Vizslas are adorable, intelligent dogs that love to be around their family. So why do you think your Vizsla puppy seems to bite so much? It can be a tricky thing for any Vizsla owner to deal with bitting and barking issues.
It is not unusual for Vizsla puppy to bite. But if your puppy starts to grind a lot, it is probably due to exhaustion, environmental change, hunger, pain, or instincts. Sometimes the puppies might also bite to such a dominance if they live in an abusive surrounding.
So, this is an article about why does Vizsla puppy bites so much? The first thing that you should know about the Vizsla breed is that they are hunting dogs. Moreover, if you have a male vizsla, it is more likely to bite because of its testosterone levels. This article will detail why your pup bites so much and what steps you can take to stop them!
Why Does My Vizsla Puppy Bite So Much?
The Vizsla puppy can be a little escape artist. It is not uncommon for the pup to dart out of your arms while you carry them. So, they can also get away to be away from the kennel and escape during puppy breaks. In addition, puppies tend to bite and nip as an instinctual self-defense mechanism, which means that they are just trying to say, “please don’t hurt me!”
Furthermore, other reasons why Vizsla puppy bite is:
A Vizsla Puppy Might Bite Due To Environmental Change
A Vizsla puppy can be susceptible to change, and some changes in the environment around them may prompt a biting spree. It is because they do not like things being different than usual.
Dominance
Puppies will sometimes bite as a way of asserting dominance over other dogs or humans that are present in their territory (typically when you confine them or when a Vizsla pup is trying to escape).
Exhaustion
Sometimes puppies will bite out of exhaustion after playing hard with other dogs for hours on end. It is widespread with Vizslas because they are so active and love to play. After staining all their energy, the pup will feel tired and grumpy. They may bite to try to get you away so they can sleep or take a break from all of the activity.
Hunger Can Cause Vizsla Puppy To Bite
Puppies do things like a bite because they are hungry and want food. They don’t know how else to tell you they’re hungry, and they don’t know their limits. It is especially true when the puppy’s stomach is empty, or you forget to feed them in a while.
If your pup doesn’t have food available to them for more than 20 minutes at any time during the day, this can lead to biting.
Pain
Being an energetic dog breed, Vizsla is susceptible to various illnesses and diseases. Vizslas are also heavy chewers, which puts them at risk of developing dental problems. Since your Vizsla might experience unbearable pain during this condition, it may bite in search of relief and comfort.
Besides this, your dog may be biting due to pain from other physical illnesses such as arthritis, hip dysplasia, joint problems, or other similar conditions. As a result, these dogs cannot move as they please or exert themselves in a way that they might want that makes them more irritable.
A Vizsla Puppy Might Bite Due To Instincts
Vizslas were excellent hunting dogs in the past, and they are very energetic. With this in mind, it is no surprise that Vizsla Puppies will bite due to pent-up energy and instincts to hunt for prey.
Although these dogs are family dogs now, these instincts will still come out when a Vizsla puppy feels bored or unoccupied.
History Of Abuse Or Accidents
Most Vizsla puppies bite due to abuse, as pups are more likely to feel threatened even in normal circumstances. Besides this, puppies with a history of mistreatment or even accidents are emotionally unstable. Thus, they don’t trust anyone or anything around them.
As a result, these Vizsla puppies will bite more often and for no reason at all.
At What Age Do Vizsla Puppies Stop Biting?
According to their environment, there are different ways for grooming and training Vizsla puppies to stop biting at different ages. But, mostly, you will see a decline in your pup’s urge to bite at the period of 12 weeks which is when adult teeth replace their milk teeth.
Moreover, as your Vizsla reaches the age of four to five months, their milk teeth fall, and they learn to use the permanent ones. So, Vizsla puppies stop biting at this age because they know it is not acceptable behavior or an acceptable way to communicate.
You can curb a Vizsla pup’s urge to bite at this stage by teaching him to use his paws to interact and explore instead of biting.
How Do You Discipline A Vizsla Puppy For Biting?
Biting behavior of your Vizsla might be problematic sometimes and leads to fatal consequences. Thus, if you want to make family members safe around your dog, it is essential to discipline them.
However, some tips that you can follow to discipline your Vizsla Puppies biting are:
- Teach your dog that it’s inappropriate to bite.
- Punish biting behavior as soon as possible. Moreover, punishing doesn’t necessarily mean beating. You can use other forms like spraying water, using a high-pitched voice, or ignoring your Vizsla after bites.
