How to Stop Your English Bulldog from Biting: 14 Confirmed Strategies


Does your English bulldog often bite people? Or chew on furniture? Are you afraid of bringing him/her out when guests are around, in fear that she might snap or bite them?

Although known for their sedate behavior, bulldogs can sometimes have a tendency to bite people, especially strangers. But, don’t fret! This aggressive behavior can be curbed.

If you want to stop this show of aggression, it is essential to understand why they are doing it in the first place.

Why do bulldogs bite?

All bulldogs go through a biting phase when they are puppies due to teething pain. Eventually, bulldogs grow out of this phase. If a bulldog does not stop biting by 12 months of age, it usually reflects a lack of training or signs of owner protection or jealousy.

Photo by The Bulldog Blog

How to get bulldogs to stop biting?

Here are instructions on one strategy to get your bulldog to stop biting:

  1. When your bulldog bites you, yell “stop!” in a tone of voice that will shock them. Don’t use the word “no” as it is too commonly used and they will get used to it
  2. Reintroduce the part of you which the bulldog bit
  3. If the bulldog licks or doesn’t bite, praise the bulldog and give them a treat
  4. If your bulldog bites again, yell “stop” again
  5. Turn your back to the dog and wait until they stop biting

Once you understand the reason behind this behavior, it is easy to use different strategies to reduce it. Here are some reasons why your bulldog might be biting people:

1. Lack of training: If you have recently welcomed an English bulldog to your home, especially one that might be older, they might not have the training yet to not bite, or know that it is a bad behavior.

2. Owner protection: English bulldogs are fiercely protective of their owners. When they detect any threat, they often bite. When you start socializing them with other dogs and people, they might not always recognize what is and what isn’t a threat, and might snap at others. This is why you’ll need to start introducing your bulldog with other dogs and people early on.

3. Jealousy: English bulldogs often crave the attention of their owners. And, if they are unable to get that attention, they might attack whatever object or person is detracting your attention from them, which can be another person or a dog.

Now that you know what is causing your bulldog to bite and act out, here are 14 guaranteed strategies to help reduce this behavior:

14 confirmed strategies that will stop English bulldogs from biting

In this post, we will discuss not one or two, but 14 verified strategies that can help you prevent your English bulldog from biting. They might not all work for you, but we hope that some of these strategies will be helpful in nipping this behavior in the bud.

1. Don’t be afraid to shout

We know it’s hard, especially when they look at you with those puppy eyes, but it’s very important to show them who the alpha dog is in this relationship. And the best way to show them that you are upset or displeased by their behavior is to yell at them. Use a stern voice and be forceful.

While this strategy might not produce results in the first or second attempt, your bulldog will slowly understand after a few scoldings.

2. Use a squirt bottle

A quick squirt in the face whenever your bulldog starts to bite should quickly reduce this bad behavior.

3. Walk Away

Bulldogs, like children, can crave attention. And sometimes it can be effective to deny them that attention and just walk away. They will learn to soon associate that bad behavior with you walking away, and stop doing it.

4. Work on socializing your dog

One of the reasons why English bulldogs bite is because they are not familiar with the people or dogs that they are snapping at. So, to decrease that anxiety, start introducing your bulldog to other people, children, and animals early on.

Socializing them with other dogs and people will help them better identify threats as well. You should start with close family and friends to ensure that he/she is familiar with them and comfortable around them.

5. Neuter your dog

You might be thinking, how can neutering stop your dog from biting people?

Neutered dogs are less aggressive, that is why the probability that they will bite someone or another dog is on the lower side. Be sure to check with your vet on the right time is to neuter your dog.

6. Curb the habit when they are young

One of the best ways to prevent your English bulldog from biting is to curb this behavior when they are young. And while it might be cute at the beginning when puppies bite and snap, you should learn to shut down this behavior early on, so that it does not grow into a bad habit. Showing that when they bite you, you get hurt, will help them understand that biting is a strict no-no.

7. Give the dog something else to chew on

This can be especially helpful when your bulldog is teething, when they might chew your hand and other people’s hands more often than usual. In these cases, giving them something else to chew on can be helpful. Some options include:

• Chew toy

• Chewable treat

• Dental chews

When you do so, the dog can chew on these throughout the day. As a result, there will be no need for the dog to bite or chew on anything else.

8. Help your dog expend energy

Sometimes bulldogs might exhibit aggressive behavior because they have pent up energy that they are trying to release. When you play with your dog or take your dog outdoors frequently, it becomes easy for the dog to expend energy and will likely lead to them being less aggressive.

9. Pay attention to body language

It’s important to understand your dog’s body language, so that you can anticipate his or her behaviors and understand when he or she is going to act out.

Whenever the dog is unhappy or afraid due to someone invading its territory, the likelihood of a bite is on the higher side. You have to look out for body language. Some signs to look out for:

•            Lowered head

•            Bared teeth

•            Ears lying flat

•            Growling

These are indicators that your English bulldog is not comfortable and is, in fact, afraid. If you notice these signs, it is better to give your dog some space, and separate them from any strangers, human or otherwise. It is also helpful to talk to them sweetly and try and alleviate those fears by comforting them.

10. Show your dog who is boss

At the end of the day, you are the pack leader, and your dog needs to know that. This does not mean you can’t be affectionate with your dog but it means that you have to put your foot down whenever he or she steps out of line. When your bulldog recognizes that you are the alpha dog in this relationship, he or she will respect you better and will follow your rules.

11. Don’t be afraid to be stern

If you’re serious about preventing your English bulldog from biting people, you have no other option but to be stern and dominant at times. Sometimes the best way to do this is to isolate them for a short time, to show them your displeasure. This is only effective if it is done immediately after the wrong behavior, so that they associate that behavior with this punishment.

12. Opt for professional training

Another way is to opt for professional obedience training. This is a good option if all of the above strategies don’t work for you, and is especially useful for people who might not have the time to train their dogs themselves. But, we do recommend that owners attend some of these classes, as you might learn some tricks as well!

13. Consult a vet

If your dog is persistently aggressive, and is not showing signs of improvement, you might consider taking them to the vet.

Aggression is a symptom of a lot of diseases and ailments that your English bulldog could be suffering from. If after trying out numerous methods your dog cannot calm down, he/she might be suffering from a medical problem.

14. Be patient

Training takes time, and you need to give your dog and yourself the benefit of the doubt. You have to let your dog absorb things and understand what behaviors are good and what are bad.

We hope that these 14 methods will help you in curbing your bulldog’s bad biting behavior. Don’t be afraid to use one, or multiple strategies, when teaching your dog that biting is bad.

Sources:

dogtrainingbreeds.com/breeds/english-bulldog/stop-your-english-bulldog-from-biting

www.thesprucepets.com/training-to-prevent-dog-bites-1117876

hebulldogaddict.com/3-tips-on-how-to-train-your-bulldog-puppy-not-to-bite

www.thesprucepets.com/training-to-prevent-dog-bites-1117876

bullymake.com/blog/improve-aggression-6-tips

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