07/10/2024
Why Is My Puppy Biting Me?
Puppy biting is not aggression - it is fun for them!
A very common questions I get asked very often is, “How can I teach my puppy to stop biting?”
This is one of the biggest struggles, most people will encounter with a puppy while they go through a period of biting or “mouthing.” But there is good news since most puppies will grow out of the biting stage on their own and it can be stopped with some training and patience.
Puppy biting or mouthing is normal puppy behavior. All puppies love to use their mouths to interact with their littermates, play, chew, and explore their environment. They also have needle-sharp teeth that can quickly turn fun play into pain when they bite too hard.
It is often more challenging with herding and retriever breeds, since they instinctively use their mouths. This makes them even mouthier.
Up until around 6 months of age, puppies loose their puppy teeth and adult teeth are growing in, which is very painful and irritating at times as well. But while that is happening, they’ll chew on anything (including your hands and feet) to relieve discomfort and frustration.
This time can be frustrating for some owners. But with understanding why they do it, patience, and preparation, you can help your puppy through this stage of life while teaching them bite inhibition.
While a puppy is still with the mom and litter mates, they learn to control the intensity of their bite from their littermates. As puppies play and interact, they correct each other when the biting gets too hard. You can also continue this lesson.
In the beginning, you can expect your puppy to roughhouse, play, bite, and explore the world with their mouth. This behavior is normal and lots of fun. But when your adorable puppy bites especially hard, you can continue teaching bite inhibition by letting your puppy know they bit you too hard.
You do this by immediately stop moving, stop playing, walk away -just as their littermates would have done. In this way, you deliver the message that the bite was too hard, so the fun stopped. You can then resume playing.
Redirection gives the puppy something to bite other than you. For redirection to appropriate items, it is helpful to rotate the toys on a daily basis to “increase its value” and therefore make redirection more effective.
Frozen washcloths can also do wonders for teething puppies as it helps relieve the pain in their gums and mouth.
Another form of redirection is to practice obedience training. When your puppy gets extra mouthy, give them a command to follow and reward them with praise and a treat. This will help “change the subject” and although the teething stage remains, it will help lessen the direction towards the human in the relationship.
Although puppy biting can be frustrating at times, remember that your puppy is just trying to have fun with you. They’re not being bad or aggressive. This is natural behavior and a puppy that doesn’t bite - would be more of a concern.
Puppies learn fast and won’t take them long to learn what is and isn’t acceptable. But they are also very active and have lots of energy to burn. They easily get frustrated when their needs aren’t met. By providing regular exercise, playtime, and training you can also curb play biting as well as prevent a multitude of problems.
If you would like additional help regarding this - or any other behaviors or training concerns; don’t delay. Schedule an appointment today - I would be happy to help address your individual concerns.
-Anna Bolick
https://www.pawswithnoflaws.com/live-consultations.aspx?
