How To Stop A Bulldog Biting

The key to getting your Bulldog to refrain from biting is to start training them when they are puppies. It is a dog’s natural inclination to play and interact with both people and other dogs. At such a young age, bulldogs, along with all their canine counterparts, are very quick learners. Therefore, if they are learning bad habits through improper teaching techniques then it will not be long before they are biting or doing other undesirable activities.

To avoid and stop a bulldog from biting, the best available tools to have around are toys. Toys allow your puppy to play while releasing excess energy without biting (think tug of war or wrestling). If the puppy does end up biting you, which is inevitable, as they love to push boundaries, let out a loud, high-pitched yelp to startle them. This is normal practice in the “dog world” and communicates your displeasure with their actions. Remember to never physically punish your dog as this only reinforces negative behavior and will result in them fearing you instead of understanding you. Instead, always verbalize your displeasure in firm, assertive commands. Ignore your puppy if they do something wrong to let them know bad behavior like biting is unacceptable and will not be rewarded. By doing so, your puppy will pick right up on what you want and will learn to behave. After all, they want nothing more than your love affection.

Be sure that everyone in the family is on board with this procedure. Consistency is the key to successful training. Children, for example, should always know the correct handling of a puppy. It is a good idea to supervise play between a puppy and a child to ensure both parties are safe and playing does not escalate into a potential attack. Be sure to teach children how to play properly with their pet. Tail pulling, swatting, and unwanted affection can lead to injury. They have to learn that puppies have feelings too!

There are times though, when your bulldog will continue to bite. If this happens, you can follow some simple rules. If they continue to nip, you can loosely hold the lower jaw between your thumb and forefinger after you retrieve your hand from their mouth. Do not squeeze too hard but instead gently apply pressure and follow your hand wherever the mouth goes. The bulldog pup will get the idea. You can also try coating a glove with Bitter Apple or other undesired substances. The taste should act as a repellent and soon enough the puppy will quite biting.

Older bulldogs, however, are a little more difficult to train as they have already hardwired this behavior into their minds. Items such as a muzzle can prevent biting if you have visitors over or when they’re aggressive on walks. Let them know that their behavior is bad by growling when they bite you or chase them away as they will usually retreat. Dominating your bulldog by following through with every command reinforces positive behavior. Only feed them when they listen to your command and enforce boundaries between the dog’s area and yours.

By laying some ground rules and building upon this foundation, you and your bulldog can have a happy, healthy life together.