IS IT OK FOR MY PUPPY TO MOUTH AND BITE ME?

One of the things I often hear puppy owners say is, “He only mouths me,” when actually he is biting. But because he is a puppy and it is not considered aggressive, owners may think it is OK.

If owners think it is ok to mouth them, then why wouldn’t the puppy think that it is ok to mouth their children? And if it’s ok to mouth their children, then why not the children’s friends too.

If you don’t teach your puppy that biting is not ok, how will he know. By not teaching your puppy, you are doing him a dis-service. You are setting him up to fail and one day he may bite someone that he thinks it’s ok to and it goes horribly wrong for him, for you, your family and the person that he bit.

So don’t let him mouth or bite you.

Why do puppies bite?

In the litter, puppies bite one and other and they learn from this. They play-bite and they play-fight. They learn that when their bite hurts, the recipient squeals and the biter might stop.

They also learn to feel with their mouths and to exercise their jaws.

Puppies sharp pin-like teeth start to fall out from around 14 weeks old to make way for their permanent teeth. The teething stage can last up to 30 weeks old, during which time the puppy can suffer from painful gums and seek to sooth them by chewing on things.

Biting is unlikely to be aggression when he is a young puppy.

At certain times of the day, a puppy can be more playful than at others and this excitement can resort to biting.

Tiredness can also be the cause of biting, as a puppy can get a bit tetchy.

It can also be because he is trying to tell us that he doesn’t like something. For example –

“I am uncomfortable, please put me back down on the ground,” which is sometimes the case when a child carries the puppy around like a soft toy.

Puppies sometimes bite a hand that touches them. It might be because they are not very used to being handled, and so this will require gentle training to get used to being handled. It could also be an indicator of pain, in which case a vet check would be advisable.

How do I stop my puppy from biting?

In the first instance, I would suggest not allowing the puppy to put his mouth on flesh, even if you think he is just doing it to feel. Because at some point, he is likely to ‘feel’ too hard. Why not keep it simple for him, mouthing is never permitted. It is against the rules!

As he is a puppy, he doesn’t know what the rules are, and is therefore likely to break them. Not because he is naughty.

DO NOT SMACK YOUR DOG.

So how does he learn what the rules are? How do we all learn?

We learn to repeat something if it has a good outcome, and we learn not to repeat something if it does not have a good outcome.

There is lots of advice on what to do about puppy biting. My advice is, try to work out why your puppy is biting and then you can respond appropriately.

· If your puppy bites you whilst you are both playing together. Is it because, in the excitement he is trying to get a better grip of the toy and made a mistake, getting your hand by accident? An immediate “ouch” and look of displeasure might be enough to teach the puppy to try not to make the same mistake again.

· If your puppy bites to try and get possession of the toy. An immediate “ouch,” look of displeasure, remove the toy and end the game, to teach the puppy that this behaviour is not acceptable.

· If your puppy bites to try to get your attention, the last thing I would suggest is offer him a toy to bite as an alternative. Because this could teach the puppy to bite again, to gain attention. Instead, an immediate “ouch” and give him a look of disgust.

The level of “ouch” and look of disgust needs to be carefully gauged. It should be immediate and enough so that he knows he has crossed the boundary, but not too much that he feels threatened that he either needs to run away or defend himself.

Puppies may have bouts of excitement, when they zoom around almost manically. This is not abnormal. But if he bites you as he runs past, remove him or yourself, letting him know that you are disgusted. His fun should soon cease.

Puppies are playful. Teaching them boundaries through play is an important lesson with toys. Physical, rough play without a toy on which to put their mouth, where they end up putting mouth on flesh, is setting them up to fail and is a confusing and potentially dangerous game to play.

Supervise young children with your puppy. Both children and puppies need to be taught how to behave with each other. Puppies can find children very exciting to be with, as children run around and squeal. Children can find puppies adorable and want to carry them around like cuddly toys. These are some of the occasions when children get bitten. It is not fair on either to expect them to know how to behave appropriately. If a child comes to you crying that he has been bitten, it is too late. There is no point scolding a puppy after the event, as he will not associate the remonstration with what took place a minute ago.

Puppies need lots of sleep. Just like children, they can get irritable if they don’t get enough sleep. A puppy needs about 18 hours sleep per day. Allow him to nap regularly during the day.

When puppies are teething and looking for something to chew on and soothe their sore gums, give them a chew toy. Something that they can safely bite down on. There are a number of things on sale at pet shops, but a chilled carrot might be as good as anything you can buy.

On the whole, puppy biting is a phase, but it is a phase when a puppy can learn about boundaries. And how you teach those lessons will set a precedent for life.

If you are worried about your puppy’s biting, seek professional advice.

Contact me via my website.