My Toy Poodle is biting!

Question
Hi Kim,

I have a Toy Poodle bitch that is 5 in March.

I really want to know why she bites people for no reason! How can I prevent it from happening?

When people stroke my dog anywhere, I am always on edge. Sometimes she bites people for no reason but other times she can be absolutely fine.

I want to take my dog places and not worry about her biting people!

Kind regards,
Bethany

Answer
Hello Bethany,
There could be several reasons she is doing this.  It could be a jealousy or dominance issue and lashes out, it could be because she is worried about being touched in certain areas of the body, or it could be the way the person comes at her.  
Its nice to know the cause, but its not as important as what you do.  You need to let her know that you don't approve and will get on to her if she acts like that.  You need to dominate her.  You will lay her down on her side and make her submit to you.  You have to do this no matter what if you want her to listen and respect you.  If you think that she would bite you, use an oven mitt or something to protect your hand and get her down.  You will want to keep her down on her side until you feel her relax.  Some dogs will submit quickly, and others will be temped to challenge you.  You have to keep her down on her side and quiet until she does it on her own.  You can also put her in your lap upside down (on her back) and with her head in your lap.  Go over her body and learn how the bones feel (since you are waiting for her to calm down anyway).  This is good to know in case something ever happens to a bone, you will know what feels right and therefore what feels wrong.  
When she calms down, you can let her up, but make sure that she gets up only when you tell her too.  

If you need some help with this, see about contacting a dog trainer in your area to help.   I hope this helps you some.  If you have other questions, please feel free to contact me.  

Thanks for using AllExperts.com,
Kim