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Stop biting
by Jo
ORIGINAL MESSAGE:
Is their a method,to stop an older pup from biting or snarling at strangers? I can't take him to vets,that he does this to him,when they touch him. He does this to strangers also, if they come up close to him.Their must be a way to help him,with this behavier. Any one know?
DISCUSSION:
Jo, the vets know how to handle snarling and biting dogs. As for strangers, just tell them not to touch him. I don't expect my dog to be nice to strangers. After all his job is to protect me and my property. Ha ! I know that this is not possible from a 5 lbs fur ball, but he is trying to.
Janine
I would suggest some obedience training. It is possible to train your dog to be protective and still expect them not to bite people. Janine, I am sorry, but even if you don't expect your dog to be nice to people, it only takes one curious small child(and they are fast) to get bitten.You can't expect a small child to understand that you don't care if your dog likes them or not. If your dog bites anyone, they have the right to take action. Even if they asked for it. I would really hate to see anyone take this kind of advice and then end up having to put their pet down because someone got bitten. And remember, the people who don't listen are usually the ones who start screaming lawsuit when they get hurt. Please take your dog to the vet and talk to a trainer. They can probably help you figure out what the problem is and work with you to eliminate it. Then if you wish for your dog to learn to ignore other people maybe you can, maybe the trainet could help you with that. P.S. I sell Avon for a living, and I have customers who want the products, but I have to run through a gauntlet of snarling dogs at every few houses. Maybe some of you think this is fine, but it is really hard to do my job when the dog acts like he is going to rip me in half for handing his owner the product. If the customer says they want service, I have to go to their house whether this makes me uncomfortable or not. This makes me glad that Chloe would rather lick and play with people who come up to us.
Anne
Jo, its back to basics! :) Have him "sit" before he receives anything; food, a pat, a walk, etc. Every day get him back into the training exercises. Have him 'sit' 'sit/stay' 'come' 'speak' 'quiet' 'roll over' and any of his tricks. Practice proper heel positions. Once you have the alpha position again & the control, when someone approaches you can put him in the 'sit/stay', 'quiet' if necessary. Make meeting people a pleasant thing for him.... when he does well, praise him lots! :) Training is a lifelong commitment to our pets. Good luck! :)
BeeGee
Check the archives for posts with the following titles: Is your Maltese Growling; and, Barking/Biting Maltese. Those messages, posted by a dog behaviorst have excellent advice for getting a handle on this sort of behavior. Biting is the worst--take it seriously and get it stopped. If anything happened to you, and your little one ended up in rescue or at a shelter (God Forbid!) he would probably not be placed and would be euthanized if he is determined to be a biter. So bear that in mind. Anyhow life is a lot more pleasant for you and your little one if you aren't concerned about him biting a child, neighbor, friend, vet, etc.
cathy brown
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Please bear in mind when reading topics pertaining to health issues, that most of these questions were answered by helpful Maltese owners with no formal education in veterinary medicine. When in doubt seek a professionals advice.