As a dog owner, it’s your responsibility to learn the training methods for teaching your dog not to bite anyone. This is a critical part of pet ownership, in fact, The Center for Disease Control (CDC) estimates that more than 4.7 million people are bitten by dogs each year. These bites result in unwanted medical bills and law suits, and, in some cases, the dog has to be put to sleep. With a little training, none of these negatives have to happen to you or your pet.

There are many common techniques that can be used to assist a dog to decrease, and eventually eliminate, biting behavior. The effectiveness of these techniques will vary from breed to breed, but with patience and repetition, puppies and adult dogs can learn to not bite.

The younger the dog, the easier the training will be. Because mouthing, nibbling, and nipping come naturally to a puppy, an owner must be firm to stop this behavior when it starts. Even though it may begin as a cute nuisance, it can turn into a bad habit if not contained from the get-go.

You can start giving verbal commands to your dog when he is four weeks and older. When the puppy tries to bite, a gentle but firm “No!’ followed by a slight squeeze of the muzzle will train him not to bite anymore.

It is important not to squeeze the muzzle too hard or too high up. Doing so can cause the puppy to bite its tongue or damage the delicate odor receptors that are high up in the snout. A dog’s ability to smell is one of its most important assets!

Squeezing your dog’s muzzle isn’t intended to punish him, but to let him know that the behavior isn’t acceptable. By squeezing, you associate the verbal command with something the dog can readily understand: discomfort. Regardless of their age, dogs find having their muzzle squeezed uncomfortable.

Another dog training technique that might help eliminate biting is to socialize your dog since dogs that are not used to people or other dogs do tend to bite. You want to socialize your dog eat an early age to develop his calmness and confidence. Your dog will be more friendly to your guests, other animals and even strangers if socialized properly.

While still young, socialize your dog with other dogs preferably those that are non-aggressive. Being exposed to other dog breeds will help him cope up with territorial behavior.

Although dogs have the tendency to mouth and nip, they naturally inhibit this behavior when they are playing with their mates. Train them to develop this behavior by expanding his playmates to include your family members, guests and other pets.

When introducing your dog to other household pets, restrain both your dog and your other pets. They will learn to gradually approach each other naturally.

Put your dog at ease by having the dog sit and stroke its back. Check your dog for signs of aggression like body tension, snarling, and erect ears. After stroking your dog touch the other animal to convey the smell of your pet to that animal. After checking to make sure there are no signs of aggression and the other dog got a scent of your dog then allow them to interact.

Young dogs may be trained not to bite by as early as four and a half months. It can take longer than that, so try not to get frustrated. Each breed of dog is different and training will differ with individuals as well. Be advised that elder dogs, especially those not trained as pups or socialized throughout their life, will be more difficult to train.

Some dogs never fully let go of the biting instinct, and in this case, the dogs must be carefully watched by their owners. If your dog is a biter, then you must insure that it cannot get close enough to bite a person or another animal.

Persistent long term use of these dog training techniques will likely result in a more stable and fun pet, not to mention that it could prevent an unwanted situation where your dog could get hurt or hurt someone else.