Most dog’s end up in shelter homes or abandoned for one major reason and that is DOG BITE THEIR OWNERS!!!

Little do most dog owner investigate on why the dog bit them. To understand the reason, one should understand their instincts of dogs first. I have seen even the most friendly dogs can turn aggressive, but it does not mean it is the end of the relationship.

I have jotted down some of the common reasons of why dogs bite their owners. If you feel you have a different reason then feel free to drop a mail to [email protected]

Maternal Instincts

Dog’s tend to be aggressive once they give birth due to hormonal changes and protective instincts. Let your dog calm down for some days and respect her space. Let the mother deal with the litter till she feels comfortable to let them be around people.

Pain

If your dog bit you when you touched her somewhere then you need to find out if she has been hurt. Dogs are generally good at hiding their pain, but if the sore spot is touched they could bite in pain. I have seen this in case of my dog. She had hurted her paw and when I touched her paw to teach a trick she gave me a warning nip. Either you can take your dog to the veterinarian or you can let the dog calm down and muzzle your dog and investigate on the source of pain and then decide the course of action.

Fear & Trust

You scared your dog accidentally or as part of a fun exercise. Dogs understand human emotions as well as human beings do. You might notice that your dog would have put her tail in between his legs and might get aggressive when trying to touch your dog. You will have to build up your dogs trust and make him feel secure.

Prey drive

Dog’s sometimes buy accidentally due to their prey instincts. If you are playing a game of pulling a rope, the dog might accidentally bite thinking that your hand is a rope.

Possessiveness

This is the most common case of dog biting. Dog’s love their food and get very possessive of their food. This behavior too can be controlled by showing who is the leader of the pack.

How to stop dog biting owner

Dog’s respect pack leaders, and all the solution for a dog’s behavior is only when you show him that you are the leader of the pack and nothing will go against your will.

Rules

From the day you get your dog home, you need to make your dog understand that the house runs as per your rules and you are the leader of the pack. Do not pamper your dog a lot which ends up spoiling your dog. I have seen many dog owners entertain dogs jumping on them as a sign of love and affection. I agree that is true, but with entertaining of such behavior you are also showing him that you are not the leader of the pack. In order to get what your dog wants you need to teach him to be in a calm state of mind.

Obedience training

You need to train your dog for one word which makes your dog understand that is wrong. For instance I taught my doberman the word NO. The moment I see she is chewing on her favorite toy and I feel she can get aggressive, I use the word NO sternly and she drops it. I use this in many situations like if she tries to go aggressive when seeing strangers or other dogs, the word NO helps. You can choose your favorite word and this would be the key in controlling your dog behavior. Do not forget to treat him once a while when your dog respects the word NO. You can refer more about how to train your dog here.

Prevent food aggression

Like I said earlier food aggression is common with animals as a fact I have seen this in human beings too :-). As mentioned above your dog should realize that you are the leader of the pack and you are the only source of food. Tell your dog to sit when food is being served and it will be given only when he stays calm. Use the NO command if she is jumping around you when you are trying to serve the food or trying to move the dog bowl. If you notice any growling sound then you should use the word NO immediately and make him realize it is wrong.

Stay calm

This tip is for you. If a dog shows an aggressive behavior or growls, then you as a leader of the pack should stay calm. Never panic in such situations and investigate on why the dog showed that behavior and correct it.

 Were you ever bitten by your own dog? How did you handle it?