Dog biting is a serious problem that is not being taken seriously anymore. There are thousands that are injured a year from an aggressive dog. As dog owners we have the responsibility of training our dogs not to bite or be aggressive in any other manner. Most people don't know where to start. Well, here are some prevention tips, causes so you understand your pet, and solutions to help you and them live a safer life.

First, lets talk about puppies. Puppies need to learn not to bite from the beginning of their lives. So when your puppy bites it is important to yelp, and immediately stop playing with them. After a few occurrences they will associate the bite with no more play and stop biting.

1. Give Alternatives

Never play with your dog only using your hands. They cannot associate your hands with play. If your hands look like a toy they will be treated like a toy. So always use toys when playing with your dog, and always have plenty of toys available to them. This is so they always have something to do and don't get frustrated.

2. No Aggressive Play

A game of tug of war is no-no, folks.

3. Socialize Them

To minimize the likelihood of them biting a stranger, make sure to socialize them. Let your dog meet many different types of people, and other animals as young as you can start introducing them. The younger your dog is the better. The best time to start socializing your dog is between 12 weeks and 14 months.

As an adult, dogs can bite because of they are confused about their role in the household. They may think they're the boss or "alpha" dog and you are trying to invade their territory. Breaking the dog of this is fairly simple and teaches that YOU are the alpha. Those ways are:

4. You Always Sit Higher Up

You should always sit higher than your dog. The alpha always sits in higher places. So don't let your dog on the couch, chairs, and especially keep them off the bed.

5. Make Sure You are in Control

Not giving them attention when they demands it from you. If they walk up and place their head under your hand, ignore them.

6. You Eat First When in packs in the wild the alpha dog always eats first. So make sure you as the alpha eats first. Then wash up and feed them after. Plus, never give them table scraps. The alpha always eats the better food, and if they eat the same thing you did, your dog sees it as being on the same level of hierarchy as you are.

7. No Games in Where You Can Lose Another reason not to play tug of war or wrestle is because those are games dogs play with their packed to find out who's top dog. If you lose these types of games, your dog sees it as you being the weaker member of the pack. Avoid playing games like this with your dog.

8. Go Where You Want

Always be the first through a doorway in front of your dog.

9. Reprimand Them

If your dog happens to bite you then sternly say "OUCH" and immediately stop paying attention to them.

10. One on the Snout

If they ever do bite you, GENTLY rap them on the snout, and sternly say "OUCH!" or "NO BITING!" Then stop paying attention to them completely. Note: Don't beat up your dog. Lightly tap them with your hand on the snout.

11. A Light Spritz

Have a spray bottle handy. Anytime your dog bites spritz them with the water in the bottle. If you want to make the bottle more affective, put a little apple vinegar in it and dilute it with water. Then when you spritz them it's more than just getting wet. It will have a bad smell that your dog doesn't like.

12. Illness

Another reason a dog bites is because they are in pain, or simply don't feel well. They could be cranky from being sick. If your dog starts biting for no reason it would be a good idea to run them over to the vet's office immediately. Your dog should be taken out to the vet regularly anyway to rule out any illnesses.

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