The reasoning is that the dog is lacking the reinforcement that comes through the owner’s reaction, and eventually “gets bored” of biting and mouthing – or simply grows out of it. Some trainers recommend to mostly ignore puppy biting, as ignored behavior will decrease over time. To sum up … here is why your puppy (any puppy in the world really) is biting you: And did I mention that puppies are also teething and biting gives them relief from discomfort associated with that, as well as making it easier for the baby teeth to come out? Puppies wrestle with their mouth, they claim resources for themselves with their mouth and they want to taste and chew – pretty much everything at some point during puppyhood (whether that is your rug, your couch or you arm). They want to check out every little stick and leaf. No wonder our puppies are so insistent on biting, huh?Īs if this wasn’t enough biting already – like any young animal, puppies have unlimited curiosity and want to explore the world around them. (Here you can read more about Working Dogs – Why You Might Not Really Want One) This is the result of hundreds of years of clever selection and breeding: These dogs were made into workers with endurance and grit by genetically predisposing them to enjoy biting, holding, mouthing etc. Any retriever, any dog bred for protection work, any terrier will get inherent joy out of simply biting and holding items. On top of this comes that we actually bred many dogs to work with their mouth as well. Want to play tug or fetch? You get it … they use the mouth. The vast majority of the time, they will use their mouth to interact with the world around them. By being aware of why our dog acts the way he does, we can address the issue on hand much faster.ĭogs do not have hands. Let’s look at why puppies bite, and of course – how to fix it.Įvery time we want to fix a behavior in our dogs, we look at where it originates. How can the owner start to feel connected to his new dog if the dog is doing is physically hurting him daily? I have encountered more owners than one would think who came to me in tears about their puppy’s mouthing habits. But still, as trainers we need to recognize the potential resentment that comes from getting bitten (especially as a first time puppy owner) and use an approach that acknowledges the needs of both the puppy and his human. “It’s a puppy, of course there’s gonna be some biting!” Well, yes – it is expected. I have at times witnessed other dog trainers be pretty cavalier about this. It becomes a very frustrating issue for owners, and can in some cases severely impact the bonding process between owner and puppy. If they take their teeth towards you, it will be painful and frustrating and you want to know?Īs a dog trainer, I get calls or emails every single day about puppy biting. Puppies like to explore the world with teeth, play with teeth, show you their displeasure with teeth and even asleep chewing on something. If you have ever had a puppy, you have probably been bitten at one point or another.
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