Dogs are affectionate and mouthy beings, and you know that! But if your dog has a particular habit of biting you each time you get home from somewhere, you may already be asking the question: why does my dog bite me when I come back home?
Then it’s time you understand its intentions and what you can do about it.
Why does my dog bite me when I come back home?
Your dog bites you when you come back home because it’s its new form of greeting, a show of excitement, a sign that it misses you, a way of showing dissatisfaction with you, or it simply lacks discipline.
But wait – there’s more!
There are lots of factors that could be triggering your dog’s biting behavior whenever you get back home. To get it to stop, you need to be exact on the cause of the biting. The below explanations will direct you to the most likely cause of your dog’s behavior.
A Form of Greeting Ritual
It could be a misunderstanding on your part. What you see as biting could be your dog’s way of welcoming you back home.
This explanation could be the case if you ignore your dog each time you return home. Its biting behavior could be it trying to get your attention while welcoming you home from a hectic day.
This reason would be more likely to be the cause if your dog is a golden retriever or still in the puppy stage as this is a usual behavior for a dog of his age.
Show of Excitement
This could be its way of showing its excitement for your return. Generally, most dogs instinctively show off their excitement by play-biting their loved ones on their return.
In addition to biting you, If your dog chews on anything on you in his field of vision while happily wagging its tail, then excitement is the most likely cause of the biting.
Another reason this explanation is more likely is if your dog is still a puppy. Puppies are uncontrollable when excited, and you could expect things like biting. Which shows he’s excited to see you and also wants to play with you.
Hunger Problems
The likelihood of this possibility is very high. If you have been returning home when it’s way past its lunch or dinner time, the chances are that it’s angry with you and its only way of showing its disapproval of your action is by biting you each time you get back late.
Your dog’s biting is behavioral, a typical behavior among hungry puppies. If your adult dog is a food lover, it will likely bite when hungry.
Show of Dissatisfaction With Your Absence
Another reason could be that it is sad about your absence.
Does this sound familiar?
This is very likely if it is recently left to stay home alone.
Staying alone could be a challenge to your dog, and with no way to show its sadness, it is left with no choice but to bite you.
It Lacks Some More Dog Training
Your dog could bite you when you come home if it doesn’t know how wrong it is to bite. If it hasn’t received any special training from you or anyone, then this could be the reason it bites you.
Food For Thoughts
If biting whenever you get home is a new habit you notice about your dog, then likely reasons for it may not be as easy as you thought.
Take time to think about all that happened before it first started biting.
- Does it have a new pet sitter?
- Have you changed the environment where you lived?
- Have you become a latecomer?
- Did you change jobs, or is there a scent you take on from outside?
- What’s your current relationship with your dog?
- Do you perhaps have someone new staying with you?
These are questions you need to ask yourself. And while you go through this self-reflecting process, try to develop a closer relationship with your dog.
What Are Its Other Behaviors?
Does it do the biting only on your return? If it acts the same way when you’re leaving, then it’s more likely that it’s sad about you leaving.
And you know what?
If it’s well-behaved when you leave but acts bitingly on your return, it could just be your dog’s version of saying, “Oh, you’re back! I miss you, let me have a taste of you”.
If it acts this way to you alone, consider revisiting some memories of your relationship with him before the biting behavior. If it acts this way to everyone returning home, it could be showing excitement.
Now What? How To Deal With Why Does My Dog Bite Me When I Get Home?
Most often than not, these biting/nipping don’t hurt, but they are no less annoying. If stopping your dog’s behavior is what you want, you’ll find these tips helpful.
But take note your dog’s behavior won’t stop too quickly when trying to apply a solution. Be patient
Inhibit The Biting
Whenever your adult dog repeats the action of biting you as you get home, imitate a yelping sound. When he stops, turn your back and ignore him. Ignore it for some time, and pet and play with it only when it’s calm.
Train It
Teach your dog the NO command. Let it know that you are unhappy with his behavior. Buy it a safe chewing toy to chew on when you leave for work, or allow it to associate with other dogs.
Seek Help From A Dog Trainer
If you feel that your dog’s behavior is far from normal, seek help from professionals in the field.
Limit Your Time Away and Form Closer Bond With It
All this could be your fault. Try returning on time before lunch or dinner time and have a play period with it.
My Dog Bites Me When I Come Home. Does He Hate Me?
No! Your dog doesn’t hate you. That’s very unlikely. Dogs are unable to hate emotions with humans.
He may be excited to see you home if he’s a puppy or a recently rescued dog. If it’s an adult dog, he may be expecting a form reward from your return.
Think back. Have you stopped giving it as a form of gift when you return? If not, your dog may be hungry and needs food.
Final Words
All in all, dogs are lovely beings and unlikely to develop habits that could hurt those around them. Develop a closer bond with your dog; you’ll naturally know why he does certain things like why your dog bites you when you come home and what you will do in the face of it.
Continue reading: Why Does My Dog Hide From Me When I Come Home
