It’s easy to forget that adorable puppies come with a mouthful of needle-sharp teeth. Part of a puppy’s irresistibility is due to his playful nature, but when a puppy plays he’s bound to use those little teeth.
Even though biting and mouthing are natural behaviors for puppies, it’s important to start training early. A puppy needs to learn what play is acceptable in his new human pack and what play isn’t.
Why Do Puppies Bite?
When watching a puppy play with his litter mates, a pet owner can observe a lot of mouthing and playful nipping. Mostly, they’re just having fun, but every once in a while, a puppy yips in pain and play stops.
This play serves as an important lesson for a new puppy. They learn what level of biting is all in good fun and what level of biting is unacceptable.
Mouthing isn’t a bad behavior for a young puppy. In fact, puppies who don’t bite at all lack the bite inhibition most dogs learn during their first few months. This means when such a dog bites for the first time, it’s more likely to lead to serious injury.
How to Eliminate Biting and Mouthing
A pet owner wants to play with his new puppy, but those sharp little teeth have much less of an effect on another puppy’s fur than on bare skin. It’s a good idea to train the dog early that absolutely no contact between teeth and skin is acceptable during play.
To do this, a pet owner simply has to examine the motivation behind a puppy’s biting. The dog is trying to initiate play. He just wants attention.
To eliminate mouthing, a pet owner can reward acceptable play by joining in and giving plenty of attention. And as soon as the puppy bites, the owner can stop play and ignore the puppy for a few seconds.
If the puppy is too wound up, a pet owner might need to use a few minutes of crate time as a cool-down period. Pet owners will want to keep in mind that loud scolding or quick movements may appear like play to an excited puppy. Calmly telling the dog “No,” and placing him in his crate for a minute is the best way to react.
Tips for Keeping Biting out of Puppy Play
Since puppy’s tend to bite and mouth when they’re excited, pet owners can try to keep playtime quiet. Shorter play sessions may also help biting stay at a minimum.
Forbidding a puppy to bite hands, but allowing him to chew on shoe laces or pant legs sends mixed signals. To be clear, pet owners will want to stop play and ignore the puppy if his teeth come in contact with any piece of clothing or part of the body.
Since all puppies need to bite and chew, toys are a great outlet. They also offer a fun way for owners and puppies to interact with each other. Playing with larger chew toys allows the puppy more room to bite without accidentally nipping his owner’s hand.
Biting Rules for the Puppy’s Whole Family
One key to eliminating a puppy’s biting is making sure everyone who plays with the dog is on the same page. If one family member decides to rough house, everyone else’s hard work goes out the window. It’s crucial to remember that a puppy can’t be expected to know who he can horse around with and who he can’t. However the puppy plays with big brother is how he’ll play with baby sister and grandma too.
Now that readers understand how to initiate gentle play, they may also want to check out tips for house training, feeding new puppies, and crate training.
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