If you’ve ever been inside a house where people are trying to get their dog to stop barking, then you know how frustrating it can be. If this happens to you, chances are that your dog has learned a few dog training tricks. After reading this article, you’ll be able to stop your dog from biting instead of making it worse.
Dogs that are sent to live with children tend to bark all the time. This is because they are made to do so. To curb this, you should always reward your puppy or dog with praise when it displays good behavior. Try spaying (getting rid of the reproductive parts) or neutering (removing unwanted body hairs). These two methods work, so they’re often recommended by those who wish to see quick results with dog training.
For example, if your dog has managed to get hold of your hand and nip at you while you’re near the dog (such as when playing with him or her), the best thing to do is to put something between the dog and you. Something like an elastic band works well. You can also try to put some aluminum foil between the dog and you, if you don’t want to use an elastic band. However, if your dog is excited or stressed out, he might not understand why he’s getting his nails stuck between your hands. He may interpret it as a desire to play with you.
The next dog training trick involves rewarding your dog or puppy with treats whenever he behaves in a desirable manner. Some dog owners make their own “conditioning treats” by tying dry dog food – in the shape of a treat – to a piece of dog tape and attaching a positive reinforcement reward to it. The dog will learn that if he touches the tape he gets rewarded with treats. Alternatively, you could teach him to touch his nose to the tape. Once he learns to do this, you can remove the tape and replace it with a favorite toy.
One dog training trick is to give a dog training treat to his nose whenever he obeys your command “stay.” He should do this on a consistent basis, over a period of time. Eventually, he will learn that he’ll get a treat when he complies. As his skill level increases, you can increase the number of training treats he gets. This will ensure that he works hard to please you and won’t become bored.
Another way to teach your dog not to bite is to teach him a different way to play with you. For example, you can train him to shake your hand instead of giving him the dog treat when you pat him. This will teach him to know that whenever you touch his hand, he gets rewarded.
You also need to teach your dog that his nails are not acceptable anywhere near your skin. This is very important because most dogs who nip or growl when around humans do so because they are left-hand dominant. Therefore, you have to instruct your dog that it’s unacceptable for him to be able to bite your skin. To do this, you need to spend some time with your dog in an enclosed area (like a dog crate) and let him know that you’re telling him not to do that. He’ll soon realize that it’s just part of dog training and that playing with you will get him rewards.
If the above don’t work and your dog still bites you, then it’s time to get more creative. One thing that I find myself tempted with whenever I’m teaching dogs is the “bite me” product. When I use this, I find that my dog’s growl less often. Although it doesn’t work the same with every dog, these “bite me” products do provide an alternative to physical punishment that tends to make you less likely to nip at your dog.
