Why does my dog jump and bite when I use a fly swatter? How to stop?

Hi there. Repetitive fly snapping when there is nothing present can be a sign of neurologic problems, or can be a compulsive behavior in dogs. If her neurologic exam is normal and she has no other symptoms, then it's more likely to be compulsive - but it would be best to have her evaluated by a veterinary behaviorist to know for sure. Treatment for compulsive behavior issues normally involves increasing exercise and mental stimulation, providing distractions or training an alternative behavior that can be cued and rewarded at times when she would normally start fly snapping, and often medication of some kind. You can find more information on how to locate a qualified professional in your area to help with this here: https://www.rspca.org.uk/adviceandwelfare/pets/general/findabehaviourist

Many dogs become excited and over-stimulated when people are running or playing nearby. I would recommend keeping Max on-leash whenever their are people nearby that he tends to chase and bite - this way, you can prevent him from being able to do this, and can also use praise and treats to reward calm behavior.

Hi, fly biting behavior (snapping at the air as if trying to catch a nonexistent fly) is an obsessive-compulsive behavior, caused by an array of issues that range from eye problems to a form of a focal seizure . This needs to be investigated by a neurologist. If confirms then managed with anti-epileptic medications that are used for generalized seizures. There is research that presented data indicating that some fly biting may be caused by an underlying medical disorder, GI disease being the most common. At home, these dogs consistently presented more fly biting following feeding, suggesting potential postprandial [after eating] discomfort. In these fly biting dogs, the jaw snapping was preceded by head raising and neck extension. When these dogs received treatment for their GI disease, the fly biting completely resolved in most cases in this research group. If your dog is fly biting, make sure your vet performs also a complete work-up for gastrointestinal disease. There is a chance you’ll find something that responds to treatment. Hope this helps but the best thing would be to try and find a specialist preferably a neurologist.

This sounds like fly biting activity. Dogs with this disorder seem to have hallucinations: they chase flying items only they can see. You have to consider many underlying medical and behavioral reasons for this behavior. * attention seeking * ocular disease * seizures * metabolic or toxic or neoplastic diseases These all need to be ruled out but the most common reason is seizures. ( http://www.canine-epilepsy.net/flybite/flybite.html ) I suggest you seek help from your veterinarian.

What you're describing sounds like a reaction to the general excitement level and maybe the volume in the room. Some dogs will actually become aggressive that type of situation (for example, they will bite ONLY when there's a touchdown -- not so fun for the visitors). As far as stopping it, keeping her a quiet separate area during big gatherings is one way, as long as she doesn't bark to be reunited with the group. You can also try feeding her a continuous steam of small treats to help change her emotional reaction to these events. One thing to avoid is any yelling or punishment, since that may push her over the edge from barking to aggression

This could be a natural herding behavior for her breed. When she does it I would tell her no and try to give her a toy instead. You can also use a water bottle and spray her while saying no when she does it to help teach her not to do that. These behaviors can be frustrating and difficult to "out train" since it is part of their breed instincts to nip like this. I hope this helps!

It sounds as though Lilly is getting a little overexcited when out in the yard. To deter this behavior it is best to ignore it. When she is jumping and biting, turn away from her. Ignore her until she settles down. Do not yell or give her any attention. In the home work on her SIT command. Teach her to sit nicely before petting her. Have toys available for her outdoors. She may just need to get some of her energy out and likely she will calm down.