How to Stop Pug Biting
If you want a happy relationship with your pug, you will have to learn how to stop pug biting. All dogs have a natural tendency to bite, so if you want to nip this behavior in the bud, read on.
Dogs need to know who is in control. They are, after all, pack animals. Establishing yourself as the leader of the pack is essential in understanding how to stop pug biting. When your pug knows his place, he will be a much more secure dog.
How to Stop Pug Biting From the Start
It is much easier to teach a puppy good habits than it is to get an older dog to give up bad habits.
- Begin as you mean to go on. It is very confusing for dogs if you allow a behavior when they are young and then disallow it later. Therefore you need to decide early on what is acceptable behavior and what is not. Biting should not be tolerated, even when your dog is cute and small and can do real harm with his teeth.
- Substitute Toys. Your dog needs to know that you are not a toy. All puppies, however, like children, need to chew. To them it is an irresistible urge so you must provide plenty of things that they are allowed to chew on.
When Pugs Bite
There are a few things that you can do when your pug bites to teach him how to stop pug biting. He must learn to associate bad behavior with your disapproval. These work well with puppies and will also work with older dogs.
- Step one. You can sometimes stop puppy biting before it even starts if you put something suitable in your dog’s mouth when you see a bite coming.
- Step two. As soon as your pug bites make a loud yelping sound, stare at him hard and step away. Avert your eyes and face and ignore him for a while and then resume play. The trick is to make him feel isolated for long enough to stop the undesirable behavior, but not so long that he gets distracted and the lesson is lost. You might need to repeat this a few times until he gets the message. If this is not successful, move on to step three.
- Step three. If your dog bites you again after several attempts of the above, you must be a little firmer. Again make a loud yelp and then grasp the loose skin around his neck and shake it. You don’t want to hurt him, but rather establish that you are in control.
Games to Avoid
There are certain games that encourage biting and give your dog the idea that it is acceptable. The following should not be encouraged:
- Tug of war games
- Teasing
- Dangling treats for your dog to jump up and catch
- Playing with your hands and feet
Lastly, there might be a reason that your dog is biting. He may have an injury and be in pain or he might be feeling nervous or insecure. Get him checked out at the vet if the above measures are unsuccessful. If you learn how to stop pug biting you will have a well-behaved and happier dog.
