to prevent dog aggression is to be aware of and to understand the reasons for these types of behavior so that it can be controlled and prevented in the future. There are training methods to treat and restrain different types of aggression. Knowing what triggers aggressive behavior can determine what training method is most effective.