Pug biting is usually a normal behaviour and it is fairly common in pups who tend to do it when playing with their owner or other dogs. However, this kind of behaviour should not be tolerated at all times because it can turn into a permanent habit and have bigger consequences in the long run.
If it happens more frequently and even implies injuries, you should put some effort into unteaching this bad habit and this will require more patience as it won’t happen overnight. One important thing is to prevent it before they even start to manifest it too often and this should be part of their training process when they are puppies.
Effective Tips To Make Your Pug Stop Biting
There are several actions you can take in order to make your pug aware that biting is not exactly a good thing and for that, you’ll have to allow more time for training and be consistent with it. Here’s a list of what you can do:
Get him to understand that it hurts
If your pug tries to bite you, you can make a sound like a dog to teach him that it hurts (even if it’s a small bite). Also what is important to consider is that you should not suddenly take off your hand, because he’ll perceive it as part of the game. If you can, leave your hand soft and make sounds that will make him understand that it hurts.
Stop playing
If you whined and kept your hand soft but your pug continues to bite, then you have to take a break from playing. What you can do next is to stand up, leave and ignore the dog for some time, then resume playing – he has to understand that your attitude was not determined by the game, but by the act of biting.
Give him toys
You can give him more toys to play with, but he’ll also have to learn the difference between you and the toys. If you see that he starts biting, replace your hand with a toy and this way he’ll know he should not do that with you.
A snack that distracts him from biting your hand
Some puppies will start “gnawing” your hand when you try to caress them. In these cases, if you give him a snack with one hand and caress him with the other, he will begin to associate the caress with desirable behaviour.
Pick expressions that are easy to understand and use them all the time
Commands such as “Put it down” or “Give it to me” are important during puppy training. A properly trained adult pug will let go of any bite when hearing the command.
Get your pug to play with other puppies
If you give your pug opportunities to play with other dogs, he will quickly learn that playing should not include bites. Make sure everyone in your house follows the same rules to train your pet. It is ideal to seek the advice of a veterinarian when you see that all efforts you put in are to no avail and the issue tends to worsen.
How you should react when they bite
When your pug is biting you need to respond in such a manner that makes them understand you are offended by their action. You can make a sound, like a “squeal” and move away while looking at them disapprovingly. If your instinct gets you to snap at your puppy when he bites, be mindful that punishing is not the way to set things right. In fact, it will trigger a negative response from your dog as well and you will soon engage in a fight. Most dogs tend to show aggression over food, especially if there’s another pet in the house.
They feel the need to protect their food and when threatened, they can start biting. Since you are the master in charge, you must prove this to them and take over control. So, if you see your pug biting during mealtime, you can lift the bowl and then put it back when he stops being defensive. If none of the solutions you try is efficient in fixing this bad behaviour, you can ask for the help of a specialist in canine behaviour problems.
