Zak George's Guide to a Well-Behaved Dog

by Zak George

  That’s why it can feel like it takes forever to resolve this, because you are actually trying to accomplish two things—establishing a way to communicate with your dog and stopping the play biting! In this chapter, I’ll help you do both of these things regardless of your dog’s age.

  One important note: In this chapter, I am talking about play biting, which is the kind of biting where a dog uses her mouth to interact with other dogs or people. However, this is extremely different from biting that’s an aggressive behavior meant to cause harm. If you need help with that kind of biting, see chapter 18, which covers aggression in full detail.

  WHY DO PUPPIES PLAY BITE?

  Dogs are curious by nature, and they love interacting with their world and their surroundings. However, the only way a puppy can really grab things is with her mouth, which is why she play bites (also referred to as mouthing.) In other words, they use their mouths in the same way we use our hands. Think about asking toddlers to stop using their hands when they interact with you and imagine how unnatural that would seem to them. This is exactly what you are asking your dog to do! Dogs are not born understanding that using their mouths on us is not the acceptable way to interact with us. That’s something they have to learn.

  Puppy biting can also be a way for a puppy to protest or express frustration. Again, keep in mind that virtually none of this type of biting is hostile or a sign that a dog is likely to have seriously aggressive behavior. Instead, it’s normal and expected for puppies to bite you as a way of saying either, “Let’s play!” or “Let go of me—I don’t want to be held!”

  Resolving biting in puppies is fairly straightforward, but know that it can take some time to stop. Also, any time that you attempt to override an instinctive behavior, you must be extremely patient. It takes several weeks to establish clear communication with a dog, so you may have to be extra-tolerant of play biting during this “communication building” phase.

  WHY DO ADULT DOGS PLAY BITE?

  Some adult dogs play bite because they simply never learned not to do so when they were puppies. Others don’t like to be held. In either of these cases, stopping the behavior might take longer than it would with a puppy as it is a more ingrained habit.

  WHAT TO DO ABOUT PLAY BITING

  It’s normal for it to take days or even a few weeks just to start getting traction on reducing excessive play biting. Also, it doesn’t stop all at once; instead it goes away slowly, over time. Think about it: since play biting is so natural, why would a dog stop this without being taught to stop? That’s where you come in. You can put a stop to play biting—whether your dog is a puppy or an adult dog. Here, I’ll walk you through three main ways to do just that.

  Get Your Dog Used to Touch

  Some dogs play bite because they get annoyed when touched or held. Usually, this is because they’re not used to it. Think about it from your dog’s point of view: how would you feel if you were suddenly swept up by a being many times your size and left to fend for yourself? You’d probably use any defense you could to get out of that situation. Well, that’s what your dog is doing when she play bites.

  So how do you desensitize your puppy to touch? Here’s how:

  1. Massage her around her ears, muzzle, neck, paws, and body. Since most dogs are likely to be squirmy, it’s best that you start slowly and let her chew on a great chew toy to give her something fun to do.

  2. You could also let her nibble on a treat that you’re gripping tightly. See, if your dog is used to being touched often and even gets something good when you touch her, then she’s far more likely to behave better in the future. She’ll start to realize something like, “Hey, when someone gently touches my ears or my paws, I get a toy or a treat. This is awesome! I love when people touch me.”

  3. Of course, you’ll have to repeat this drill for many weeks and as often as possible for this to sink in. Usually, older dogs aren’t as sensitive to touch as they’ve had time to adjust to people, but you could still apply these same principles.

  Recently, I shot a video with one of the most severe puppy play biters I’ve ever worked with. Tiberius, the Rottweiler puppy, was nine weeks old and all mouth. He was having no part of my holding him at all. His family told me that Tiberius—whose nickname is Ty—was exceptionally bitey with me as compared to with them. This was probably because I was new and unfamiliar. Also, he was in a new environment. However, I was able to improve Ty’s behavior on his first lesson by desensitizing him to touch and using the other techniques I outline in this chapter. Of course, that was only the beginning, but it was a start. The video on YouTube is called Three More Things to Teach Your New Puppy!

  Show Your Dog What’s Okay to Bite

  What if your dog is already a play biter? The silver lining about having a play biter on your hands is that you are in a golden position to teach tug-of-war and how to let go. Think about it: your dog wants to bite and she wants to play. The idea isn’t to quell her biting all at once, but to show her when and how to bite things. That’s right! One way to deal with play biting is to actually encourage it—with the proper objects, of course. So, the key is getting your dog tugging on an acceptable toy such as a rope or a plush toy with a squeaker.

  This is about far more than addressing puppy biting though. A structured game of tug-of-war can also be one of the most potent currencies for your dog throughout all training, and there is no easier way to teach it than when a dog is already play biting. Here’s a step-by-step guide:

  1. At first, it’s very common for a dog’s interest to wax and wane when you are attempting to ignite interest in a bitable toy. For that reason, it’s important to bring these tug toys to life. Give the toy movement while it’s on the floor as if to make it appear to be, say, a vibrating alien squirrel from another dimension. The reason for keeping the toy on the floor is that you want your dog to easily access it. Don’t give your dog a reason not to go for the toy. If it’s way above her head, she might not feel like jumping up to get it.

