I know what you are thinking - have I misread this or is this guy completely nuts !. I like to think the answer is neither - you can believe your eyes and I am completely sane and I do in fact bite my dog.

Well the second thought must be - is he some sort of freak who gets his kicks from biting dogs ?. Let me assure this is as far from the truth as possible, I love my dog ( indeed I love all animals ). So why do I do it ?, let me explain.

First let me introduce my dog - she is a border collie / german shepherd cross ( she looks like a small german shepherd ). As both her parent breeds are very intelligent she also is very intelligent - and more than a little independently spirited. We got her from an animal rescue center as she had been abandoned (with the rest of her litter ) when she was very young. She had already been re-homed once but the person who took her could not cope and brought her back.

So I was going to explain why I bite her - in a nutshell it is to re-assert my dominance as pack leader and keep her in line within the pack hierarchy. It is what her mother would have done to her to discipline her and her offspring when they were puppies. I have to be honest and say it is a very rare occurrence and does not happen more than once or twice a year. She only gets bitten what she starts to get a bit above her station i.e. she signs of aggression or other persistent misbehaviour - that independent spirit coming through.

The biting is done in a very controlled fashion - after some pretend fighting ( again simulating pack / family behaviour) she will be wrestled to the ground in a submissive position and a very gentle nip on the end of the ear is administered. The pressure applied is only just enough to bring forth a tiny squeal. You must never really hurt the dog nor must you try this technique too often. You must always be very cautious as the dog may well bite back possibly resulting in serious injury - you have been warned.

As we have two children in the house it is important that the dog knows it's position within the hierarchy and that aggressive behaviour is not accepted. I have used the same technique on other dogs ( including my 11 stone rottweiler !) and it is very effective. Of course this technique is not for everyone so you may want to read some of my other articles or indeed visit my site for some alternative ( less controversial !) techniques.