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Prevent Dogs from Biting - Make Your Dog All Bark but No Bite

Prevention

Dogs are social animals, and a friendly dog in a stressful situation would never attack or bite. However, many cases of individuals bitten by dogs belie this. Thus, it is important to know how to prevent dogs from biting.

If you want to own a dog or already own one and you want to prevent dogs from biting anyone, there are two things you need to remember: first, you have to train your dog to be friendly; and second, you have to avoid putting him in stressful situations.

Dogs feel stressed by unfamiliar objects, people or places, or by unpredictable behavior. However, the degree of unfamiliarity and unpredictability is different from dog to dog. In a crowd, some dogs are friendly to strangers while others are not. What spells the difference between these dogs isn't breed but how well they were raised. Thus, you can prevent dogs from biting if you properly train your dog.

How to prevent dogs from biting

Although there is no guarantee that your dog will never attack or bite anyone, these six tips will significantly reduce the risks of your dog attacking or biting someone:

1. Familiarity with people and environment will help you to prevent dogs from biting. Create positive and pleasant encounters for your dog with objects, people and places within the first 8 to 16 weeks of his life, especially with those he would likely encounter during his lifetime. To prevent dogs from biting introduce them immediately to various kinds of objects in your house and outside your house (e.g. your vacuum cleaner), to various kinds of people (e.g. the postman), and to various kinds of environments (e.g. your car). Introduce him also to grooming, to the vet, and to other animals, especially other dogs. Some dogs don't think they're dogs. You don't want your dog to have an identity crisis, do you?

2. Familiarize dogs to being touched to prevent dogs from biting as early as possible but supervise dogs when they are with young children as much as possible. It is better your dog realizes early on that you and others mean no harm when you hold him since you can't avoid touching him or him being touched by other people, especially when he has to be groomed or to be brought to the vet. However, how he is held is important to him. If he is held improperly, as most young children would hold him, he becomes terrified of being touched.

3. Another tip to prevent dogs from biting is to create a home for dogs where they can find peace, safety and security and teach others to respect it. Your dog would encounter at least several stressful situations in his lifetime and that's all but normal in a dog's life. However, if dogs has a haven to go home to, it will prevent dogs from biting, as they would more likely dash to their dog house rather than attack.

4. Tie your dog when walking him in public but not more than 8 hours in one place. Dogs tend to get temperamental and aggressive when tied since they experience barrier frustration. They are more likely to attack and bite when approached since it seems to them their territory is being intruded and, because they cannot flee, they fight the intruder. However, when walking your dog, he is better on than off a leash. Supervised dogs are less likely to attack and bite, and also you can keep a better eye on them with a leash and can prevent dogs from biting if they encounter a stressful situation.

5. Another way to prevent dogs from biting is to teach dogs with proper and productive behavior. Though it is highly recommended to enroll your dog, including your family, in a home obedience class, it is just as advisable to consistently reinforce correct and appropriate behavior. Your dog can't tell the difference between rough-play and real-life situations so don't show or teach him aggressive behavior, like chasing after or attacking others even for fun. If he exhibits aggressive behavior towards other people or animals, like growling when someone comes too close to his food bowl, seek professional help. It is important to stop dogs biting and aggressive behavior as early as possible.

It's not all that difficult to prevent dogs from biting and raise them to be friendly, especially if you see dogs as another being that deserves love and attention as much as anyone else does, as much as you do. Most often than not, dogs that attack and bite are neglected dogs. So always remember that behind a good dog is a good pet owner.