- Ignore your dog when they’re not behaving well.
- Consistently enforce the rules with your dog. And be persistent to teach them until your Vizsla starts following it.
- Keep your Vizsla pup on a leash until you’re confident that they never show a tendency to bite.
- Start training them at an early age so that it’s not difficult for them when they grow up.
These tips will help you to make sure that there are no biting incidents from your pet and they can live happily in society.
How To Get Vizslas To Stop Biting?
Since they are hunting dogs, biting behavior is natural in Vizslas. Thus, it is somehow impossible to eliminate it in the future. But you can minimize the possibility and reduce the frequency of biting by suppressing your dog’s urge to chew.
Usually, the best ways to stop your Vizsla from biting are:
- Practice obedience training
- Provide your dog with chew toys and bones to exercise its gums. It is crucial in the case of those dogs that are suffering from dental problems.
- Spend more time playing with your dog so that it utilizes your Vizsal’s energy and reduces their urge to bite.
- Take your Vizsla for socialization in the parks, social gatherings, and other places where there are many people.
- Carry around a spray bottle with water in it that you can use to distract your Vizsla from biting.
- Buy an electric collar that emits light and vibration when triggered by your Vizsla’s barking or growling. These collars will help stop your Vizsla from acting aggressively without hurting it.
In some cases, you may need to consult your vet for medication that will calm down and sedate your Vizsla. However, this is not a good option if an obsessive-compulsive disorder or anxiety causes the biting behavior of your dog.
Can A Vizsla Puppy Bite Affect You?
Vizslas are not aggressive dogs. They rarely use their teeth to bite, and when they do, it’s usually in play or for attention. A lot of people find that the answer is surprisingly simple. Your Vizsla habitually uses his mouth because he doesn’t know any other way to get what he wants.
So, it doesn’t affect you when puppies bite. But adult Vizsla tends to use their teeth as a way of asserting dominance to catch their prey while hunting. Thus, the sharp teeth of adult dogs can tear your tissues which is harmful and dangerous.
What Can You Do To Calm Down Your Vizsla Puppy?
Vizslas are naturally gentle and friendly dogs. But puppies are mischievous and trouble makers. So, puppies tend to bite often as a way of exploring their environment and making new friends (or enemies).
However, sometimes your Vizsla’s natural biting habit turns to be aggressive and ends up being dangerous. Therefore, you must calm your Vizsla puppy if you notice it biting aggressively.
Moreover, the best ideas that will help your calm your Vizsla puppy are:
- Play with your Vizsla puppy – It will help you to feel more confident.
- Give it a toy or chew bone – The pup must be occupied and focused on something else instead of biting you.
- Give treats for good behavior – If the puppy stops biting, give him some yummy treats as a reward to reinforce this behavior.
- Try to hold the pup’s muzzle at bay – If you fail to escape from a scathing attack, put your hand around your Vizsla puppy’s nose and mouth to stop them from hurting.
- Lower your voice – You mustn’t scream or shout at your pup when it bites because this may cause them to become more aggressive.
- Stop giving attention and affection – You must stop praising or petting your dog when it does something terrible because this may reinforce its negative behaviors or cause it to become more aggressive.
- Keep your Vizsla puppy in a safe place – What better way to calm down an aggressive Vizslas pup than by putting them into his crate so that you can work on teaching the puppies how not to bite.
How Do You Assert Dominance Over A Vizsla Puppy?
A Vizsla’s personality is high-energy and assertive. They are intelligent, which means they are easy to train if you do it with patience. The most crucial thing in asserting dominance over a Vizsla pup is using their name when disciplining them. You must also use your voice if the puppy doesn’t obey, and you must issue a stop command.
Further, the most important thing is that you don’t show any fear or anger when disciplining Vizslas. When you show signs of discomfort, Vizslas will feel in control and have won the dominance fight. On the other hand, if you do not have a confident voice, your Vizsla will sense weakness and continue to disobey.
So, it is vital to remain calm and use a firm voice to address your Vizsla to assert dominance over them.
Conclusion
Summing up, the way you raise it can shape your puppy’s behavior. So, if you had a rough start with your pup as an infant, they will need more patience and understanding than typical puppies. The first steps to correcting the biting behavior are by rewarding good behaviors with praise and treats. It’s essential not to use any form of punishment when disciplining a puppy for bad habits, as that can lead them down an even darker path later on in life.
Moreover, consulting a professional is always a good idea if you have trouble managing your Vizsla puppy’s behavior.
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