Having a dog around can be an exhilarating experience, whether trying to teach something new to your four-legged friend or making sweet memories with them. Nonetheless, these “Pawsome” creatures can add to the messy quotient of our house with their endless nibbling and biting. While we commonly refer to dogs as man’s best friend, it takes some time to train them to live with us, which is common for all canines.
If you are pondering how to train a French bulldog not to bite your hands and feet, you should make it a point to let out a high-pitched “ow!” from the beginning of training whenever it tries biting you. Doing this will make them understand that their behavior is unacceptable from an early age. You can also stop playing for some time and relax your hand and foot completely. However, you shouldn’t jerk your hand too quickly as your dog might see this as a game and get more excited.
We don’t necessarily brand Frenchie’s under the aggressive category. However, biting is normal dog behavior and French bulldogs are not an exception to this general rule. The last thing you want is to have your Frenchie treat you like a nibbling toy. French bulldogs are very calm and friendly. However, they might become aggressive if not trained properly.
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We have scanned the net and accumulated some insights on how to train a French bulldog not to bite so that you can make the most of this companionship.
Why does my French bulldog bite so much?
Dog owners often confuse their Frenchie’s’ biting with hostility. However, the biting stage is an important milestone in the life of every French bulldog. Before considering how to train a French bulldog not to bite, you need to understand that this instinctual behavior is more of a means to play around and explore the surroundings. They try getting relief from the anguish and pressure in their mouth by nibbling.
It is normal for French bulldog puppies to bite furniture during their teething phase. However, if you don’t interfere with this behavior, then this will carry on till adulthood. Frenchies have a dogged determination which acts as an important factor contributing to their chewing habit.
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What causes a French bulldog to bite?
Before giving thoughts on how to train a French bulldog not to bite, it is important to understand the triggers behind the same. The reasons behind the biting fit of your Frenchie can either be circumstantial or natural. Here are some of the common external reasons:
- French bulldogs experience separation anxiety while dealing with new homes or owners. This causes the dog to display aggression by continuing to bark and bite everyone including its caretaker. In such cases, it is best to give the canines time to get used to the new surroundings while reassuring them of your presence. Once your Frenchie familiarizes itself with you, it will stop biting.
- Rescue dogs often have histories of trauma which causes them to bark and whine at nothing. They see everything as a threat and might bite everyone in self-defense. Post-traumatic stress disorder is often accompanied by other psychological illnesses and becomes difficult to manage in dogs. In such scenarios, the canines perceive everything as a threat and develop a biting tendency out of self-defense.
- Surrounding threats or past abuse might develop fear in French bulldogs. This emotion leads to stress, causing the Frenchie to bite to calm its nerves. Dogs usually bite to show their humans that they feel unsafe in the surrounding environment. If your Frenchie feels uncomfortable or stressed around other dogs, it might start biting them too.
- A French bulldog who gets overly excited about playing with you or other dogs might bite excessively. Playtime might heat up when your French bulldog is goofing around with its four-legged friends. This is why it is recommended to bottleneck things before they get out of control.
If your French bulldog bites another dog, let your companion know they have done wrong. However, if you were the victim of this accident, leave the room so that your Frenchie understands that fun times end once they bite you.
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At what age do Frenchie’s stop biting?
On average, French bulldogs stop biting by the time they turn 8 months and complete the teething process, which resolves their chewing issues. They experience teething during their first months. The first set of daggers comes out during the second week of life, and puppy teeth will continue sprouting until the sixth week. During teething, your pup will experience an unbearable urge to bite and chew to ease the sore gums.
Giving chew toys will prevent your pup from venting its little chewers on your belongings or bare skin. Your Frenchie’s puppy teeth will fall off when it reaches 8 to 12 weeks, giving way for the adult teeth to grow. This will again cause agonizing discomfort for your dog and result in a biting tendency.
It is important to understand that biting and chewing are normal for young pups, but you can prevent them from continuing in adulthood with the right techniques.
Do French bulldogs like chewing?
Chewing is very natural for French bulldogs. Rather than preventing them from chewing, you should encourage excellent chewing behavior by providing age and breed-appropriate materials that cater to their demands. Refraining from levying corrective punishment while discouraging your determined Frenchie’s chewing is best. Doing otherwise can present new problems and encourage undesirable habits.
How hard do French bulldogs bite?
The biting force of French bulldogs ranges between 180 to 230 pounds per square inch (PSI). This estimate was calculated from documented studies of similar-sized dog breeds converted into a range of strength in pounds.
How to train a French bulldog puppy?
