 The Short Answer is: |
You can teach your dog to control his own bites by gently biting his ear and also show him that he is submissive to you. |
In this article you will know the answer to the query “Should You Bite Your Dog’s Ear?“.
Dogs are known as mans best friends.
Our dogs love us and we love them back! Conflicts can occasionally arise between good relationships.
Your dog needs to learn obedience and this can be difficult for many owners.
When a dog does not listen and causes trouble it is less of a friend and more of a nuisance!
An unruly puppy can be fixed in several ways.
For those who love to bite this is especially true!
There is a rumor that biting your dogs ear will establish dominance and stop them from biting ceaselessly.
This old rumor is more than meets the eye believe it or not.
Join us as we discuss possible solutions to a disobedient dog – including potential biting!
Why would a human bite a dog’s ear?
Its a valid question to be honest!
Some people may be confused or think this is a joke when they hear this advice.
For dogs of all breeds and ages it has been in use for many years.
It is generally accepted that you bite your dogs ear to instill obedience which is related to a fear of punishment or pain from the owner.
Also it can be used to teach young animals (mostly puppies going through teething stages) to avoid biting.
Puppy teething usually triggers a natural instinct to bite and that instinct can be directed towards their family members.
Its okay to play with your hands feet and even your face! Following a dog bite the next step is to bite the dog back gently on the ear increasing pressure until they react.
By doing so they will learn about pain and how to instinctively weaken their bites.
Because it is just skin and cartilage the ear is an ideal spot to bite gently.
This method poses no risk of harming your pet.
Although some people may find the idea of biting a dogs ear odd its main purpose is to train the dog.
Do dogs bite each other’s ears?
In part some people believe dogs bite each others ears which may explain why some people believe you should do the same.
An animals bites whether playful or aggressive play an important role in its ability to control its power and avoid danger.
It is vital to know why they act this way and where the line is between playfulness and full-blown aggression.
Youhave probably seen older dogs biting at the ears of younger dogs if they have been interacting with a puppy.
When puppies play together they often nip at one anothers ears.
There are no sharp teeth or pressure in these bites and nips. They are soft.
Rather they are meant to demonstrate dominance or playfully reprimand a misbehaving puppy.
Bite after bite tells you to calm down. It works!
A different story is aggressive ear-biting but it has the same goal of making it clear who is in charge and who is submissive.
Even if they grew up with another dog just for a few weeks your dog should remember the meaning of a gentle ear bite.
Would this method work?
Most importantly however is whether or not this exercise would even work.
This question is difficult to find outside of internet forums and it is unlikely to be discussed publicly.
The effectiveness of this method is difficult to prove especially for different breeds of dogs.
Your main sources of information will be your own experiences and the experiences you can glance at in forums or hear from friends.
Mixed findings are reported.
There are some people who find it works especially with young dogs who bite a lot.
If they do not bite when provoked or aggressively they are most likely just trying to play and accidentally biting too hard.
Using this method you can show them that biting hurts and should be softer.
In addition some people report that it establishes you as the dominant one which makes your dog follow you more easily.
Nevertheless not everyone reports the same results.
Each dog is unique after all.
It is possible that they will become aggressive if you bite their ear and the play will change from lighthearted to violent.
Occasionally a dog might not understand why you are biting them unable to make the connection between their bites and yours.
If that were the case they would become frightened or aggressive and no lesson would be learned.
The method can certainly be tried if you are curious or do not have any other options.
You might get lucky and your dog will understand what you mean and stop biting excessively giving you back control of the situation.
Biting a dogs ear directly may seem difficult to some people. You can use other methods to achieve the same goal.
Is there a better way to communicate with your dog?
In our discussion we mentioned that some dogs fail to recognize the difference between a bite that hurts you and a bite that hurts them.
Then you can try other options before enrolling in a special training school or more intensive training.
A flair for drama is an added bonus with this first one as it requires a bit of acting.
Instead of trying to demonstrate the general idea of a painful bite with teething puppies show them how their bites hurt you specifically.
Whenever they bite you scream and yell as an injured animal would.
You can pretend to cry or be in pain by grabbing the bitten area.
After that refuse to play with the puppy and ignores him completely.
By doing so you will teach them that you are hurt by their bites without having to bite them back.
There are times when being gentle does not work.
A good way to calm down an over-excited dog is to pinch their ear.
Despite being easier and more frequent to perform than the bite this pinch has the same effect as the bite.
Biting a Dogs Ear for Dominance
Reaching down and pinching your dogs ear is a good way to establish dominance and control if he is refusing to obey or doing something dangerous such as barking at strangers or running at them.
You can also try some dog training or introduce your dog to bigger older dogs who can teach your dog some lessons in obedience if none of the above methods work (biting included).
Is there a reason dogs and humans might have the urge to bite a puppy’s ear?
How does it come about that humans and dogs bite at each others ears?
There is another reason to explain why it occurs besides establishing dominance. It is because it is cute!
Yes thats correct.
Its common to want to bite or squeeze a cute baby or animal when you look at it.
Its like when you hold a baby and want to squeeze it into your chest or tug on a puppys tail to feel its fur.
As a result of evolution we are like this.
Animals are not the only ones who love cute things.
Irrespective of whether the baby is human or animal seeing a cute baby causes dopamine to surge.
We feel aggressively happy when our dopamine levels rise which is why we want to hug and squeeze for just a little bit.
People do not always know why it happens but it is a completely normal response.
You’re not alone if you have ever felt the urge to pinch or bite your puppys velvet-soft ears while stroking them.
There could be a cuteness factor behind the tip to bite your dogs ears!
We have adopted the behavior of nipping the ears of young dogs because older dogs do it.
To wrap things up
An old rumor or joke about biting your dogs ear is not true.
There are some pet owners who swear by this method of teaching and establishing obedience.
You can teach your dog to control their bites and also demonstrate their submissiveness to their owner by gently biting their ears.
It is possible to use other methods if this one does not work or you feel uncomfortable.
Concrete research on this topic is hard to find but online forums and conversations with other dog owners provide credibility.
Why can not humans adopt the same strategy? Dogs do it to each other so why can not humans?
Your dog and you have to figure out whats best for both of you!
Amanda (Author)
With over a decade of experience, Amanda is a distinguished dog trainer. Her expertise in canine behavior has transformed countless lives, fostering harmonious human-canine connections. Through compassionate and personalized approaches, she empowers owners to understand and connect with their furry companions, creating a legacy of joyful tails and transformed lives.
Osvaldo Maciel (Content Reviewer)
Osvaldo Maciel, a stalwart in the field with 14 years of experience, is a revered dog trainer. His journey is defined by a profound understanding of canine behavior, shaping unbreakable human-canine bonds. Osvaldo guides owners to connect with their beloved pets, leaving an indelible mark of happiness and transformation. His legacy shines through the countless lives he has touched.
