Dealing with Fear Biters

Dogs bite. It is their primary defense against aggressors. In fact, more often, dog biting is not an act of aggression, but an act of self-defense. The problem with fear biting comes in when the fear and anxiety are out of control, and your dog snaps as a reflex action to imaginary threats. If Skippy snaps at you when you walk past him, or if you reach out to pet him when he’s not expecting it, he’s exaggerating danger signals, and the fear biting is at a dangerous level.

Ways to Control and Reduce Fear Biting in Dogs

Make sure you don’t accidentally heighten Skippy’s fear levels. When pets startle or show fear, a common reaction from pet owners is to coddle them, and speak in soft reassuring tones that are meant to convey “everything is okay.” Unfortunately, dogs often interpret that as there is something really scary that you have to comfort them from. The only thing this does is to heighten the fear and in turn feed whatever aggressive state Skippy is in. Instead, when Skippy is afraid or jumpy, act completely normal, and divert his attention to something else. If you find this isn’t work, you can use a firm voice that lets him know that you are in control of the situation and he doesn’t need to take control. This will relax him far more than any baby voice you use.

Once Skippy’s fear actually develops into snapping at anything in the vicinity here are a few ways to handle it:

• Wait until Skippy calms down before approaching him. Invading his personal space while he is in defense mode will probably result in a bite.
• Take him out often to places where there is a lot of commotion. If Skippy has a big problem with biting, keep him under complete control and on a leash at all times, even in places where it might otherwise be okay to let him be loose and socialize such as a dog park. Choose mildly active places to start with, and gradually increase the level of activity as he gets used to it. The logic behind this is exposure. You can’t keep him in his backyard forever and exposure to stimuli that would arouse his fear biting in situations where you are in control are a way to start teaching him.
• Don’t run up on Skippy, or approach from behind. If you are behind him, talk to him as you approach so he knows you are coming.

• Getting Out of a Dangerous Situation with Strange Dogs
• When faced with a strange dog exhibiting common signs of fear such as baring teeth, growling or shaking, stop what you are doing. Back away from the dog, but keep your eyes on him. If you have something in your hands, try to keep it between yourself and the strange dog in case he lunges at you. Do not reach out, or try to calm the dog down by petting him.

Never approach any strange dog in a vulnerable position, or reach out to pet them unless you know how they will react. Treat all strange dogs as if they will bite you, and never let small children run up to strange dogs. Even otherwise calm dogs that wouldn’t normally bite may snap at a small child darting up to them. Children can resemble small prey making them “targets” for the predatory instincts in a dog that doesn’t know them. The jerky arm movements of a child and the tendency to be rough even when they don’t mean to be may also aggravate even a mild tempered dog.