Golden retrievers are Panasonic… They are super energetic, full of life, and ready to take on a roller coaster of fun and activities. One thing you must know is if you have adopted a Golden retriever puppy from a litter, it bites but do Golden retrievers bite hard?. Well, it may be only a gesture of love but you may get worried about this behavior. To address why does it bite? when do Golden Retriever stops biting and how to stop Golden Retriever from biting, Here we are!
This article is loaded with all the information that you need to know about Golden Retriever and their biting behavior.
Why do Golden retrievers bite?
Golden Retrievers are very friendly and not towards their owners only but also towards other pets. They usually don’t use a bite. Yeah, they do “Nip” but Nipping is something else. We won’t relate that to “bite“. Let’s differentiate here that all dogs have a natural urge to nip things. Bite is something more aggressive and harmful.
Despite being affectionate, every dog tends to bite. Even a dog like Golden Retriever can get offended at some point and bite. At a young age, all Golden Retrievers nip a lot and this is beneficial to them too. It improves their teeth and jaw health. However, they must not be encouraged for this behavior.
A Golden Retriever might look cute for his nipping gestures but encouraging it will lead to biting behavior later on. You must keep in mind, that Golden Retrievers are hunting dogs. They have an instinct to nip things because this is how they “retrieve ” the hunted birds or rabbits etc.
When your Golden has started biting, may be because
You never stopped it!
Training your Golden Retriever is important. As we have mentioned already, Golden Retrievers are naturally drawn towards nipping. They will bite a little without realizing that this must stop. When you don’t train him to eradicate this behavior, it will start biting people and chasing other animals. This is not a Golden Retriever’s fault. It was simply not trained appropriately for social behaviors.
He reacted!
Biting can be a reaction to something. It’s an instinct of dogs for self-defense. When your pup thinks, he is in trouble, he will try to tear away that trouble with his teeth. Oops!. No matter how friendly your Golden Retriever is, when it comes to self-defense he will act aggressively.
This is why they are considered loyal. In the time of need, he will not attack only for self-defense but he will also defend his owner too. When you see your Golden retriever jumping up and biting, he may be trying to show his control.
A warrior that never loses!
Golden Retrievers are very Companionable. They are warm and easy-going but like any other dog, they are sensitive towards their territory. Whenever they will sense a threat, you will see this little Golden soldier shining bright like a warrior whose sword lies in his mouth… Ouch!
Pain alert!
When in pain, Golden Retriever can bite. Mostly they bite when the place hurts. This is them trying to stop someone from hurting them again. Pain also causes stress in dogs and when in stress, it’s very normal that a dog may bite. Try to look for possible illnesses or reasons if your puppy is in pain. Starting from a little nipping and turned into more aggressive bites, this could be a cry for help. So pay attention!.
Fear
Golden Retrievers can suffer from psychological issues as well and fear is one of them. A young Golden Retriever aged between 8-14 months are more likely to developed fears. Mostly, these are memory imprints from the abusive past.
You need to develop a relationship of trust and care with your puppy. It will take time to make him learn and understand that he is in safe hands now and he doesn’t need to be scared. As he will grow, he will learn.
They are teething:
A young Golden Retriever may bite because he is teething. You might have observed this in human kids that how they try to soothe their gums by biting everything. The same happens with a young puppy. He tries to control the irritation by chewing and nipping things.
A dog doesn’t realize that this can be hurting for others, he may nip hard. Do you need to know at what age Golden Retriever stops teething? Mostly, at age of around 7-8 months, the teething process will be complete. Till then assist your dog to inhibit biting.
Lack of socialization
When puppies are not socially trained, they don’t know how to behave around other people and animals. A well-trained Golden Retriever will never bite or even nip.
How to stop Golden Retriever from biting?
Golden Retrievers, when “Raw” and “untrained” are like any other dog with predatory behavior and canine instincts. You have to train him to stop biting. They learn quickly at a young age so start training them in the early weeks. The sooner you train him, the better he will learn.You can train him to
Control his bite
Yes, Golden Retrievers are intelligent dogs and with training, they learn how aggressive biting is different from normal nipping. Training also helps them to get that how much pressure can cause the dangerous bite. They eventually start controlling their bites and know that while playing they need to bite gently.
Make the surroundings comfortable
puppies need to feel safe. When you have adopted one, make your home a safe spot. If you have kids, teach them that they must behave kind and treat the dog with love and care. When naughty kids provoke the feeling of aggression or hurt in dogs, in result they can bite back.
Discourage the so-called cute behavior
Owners find it amusing when a Golden Retriever nips their finger. Some even provoke him to do so. This is not cute. You are unintentionally teaching your dog that this is ok and it makes you happy. So just to get your appreciation, one day your puppy will start biting other people and animals.
