French bulldogs are known for their friendly and witty natures. However, what to do when your little gremlin becomes an aggressive chewer and tends to show biting behavior? How to stop French bulldog biting is one of the most common problems for inexperienced owners. Besides growling that occurs as the first stage of aggression, biting can grow into a severe issue if you don’t stop it on time.
Do French bulldogs bite a lot?
Frenchies are considered playful, cheerful, and curious dogs. They were bred to work alongside their owners and require constant interaction. Otherwise, they can show behavioral problems such as separation anxiety. Since the symptoms of this condition may range from mild to severe, you have to spot any unusual behavior on time.
Nipping behavior in French bulldogs is very common and usually occurs during puppyhood. It’s their way to deal with the tooth growing process and discover the boundaries in your mutual relationship. Puppies tend to bite during play and interaction. However, if we don’t cut this behavior at an early age, it will be difficult to suppress it later. Adult dogs don’t react to our painful and sudden reactions as puppies do. Besides, they’re more difficult to control physical force because of their size.
How to make a difference between aggressive biting and playful mouthing?
Even though a puppy’s mouthing is normal behavior, some pooches can bite out of frustration or fear. And, such behavior can grow into a huge problem in the future. To differentiate these two types of French bulldog biting behavior, it’s important to monitor the dog’s body and face. When a Frenchie wants to play with you, his face and body will seem relaxed. Besides, playful mouthing is usually not painful although it can be quite uncomfortable. The muscles in an aggressive French bulldog will look stiff and his body will be under tension. He will also react aggressively during the meeting with unknown dogs and people. Therefore, if you’re suspecting that your furry gremlin fits the description of aggressive behavior, it would be best to consult a behavior specialist. He/she will determine what level of aggression your dog belongs to.
Why do French bulldogs bite?
Dogs are natural-born bite therapists. They don’t just eat, sleep and protect their owners – sometimes they need to lash out at something or someone else too! That’s why it pays off for everyone who interacts with a pup (or even an old judgy dog) to know exactly how he/she may be provoking these aggressive behaviors to avoid any unwanted snouting sessions.
A study shows that about 90% of canine incidents involve some kind of threat against either person; so knowing what triggers your pooch can help prevent biting behavior. These are the most common triggers for your French bulldog biting behavior:
- The way of defense. That’s why dogs would bite. They want to defend their territory, owner, toys, and crate. To prevent such behavior in the future, it’s essential to perform socialization training from an early age.
- A sudden approach can scare a dog so he can react aggressively. Therefore, make sure you slowly wake up your Frenchie and take the food or toys from him.
- Illness or pain. French bulldog biting can occur when you touch a painful spot on his body.
- An unsocialized dog will also bite or react aggressively toward strangers.
- Mouthing during play happens very often. That’s how they investigate people’s bodies. However, it can sometimes be quite painful, so you have to teach your Frenchie when is the time to stop.
How to prevent or minimize your French bulldog biting behavior?
Dogs are bundles of energy, constantly playing around with their favorite people or chewing on something. They love to investigate anything that moves! From puppyhood, all the way through adulthood dogs will do this thorough investigation process before they finally bite into whatever it may be – which can sometimes lead them into some trouble (especially if the said object doesn’t want to be inspected). It might seem cute when your dog is only seven weeks old but the bite of a two-year-old Frenchie can be quite painful.
Help your Frenchie learn to curb his mouthy behavior and learn when is the time to stop. The ultimate goal is to teach the puppy that we have sensitive skin, so he must be careful when playing with us.
Bite inhibition is the key!
Dogs who have learned how to use their mouths gently are less likely be aggressive when playing or interacting with people. When you watch a group of dogs playing, they often chase each other and pounce on top of one another. They may even bite their playmate too hard from time to time! And the game stops when the victim yelps and stops playing.
Therefore, a similar reaction should happen when your dog is playing with you. You should show your dog that he hurt you and stop playing with him. When playing with your Frenchie, let him mouth on one hand. Continue to play until he bites especially hard and then immediately give a high-pitched yelp as if you’re hurt. However, don’t worry’ it just makes them stop for a while!
What to do when yelping doesn’t work?
Make sure to give your Frenchie some positive feedback for stopping or licking you. If he bites hard again, then you should repeat the reaction. For some dogs, yelping alone does not work to deter mouthy behavior. To get the desired effect you can use a time-out procedure instead; these are often effective at calming down adolescents and adults alike when they deliver hard bites. Switching over will involve removing your hand and ignoring him for about 20 seconds or so. You can also leave the room because that’s how he will figure out he has overdone with playing.
Your dog will learn that gentle play continues, but painful behavior stops. After the short time-out, continue to engage with your pup until he resumes biting aggressively again. Allow him to get back into the game after a brief suspension as before. It will make him think about his actions and will lead him to the conclusion of what is right and what is not.
Teach your Frenchie what to chew
Teaching a dog what is allowed to chew is highly important. That’s how you’ll save your home items from destroying and prevent other types of destructive chewing. You can help your furry friend to learn what to chew by leaving him to play with toys. French bulldog toys will help him stay occupied and entertained while you’re out, and will also improve his intelligence.
To easier paw through the teething period, you can buy your Frenchie some rubber chew toys with bristles. The bristles will massage his gums and help him easier deal with pain.