Clamping Down on Your Dog's Biting Problems

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     Biting in dogs is a natural part of their constitution since it is essential for survival both in terms of feeding and fending off attackers. As such, humans must not completely subdue the biting instinct in dogs if and when the ultimate goal is to let these domesticated canines continue their role as man's best friends.

However, biting at certain times is undesirable for both man and dog. Their lives are in danger albeit in different ways - the dog can be euthanized for aggressive behavior endangering humans while the man can be afflicted with the deadly rabies virus transmitted by dogs. Fortunately, there are ways that this unfortunate turn of events can be avoided.

Be the Master

Dogs are pack animals with the strong need for an alpha leader. You must be the alpha dog in the pack - no ifs, no buts. You must be firm, consistent and strong in the commands given to the dog lest the canine trample all over your authority by biting the hand that feeds it, literally and figuratively. When you give the command to "Stop", your dog will follow the command because of your authoritative tone. Your dog must believe that you are the master and he is a follower.

Be Respectful

You must also respect your dog as an individual so that you can earn its respect in return. Just as in a human-to-human leaders-and-follower relationship, mutual respect is a must. Basically, this means that your dog must have his own physical space in the house that nobody should dare to intrude on without implicit permission. For example, the dog house, the food dish and the corner by the radiator are designated private doggie space and, thus, must be respected.

You must not disturb your dog while it is feeding and sleeping, as an example of such respect for physical boundaries. If you don't, you will find that the dog's aggressive tendencies as manifested by biting can worsen.

Be Sociable

Dogs being pack creatures, it is to be expected that socialization opportunities with other dogs must also be provided by the owners. In fact, the lack of socialization for both humans and fellow canines has been pinpointed as one of the primary reasons for aggression in dogs as manifested through biting. This is because the dog either sees the other canines as threats to his safety or to his dominance in the pack.

But if you can provide for plenty of socialization opportunities for your dog, the biting incidents can be significantly lessened. Just be sure to go about the socialization process in a gradual manner. And no, it is not necessary to enroll your dog in a gym or seek for playmates - just take your dog out into the park to meet new friends as well as to spend more time with your pet.

Biting the hands that feed and love it need not happen to your dog. In your hands rest the responsibility to take the necessary measures to stop your dog from such an aggressive behavior for the good of everybody concerned.