What every fur-baby parent ought to know about puppy finger biting, and how to correct it before it becomes an issue.
You are excited to have your furry bundle of joy at home, they have completely stolen your heart with their cute antics, funny temperament, and little bulldog noises.
Playing with your fur-baby is always a delight, and the occasional play bite on your finger goes unanswered. As your fur-baby gets older, you find them biting a little more often but now they are stronger, their jaw muscles have developed, and you get nervous when they are around strangers and guests.
The best time to deal with biting is when they are puppies. There are a number of simple things that can be done during play time and during training to help them understand that finger biting is not allowed. Taking this extra precaution early on will help your baby know not to bite people later on in life, even if they are just playing around. If for any reason you were not able to address this early on, there is still hope.
Here are several simple things you should do when working with your bulldog to help correct them of unwanted biting behavior.
- Avoid Being Overly Rough During Playtime. It is ok to play with your furbaby, but don’t make them feel like they need to protect themselves.
- Exaggerate Your Responses; Be A Bit Dramatic. Dogs love praise, give it generously when the behavior is good. When the behavior is bad, don’t scream at them, but being a little loud or acting hurt will cause them to stop. By nature your furbaby wants to please you, they know when you are not pleased.
- Make Your Intentions Clear. If you are not getting the behavior you want, stand up and walk away. If they are being dominate, i.e., putting their paw on you as if they are taking possession of you, stand up and walk away.
If you are looking for additional training ideas, check out one of our favorite celebrity dog trainers Dove Cresswell.
Dove has trained many furry family members over her career (over 5,000), has earned the highest industry training designation, and has been credited as the trainer in movies such as:
- “Marley & Me: The Puppy Years”
- “Santa Puppies”
- “Red Riding Hood”
- “Diary Of A Wimpy Kid 3”
- and many others.
She offers a free training video on her site that you can access directly from the image here:
When you click the image, you will be taken to her site that looks like this:
