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Ok, so youve got a problem. Your dog is using those shiny, pointy teeth of his for something other than chewing his kibble.

What can you do about it?

Well, as a concerned dog owner you need to figure out the causewhats triggering this behaviorI mean, if my dog bites, I need to know the reason right?and so do you...and you need to address that reason as well as the behavior itselfotherwise, you wont change it.

First, lets look at some of the usual reasons.

Fido may be nipping because hes afraid of something. If you acquired an adult dog, maybe he was abused and now fears anything on two legs. Maybe he fears his new surroundings. In any case, youre going to need to soothe those fears away.

At first use your voice; just talk to him quietly and calmly for a few minutes, several times a day, and from a non-threatening distance. Over time, work your way closer. Then, when hes ready (not you), use your touch. Pet him gently while youre talking. Youll be making deposits into his trust bank and, when the balance is high enough, youll start to see a change.

Maybe your dog bites when he gets too excited. If you play rough with him for too long, youll likely over-stimulate him. Then he might lose his doggy cool and take a shot at you. Not good, and especially not good if your kids are the ones doing the stimulating.

So learn to stop sooner than later and give your buddy some time to chill out before you handle him again. My father, a pretty good amateur handler, used to tell me this over and over when I played rough with our dogs. Then finally, (tired of me not listening), he just let me learn the hard way. I still have a little scar on my right hand to remind me.

Lastly, maybe your dog is biting because hes going through a challenging phase. He might be challenging you or your family members in order to earn a higher position in the pack. Remember, he thinks everyone in the house has a certain rank and his nature is to challenge that notion every so often. He wants to raise his own rankhe wants to be the Top Dog.

If this is the case, you need to put him in his place. He needs to know that everyone else (and I do mean everyone) in your family has a higher rank than him.

Start off by ignoring himdont let anyone give him any attention unless he earns it by obeying a simple command or two first. Later on (days not hours) you can give him more attention, but only when hes not actively seeking it. In this way hell start to get the idea of whos really in charge.

Another powerful technique to teach your dog his place in your family pack is to feed him last. Make sure the entire family has finished eating before you feed Fido. This might sound cruel, but its not. Out in the wild the Top Dog eats first and when hes finished, the rest of the pack eats according to their rank. Your dog will have enough instinctual memory to understand this. And hell get a strong message.

Oh, and dont let him beg or get excited before you feed himmake him sit or lie quietly for at least a few minutes before he gets his meal.

Now, lets look at how to address the behavior itself.

You want to give your dog a correction and to do that you must catch him in the act. If he bites and you wait (even just several seconds) before making your correction, it will do you absolutely no good. Ten seconds later, your dogs brain is already on to his next thing and he wont make the connection between his bite and your correction.

And how do you make the correction you ask?

Well, first, resist the urge to punish him with a smack. Hell get mixed signals from this and you might make things worse.

A better way is to challenge his biting behavior immediately with a loud, long Nooooo. Or my personal favorite; growl at him (and show some teeth when you do it!). Then chase him away, back to his bed or into a corner.

And then ignore him.

This will let him know that play-time just ended. Dont give him any attention for awhile, and then, make him earn it by obeying a command or two.

This approach can have a very positive effect on a lot of biting behavior. But remember, Rome wasnt built in a day and the same goes for your relationship with your pooch. Youll need to use patience because you may need to repeat these techniques for days or even weeks before you see the results you want.

I hope this helps a bit and that my dog bites soon becomes my dog used to bitethanks for reading.

Did you know that biting is just one of the five most destructive and embarrassing behaviors your dog can exhibit? Need help with the other four? Then check out http://AlexionReviews.com.

Michael Royce is an amateur dog trainer who has lived with, trained, (and been trained by) more than a dozen dogs in the last 25 years. He is a regular contributor to several websites including http://The-Dog-Zone.net

Knowing what to vaccinate for and how often to give your dog vaccines are two very important questions that every dog owner must deal with. It is very important to vaccinate your dog. This is also a very important part of any dog health care program. Regular vaccinations can prevent your dog from contracting many diseases and can possibly save their life. Two important viruses to vaccinate for are canine parvovirus and distemper.

Most vets agree that it is vital to vaccinate puppies at 6 weeks of age and again at 8, 12, and 16 weeks for Distemper, Canine Infectious Hepatitis, Leptospirosis, Parainfluenza, Parvovirus, and Coronavirus (DHLPPC). It is also suggested that puppies are vaccinated for rabies at six months of age and then to repeat it annually.

Although your new puppy may squirm or even cry when getting his vaccinations, it is just as important for your dog as it is for your children to receive these "annual shots". In fact, by keeping up to date on your dog's vaccinations, you could be saving his life. Basically, dog vaccinations are injections of a small dose of a specific disease, which should prevent your puppy from developing that very disease later in life by creating the necessary antibodies to fight it off.

