There are many reasons why dogs gradually or sometimes suddenly become aggressive. It is always frustrating and sad because it usually means the demise of the dog. A dog that is repeatedly biting, leaving bite marks or drawing blood, must, for the safety of others, be confined, muzzled, or sometimes even put down.

One cause of aggressive biting is pain. For example, a dog may bite if touched where there is a growing tumor. He may bite if he has a severe case of indigestion or a bladder blockage. If you suspect pain as the cause, see your veterinarian immediately.

There are at least two normal causes of aggressive biting. One is maternal protection of pups by the mom, and another is interfemale or intermale rivalry. Here, the best advice is to properly socialize your dog at a very early age to people as well as to other dogs. Sometimes hormonal medication will effectively treat the aggression in these dogs.

Provide your dog with adequate play, attention and exercise, and you can turn the training to bite inhibition. One of the things that puppies need to learn is the amount of pressure from their jaws that causes pain. Without this feedback, a puppy does not learn to inhibit the force of his bite. Because all dogs can and will bite at some time, this lesson is vital for human safety.

Remember that play biting is a component of play behavior in puppies. Play is a form of social interaction. Realize that your puppy is trying to play with you even though the behavior is rough. To ensure that you are in control, be certain that each play session is initiated by you and not the puppy and that you can end each session whenever you choose. One effective strategy when the play gets too rough is to immediately end the play session and leave. Social withdrawal can be a very powerful tool. Leave the puppy alone long enough to calm down. If, upon your return, the wild playing begins again, leave again. Although it is tempting to pick the puppy up and take him out of the room, this interaction may be interpreted by your puppy as additional play and the biting may continue as you carry the puppy to a confinement location.

Previous page about teaching chewing and biting puppies.