As a dog owner, you must understand your role here. If you will train them at an early age, they will control this behavior. Their eagerness to please their owners helps them to modify their behavior accordingly. Say a strong NO to discouraged their biting behavior.
Give him chewable
When your dog is biting because he is teething, it’s important to help him. Give him chewable so that he can soothe out his swollen gums by applying pressure on them.
Punish a little
Usually, a Golden Retriever bites because he was encouraged at a very young age. So punish him a little. For example, if he nips things, apply something distasteful to them. When a puppy will nip, he will get the taste of his own behavior. (How geniously evil). It works and the puppy learns the lesson.
Don’t be too harsh
When you overreact, your puppy becomes afraid of biting. He will not bite at all. Growing against instincts is also not healthy for dogs. So train them gently but don’t push them to extreme extents.
Take professional help:
If despite all your efforts, the dog still bites. He needs professional help and training. We suggest taking help and assistance from dog clubs or puppy training centers. They will provide you professional guidance to control this behavior. Meanwhile, also take your dog to the vet. He will thoroughly check up and see if your dog is having an underlying medical condition.
Do Golden retriever bites, strangers?
Normally No!. They are affectionate around other people unless they smell something wrong. A stranger might offend them unintentionally and a Golden retriever may bite them as a result of provoking.
When do Golden Retrievers stop biting?
As an owner, you want to know when do Golden retrievers calm down. Well, Golden Retrievers are not the aggressive ones unless they are pushed to a point where they bite. At a young age, when you train them not to bite, they will quit the behavior.
Even without “professional ” training, puppies can outgrow their nipping behavior. Mostly a Young Retriever takes a year to grow up. Most dogs learn to quit biting by the age of 7 months. This is when they start acting maturely and like adult dogs. Train your dog gradually to learn at different stages of life. Golden retriever puppy behavior stages will vary throughout his growing age.
How to stop 8 week Golden Retriever puppy from biting?
This is where the mom of your pup has a vital role. He will learn from his mom about bites and their extremities. During nursing, a mama dog teaches the young ones about the limit of “bite” and applying how much pressure is ok. Trust us! a mom’s lap is the best institution.
Ways to stop 8-12 weeks puppy from biting
Young dogs have a habit of sniff and chew things. They play, nip, and bite. You need to say No repetitively. With persistence, you can teach them to leave the biting behavior. Also, show your puppy that you are unhappy from his biting. You can also send your dog to his crate for some sad and alone time.
(Read our article about what size crate for a Golden retriever? )
How to stop 3-5 months old puppy from biting?
At this stage, mostly your puppy will be trained to bite softly. So as a reminder when they bite hard, simply remind them by showing your displeasure.
Preventing your 5-6 months Golden retriever puppy from biting?
Teach your puppy biting is not fun anymore. They are growing up and must not bite anyone. You can enforce this behavior with the help of housemates. Everyone should say No to dogs so that he can learn that biting anyone is prohibited.
How to stop Adult Golden Retriever from biting behavior?
We have discussed that how a puppy can be trained at an early age to behave well. Not all dogs get the chance of having a safe and constructive environment. Some dogs grow into adults and carry on their bad behaviors.
Adult dogs can be extremely dangerous if they bite. Sometimes a bite from an adult dog can be fatal to human beings. To stop your adult dog from biting, you need to
Provide reward-based training
When you train your puppy using positive reinforcement, it encourages him to leave bad behaviors. Most adult dogs develop this behavior due to abusive childhood. The Reward system works magic on these dogs. You can use treats to inspire positive learning.
Indulge him in positive activities
They say a free soul is home to evil. Keep your puppy busy in activities. Give him tough exercises to exert out all the negativity. This also keeps his energy levels in check. He can take out his frustration without causing any threat to anyone.
Give him vacation
Dogs need vacations too. A tiring routine can cause frustration and stress. So take your puppy out and have some time together. This will encourage an overall positive and refreshing attitude in your dog. It will also improve his social skills.
Change the scene
Sometimes this is the best strategy to stop your adult dog from biting. Certain environments or situations can make your dog uneasy and provoke biting behavior. Remove yourself and the puppy from the situation. A sudden scene change can calm him down.
Use deterrence collars
Talking about all the positivity, deterrence collars may seem a cruel choice but sometimes it’s only the option left. If your adult dog is biting, this is serious and needs to be stopped. So a little punishment is justified here. Deterrence collars are used when you want to control your puppy’s aggressive behaviors. It sprays citronella on your dog’s face whenever it barks or shows aggression. Usually, a bite happens after aggression so the deterrence collar punishes him instantly and stops him from going further.
In short, it’s important to eradicate your Golden Retriever biting behavior. He must be discouraged and trained at early stages. With proper training and professional help Golden Retriever will stop biting.