Being bitten by your dog can be a frustrating experience as a dog owner. In puppies, play biting is a common behaviour due to their teething process which they often outgrow. But in adult dogs, here are some reasons why your dog might bite you:
- Pain: Your pooch might react to pain by biting. Your Vet. can help you determine the source of the pain and treat it.
- Fear: Some dogs bite when they are scared. Irrespective of the cause of fear, you should respond calmly and help your dog build trust in you. This will instill in them the mindset that they can trust you in such situations hence helping them to behave better next time.
- Maternal Instincts: This is common with nursing bitches trying to protect their puppies. In such bitches, it is better to respect her space till she is ready to allow people around the puppies.
- Possessiveness: Possessive dogs can bite whenever you try to take what belongs to them like their toys, or food. Such dogs need to live by established rules, limitations, and boundaries. It’s about letting your dog know who the Alpha is. With obedience training, it is easy to manage possessive dogs and stop them from biting.
- Prey drive: Active and energetic dogs can accidentally bite you when aiming for a toy. If you have such dogs, avoid a close-contact game and replace it with a fetch game. In extreme situations where your dog gets aggressive on prey drive, professional training should be considered.
After a bite episode from your dog, get the dog into an enclosed place (Crate or kennel) where it can’t harm you further. Then manage the wound by washing with soap under running tap water for 5-10 minutes. If it is a small wound and your dog’s vaccination is up to date, you can clean the wound and treat it with an antibiotic cream. But if it is a serious wound with lots of bleeding, you will need to bandage it and see your doctor immediately.
When re-approaching your dog after a bite, you should be calm and speak softly to her while observing her body language. If she is still feeling anxious, stressed, or frightened, be careful approaching her. However, with lots of comforting words and reassurance, your dog will come around and then you can figure out the cause of the bite and prevent it next time.
If your dog is uncontrollably aggressive and bites without a traceable trigger, enrolling your dog in a training school can be helpful. With obedience training, your dog can learn to obey commands like ‘Sit!’, ‘Stop!’ which could help tame the aggression.
