Yes, dogs are animals, and yes, they do bite. And, yes, some dogs do bite when they’re upset, angry, or hurt. We know that. But is there anything we can do to stop a dog from biting when we leave home? I’m going to briefly explain the causes of this frustrating behavior and how to cure it!
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Reasons for Your Dog Biting You
First of all, your puppy or dog may be showing their displeasure by biting you because whenever they feel scared or anxious, they’ll bite. This is normal for them and it’s not necessarily done on purpose because it’s a way for a dog to relieve stress. However, teaching your pet some more relaxing behaviors can help as well.
A dog may also bite you because they’re having a hard time accepting your leaving. Many dogs prefer to have their owner near them, and when they lose this, they’re in a lot of pain. Since they don’t want to cry out for help or let go of you, your dog will bite in order to express their fear.
Finally, some dogs bite because they are angry with their owners. The reason for this is that dogs are territorial animals, and if you leave them alone at home for a while, it can create confusion for the dog. If they don’t understand why you’re leaving, then they become angry.
Your dog may be feeling a little left out and is displaying his or her independence by biting you. Your pup may also be feeling jealous of your attention being lavished on another pet or person in the family, so he tries to protect you from leaving for good.
The first thing to do when this is happening to you and your dog is to stop, and try to identify the cause. Are you feeling stressed? Have you not had enough time with your dog? Are they acting bored or jealous of other pets in the house? The answer may be a little surprising in some cases.
Let’s look in more detail at some of the most common causes of dog biting and how to stop them.
Fear is a very common reason that dogs may bite their owners when they try to leave. Your pet may be scared of being left alone, or they do not trust you not to abandon them. This is often known as ‘Separation Anxiety and can be an easy problem to fix as it has very little to do with you.
It is all about the way your dog is used to being treated by your family and friends, and how they react towards certain objects in the house or things that happen every day.
It is not uncommon for dogs who do not get enough attention from their owners to start biting when you leave as a result of jealousy and boredom. Getting your dog involved in some obedience training may be a good way to help them get rid of some of this destructive behavior.
Seeing you with another dog or even a cat can cause your dog to start biting you, and it could be more than just jealousy. If he has not been introduced to other animals or people and becomes frightened, he will bite the closest thing to him, which is usually you.
This may sound like an obvious reason for this problem, but dogs are very territorial by nature, so if they do not feel comfortable around something new in the family, they may become aggressive towards it.
One sure sign that your dog is jealous is if he tries to stop you from leaving by sitting at the door. In some cases, this is a sign of aggressiveness in your dog, so try to avoid leaving the area if he sits there. If you do leave a few minutes later, try to ignore him and avoid eye contact. This will usually discourage him from doing this again in the future.
If your dog is exhibiting aggressive behavior when you are leaving such as barking or growling at you, it may be because of fear and being out of control. Do not assume that he is just being territorial, as this has nothing to do with being jealous or scared for his safety.
If your dog ever tries to bite you when you leave, it could be because he is not feeling well. Many dogs are not displaying aggressive behavior when they act this way. They are usually in pain and are trying to tell you that they do not feel well without showing aggression.
Other reasons include:
1. They’re Not Getting Enough Exercise
Dogs are social animals that need to be around their families and other dogs for most of the day. They get lonely and bored if they stay in the same place all day long with nothing to do. Sometimes, they act up just to get some attention from you or someone else in your household.
This is why they can be aggressive when they’re left alone. That’s why it’s important to get your dog an exercise routine and enough time spent outside so he or she doesn’t feel lonely or bored.
2. They’re Bored
When you come home, your dog should have something to do in order to keep him busy, otherwise, he might be tempted to chew on something that isn’t his toy box or the couch! That’s the time he feels the need to lash out at you.
If your dog is bored when you leave him alone in a house for a few hours, that’s the time he feels an urge to bite. That’s why it is important to give them toys to keep them busy and make sure they get enough exercise.
3. They’re Focused On You In An Uncomfortable Way
Dogs don’t like being left alone, and when you leave, they focus on who’s still there or who left them behind. This is how they become aggressive towards their owners when they leave or when they return. They might not mean to bite you, but they might feel as if they need to protect you from the other people out there or in your household.
This happens because they want to prove that they’re the alpha in your household while you’re gone. They might do something, such as biting you, so that you’ll pay more attention to them.
So if your dog bites when you leave, it’s time to work on a better way for him or her to feel safe and comfortable in your household.
4. It’s The Best Way They Can Communicate Their Feelings
Just like humans, animals use their mouths and teeth for communication purposes. Some animals use teeth as a way of warning others that they shouldn’t approach them. However, animals might resort to biting when they feel lost or scared.
You can tell that your dog is stressed when you leave if he or she bites you when you return home. That’s the time he needs you to calm him down and let him know that everything is alright.
5. They Can’t Handle Change
If your dog has been trained and handled in a certain way before he bit, then there are ways to change his behavior. No one likes change, and your dog might not be able to handle it.
