How to Stop Your Dog from Biting a Human

Here’s a quick lesson on how to stop your dog from biting. Take note, humans – you play an important role.

training of a police dog

Trying to learn how to stop your dog from biting a two-legger? Well, because we all speak different languages, there’s no guarantee that any of these suggestions will work perfectly for your pooch. One thing you can be sure of is that proper training, education, and follow through your dog will be less likely to bite any humans, and you’ll feel more comfortable introducing friends and family to him.

Here are some ways you can lessen the chance your dog will ever be interested in biting a human:

Get to know your dog

If you’ve recently adopted a new dog, take some time to get to know their behavior and habits. This will largely tell you whether or not you even need to worry about your dog’s biting habits. Also, be prepared – if you’re adopting a puppy, there’s much more of a chance you’ll get a biter, or what I call a nibbler. Puppies have a tendency to use their mouths often while playing. They need to be trained that biting, even softly, will not be allowed.

Socialize your pup

Socialization with other dogs and with humans will help your dog understand that biting is not allowed. If your dog nips and bites too often with fellow dogs, he will eventually get put in his place by the other dogs. It’s also important to socialize your dog with other humans. Teach your dog that humans are our friends, not our enemies, and they may feel more comfortable and less likely to bite.

One important note – never force a human or canine or any other animal for that matter on your dog is he isn’t ready to socialize. This could have the opposite effect, and your dog may feel threatened. If your dog is fearful of humans, you might want to start by bringing him in public often with you, but not allowing humans to touch or interact with him. Eventually, he might feel more comfortable, and then you can allow more human interaction.

Be a responsible pet parent

The best way to start being a responsible pet owner is by ensuring your dog has been through an obedience program before introducing him to outside stimuli, but that’s only the first step. Sometimes, even the best-trained dog doesn’t do well in certain situations. Throughout your dog’s life, you will be responsible for keeping him healthy and only allowing him in situations where he can behave. If you know that your dog has a severe anxiety problem around children, try to keep your dog away from young humans. If your dog is aggressive toward strangers, ensure that he doesn’t have access to the door when someone rings the doorbell and that he is leashed at all times while in public.

Spay or neuter your pet

Now, I have a bunch of dog friends who wouldn’t like that I’m advocating for this, but you might want to consider spaying or neutering your pet. It’s been said that spaying and neutering will decrease the odds your dog will be aggressive or bite a human. Plus, there are so many puppies and older dogs in animal shelters that need to be adopted. I’m a neutered pup, and I’m proud of it!

Be courteous to all dogs

Even if you don’t own a dog of your own, it’s important to be respectful to new dogs, and to teach animal safety to your children as well. Here are some things to think about before engaging with dogs, whether they are your own or someone else’s.

Always ask the owner if it’s okay to approach a dog. Some may have anxiety, aggression, or medical issues and should be left alone. Avoid the head and face area when petting or approaching a new dog. Give animals personal space when they are eating their foods. Pay attention to the dog’s behavior before engaging. If a dog is growling, showing teeth, or has raised fur, he is giving you signals that he does not wish to socialize with you.

 

Do you know how to stop your dog from biting humans? What other tips would you share? Let us know in the comments!


Side note: Do you run a business in the pet industry? Would you like to drive more traffic and sales to your site through a search-optimized pet blog? Get in touch with my office-mates at Lantern Content Marketing!

About Napa 'ze Dog

My name is Napa and I'm the Lantern Content Marketing Adventure Company office dog. They create content for business blogs, so I do my part by blogging about pet stuff. My favorite topic is poop! Since you asked, I'm an F2B Miniature Goldendoodle. Everything else you want to know about me is right over here!

One thought on “How to Stop Your Dog from Biting a Human

  1. I can’t underscore that last tip enough. While Sam is incredibly good with people, especially little people (her is a therapy dog afterall), I can’t tell you how many times I’ve seen people and kids rush up to dogs for a pet not knowing the owner or the dog. And some of those owners are more likely to bite than their pet! People need to respect boundaries and ask for permission…first! Ok, now I’ll get off my soapbox. 🙂

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