The key lies in maintaining a positive attitude during the entire training process so that the experience remains enjoyable for you and your four-legged buddy. You can use various resources so that there is never a dull moment between the both of you. It is required to be consistent while training and disciplining your pup whenever they commit an offense.
High voice tone and forceful body language can be used alongside positive reinforcement whenever required. Rather than continuing with a prolonged training episode, you should give your pets a timeout now and then.
How to discipline your French bulldog?
- Try understanding your dog’s preferences and the things he enjoys the most.
- Determine the right level of discipline for the dog.
- Start training your Frenchie during his early years and maintain coherence in your approach.
- Emphasize the use of positive reinforcement while training your dog.
How to calm a hyper Frenchie?
- Try ignoring your dog.
- Do not show any signs of affection towards him.
- Try to keep your dog entertained by engaging him in an activity.
- Try taking your dog on walks.
- Take note of your energy levels and try not to waste your strength.
- Try aromatherapy works wonders in calming hyper canines.
Are French bulldogs aggressive?
French bulldogs are not recognized for being violent despite having a rather menacing look. Though most French bulldogs are amicable, this doesn’t hold for the entire breed as some might be more violent than others. Frenchies tend to become possessive of their homes which is why they often exhibit guard dog characteristics. This type of behavior is exuded by dogs when they try protecting things they love and care for.
If your French bulldog has been growling every time you go close to their food bowl, they are simply defending their food by protecting their territory. Aggressive behavior in dogs might also be triggered by improper socialization from an early stage.
Do French bulldogs tend to bite kids?
According to dog experts, the primary reason behind aggressive behavior in dogs is their territorial behavior. If a dog believes that children below the age of six pose a threat to them by taking away their toys or food, they will most probably attack them. However, dogs might also bite youngsters if older children infringe on their domain.
Do Frenchie’s have overbites?
Typically, a French bulldog has an underbite. However, the severity of the condition might vary from one dog to another. Ideally, the under jaw should be “square,” “deep,” “wide,” “undershot” and “properly turned up.” When the dog is in a relaxed state, the lower jaws of short-faced breeds protrude out from behind the bottom teeth and are more prominently visible.
At what age does a French bulldog calm down?
French bulldogs learn to calm down as they get closer to maturity. They will exhibit lower energy levels as they get spayed or neutered between four and nine months.
How to teach a French bulldog puppy to have a gentle mouth?
While training a French bulldog puppy, the right timing and proper knowledge can serve as expensive tools in your arsenal. You should enforce the regulations similarly every time so that the puppy fully understands what is expected of him. You should also share the drill with other household members so that they know how to react if the puppy bites them.
What to do if my Frenchie bites me?
If your pup has been properly vaccinated, you don’t need to worry about anything. However, you should immediately visit the doctor if an unvaccinated pup bites you. It is also advisable to update your anti-rabies shots to be on the safe side. If the wound bleeds, wash it under running water with soap and cover it with a sterile bandage before consulting the doctor and applying over-the-counter medication prescribed by the expert.
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Do French bulldogs like being scooped up?
French bulldogs love being cuddled and won’t object if you pick up and carry them around. However, just like humans, no two dogs are the same and the only way of handling them best is with practice and offering them a verbal indication before lifting them.
How to train a French bulldog not to bite ?
Teach Bite-Inhibition Method
Once a pup learns self-control and doesn’t bite down on a hand or skin, this is known as bite inhibition. Usually, French bulldog puppies learn this while playing with their littermates. The other pup will cry or squeal on being bitten hard and will stop the game. This teaches the first pup how to be more careful with how hard they bite so that their game doesn’t come to an abrupt end.
The same can be mimicked while playing with your pup by crying out whenever the pup bites your hind. With time, your pup will understand it needs to be careful around human skin. Rather than being shy or introverted, you should be extra-jumpy by yelling out even to the slightest of scratches. Whenever the puppy bites your hand, scrunch to show that you are in immense pain.
You can also let the hand go limp and make whimpering noises. Usually, your puppy will show signs of concern, and you can relax and continue with the game with a toy in the place of your hand. However, if the pup keeps coming, your only option is to end the game. It is preferable to simply get up and leave the room, so your puppy gets time to calm itself.
Hopefully, this will send out a strong message that rough play will end the fun and teach the pups to be gentle.
Teach Self-Control Method
If you are wondering how to train a French bulldog not to bite, then you can try out this method which works wonders on super-excited Frenchies who often lose self-control and bite out of pure exuberance. Your aim here will be to play for 15-second durations and stop briefly. The play should be resumed only after the puppy has calmed down. Doing this prevents the puppy from becoming hyper because he might be too excited to stop himself.