Some dog owners have concerns whether the repeated dog vaccinations are really necessary and whether they are doing more harm than good. Vaccinations work by stimulating the dog's immune system, encouraging it to readily produce antibodies to fight against many specific types of bacterias and viruses.

Stimulating the dogs immune system this way does come at a price when the vaccine in the dog's system leads to illness. Once vaccinations are given to your dog, your dog's immune system will recognize the presence of a disease and will then create the antibodies needed to fight it off. These antibodies only last from six months to a year, which makes regular vaccinations extremely important for your puppy or dog.

The question on the minds of many pet owners is usually - "is it dangerous to repeatedly vaccinate my dog each year"? Fortunately the experts do agree that the answer to this question is a resounding "no."

While there are rare cases of dogs that have become very ill or even died as a result of receiving a vaccination, there is no evidence to suggest that this practice poses any real danger generally speaking. Oftentimes, the dogs that are adversely affected to vaccines may have already been sick or have some form of allergy to a specific part of the vaccine.

When using a vaccine that must be mixed first, there are four simple steps to follow. First: mix the vaccine by withdrawing all of the liquid from the appropriate vial and then injecting it into the vial containing the dried portion of the vaccine. Remove the syringe, shake the vial to mix up the vaccination, re-insert the needle and then withdraw the entire 1 ml contents of the mixed vaccination.

Two different types of vaccinations exist which are a Killed Vaccine and a Modified Live Vaccine. A Modified Live Vaccine is the live disease being injected, while having been altered by the drug company to be unable to cause the disease it is protecting against. A Killed Vaccine is when the virus itself has been killed before any injection occurs.

Most vaccinations are administered subcutaneously (by injecting the vaccine just under the skin). One of the best areas is located in the shoulder or neck area. Simply lift a tent of skin into a triangle with one hand, and inject the vaccine into it with the other hand. Note: always use a different sterile needle and syringe for each dog and also for each individual injection, and then dispose of all used needles and syringes in a safe location.

I feel that the best advice I can offer is that dog owners continue vaccinating their dogs according to local laws and the recommendations of their veterinarians. Since the annual vaccines are not seemingly harming dogs in any way, there is no cause for alarm and no harm in continuing the same routine until the veterinary community makes up its mind that a real change is needed in regard to dog vaccinations. In the mean time, a little prevention can go a long way to keep your dog healthy.

Copyright 2007. Debbie L. Ray. All rights reserved.

Debbie Ray, owner of http://www.pedigreedpups.com , http://www.the-website-doctor.com , http://www.pedigreeddogs.com and http://www.total-german-shepherd.com is a lifelong dog owner, teacher and internet business owner. Want to learn how to build a website by yourself? Interested in purebred dogs? The German Shepherd? Promote your dog related website? Let me teach you more.

Studies show that children have the best chance of being bitten. Before a child turns 15, an animal has bitten nearly half. The vast majority of attacks happen to kids less than 9 years of age. By examining canine tendencies, most bites can be thwarted. It is true that most animals are safe, but some times dogs can have their own agendas. It is imperative that we educate our children to be on the look out for situations they must avoid.

There is rarely a good reason for a dog biting a child, but learning the mindset, from the animals' point of view, may be helpful in evading aggressive animals. Here are some stats from a well-known university, which were based over a three-year period.

Of all K9 bites on children under four years of age, most were bitten in early May. Sixty percent were bitten on the head, neck and face, 90 percent were bitten in their own home, 40% were attacked by their own dog and 60 percent of the dogs had never bitten before.

Of all K9 bites on children over four years of age but less then 17 years old, most were bitten in early July. Eighteen percent were bitten on the head, neck and face, 38 percent were bitten in their own home, 18% were attacked by their own dog and 50 percent of the dogs had never bitten before.

This poses many questions...

All dogs are capable of biting, but the majority wont if you act accordingly.

Be sure to pay attention to the body language of a dog. If a dog has an aggressive demeanor do not approach it. Often you can tell an aggressive dog but the following signs: Ears are stiff, body is tense, tall is high.

Dogs that have assumed either a defensive or offensive threat posture frequently have a "critical zone". A child is safe around this zone until entering the imaginary circle the dog has projected. The problem is that this zone varies between dogs and can even be different for the same dog if the situation changes. So it's impossible for humans to accurately determine the critical zone. The shy or fearful dog adopts a defensive threat posture. It is hesitant, easily frightened, timid, tends to avoid certain persons or things. Frequently, these traits are not noticed until the dog encounters a new situation. The dog might assume elements of the defensive threat posture when frightened.

How do you stop your child from being attacked?

- Avoid pack dogs
- If confronted, do not run away or scream.
- Always ask an owner if it's okay to pet their dog
- Always let a dog sniff your hand before petting them.

Animals and children are capable of living in harmony, but it's the parents job to teach their children. If you conform to the following information, you and your kids will be safer!

Amber Rose Parodi write various articles on animals and pets. Many of her articles can be found at http://www.pet-super-store.com. For more information please visit their website here: Discount Pet Supplies.