  2. If your dog pounces on the toy, play some “keep-away” but only for a second. Then let her win and grab and shake the toy while it’s still in her mouth. Repeat. Let your dog win a lot in the beginning stages of biting a new toy, and then gradually make it harder to win. This little game is a prerequisite for resolving bad play biting.

  3. It’s normal for this process to take many minutes or even several training sessions with an insistent biter. If you’ve tried extensively to trigger your dog’s interest in a specific toy, and she’s not interested in it, then use another one. Get creative! Sometimes the right object may not even be a toy at all. Plastic water bottles tend to be a favorite among many dogs. (Just be sure to supervise your dog, of course, so she doesn’t tear the bottle to shreds.)

  4. Once you find the right toy and your dog gets hooked on a game of tug, you have a huge currency in your pocket to use to redirect play biting. What’s more, you can also use tug in so many other aspects of training—some dogs (like mine!) would prefer a game of tug over food as currency any day. It is true that there are some dogs who may never be interested in tug, but these guys aren’t typically bad puppy biters.

  5. Teaching “let go” is another critical part of teaching tug. You are in control of when your dog can tug and when she can’t. How do you do it? Simply grip the toy tightly and make it lifeless and no fun. I’m talking a vise-like grip—you literally want your dog to feel like she is pulling on a toy stuck to a tree. Say, “Let go!” After about ten seconds to a minute, most dogs let go as the toy isn’t as fun as it usually is. At this time, immediately bring the toy back to life and reward your dog with the toy as if to say, “When you let go and play by the rules, you’ll get to do something fun!”

  Of course, even if you are successful at getting your dog interested in a toy to tug on, she may still take turns biting the toy and your arm or hands. This is where your persistence comes in. You must continu
e to keep that toy interesting, bringing life and movement to it. You must also continually redirect your dog’s focus to the toy. In the meantime, when play biting becomes too rough, it’s fine to give your dog a quick “No” followed by removing access to your flesh or clothing in the form of a time-out. Stand up and walk a few feet away from your dog if you have to, bringing the toy with you. Over time, your dog will come to realize that excessive play biting immediately stops all fun play. Time-outs are nowhere near as effective as proactive teaching, but they may be necessary on occasion.

  Teach Your Dog That Play Biting Leads to Training

  Of course, you may not want to redirect your dog into a play session every time she seems like she’s in a biting mood. And at times, it makes sense to keep her energy dialed down a little rather than throttling it up by playing with her. Sounds like a secondary training session is in order! Here’s what you can do:

  1. If your dog is getting bitey, grab one of those soft, room temperature dog treats from a sealed bag or container. At this point, your dog will likely stop biting and go into a sit. Great! You’ve got her where you want her. (If she doesn’t sit, then check out this page, chapter 3, for a refresher on how to teach this skill.)

  2. Next, initiate a simple training session centered around things you’ve already taught her, such as “down,” “come,” and “stay.” This approach has a great way of changing a dog’s focus from biting to training. If you consistently redirect your dog’s interest from playing to a basic training session, then she’ll have no choice but to learn that biting doesn’t work for her.

  3. Changing the mood from playtime to a more formal training session has two massive benefits to teaching a dog not to play bite. First, she’ll likely be in a much more cooperative mind-set now that food has been brought out. Provided you are consistent, she ought to learn very quickly that biting you does not result in her getting her treat. Secondly, most dogs bite significantly less by default when in food mode versus play mode. Some signs that you are on the right track are when your dog starts biting less and licking those areas where the biting used to occur.

  Bottom line: If your dog play bites, you have two major options—redirect her attention to a toy to play tug with or initiate a basic training session to get her mind off of vigorous play. Of course, you can and should use a combination of the two in your training. And remember—if your dog is biting specifically because she’s not used to people handling her, then it’s time to desensitize her to touch.

  If you are occasionally unable or unwilling to engage your dog at any moment, unless she’s playing biting you can place her in another room until she calms down a bit. However, you’ll need to be proactive most of the time so that such time-outs don’t become a long-term solution.

  Of course, it’s extra-critical to control whom your dog has access to as you want to do your best to guarantee that your dog doesn’t bite another person, even if playfully. If you’re around other people, especially kids, keep your dog on leash until her play biting is completely under control.

  CHAPTER 8

  POTTY PROBLEMS

  Potty training is one of those things that can take longer than you might expect. It can take months to fully accomplish, though the overall time varies with each dog. Needless to say, you’ve got to stay patient and overwhelmingly consistent.

  If you need a refresher step-by-step on how to potty train your dog, check out my various YouTube videos on the subject. (Start with How to Potty Train Your Puppy Easily! Everything You Need to Know!) Also, my first book, Zak George’s Dog Training Revolution, goes over potty training in great depth.

  However, plenty of people go through the steps and still have trouble with potty training. Others have perfectly potty-trained dogs for years who suddenly, out of the blue, start having accidents in the house again. Whether your dog is having a slow start or experiencing relapses, you can get things under control.

