Undoubtedly, the Golden Retrievers are the best family dog breed. But will they be a perfect playing companion for kids if they bite a lot? I suppose your answer is no, is not it? Therefore, you would want to stop your Golden Retriever from biting.
The only possible way to stop your Golden Retriever from biting is through training. Apart from this, your adequate attention, love, and consistency can stop your Golden Retriever from biting. Furthermore, giving treats, toys, etc., can distract your pet. Thus, it enlightens the mood of your pet to stop biting.
Although the biting or nipping habit of puppies may look cute, the same behavior may be fatal as they grow old. Therefore, you should start to train your puppy to stop biting at an early age.
Do you know what can stop your Golden Retriever from biting?
Before I dig into the ways to stop your Golden Retriever from biting, do you should know at what age do the pet stops biting?
Will a Golden Retriever stop biting on its own?
When Does Your Golden Retriever Stop Biting?
Since the Golden Retrievers are hunting dogs, biting or nipping is natural for them. Moreover, the biting habit of the Golden Retrievers strengthens their gums and teeth. Along with this, the biting attribute of the puppies helps them in exploring their surroundings.
However, it does not mean this habit is helpful for humans. I am sure that the owners would think the nipping behavior of the puppies entertaining. But as the puppies get older, the habit can lead to fatal consequences.
When the puppy grows around other siblings and mother, it learns to stop biting at 2 to 4 months of age. Its siblings’ bite back when the puppy bites others. As a result, the pets assume biting behavior is not a friendly gesture. Hence, your Golden Retriever stops biting.
As you are now familiar with biting, let us know about the causes of biting.
What Are Causes For Your Golden Retriever Biting?
Though the Golden Retriever is the most popular dog breed in the USA. Yet, there are many complications while raising a pet. And excessive biting habit is one of them.
However, many causes provoke your Golden Retriever for biting. Some of which are:
Natural Attribute
In general, Golden Retrievers are hunting dogs. The breeders created them to hunt and retrieve prey. Although Golden Retrievers are family dogs, they cannot eliminate what is in their nature.
Therefore, when the Golden Retrievers feel they are in danger, they start biting.
Change Of Surrounding
Owing to the intelligence of Golden Retrievers, they can recognize their home and owners. And they prefer living in a familiar place. Thus, the dogs can know the difference in the environment.
Any changes in the environment make your pet nervous and insecure. Thus, the Golden Retriever starts biting for its safety.
Illness
Illness, injury, or diseases makes your Golden Retriever physically and mentally vulnerable. Therefore, the pet suspects every approaching object as a threat and starts biting.
Previous Attack And Accidents
Previous attacks and accidents disturb the pet mentally and emotionally. Also, your pet may be mentally unstable. As a consequence, the pet loses trust from others.
Thus, due to insecurity, your Golden Retriever starts biting.
Mistreat
Some breeders beat, scold, and lock the dogs in a dark room. If your Golden Retriever comes from an abusive environment, it is more likely to be aggressive and insecure. Furthermore, it feels nervous and threatens by new surroundings when you bring the pet home.
Therefore, if your Golden Retriever puppy is from an abusive breeding house, it bites more often.
Threat from owner
After you own a pet, you must be very cautious. And beating or threatening your Golden Retriever when it does mistake cannot discipline your pet. Instead, frequent punishment and abuse make your pet more aggressive.
Thus, your pal may bite everything around it in defense.
Separation
Golden Retrievers are fond of people. They like being around their owners, playing or cuddling with them. But if you leave your pet in the crate for long, it may feel insecure, anxious, or nervous.
Thus, due to the separation anxiety, the pet may start biting the things around it.
Lack of attention
Since the favorite person of the Golden Retriever is its owner, your pet wants attention from you. And if you involve yourself too much in your work, your pet may crave your care.
Therefore, to gain your love and attention, it starts biting you or the objects around it.
Moreover, the biting behavior of your pet may lead to dangerous consequences sometimes. Thus, if you want a healthy and peaceful lifespan for your Golden Retriever, you need to manage it.
Do you know how to stop your Golden Retriever?
