Should I punish my dog for biting me?

Question

My beagle doesnt like to be picked up, but the vet said we should train him to get used to it. He is medium sized about 32 lbs. He bit my dad (the first bite EVER) the other day when he tried to pick him up. My dad got really mad, yelled at him, hit him, and made him sleep outside. Does my dog have a right to not like to be picked up? Could we be hurting him when we pick him up? Should we have punished him?

My dog has no other behavioral problems and never bit anyone, even little kids that pull his ears, really sweet all around. We've only had to yell at him for pulling stuff out of the trash and trying to eat food that drops on the ground. So he doesnt have an "aggression problem"...just a picking up problem

ps. I live in southern california so its not THAT cold at night, he wasnt in any physical danger .

Answer 1

NEVER HIT A DOG!
that teaches them nothing. good lord. i would suggest training for your dog...but i doubt w/a father that has an attitude like that it won't happen.

i DO suggest a muzzle! (maybe 2 one for your dog and one for your father!).

some dogs just don't like being picked up, it scares them. they don't like the feeling of being in mid-air like that. next time you take your beagle to the vet..MUZZLE him before he's picked up.

i have a dog that does not like having his tail touched, by anyone. he wont bite, but he does growl and it frightens ppl sometimes. i muzzle him, not because he will bite, but because it makes my vet feel more comfortable.
i have another dog that doesn't like being on the table they have in the vet office, it makes her nervous and she DOES nip! my vet comes down her HER level instead..problem solved.

**hello evil thumbs down fairy...i was beginning to miss you dear.**

Answer 2

First off, for you and your dad, never, ever, hit the dog. This will lead to further aggression, and may also do physical damage to the dog. As for yelling and putting him outside, again, these are not the way to discipline a dog.

But that's not your question - so moving on - - -

As for picking up, a smaller dog should be able to be picked up, for vet exams, and other necessary things. There were not enough details for a concrete answer, but I would suggest:

Get the dog slowly accustomed to you handling the dog, including picking up and playing with the feet, tail, ears, etc. Then just "hug" the dog, as if you would pick him up, but don't actually do it. It may be that the dog doesn't like the arms around him, as he feels threatened or confined.

Then gradually lift off the front half, leaving the back feet on the floor. As the dog is able to handle smaller steps, move to the larger one. Gradually he will get accustomed to being picked up and should be okay.

As for punishment, the dog is frightened by something that happened or was feeling threatened, and the dog's only natural defense is their teeth. While you can't allow a dog to bite, the punishment you describe was too harsh for the circumstances, and could have caused further problems.

If the dog starts to bite again, a good firm "no", without yelling, and try again. Each time the dog allows you to complete a step, without problems, a lot of praise and the occassional goodie. This will go a whole lot farther than any yelling or hitting will do.

Answer 3

As far as I'm concerned, you should be able to do anything physically to your dog that does not harm him. I don't mean hitting him or punishing - I mean you should be able to touch him anywhere on his body and physically move him. There may be some days that a dog doesn't want to be touched someplace and that can be respected, but the dog should not be able to make the blanket rule "noone picks me up." What if he's in danger and he must be carried for his safety?

The vet is right that the dog needs to be trained to accept this, but it doesn't sound like he told you how to go about this. The dog needs to be desensitized and counterconditioned. This means very slowly getting him used to being picked up and teaching him that being handled leads to good things, like treats or playtime. I agree with Bassetnut that you should work with a trainer who can guide you through this complex process. In the meantime, don't pick him up as you will only put the dog in a situation where he is likely to bite again; the more often he does it, the more difficult it will be to change the behavior.

Answer 4

Yes of course he has a right not to like it - but it would be helpful for both him and you if he could learn to get used to it, because it will be useful if/when he needs to go to the vets. Animals that are difficult to handle are difficult to treat! So long as you're supporting his back legs when you pick him up, you should not be hurting him.

Punishment is not generally a constructive form of training. You need to establish the right kind of relationship with your dog, or he's not going to understand what he's done wrong - he'll just end up being scared of you and therefore MORE likely to bite. It's better to reward good behaviour, and discourage unwanted behaviour - a sharp NO enought to make the dog jump, and then ignoring him until he does something pleasing would be a better approach.

Remember this is a dog, he doesn't think like a human - he will not associate the having to sleep outside with the biting. In his eyes, biting is not 'bad' behaviour, it's something he thinks is his place to do when he doesn't like what's going on - he needs to learn it's NOT his place to bite, or set rules. You shouldn't have to frighten him to do this, just be firm.

Chalice

Answer 5

You do need to be able to handle your dog which includes being able to pick him up, touch him, handle his paws, look in his mouth, handle his tail, feel his tummy and ribs, etc. This is more easily accomplished when he is an impressionable young puppy but you can desensitize him even when he is grown.

Your dad had an aggressive reaction (fear, surprise, pain, etc.) when your dog bit him. It isn't punishment so much as a bad reaction. Making him sleep outside doesn't do anything useful. Did he nip your dad or actually bite him hard? Dogs can nip when provoked or startled but most have good bite inhibition. A hard bite is much more serious.

If your dog yelps or starts when you go to pick him up, he may simply be in pain. It could be something painful where you are holding him or it could be that picking him up puts pressure in his legs or spine. It could also be how he is being picked up. He needs to be supported:

http://home.howstuffworks.com/enlarge-image.htm?terms=dog+first+aid&page=0

You can start to desensitize him to being picked up by taking it very slowly, giving him great treats at each step until he feels comfortable with being hovered over, an arm around him, two arms around him, lifted up an inch off the ground, etc. At each step, he should always be calm and not tense or anxious. Desensitization, especially with some bad experiences under his belt, can be a long drawn out process but you do need to be able to pick him up in case of emergency and simply because he should not be having an aggressive reaction like that towards anyone.

