Biting Dachshund
I adopted 6
year old Dachshund from a lady that was moving,could not take dog. Got
dog on June 15th. I all ready have another doxie,they get along great,the
problem the new dog Fritz,he never wants to go outside,to go to the
bathroom,I go to pick him up and he grawls at me all the time,previous
owner said she always took him out for walks,put him on the leash and
walked,I however have a back yard,so I trick him,put lease on and put him
in yard,but he grawls at me when I go take the leash off,today he bite me
on my hand drew blood,last week he nipped me what should I do I love this
cute thing,I treat him so good,love him, but he wants to bite me, is
there any help for us?
Your Dachshund may have had a previous bad experience outdoors or when leashed, or he may have pain. His biting response is his way of communicating to you to stop what you are doing. You should first have your veterinarian perform a physical examination to make sure he does not have a slipped disk, sore neck or other ailment. If he's healthy, start slowly with the desired activities, careful not to rush him into anxious situations. You can wear protective gloves or use a towel as a shield if you fear his bite. Try just putting the leash over his neck, as you pet him. Then wrap it around his neck as you continue to pet. When he becomes tense, move slowly. You may also benefit from a housecall trainer who could help you with the early steps of accommodation.
Biting should never be tolerated. The first step in controlling this undesirable behavior is finding the stimuli that trigger the dog to bite. Then, work through training and accommodation to remove these triggers. You should use a combination of punishment and reward. Punishment should never produce injury, and should not stimulate confrontation. I prefer indirect punishment, such as electric collars that can give a remote mild shock. Don't worry, these collars do not electrocute your dog. Be sure to reward with praise and perhaps food when he performs a task that used to cause the biting response, and he doesn't bite. Once the punshishment/reward system produces a non-biting situation, be sure to repeat it often, rewarding each time. This will accommodate the dog to the behavior and make it a good thing instead of bad. Do not repeat behaviors rapidly if he responds with a bite attempt each time, for all this will do is to reinforce the biting reflex. Only repeat it often once he does not bite in the situation.
Some medications, such as Clomicalm and acepromazine can be used in conjunction with training a biting a dog. I prefer to try without medication first.
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