How To Stop Your Golden Retriever From Biting?
The biting or nipping behavior of your puppy may be adorable now. But as the puppy gets older, the pressure of biting becomes higher. As a result, biting becomes fatal instead of a playful game.
Therefore, for the safety of your family and gets management of biting off your pet is essential. Moreover, here are some ways to stop your Golden Retriever from biting:
Bitter Sprays Can Stop Your Golden Retriever From Biting
You can use a bitter spray to stop your Golden Retriever from biting. Since the bitter spray gives an unpleasant taste, the pet will not like it. Hence, if you spray bitter spray in your hand, your pal finds it least attractive to bite you.
Thus, due to disgusting taste, your Golden Retriever stops biting. However, you must be conscious that the spray is natural and does not harm your pet.
Observe The Body Language To Stop Your Golden Retriever Biting
Generally, the dogs show some signs before biting. If you ignore these signs, your pet may bite you. And the signals include:
- White-eyes (you can see the white of the eyes)
- Tucking of tail
- Yawning
- Lip liking
- Rigid body
- Intense eye contact
- Growling
- Wagging of the tail
Therefore, you must observe these signs. And if your pet shows these signs, maintain distance from your pet.
Moreover, your pet may also bite due to disease or illness. Therefore, you should be conscious of the change in its behavior and consult the professionals immediately.
Give Toys To Your Golden Retriever To Stop Biting
Golden Retrievers love playing. Therefore, toys can be the best option to diver them. If you offer soft or chewy toys to your pet, your pal enjoys biting or nipping it.
Therefore, it may consider biting a toy more entertaining than you. As a result, it will stop your Golden Retriever from biting you.
Treats May Stop Your Golden Retriever From Biting
Undoubtedly, Golden Retriever loves eating. And food can lure the dogs anytime and anywhere. Therefore, giving the Golden Retriever food is the best way to manage its aggressive nature.
Moreover, a healthy meal relaxes your pet and enhances its mood. However, you ought to be conscious about the food and treat you chose. Since all human foods do not benefit your pet, you must feed your pet with natural snacks as treats.
Ignore Unpleasant behavior Of Your Golden Retriever When
Giving punishment to your Golden Retriever breaks the trust of your pet. As a result, your bond with your pet shatters.
Since the pet no longer trusts you, it assumes you as a threat. Thus, your pal starts biting you. Moreover, your Golden Retriever no longer wants to be around you because your attacks traumatized your pal.
Therefore, if you want to stop your Golden Retriever from biting, ignore its mistakes. Instead of giving attention to those mistakes, teach and train your pet.
Command Your Pet To Stop
You should teach your pet all the basic commands. It is essential for smooth daily activities. Apart from this, a firm no as a command may stop your Golden Retriever from biting.
Moreover, if your pet starts biting you, stop the game immediately. And do not resume until the pet calms. It will teach your pet that biting is not playful and entertaining.
Positive Reinforcement Helps To Stop Golden Retriever From Biting
Positive reinforcement encourages your pet to do good works. If you encourage your pet with rewards or treats whenever your pet follows your order or does good, your pet will do that work more often to gain your attention.
Thus, rewarding your pet when your Golden Retriever, when it stops biting at your command encourages the pet not to bite in the future.
Giving Attention May Stop Your Golden Retriever From Biting
Since the Golden Retrievers adore their owners, your lack of time makes your pet frustrated. Thus, your pet may start biting, chewing, and nipping things to get your attention.
Thus, you must give your pal proper love and attention. Furthermore, cuddling and playing with your pet, taking them to walks and social gatherings, etc., strengthens your bond with your pet. And this stops your Golden Retriever from biting.
Start The Training At Early Age
You must start training your pet at an early age. Since the puppies are manageable, it makes the training sessions convenient. Moreover, the puppies are quick learners and have a lot of energy. And adequate training can manage its overflow of energy.
Besides this, the puppies can also be healthier through training.
Train Consistently To Stop Your Golden Retriever From Biting
Although the Golden Retrievers are intelligent dog breeds, sometimes training sessions can be troublesome or exhausting for the owners. So, you may think of quitting from the training.
