How to Train a Doberman to Stop Biting

Hello. When a dog bites a person, it is often out of fear or protectiveness, or when they aren't feeling well and want to be left alone. Training to prevent dog bites involves proper socialization, providing structure, and building your dog's confidence. Socialize Your Dog If you've just brought home a puppy, the best thing you can do is introduce it to as many new places, people, and situations as possible. Keep things positive. This early exposure is referred to as socialization; a well-socialized puppy is far less likely to be fearful in new situations, and this lack of fear decreases the likelihood of aggression. If your dog is no longer a puppy, you can still work on adult socialization. Spay or Neuter Your Dog While having your dog spayed or neutered does not guarantee it'll never bite, there is some evidence that suggests that altered dogs tend to be less aggressive. There are a number of good reasons to spay or neuter your dog, and potentially preventing a dog bite is at the top of that list. Don't Make Assumptions Given the right circumstances, any dog has the potential to bite.1 Too often people are bitten by dogs because they assume their dog won't bite. Don't assume that because a dog is a certain breed or size, or because it has never shown aggression in the past, that a dog won't bite. Work on Obedience Training An obedient dog is easier to control. By working on obedience training, you can use basic commands to keep your dog focused on you in situations in which it is uncomfortable. If you are able to control your dog's behavior, it is less likely to bite. In addition, training provides structure for your dog and boosts its confidence. Use Positive Reinforcement Positive reinforcement dog training is a method of training which rewards good behavior rather than punishing inappropriate behavior.2 Positive reinforcement can include treats, extra play time, verbal encouragement, petting, or any other activity your dog enjoys. Punishment, by contrast, can be anything a dog finds unpleasant. Some common punishments include hitting, leash corrections, and physically rolling a dog over, a process referred to as alpha rolling. A 2009 study published in the Journal of Applied Animal Behavior found that dogs who are trained using punishment are 25 percent more likely to respond with aggression than other dogs. By using positive dog training methods, you can reduce the likelihood of your dog biting. Be Aware of Body Language Dogs use body language to communicate. Pay attention to what your dog's body language is telling you. A dog who is afraid or unhappy about having its territory invaded has the potential to bite. Behaviors such as bared teeth, raised hackles, a lowered head, or ears lying flat against the head are signs that a dog is uncomfortable and may bite.3 If you notice a dog displaying this type of body language, give it some space and advise others to do so as well. Remove your dog from the situation as soon as you feel safe to do so. Don't Stop a Dog's Growls Your dog growls to let you know it is uncomfortable with a person or situation. It is a warning signal that it may bite. Very often our impulse is to teach our dogs it is inappropriate to growl. The dog may learn this lesson so well that it stops growling in any situation. This is why we so often hear stories of dogs biting without warning. By preventing them from growling, we don't allow dogs to communicate their discomfort. A better option is to pay attention to the circumstances that cause your dog to growl. Is it growling at someone approaching its food bowl, a child running past, a person cornering it? Once you know why your dog is growling, you can begin a dog training program to teach your dog to become more comfortable in those situations. In this way, you correct the problem that causes potential aggression rather than taking away your dog's ability to warn you it may bite. Once your dog is more comfortable in a given situation, it won't feel the need to growl. Problems and Proofing Behavior To proof your dog's new, more appropriate behavior you'll need to take the dog into new environments and introduce it to new people and animals.4 If it's able to maintain its behavior in a variety of settings, it has internalized the training; if not, you may need to take additional steps. If you know when your dog is most likely to growl or bite, you'll want to be sure that the dog can now handle that situation without resorting to aggression. It's not a good idea to startle or frighten your dog, but it is helpful to slowly introduce challenges to be sure your dog can handle them. For example, if your dog is aggressive around food but has learned not to growl or bite at mealtime, have another person bring the dog's food to be sure that the new behavior is followed even with a new person in the room. If you've taught commands using positive reinforcement and worked hard to earn your dog's trust, you may still find that your dog is having a tough time learning not to growl or bite. If that's the case, you'll need to take additional steps, like contacting a professional trainer in your area.

Jan. 11, 2021

Hello Ana Belen, First, check out the article linked below. Starting today, use the "Yelp" method. At the same time however, begin teaching "Leave It" from the "Leave It" method. As soon as pup is good at the Leave It game, start telling pup to "Leave It" when she attempts to bite or is tempted to bite. Reward pup if her makes a good choice. If she disobeys your leave it command, use the Pressure method to gently discipline pup for biting when you told her not to. The order or all of this is very important - the yelp method can be used for the next couple of weeks while pup is learning leave it, but leave it will teach pup to stop the biting entirely. The pressure method teaches pup that you mean what you say without being overly harsh - but because you have taught pup to leave it first, pup clearly understands that you are not just roughhousing (which is what pup probably thinks most of the time right now), so it is more effective. https://wagwalking.com/training/train-a-shih-tzu-puppy-to-not-bite When pup gets especially wound up, she probably needs a nap too. At this age puppies will sometimes get really hyper when they are overtired or haven't had any mental stimulation through something like training. When you spot that and think pup could be tired, place pup in their crate or an exercise pen with a food stuffed Kong for a bit to help her calm down and rest. Also, know that mouthiness at this age is completely normal. It's not fun but it is normal for it to take some time for a puppy to learn self-control well enough to stop. Try not to get discouraged if you don't see instant progress, any progress and moving in the right direction in this area is good, so keep at it. I do highly recommend a puppy kindergarten class or play group that has time for moderated off-leash play as well. Playing with other puppies is the number one way most puppies learn how to control their pressure of their bites - and this is a different type of interaction than what pup's gain from interacting with adult dogs. You can also create your own puppy class by having friends come over with their puppies and allow the pups to play together in a fenced area or inside with your supervision - separating the pups for a cool down when one pup seems to feel overwhelmed, and letting the more timid pup go first to see if they re-engage the other puppies to continue playing or are ready to stop each time. https://www.petful.com/behaviors/puppy-classes-when-to-start/ For the leash walking, continue working on teaching the Leave It command. I also suggest when pup bites the leash, gently pull the leash toward pup, so that the leash is pressing a bit into the area of pup's mouth where their gums come together at the back of their teeth - until pup tries to spit the leash out themselves. This shouldn't be done too harshly but makes the game of grabbing the leash a bit less fun. Working on really engaging pup with food rewards for heeling and staying with you can also help. Check out the Treat Lure method from the article linked below - you can transition to the Turns method when pup is a bit older and has more coordination, if needed then too. https://wagwalking.com/training/train-a-poodle-to-heel Best of luck training, Caitlin Crittenden

July 8, 2020