If he bites when you’re preparing to leave, then he’s already getting anxious about the changes that are happening in his household. He might need reassurance from you that everything is alright and that you love him no matter what.
If your dog needs help relaxing during times of change, then it may be time to get some professional help from a trainer or behaviorist.
Try to figure out what makes your dog bite you when you leave and use this information to stop the problem before it becomes a serious issue in your household. Only you and the dog can solve this problem,
You can prevent your dog from biting you whenever you leave by following the tips below.
How to Train Your Dog Not to Bite You When You Leave
One of the first principles of dog training is that dogs can be trained to do anything if they are put in the right environment and given lots of consistent rewards. If your pet barks, growls or bites when you leave, it’s because he doesn’t understand that it’s okay for you to go away.
For this reason, you must be consistent and firm when training your dog that it’s okay to leave.
You should also ignore the barking, growling and biting behavior from your dog whenever you leave. This will help him understand that there’s nothing wrong with your leaving.
If you don’t want to ignore the barking, growling or biting behavior, then make sure to give treats for non-aggressive behavior. For example, if your dog gets inside the house but doesn’t bark or growl (or does so in a quiet manner), then he’ll be rewarded with a treat.
Another principle of training is that dogs can only be trained if they can associate a reward with their actions. If your dog has been biting you, then he associates pain to your leaving. Since this action is rewarding for him, he’ll keep on biting you when you leave. For this reason, avoid rewarding aggressive behavior whenever you leave your dog alone.
Additional Ways To Help Stop The Problem of Biting with Puppies:
Work on the “Puppy Baby Steps”:
a. Play with your puppy before you leave:
It’s natural for puppies to be excited when they see their owners leave and they might start biting. Whenever you see your pup starting to show signs of over excitement, stop playing and get up. You’ll need to do this each time you want to leave until you can walk out the door without it following you.
b. Distract your puppy by throwing a toy in front of them or showing them a treat:
This will distract them from following you and getting excited when they see that you’re leaving. Make sure that your toys are things that they like (e.g., stuffed animals and balls). Give these toys as rewards so that your pup learns to associate toys with getting something good.
c. Avoid making sudden movements:
It’s natural for puppies to follow you when you make a sudden movement, and they might go after you while you’re walking out the door. Make sure not to make any sudden movements when you leave. Stand up slowly and walk away calmly.
d. Walk, don’t run:
It can be difficult for puppies to understand why owners walk in a hurry and go in different directions all of a sudden. If your puppy starts getting excited before you leave, slow down and make sure they’re following you before going anywhere else.
e. Stay in the same room for a while before you leave:
It may take time for your puppy to be calm when you first leave. To get them used to the idea of being alone, stay in the same room for a while before you go anywhere else. You can read, watch TV, or play games on your phone if you need to.
f. Keep quiet when you sneak out:
Your puppy might get excited when they see that their owners are leaving without saying anything. If your pup starts following you when you try to sneak out, wait until they’ve stopped looking at you before leaving. They’ll learn not to follow their owners around if they don’t see a reaction from them every time they leave.
g. Keep fit:
f you have a puppy that likes to bite and chew on things when their owner leaves, it may be because they’re bored and need to get exercise. Try getting them used to exercising early on so they don’t get bored if their owners leave them home alone.
h. Put your phone down:
Dogs are scent-driven animals and will go after things that they’ve been attracted to before. If your puppy is used to following you around when you leave the house, place your mobile phone on a high shelf or leave it in a separate room so they don’t get amped up by seeing it.
i. Reward:
Teach your puppy what good behaviour is by rewarding them with things such as playtime and petting when they’re calm and following you around without showing signs of being excited or barky.
j. Control the environment:
If your dog has a tough time understanding why its owners leave so suddenly, it may be because they’ve been raised in a home where they’re allowed to walk around and sleep in any room of the house.
You can build up your puppy’s intelligence by lowering this amount of freedom until they understand that their owner is leaving.
k. Let your puppy have a safe, warm place to sleep:
As a puppy, your dog has probably gotten used to sleeping wherever they want because their owners were home all of the time. You can encourage them to settle in certain areas by letting them sleep on certain beds before you leave the house.
l. Encourage your puppy to be calm:
If your puppy is used to being excited when its owner leaves, try letting them get distracted by noises outside before leaving the house so that they’ll get used to being alone.
m. Ask your dog to sit:
When you leave the house, it can be helpful for your pet to not see you go because it will help them understand why their owners are not with them.
Instead of walking away immediately after saying “Goodbye,” ask them to sit down as a command instead. It’s also good if you can use a pre-trained command such as “Down” before leaving the house to make sure that your dog sits at the right time.
Final Thoughts:
If your dog bits you when you leave home, it’s likely that a combination of many things is contributing to this behaviour problem. Make sure to take control of the situation by getting your dog under control first. Be sure to use some of the points mentioned above and implement them into your daily routine. After a few weeks of this, your dog should be a lot calmer and hopefully, you can leave the house without getting bit.
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