Do Scotties Bite In The Workplace?

Many dogs have biting problems. People who aren’t dog owners may think all dogs are vicious. But do Scotties bite? It’s wrong to assume that your Scottie is vicious. Your canine friend may just be teething, or play biting due to a rush of excitement.

Either way, there is no excuse for biting. This is a problem that needs to be addressed as soon as possible to prevent possibly injuring and drawing blood on someone in the future, hopefully not your boss!

Many pet owners who decide to bring their Scottie or any other terrier dog to the workplace will need to be confident that biting doesn’t happen. Because at the end of the day, it’s you who is responsible for your dog’s actions.

Scotties can naturally bite a lot, especially when they are not properly trained on how to interact with people and pets in the workplace. Again, they may just be biting because their teeth hurt, they want to join in with all the fun, or just crave attention. Biting will always become more frequent if the owners do not do something about it, so act fast!

Let’s take a more in-depth look into why Scotties bite in the workplace and some ways that you can make sure your Scottie stops the bad habit of biting as soon as possible.

Do All Scotties Bite?

Some Scotties will bite a lot. It depends on the dog and how Scottie has been brought up. If any dog is not properly trained there is always a risk of biting colleagues or other office pets. Scotties that are trained well, do not bite as much.

Scotties can bite for a variety of different reasons. They often learn about biting their brothers and sisters after being born. During this time, their bite does not hurt that much because their teeth are small and not that sharp or strong.

Should I Let My Scottie Bite?

People assume that because Scotties are classed as small dogs. They probably won’t do much damage when biting. This attitude is wrong, you should never let your Scottie bite. This problem will continue to grow, with the bites becoming more frequent and fierce.

Even with a small mouth, the Scottie can put down a lot of pressure through those needle-like teeth, certainly strong enough to draw blood and seriously hurt another person or animal; whether it’s your colleague’s cat, a child or an outside visitor.

Should I hit my Scottie for biting?

NO! Never, ever hit or physically punish your Scottie. In some countries, you may even be punished by law.

Your Scottie may associate hitting with a hand or a person coming near him/her as a threat when you just want a cuddle. This may lead to nervousness, which leads to aggressive behaviour. Aggression in the workplace is not a good look!

Instead of hitting your Scottie for biting, speak to a veterinarian or dog trainer about ways to manage that behaviour. Many local cities have Dog training classes, and they aren’t that expensive. It’s a good idea to look into replacing hitting with positive reinforcement techniques instead.

Why Do Scotties Bite?

Scotties can bite for several reasons. No matter what the reason is though, your Scottie can learn how to stop with consistency and patience your yourself and others that make contact with him/her.

Some of the reasons why a Scottie will bite include:

• Teething: Many Scottish terrier puppies bite and possibly chew on you because they are teething. This can start at around three months old and can last up to eight months. You can offer your puppy something to chew but don’t play tug rope, this can build aggression in your dog.
• Excitement: Scotties can get hyper when they play and meet new people, especially clients! They may not even realise they are biting.
• Attention Seeking: Scotties mainly bark or cry when they want something, but some Scotties can bite to get attention. Whether they want food, to go outside, or they want to play. You will need to train the Scottie that biting, even when they want something, is not allowed. ☝️
• They are in pain: If out-of-character biting starts to happen, and you can tell your Scottie is agitated, it could be a sign that your dog is ill or in pain. It’s advised to visit the vet if this happens.
• They bite out of habit: If the Scottie has not been trained to stop biting at an early age, then they may develop a habit of biting just because they want to, and they see no reason not to.
• Fear and anxiety: Sometimes when your Scottie is anxious or scared they may not know what to do when meeting new people or other pets at work. Biting maybe the only thing they can think of. Terriers are known to bite first and think later when fear and anxiety kicks in; it’s part of their natural instincts.

There are many reasons why your Scottie may bite. But none of them is a reason why you should continue to let your Scottie bite. Make sure to train your Scottie. It’s also a good idea to note the dog’s behaviour down every time biting happens with reasoning, this may help you figure out the rooting problem to why Scotties bite in the workplace.

How Can I Stop My Scottie Puppy From Biting?

All dogs, including Scottie’s bite at some point in their lives. They learn how to do this by wrestling with their brothers and sisters at a young age. While biting is natural, this shouldn’t happen often to a domesticated dog.

You need to let your dog know that biting is not tolerated as soon as you notice it, even if you are engulfed in work. Being clear that biting hurts by stopping playtime will send signals to the dog that biting is bad. Once your dog knows what ‘NO’ means, the dog’s attitude to biting will change.

When you notice your Scottie biting, there are a few steps you can take:

Be Social

One thing to do to help your dog learn not to bite is to socialise with your Scottie and give them a cuddle when they are good. In general, terriers are very anti-social to other dogs.

Socialising your Scottie early on with yourself and other dogs will help with your puppy’s confidence and reduce biting.

A Biting Scottie Is Bad

Your Scottie is likely to come into contact with many pets and colleagues at work. This can sometimes result in nips and bites, even though these are often accidental. Every time your canine friend nips or bites, make a clear “Ouch!” or “Arg” and then move the hand away fast.

This teaches the dog that its bite hurts and it isn’t nice. Education is everything. If you have more than one dog, they will help your Scottie learn better as well as long as they are already well-behaved.

Should I Stop Playing If My Scottie Bites?

Once your puppy bites, Stop playing and isolate. Give a firm ‘NO’. If they bite you and you keep on playing, then they will think biting is part of the game. When you stop playing, you are showing them that biting is no longer acceptable.

When your Scottie learns they get no attention after this behaviour, they will stop.

Give Your Scottie Chew Toys!

Your Scottie needs a chance to chew on things. This can help them when their teeth grow and hurt and provides them with some entertainment. Some chews can even clean teeth!

Proving your Scottie a chew stick may be a good way to prevent them from biting you. This will give them a distraction and some relief instead of biting that nice lady in HR. It’s advised to not play any tug-of-war games with the dog’s toys, this can enhance aggression.

Hopefully, this article answers some questions on whether Scotties bite in the workplace. Most Scotties will grow out of biting if disciplined correctly. Should your dog bite someone, that person may be scarred for life. You may get a court order to put your dog to sleep.