You can use a muzzle if you are concerned or find a well-recommended professional if you feel fearful.

Answer 6

He has to learn not to bite but punishing him by making him sleep outside is too long of a punishment and he won’t understand. Also hitting him will only make him nervous and aggressive. It could be that he just doesn’t like to be picked up or maybe it does hurt him. Try different ways of picking him up and always make sure he is being picked up in a supportive manner so not to hurt his back or put too much pressure on his belly. When he bits simply let out a screech and put him back down and walk away. That might help him to learn that it hurts. When he doesn’t bit reward him with praise and a little treat. He will learn. But, don’t hit him or shout overly loud as this like I said will only make things worse!
All the best!

Answer 7

Of course your dog has the right to dislike being picked up - there is probably a very good reason for it too. Maybe, when he was a tiny pup, someone picked him up and dropped him??? He could also experience pain or discomfort when he's picked up, not every dog likes being held in mid-air - they are not in control in that position and it can make them snappy. Yes your Dad was bang out of order to hit your dog like that, it doesn't teach your dog a single thing except an intense dislike of your Dad in the future!!! All that was needed there was a firm shout of 'NO' and as for making him sleep outside - perhaps your Dad would like to experience a night outside in the dark? I'd change your vet too while your at it, sounds like a tin-pot dictator who should go back to vet school and learn about animal behaviour! I hope your Dad leaves your poor dog alone in the future or it will cause family arguments you could all do without, i wish you luck.

Answer 8

You need to understand how counter conditioning and desensitization works to help a dog learn to like something that either scares it or bothers it for some reason. Check out the fearfuldogs website for more info about these training techniques and triggers and thresholds and how they relate to changing a dog's behavior. Chances are the dog gave lots of early signals that preceded the bite. Dogs see this in each other but people often ignore them or don't realize what's going on. Sometimes it's just the way they hold their ears or look at you. A dog would say...ok ok I won't make you do it, a person just goes ahead and does it and then gets bit and wonders why.

www.fearfuldogs.com

Answer 9

This sounds like it could be one of two things, it could be a behavioral issue which is the most likely cause, or it could in fact be painful if he is picked up. Regardless a dog should be submissive and compliant to idealistic tasks such as being handled, groomed, pet, fed and loved. Most dogs will not like being picked up as a rule of thumb, yet some dogs whether small or large love it. It is not up to us to be the judge of which they prefer, but it IS up to us to choose how they react to their disliking. If he is biting because you are picking him up, he needs to be taught that it is not acceptable at all. I wouldn't recommend hitting the dog under any circumstances, that makes you no better than the dog is for biting you. Firmly tell the dog "no", and put the dog in a short "time out" if it becomes an issue. There are many ways of disciplining a dog without ever having to lay a hand on them. Best of luck!

Answer 10

I think you have a dominance issue. The dog thinks he's the alpha, and your the betas. Therefore if you do something that he doesn't want, such as be so forward as to handle him without permission, he feels perfectly justified in putting you in your place in the only way he knows how - biting. That's how a mother dog disciplines a puppy - with her mouth. He doesn't know, however, that human skin punctures a lot easier than a dog's, so you wind up with a bite.

He needs to be convinced that he is lower on the ladder than you and your dad. The primary tool for this this obedience training. It doesn't have to be extensive, just a few basic commands, such as sit and down are a good start. Then, put him on a NILIF (Nothing In Life Is Free) program. He has to obey a command from you to get anything, such as being petted, fed, or let outside. In particular, you want to control the food. Prepare his food, then make him sit until you give him permission to eat. If you put it down and he lunges for it, take it up, make him sit and wait until you let him eat. Don't free feed, that is, fill a bowl with food and leave it on the floor.

Practice handling all parts of your dog's body. Take an ear in your hand, and in a pleasant voice, say "my ear". Do that with his feet, his tail, so forth. If he growls or nips, discipline him with a sharp NO, or if you're quick enough, grab his muzzle with just enough force to keep him from pulling away and basically growl at him If you feel too silly growling, tell him NO in a low, growly voice. That mimics a mother disciplining a puppy, and can be very effective. I still use it with my guy when needed, and he's now 115 lbs.

There are a lot of other dominance exercises, such as sitting on the floor and having the dog lie beside you, quietly, until you let it up, teaching it to enjoy belly rubs, and others.

I could be wrong, but I do feel it's an issue of dominance.

Edit: I agree with Melissa K, you should be able to do anything you want with your dog, as long as it doesn't injure him or cause pain. Pick him up, roll him over, play with his feet, whatever. When my male Akita was a little puppy, he didn't want to be held, or restrained in any way. I got snagged more than once in training him - we did tons of dominance work. Now, as an adult, I can roll him over, grab him around the neck, just about anything I'm physcially capable of (can't pick him up, he weighs too much). I do some of this on a frequent basis just to remind him that I can.

Answer 11

No, your' dad was very wrong to punish him that way. If the dog bit it was probably because he was hurt when your' dad picked him up, there are ways to pick a dog up without hurting him. On the other hand, he might have felt insecure and frightened. You should have got him accustomed to being picked up from the day you got him, that way there is no stress because he is used to it. You will find that dogs usually bite out of fear, and being punished like that will not help matters when you need to pick him up again.