Teaching an adult dog "no bite"

Let’s think about the definition for bite inhibition; controlling the pressure of a dog’s bite. In adult dogs, I feel they should be conditioned not to use their mouths on skin, period. Thousands of dogs are surrendered to a shelter because they use their “bite” inappropriately. Some people are ok with their dogs mouthing them during play; some need their dogs to bite for work purposes (police, military, etc.). For others this could be a problem, especially for owners that have small children.

The laws surrounding dogs today make it extremely important to teach your adult dog not to use their mouth on human skin. Many states declare any broken skin from a tooth or nail to be classified as a bite. http://nationalcanineresearchcouncil.com/dog-bites/

I have worked with many dogs that had a “soft mouth” at a young age then developed a stronger bite in their adult life. This does not mean your dog did not have bite inhibition at a young age. It means they have learned their bite can solve problems. There are many different reasons for a dog to develop a “hard” bite throughout their lives. The question is how can you avoid this and manage their bite.

As with any of my behavior modification programs, if you are afraid of your dog or your dog has a history of causing serious injury with their bite do not attempt this. You need to find a qualified professional to help. If you are under the impression your dog cannot sense your fear, you are wrong and will get hurt or worse; make your dog more dangerous.

All dogs with a “hard mouth” should learn the following commands prior to teaching “no bite”. · Drop it · Down · Stay · Watch me

1. First determine how long it takes for your dog to reach the level of over stimulation that causes the mouthing. In some dogs, this maybe immediate; others it may take two to three minutes. All dogs tend to reach a heightened level of excitement after two minutes of play. They start to get very vocal and possibly nip harder to stop play.

2. Have your dog on leash when practicing “no bite” so you can control them without handling them. Your touch is considered play and affection. It becomes quite confusing to a dog when a human gets angry and in dog language is displaying playful behavior.

3. Engage them in the activity that sparks the mouthing. As an example, one of our pack members came to us with no experience playing with humans. For her it was completely normal to bite hard when a toy was involved, to gain control of the toy. Therefore, any activity involving a toy would spark mouthing.

For play elicited biting