Bite Inhibition -- an Essential Part of Socialization
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Dogs must learn to use teeth properly as part of
behavior development. By helping dogs learn bite
inhibition early on, you can help avoid bite incidents
involving other dogs as well as people. This tipsheet
contains information adapted from articles by Dr. Ian
Dunbar in the November 1999 "Whole Dog Journal" and by
September Morn in the April 2003 "DogFancy."
Dogs normally learn bite inhibition by 4 and a half
months of age. Dunbar believes it's the single most
important thing that dogs learn. So try to teach your
dogs bite inhibition by age three months and reinforce
throughout their lives.
Bite inhibition is a learned response in which the dog
consciously inhibits the full force of his biting
ability. Most dogs display bite inhibition when they
are playing together, and even when engaging in a
fight with another dog. If a dog does not have bite
inhibition, he could injure and possibly even kill
another dog.
Puppies who are properly socialized learn bite
inhibition while nursing and playing. When pups bite
while nursing, the mother dog will train them by
standing up and walking away. When pups bite too hard
during play with siblings, the bitten pup will yelp
and stop playing with the rough pup. Or the bitten
sibling might leap up and knock the rough-housing pup
over with a loud bark or growl. This teaches a puppy
that playtime ends if he bites too hard.
This is one reason puppies should go to puppy
kindergarten or socialization class, where they can
play and mouth while carefully supervised. They will
learn that while gentle bites might be tolerated, hard
bites will stop the play session.
People can use the same idea to teach their puppies
bite inhibition.
* Sit down with the pup to play, bringing his attention to your hands. When the pup tries to bite your hand too hard, yelp or say 'Oww' firmly and stop interaction. In addition to stopping interaction, some canine specialists advise to pull your hands back and freeze, and to avert your eyes or look to the side, away from the pup.
* Do not make your response sound like wincing or
whining, or the pup may think it's part of the game.
The pup needs to learn that fun stops when he bites.
* Give the pup a toy to chomp on intead of your hands
or clothing. If he does not take the toy and instead
nips again, stop interacting. Turn away, cross your
arms, do not look back...you can even walk away.
* After time has passed, face your pup again and
offer your hand. If he tries to bite, repeat the
process.
* When your pup is gentle, pet and praise him calmly
and resume play.
* If he bites again, say "Oww" as you did previously,
and give him a 10-minute time-out. Leave the room, or
better yet, place your pup in a time-out area. This
area can be a separate room with no people or animal
occupants, or in his crate. But avoid making this
action seem like punishment -- you do not want the pup
to learn to fear the crate or associate it with
punishment. Time out is not the same as punishment.
It is a suspension of playtime and fun.
* As you practice, the pup will use less and less
pressure as he comes in contact with your hand.
* Keep in mind that the first goal is to teach the
dog to actively inhibit the force of his bite, and
THEN reduce the frequency. If you never let the pup
put his jaws on you at all, when it does happen (say,
an accident during which the dog's paw gets stepped
on), the dog will probably react with an over-strong
bite.
* Do not tap or smack the dog's nose as punishment
for nipping -- instead of discouraging nipping, this
tends to trigger instinctive biting in self-defense.
* Do not tease a pup or dog by flashing hands around
his face or tapping his face. This can scare or
startle the dog and trigger biting behavior, whether
in play or self-defense.
* However, as the bite inhibition training
progresses, you can gradually begin to incorporate
some sudden movements into your play with the dog so
he learns to be less spooked by human movement. If a
dog is afraid of objects, you can help desensitize him
by slowly incorporating hand-held objects into play.
* Daily grooming helps a dog get used to human touch.
Teach your pup early on to allow you to touch his
face and open his mouth. This will prepare him for
activities like vet exams and tooth brushing. Start
by gently raise the dog's lip and praise. You can
also give a treat. Gradually lift the rest of his lip
and examine the inside of his month.
Dunbar explains that no matter how hard you try to
socialize a dog to people or other dogs, there may be
times when it is not sufficient. For example, someone
shuts the dog's tail in a door, or your dog is
attacked by another dog. In these cases, your dog
will instinctively respond by biting, whether it's out
of provocation or self-defense. Whether or not your
dog does damage depends on the level of bite
inhibition that was established, usually before he
reached age four and a half months.
Bite inhibition can be taught to a dog later in life,
but it is more difficult and time-consuming. You will
want to be prepared to avoid and control problems that
may arise.
Dunbar believes that if a dog does not have bite
inhibition, the dog should be muzzled when walking in
public areas. Even if another dog starts a fight,
your dog will be blamed if his bites cause damage.
Dunbar recommends the open-ended muzzles of soft but
strong fabric, usually nylon, that control biting but
are open in the front to allow the dog to drink, lick
his lips and accept a treat. The goal is to train the
dog to enjoy the company of other dogs, and to behave
appropriately ... meaning sit, settle down, and be
calm. So if a muzzle is used, choose a style that
enables the dog to take treats.
Even using a muzzle, you must be fully vigilant. If
you have or come into contact with other dogs, and you
allow a dog to bite your muzzled dog, you will only
reinforce in his mind that the other dogs should be
bitten. So in training the dogs to get along, Dunbar
advises muzzling your other dog(s).
Dunbar suggests these simple exercises to condition
the biting dog to associate the presence of another
dog with good things, not bad things:
* Put the biting muzzled dog on a leash, and sit down
on the sofa, petting the dog. Have someone else enter
the room with the other muzzled dog, and then leave
after a few moments. Have the other dog and person
repeatedly enter and leave the room.
* Give the biting dog two types of feedback. When
the other dog leaves, totally ignore him. When the
other dog enters, praise your dog and offer him pieces
of kibble and perhaps treats, even if heUs growling
and putting his hair up.
* Remember, the growling does not exist on its own.
The dog is growling for a reason. If you give him a
piece of kibble when the other dog comes in, you are
classically conditioning the dog to form a positive
association with the other dogUs entry and presence.
* Eventually, the dog will form a positive
association about the other dog and should, over time,
stop growling because he will realize he has no reason
to growl. "I don't particularly like that dog, but I
love it when he comes into the room, because my owner
talks to me, pets me, and gives me kibble." Timing
is key, of course.
* For the next step, do the same exercise, but with
the positions reversed. The other dog is in the room,
and you enter and exit with the biting dog, giving him
treats when you enter the room, and ignoring him when
you leave.
* Do not yank on the dog's leash or spank him or
yell. If you constantly reprimand the dog whenever
another dog is present, you will reinforce your dogUs
negative feelings for other dogs. The dog will learn
that when other dogs approach, his owner gets upset,
sweats, her heart rate increases, and she shouts and
jerks the leash. So the dog gets the wrong idea and
thinks he needs to keep other dogs away. He sees
another dog and says, "Get away, get away, don't come
close! My owner is unreliable around other dogs!"
* That is why it is important to not punish the dog.
Instead, teach him acceptable behavior and continually
reinforce your role as a leader who he can and must
trust.
Trouble between dogs? For details about Preventing
Fights Between Dogs, see the tipsheet at:
Also see Avoiding Bites at:
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Last Updated: June 23, 2013 (LET) | PawSupport |