B
Baxter Tiberius
Guest
Even while playing, Baxter will sometimes bite down and lock onto something with his teeth. Then begin growling. Then begin tugging. Sometimes shaking his head/neck violently. I have never seen such a powerful jaw on any dog, let alone a 9 week old puppy.
I was taught many years ago to stick your fingers on each side of the mouth and press inwards at the corner. For every dog I've done this with (even large dogs) this works, and they open up, releasing. Not with Baxter. His grip is fierce and solid. He simply doesn't let go.
1) How do you get them to release? the only thing I have seen is to pick him up (gently) by the nape of his neck. For some reason that causes him to go submissive (?) and he tends to release. Its like he's "seeing red" too ... and it takes him a couple seconds to "chill out"
2) How can you stop this behavior? I am somewhat at a loss. Once he has the grip, the playful growling begins. Then his bulldog instincts take over. Sometimes he gets aggressive about it. If I didn't know his personality I would be afraid by the growling and the body language/face. Its serious. He will do this on a pillow, or my shorts, or my T shirt while im wearing them.
At first it was cute but I know this behavior will be a serious problem when he's 60 lbs.
I want to train him to stop doing this and only do it on his toys as much as possible. But I can't get him to "release" once he's bitten down.
How do you do it?
PS: I know this is where it stems from - "By the 15th century, in addition to catching horses, cattle, and boars in legitimate (if dangerous) farming use, bulldogs were also used in the barbaric “sport” called bull-baiting, in which trained dogs would latch onto a tethered bull’s nose and not let go until the dog had pulled the bull to the ground or the bull had killed the dog. Over the course of 350 years, until bull-baiting was banned in 1835, bulldogs were bred for aggression, and an 80-pound dog could easily bring down a bull weighing close to a ton by corkscrewing its own body around its neck, tossing the bull over its own center of gravity."
I was taught many years ago to stick your fingers on each side of the mouth and press inwards at the corner. For every dog I've done this with (even large dogs) this works, and they open up, releasing. Not with Baxter. His grip is fierce and solid. He simply doesn't let go.
1) How do you get them to release? the only thing I have seen is to pick him up (gently) by the nape of his neck. For some reason that causes him to go submissive (?) and he tends to release. Its like he's "seeing red" too ... and it takes him a couple seconds to "chill out"
2) How can you stop this behavior? I am somewhat at a loss. Once he has the grip, the playful growling begins. Then his bulldog instincts take over. Sometimes he gets aggressive about it. If I didn't know his personality I would be afraid by the growling and the body language/face. Its serious. He will do this on a pillow, or my shorts, or my T shirt while im wearing them.
At first it was cute but I know this behavior will be a serious problem when he's 60 lbs.
I want to train him to stop doing this and only do it on his toys as much as possible. But I can't get him to "release" once he's bitten down.
How do you do it?
PS: I know this is where it stems from - "By the 15th century, in addition to catching horses, cattle, and boars in legitimate (if dangerous) farming use, bulldogs were also used in the barbaric “sport” called bull-baiting, in which trained dogs would latch onto a tethered bull’s nose and not let go until the dog had pulled the bull to the ground or the bull had killed the dog. Over the course of 350 years, until bull-baiting was banned in 1835, bulldogs were bred for aggression, and an 80-pound dog could easily bring down a bull weighing close to a ton by corkscrewing its own body around its neck, tossing the bull over its own center of gravity."
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