How To Stop Dog Biting – Collie Biting Explained
What becomes clearly evident when researching common dog problems, is that the fundamental responses are often very similar. It really does often get back to training your dog properly. Of course its not that simple obviously. How to stop dog biting, and more to the point of this article, your Collie biting is something that fortunately isn’t that much of a problem as Collies are generally nice natured dogs.
Collie biting does happen though and there are a number of reasons why this happens.Lets take a look at some of the more common reasons:
- Collie biting can often be explained due to their origins and breeding. Remember Collie dogs were bred for sheep herding. If you have ever watched sheep herding, or in fact a Collie dog work generally around other animals, you will notice they ‘nip’ at the heels of other animals when rounding them up. This behavior can be dealt with easily enough at the puppy stage.
- Neurological concerns or disorders are another explanation for Collie biting. For example a dog might have been abused, mistreated and neglected causing a fear response in the dog. Medication too may play a part in having an impact on your dogs behavior.
- A Collie dog may be injured or sick and that may cause the dog to bite. So often this can be a positive thing – not so much in the dog biting, but the fact that it is an indicator that it needs help.
- Collie dogs, like any dogs, will bite if in a situation of extreme fear or if attacked. This is often instinctual and necessary to state the obvious. In these instances, like humans, this can be a positive as it is a sign of protection. Tell tale signs of fear include; a low growl, raised side lips with teeth clearly visible, tail down and ears lowered.
How do you stop Collie biting then? Here are a few pointers:
- First and foremost you ensure your dog has good training. This is a repetitive theme of this website and will continue – you simply must ensure your Collie dog gets the best opportunity to be the best dog it can be. So train yourself and your dog and make sure its a dog training program or system you believe in and enjoy.
- Your Collie biting is a sign of fear and insecurity. Ironically, unlike humans, Collies do not require emotional support (in the way we interpret it) to feel safe and secure. Collies and in fact all dogs require a strong alpha presence. They feel safe because they see their protection coming from you. So the key is to show that strength and confidence all the time and especially in situations that challenge or frighten your Collie.
- Following on from the first point on training, if you are unable to provide effective training to stop your Collie biting yourself, then you need to get professional dog training help from an approved dog trainer.
Collie biting whilst not a universal problem with this breed, is nevertheless an issue for some Collie owners. Ensure that you positively reinforce good behaviors while ignoring negative ones. Identify the fears and make sure your dog sees you as the alpha leader of the pack - someone who faces those fears calmly and confidently. Whether this is the mail man, the kid across the road, the nosy neighbor or whatever. Your Collie needs to see you in control.
Use assertive but kind and positive training techniques. Make your training timely and above all be patient – remember you are dealing with a dog with real or imagined fears. How to stop dog biting can be a little tricky, and often you first need to identify what is triggering the biting response in the first place. The reasons for your Collie biting are often not that obvious sometimes. Patience will be rewarded.
