Sherry L Harris asked:




Dogs can be wonderful companions and great friends to play with. They love to wrestle and can be very physical with a variety of different games. While a puppy may not bite very hard, allowing a puppy to bite during any sort of play will only teach your pet that biting is acceptable. This can cause problems as the puppy grows into a dog. Start your puppy training with never allowing your puppy to bite and you will save yourself potential agony in years to come.

Perhaps the most important thing to remember is you, as the pet’s owner, are responsible for any damage caused by the dog. So, if the dog bites someone you are legally responsible for any medical bills to include pain and suffering. Even if the dog was playing, bites can be very painful. Your pet may not understand the difference between playing with you and the neighbor children. Puppy training should include teaching your pet not to bite.

One of the best ways to establish a no biting rule is to stop any activity with puppy the moment they bite. If you are wrestling with the puppy and they put their mouth on your hand or arm, even if they don’t bite down, stop play immediately. Tell the dog in a firm but non-angry voice, “NO” while staring at your pet.

Staring at them until they turn their face away establishes your dominance in the situation and their acceptance of your role as the alpha. You do not need to strike you pet, as this will only teach them to fear you and may actually encourage anger response biting when they get older. If the puppy continues to bite during play, the next step is to reprimand them and then put them in an area removed from you – either outside or in their cage. This is an important part of puppy training as it tells them when they bite they are removed from the pack and they don’t want this.

Biting is serious and should be treated as such from a very early age. Part of puppy training is teaching a dog how to act within the human pack – what is and is not acceptable. By teaching your pet at an early age you can feel comfortable these habits will last for a lifetime.

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