However, do not do that. Though older dogs are harder to train, they can learn with time. Be consistent while training.
Besides this, the time spent during training increases your bond with your pet. Thus, your pet feels relaxed around you and stops biting.
Consult With The Vet To Stop Your Golden Retriever From Biting
Sometimes excessive biting behavior of your Golden Retriever is an indication of a fatal health issue. Thus, you must consult with your Vet for the diagnosis and treatment.
Moreover, the suggestion from the Vet is the best for scheduling diet and exercises to manage the aggressive behavior of your pet. Therefore, to stop your Golden Retriever from biting, you must seek help from the Vet as soon as you see behavioral changes in your pet.
Apart from this, there are other training methods to prevent the biting habit of your pet.
Have you heard about bite inhibition?
What Is Bite Inhibition? Why Is It Importance?
Bite inhibition is a natural process where the puppies learn to reduce the strengthening of their bite while biting their loved ones. Since the Golden Retriever is a hunting dog, it is impossible to minimize the biting, nipping, or chewing behavior.
Therefore, to cause lesser harm to the people, you can teach your pet to reduce the pressure while biting. However, if your Golden Retriever comes from a breeding house with other pets, this behavior comes naturally to your pal.
Moreover, the importance of bite inhibition is:
- Controls the behavior of your pal
- Ensures the safety of kids and visitors
- Prevent fatal consequences of biting.
- Maintains a peaceful environment in the home
Since the inhibition of biting is essential, there are different training methods to stop your Golden Retriever from biting.
Do you know them?
What Are The Training Methods To Stop Your Golden Retriever From Biting?
The dogs have a specific training method for everything like:
- Potty training
- Diabetic assistance training
- Training to control pawing
- Blood pressure assistance training
- Training methods to calm the Golden Retriever.
Similarly, there are some specific training methods to stop the Golden Retriever from biting. And these methods are:
Toy Distraction Method: To Stop Golden Retriever From Biting
Since the Golden Retriever loves playing, it is easier to distract your pet through toys. And you can use this to your benefit to stop the Golden Retriever from biting. Here are the steps of this method.
- Make a mental note of the condition when your pet is sure to bite through observations.
- Involve your pet in that activities while you prepare yourself with its favorite toy.
- When your pet approach to bite you, command it to stop and give it its favorite toy to chew.
- Repeat this pattern until your Golden Retriever stops enjoying biting you.
Talk-To-Back Method: To Stop Golden Retriever From Biting
This method is a way of disciplining your pet using a firm sound and command. And the steps of this method are:
- Teach your pet commands.
- Make a list of situations when your pet bites.
- Create the situation while playing.
- If you find your pet approaching you to bite, give a loud and authoritative command of no.
- Make a loud sound of pain if the pet bites you.
- Stop the game immediately. And do not resume until your Golden Retriever calms down.
- Repeat this method consistently until your pet stops biting.
Bitter Taste Method: To Stop Golden Retriever From Biting
As the name of the method suggests, this method disturbs the taste buds of your pet. Thus, it will stop your Golden Retriever from biting. And the method includes the following steps:
- Observe and note the situations where the Golden Retriever often bites you.
- Create a similar scenario and prepare yourself with a bitter spray.
- When you feel like your pet is about to bite, spray the bitter fluid in your hand.
- Make a loud sound commanding your pet to stop biting.
- Repeat the process until your Golden Retriever stops biting.
Moreover, the Golden Retriever is susceptible to various health hazards like cancer, ear infection, constipation, hip dysplasia, obesity, diabetes, etc. Thus, there are higher chances of aggression in your Golden Retriever due to these diseases. These diseases are hard to detect through the normal eye. So, visit your Vet as soon as you notice a change in the behavior of your pet.
Furthermore, the healthy and longer lifespan of your Golden Retriever is in your hand.
You need to choose- what you want? Your slight ignorance can be fatal to your pet. Be cautious while caring for your Golden Retriever.
However, I hope you like the article. And the steps included were helpful for you.
If you have any suggestions, please do mention them in the comment section below.