Doggone Etiquette —

Dog Bites

By Bardi McLennan

A Word to the Dog:

How good (or bad) are you at using your teeth? There are certain times when you are punished for snapping or grabbing at something and then there are times when you do it and nobody seems to care.  It’s not always easy to remember what you were punished for snatching at with your mouth and when it was okay. As far as your VIPeople are concerned, there are very strict rules about those handsome teeth of yours, especially when, where, and on what they bite down. If you think you’re confused about it, trust me, lots of those good people out there are, too. Maybe I can help, but I won’t promise.

A Word to the Dog’s Owner:

Unfortunately, there have been a lot of reports recently about dogs biting, some of it warranted and some of it just a misunderstanding of why dogs do it. Any dog, of any size, breed, or age can bite. It is instinctive and normal for a dog to use its mouth, and those jaws have teeth! It is, if you think about it, what dogs must do in order to eat and to play. After all, they can’t hit, grab, or even pick up an object by using their legs and paws the way we use our arms and hands. So, this biting business is not only a question of why, so much as it is how, when, and where the dog does it that concerns us.

Biting begins when the puppy’s adult teeth are coming in (from 5 weeks to 6 months) and their gums itch or hurt, so they bite and chew. That’s when you can give the pup a specific thing to help – a wet and then frozen twisted bit of towel is good. It is also the time to teach him not to bite on your fingers (offer him a toy) or to bite or chew on anything you designate as off limits. If at this stage you let Rufus bite or grab at your hands when you’re playing, don’t be surprised when he’s older that he bites the hand that comes to pet him!

Overall temperament, both inherited and acquired, probably has most to do with biting. A truly vicious dog is not safe for anyone to own, and should be put down. But there are many things you can do to prevent a good-natured dog from becoming a biter. Perhaps the one most important thing is to send the right signals to the dog. A wrong signal, such as pulling back on the lead whenever you’re approaching another person or dog, tells your dog that YOU are afraid. So he strains forward to become a big hero and protect you. Relax! You taught him to sit-stay, right? So have him sit-stay beside you instead of pulling on his lead.

Chewing can lead to biting, especially if you try to remove the precious item being destroyed by yanking it out of the dog’s mouth. The dog will snap, growl, and bite to maintain possession of his treasure. The simple solution to that is to teach Rufus the command, “Drop it” said in a controlled, firm, no nonsense voice. But start teaching it from Day One.

There are things the kids can do to prevent being bitten. Even a normally low-key sweet-tempered dog will get carried away by the frenzy of kids who are shouting and racing around playing with a ball or on skateboards. The dog could easily – and understandably – nip or bite at hands or legs, trying to join the fun. Should the child fall down, he/she could be bitten on the face. This is just a keyed-up canine reaction to all the fun the kids are having! It is not aggressive biting, but kids need to be made aware of what can happen. Before it all gets out of hand, bring Rufus into the calm of indoors with no sign of punishment. A treat for such a good dog might be nice.

Until next time – BE GOOD!

- Bardi

Bardi McLennan bred, trained and showed Welsh Terriers for 30 years, during which time she wrote a monthly column on canine behavior in Dog Fancy Magazine. In addition to contributing to numerous dog publications, she has written 15 books on dogs, the latest being Rescue Me!, which received the ASPCA Humane Issues Award in 2008.