Poodles are cute dogs with thick curly hair. One of the poodle’s most common behavior problems is biting. What worsens the situation is their owners’ tendency to tolerate the problem while the dogs are yet little puppies. As the behavior develops and the puppy grows, there’s a big possibility that the poodle will continue to bite without regard for anyone.
What Causes Poodle Biting
Poodles generally have higher incidence of biting than other dog breeds. It shows by the dogs’ display of biting toys which is a bit higher in frequency than average dogs. Based on observations, well trained poodles do not bite at all.
The poodles’ slightly higher biting rate can be attributed to their nature – as they are not bred to perform specialized jobs. Poodles are bred to simply be just pets but they are one of the smartest among known dog breeds. Although they are intelligent, poodles are deficient in instincts. This makes the poodle stubborn and may ignore basic commands. Poodles need to be properly controlled.
How to Stop Poodle Biting
Poodles are highly trainable because of their smartness. It is not difficult to teach them that biting is not acceptable. Just make sure that your poodle is properly trained to socialize at puppyhood. A puppy poodle should never be separated from its mother before it reaches eight weeks of age. This is to ensure that the expected time for puppies to learn not to bite has been given. This is also the period where the puppy learns to control its urge for dominance.
You should socialize the puppy after it reaches eight weeks old. You can enroll your puppy in day cares or other puppy classes where biting aversion lessons are taught. You should show calmness to your puppy while going through with the classes, and you should never yell at them to avoid making them afraid or anxious. This could lead to aggression issues later in the puppy’s life and you don’t have to be its cause.
Poodle puppy biting problems need to be addressed quickly. Any biting sign that you see should always be acted upon by substituting your hand with a toy whenever the puppy bites. Show the puppy that it’s biting hurts by producing soft whimpering sounds.
Poodle Biting in Older Dogs
You should show control of older poodles that still have biting behaviors by simply showing your authority as the alpha leader. Feeding and walking times should be controlled as well as basic commands need to be taught. Games of aggression such as tug of war or chasing must be avoided as this can lead to biting. Do not allow the dog’s biting behavior to turn into a game.
Take your poodle to an obedience class if it manifests aggression or anxiety. Obedience classes are where dogs can socialize with other dogs. This is also the place and occasion where your poodle’s aggressive behavior can be dealt with.
If your poodle continues to bite or becomes more aggressive, you should consider the services of an expert. You can visit your vet to check your dog and determine if the dog’s biting is triggered by any health-related causes.
Always remember that biting is not acceptable because it is a sign of a deeper behavior problem that needs to be stopped at once.
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