  This chapter helps you with these issues.

  WHY DO DOGS SOMETIMES NOT “GET” POTTY TRAINING?

  If your dog is having a tough time getting the picture with potty training, it has nothing to do with his intelligence. Instead, it’s just an issue of basic biology: Dogs do not intuitively understand where they’re supposed to go potty. To them, it’s just as normal and natural to make inside as it is to make outside. We have to teach them how to go potty on our terms.

  The number one reason people have a hard time with potty training is that they greatly underestimate how important it is to control their dog’s environment. Seriously! You cannot let your dog have access to any part of the house he pleases if he is having regular accidents in those areas. Doing so just makes potty-training progress nearly impossible.

  Also, you might notice that your dog tends to have accidents in pretty consistent parts of the house. Typically, dogs do not do their business in areas they view as their “home.” You might be wondering how your dog could possibly not view your entire residence as his home. Well, it seems that dogs don’t generalize well from room to room or area to area within the house. While your living room and bedroom might feel like home to your pet, for instance, the dining room and guest room might not. But we’ll work on that!

  What if your dog sniffs around forever while on walks, doesn’t make, and then sneaks off and poops in the house once he’s back home? Again, this is most likely due to the fact that he simply has not yet learned that going outside is the preferred place to go. (It’s certainly not because he’s stubborn or spiteful as I explained on this page, chapter 2.)

  WHAT TO DO ABOUT POTTY TRAINING DELAYS

  Just as toddlers have to learn to use a potty, dogs need to learn they should only make outside. However, while some dogs seem to understand this concept right away, others take some time. Here are some tips that will help speed up the process:

  1. First and foremost, get control of the environment. Do this even if it means taking a big step back and attaching your dog to you with his leash while inside the house. Remember, you have to first put a stop to unwanted behaviors by making it impossible for them to occur. In this case, your dog cannot sneak off to the upstairs guest room if he is on leash. If you are easily able to contain your dog in an area of the house where accidents are not occurring—say, in your family room or kitchen—this may also be a sufficient way to control your dog’s environment. You might also want to use your dog’s crate or a playpen to contain him when you can’t watch him or when you’re away from the house. Once you’ve regained control of your dog’s environment, only now are you in a position to teach.

  2. Go back to basics. It’s on you to let your dog outside very regularly, about every hour or so, whether you think he has to go or not. Training is about racking up consecutive successes, so the more you take your dog outside, the more likely he’ll successfully go potty where he is supposed to do so. Your goal is to help him create a new habit.

  3. Whenever your dog does his business in a place that you approve of, generously reward him with a great treat right then and there. Or if your dog is the more playful type, go from boring to super-fun once he’s done. Make a huge fuss and say, “Good dog!” in a high-pitched voice, for example. The logic here is that you are providing a positive outcome that, in time, he comes to associate with peeing or pooping in acceptable areas. This is what reinforcement training is all about!

  4. If your dog is only making in certain parts of the house, work on training your dog to specifically not go potty in those areas. In other words, your dog would need to hang out in those rooms under strict supervision for sustained periods of time over the course of weeks or even longer. The more time he spends in a room without going potty in it, the less likely he is to have an accident there. If your dog is making in the room while you’re there, then take him out more often.

  5. Avoid a super-common rookie mistake for new pet parents: expecting your dog to let you know when he wants to
go outside. Instead, it’s your job to get your dog outside often and consistently for the next several months to really ingrain this habit. Sure, you can teach your dog to ring a bell attached to your door and pair that with letting your dog outside. And yes, your dog may correlate, “Hey, ringing the bell gets me outside.” There’s no harm in teaching this for potty-trained dogs. In fact, I have a great video with Sky Blue, a prodigy Lab, on how to do just this, called Potty Training: How to Train Your Dog to Ring a Bell to Be Let Outside. Sky Blue was a champ and actually learned this skill in a single lesson. However, this is not a reliable way to potty train a dog—it’s for dogs who are already reliably making outside. Also, don’t be surprised if your dog starts ringing the bell many times in the day just to go outside and play!

  6. If your dog has issues with potty training because he seemingly can’t stand the thought of going outside or, in particular, touching grass, work on this issue. Spend some training sessions getting your dog comfortable walking on grass or other surfaces he might not like, independent of potty breaks. For example, bring some chicken out with you and toss a bit just over the threshold where the sidewalk or asphalt meets the grass. See if you can get your dog to put one foot on the grass and make progress from there. It can take time, but the more often your dog spends time on grass, the less likely it is to cause him angst. However, keep in mind that progress is unlikely if you consistently wait until you are on actual potty breaks with your dog to work on this because you are attempting to teach two things simultaneously: walking on a surface your dog doesn’t like and potty training. Instead, set up primary training sessions specifically about getting your dog comfortable on grass ahead of time! In the meantime, you might try picking up your dog and setting him on the grass, provided he’s not extremely anxious about it. Of course, this won’t teach him much, but it may help desensitize him a little, which could have some benefit.