You should make it a point to apply the rules consistently so that your Frenchie understands the consequences of what will happen if he doesn’t calm down. A tug-of-war game can be played with your pup with his favorite toy for 15 seconds. Once you put down the toy after the time and your pup continues to play, wondering wh ignore him without preventing his game. After your Frenchie has calmed down, you can pick up the toy and resume the game.
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Chances are high that your pup will look at you, wondering why you have stopped the game after he has calmed down. This is the right time to re-engage him for another 15 seconds with the toy. You can repeat this short play cycle followed by brief pause periods so that your puppy doesn’t get overexcited. If your pup keeps on mobbing when you pause, then get up and walk away only to return once your pup has calmed down.
Do’s & Don’ts Method
- Never engage in physical punishment as that might excite your pup more and increase his biting tendency. Your pup might stop biting only because he is fearful of you rather than learning not to bite.
- Never leave your children alone with a French bulldog as your puppy might get excited by the squeals and squeaks of children resulting in play biting. If your child pulls away, it will offer greater purpose to the pup to chase them. This can be avoided by teaching children how to react and supervising them at all times.
- If you are struggling to cope with an unusually mouthy Frenchie, then seek immediate professional help from a certified dog behaviorist or trainer.
- If you are thinking of how to train a French bulldog not to bite, then make sure to never invite them to play with their hands or tease them with your fingers. Doing otherwise teaches them that hands are toys and increases their biting tendency.
- Always encourage your pup to play with toys like balls to chase, cuddly toys, and tug toys. These toys will encourage your pup to be more interested in the toys rather than nibbling on your bare skin.
Miscellaneous Techniques
- Obedience training can stop your pup from biting by providing them greater control over their biting habits. You can start with basic commands like Sit, Come, Stay and Leave it. It is very normal for the pups to feel confused during the training. You can avoid this by using short cue words which can be picked up easily. Make sure to always use your dog’s name to attract its attention and let them know that you are communicating with them.
- Frenchies often resort to biting and chewing out of boredom. While discussing how to train a French bulldog not to bite, top pet trainers suggest offering them ample mental exercise to keep their minds off biting. Rotating toys can offer your canine something new to look forward to during playtime.
- If your French bulldog doesn’t stop biting, you can use a non-toxic bitter spray. Just a few puffs are enough to keep your furry friend from digging its teeth into your skin. The awful flavor of this spray will make your skin unappealing for your dog and help stop the biting habit.
- Socializing your Frenchie is important if you are wondering how to train a French bulldog not to bite as it helps curb their biting habit. This makes them more desensitized to different stimuli and becomes more disciplined. Biting won’t be their first response when placed in an unfamiliar situation.
- Apart from socialization, also expose your pup to fearful situations and loud noises such as busy public places, car honks, etc. The sooner they get used to this, the less time it will take for them to stop biting out of fear.
- Adult French bulldogs often bite to exert dominance over their owner. At times, they might bite out of jealousy or when you tell them to get off your bed or chair. You should train your Frenchie to realize that you are the pack leader and your dog can under no circumstance bite his Alpha.
- Frenchies tend towards being overprotective of their food. This is something they pick up when in the litter when they had to fight for nutrition. However, this behavior might extend over their food bowl. For dealing with food aggression, you can put a food bowl in front of your French bulldog and remove it promptly. If they don’t react with a bite attempt, then reward them with a treat and praise them vocally.
- An important aspect of how to train a French bulldog not to bite is to teach them that it is okay to have your hands near their mouth without biting at them. They need to accept this from an early stage. You can show a snack to your pup and pop it into their mouth and out again using your fingers. This will make them feel comfortable about letting you put your fingers inside their mouth without biting back.
- Though this method is very cruel and not at all advisable, many dog trainers swear by this fallback tactic. Whenever your pup tries biting you make a loud squeal and place your thumb quickly in their mouth by pressing it underneath their tongue. Next, you will have to put a finger under the chin and hold this position for 10 seconds without hurting the puppy. Your puppy will despise this whole drill and will learn a lesson of not biting you the next time.
Conclusion
Understanding how to train a French bulldog not to bite requires a lot of patience on the part of their humans. Despite the work you need to put in, educating yourself about the above-mentioned tactics will be fruitful in the long term. Yelling and shouting aren’t the way out as you need to stay calm throughout the entire process. Consistent training and positive reinforcement are the only ways to go about it and prevent your Frenchie pup from becoming a notorious biter.