Tuesday, December 18, 2007

Preventing your Dog from Biting, Before is too Late

Author: mayra

Dogs are social animals. However, when challenged or threatened, they can prove very dangerous. Dog bites are harmful. People dread dogs because they tend to bite strangers.

How many times have you avoided visiting your friend just because he has a dog?

It is very necessary to understand that dogs don’t just bit anyone around them. However, if you are a dog owner, you need to take some steps to make sure that your dog doesn’t bite.

One of the most common types of dog biting includes ‘play biting’. Whenever dogs play together, they nip each other gently. This is a very common behavior among dogs. You don’t need to change this behavior or worry about it.

When your dog nips you while playing, is a cause of concern. Here, you need to stop him because this may lead to dog aggression. Once your dog gets aggressive, he can bite anyone including you, your family members, visitors and neighbors. Remember that biting is an unacceptable behavior and you need to stop this as soon as possible. The dog may not realize that he is hurting someone. However, you need to take some steps to curb this unacceptable behavior of your dog.

Here are some steps to follow to stop your dog from biting unnecessarily.
a) Training and socializing:
Proper training and socializing is very necessary for your dog. This will only prevent him from showing his aggressive side. You need to train your dog on how to sit, stay and run properly. Socialize your dog. Let him familiarize with people around you and become comfortable with strangers. Once your dog is comfortable meeting strangers and encountering new situations, he can easily curb his aggressive behavior. Also try to socialize your dog with other dogs. Spend a lot of time with him.
b) Good health:
Make sure that your dog is in the pink of health and good spirits. If your dog is healthy and happy, it will not bite. Vaccinate your dog against diseases and worm him regularly.
c) Don’t wake him up:
Don’t ever try to wake your dog from deep sleep. This will make him upset and angry. If necessary, call him from a distance. Make sure that his bed is away from noisy areas.
d) Don’t disturb while eating:
Make sure that you don’t disturb your dog while he is eating. This will minimize his aggressive behavior.
e) Meeting with strangers:
You should let your dog meet strangers. However, if he is meeting strangers for the first time, make sure that he does it in your presence. The person meeting your dog should extend the back of his hand and let the dog to sniff it prior to a pat. Make sure that strangers don’t pat your dog on the top of the head or shoulders.
f) Professional help:
If you find it difficult to curb your dog’s aggressive behavior, you should immediately seek professional help. This will be of great help.

All the above mentioned tips will help your dog eliminate his aggressive behavior.

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Source: http://www.articlealley.com/article_263589_54.html

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