Puppies are energetic and love to burn off energy with their playful zoomies, chasing, jumping around, and nipping at you during playtime. While this playful nipping may seem harmless at first, it can quickly become a frustrating habit. In this blog, we’ll discuss puppy play biting and how it can be reduced.
What is playbiting?
Play-biting is the gentle mouthing or nipping of people or other dogs. It is not an aggressive behavior but rather a way for puppies to get your attention.
Play biting exercises using positive reinforcement will help reduce play biting behaviors. Over time, your puppy will learn that seeking attention through play-biting is not a rewarding behavior. This will greatly help in learning how to stop puppy biting.
Why is my puppy play biting?
There are numerous reasons for puppy play biting. One reason is that puppies lose their baby teeth between 3 and 6 months of age. The combination of losing their puppy teeth and their adult teeth coming in can irritate their gums. They like to relieve this pain by chewing on household items, toys and playbiting you.
Another reason is that puppies are still learning bite inhibition and what kind of play is acceptable. You may have noticed that puppies aren’t exactly gentle when they play-bite. This is especially true for puppies separated from their litter before 8 weeks old. This is because they miss out on key social learning from their siblings.
Additionally, puppies tend to use their mouths to explore their environment. Chewing on various objects helps them learn more about them, and this curiosity can include you, especially during playtime.
Children may also encourage puppy playbiting through rough play. If your puppy gets praise and attention after biting, the behavior will be reinforced. To help, you can include your children in training your puppy, so they also learn what is appropriate and inappropriate behavior. We have published a blog on “Including Children in Puppy Care”.
Now that we have discussed why puppies play bite, let’s discuss some methods to reduce puppy playbiting:
1. Tethering your puppy so they can be monitored
Puppies should be monitored to prevent them from getting into anything they shouldn’t, and to help manage naughty behaviors like play biting. By securing your puppy’s leash to something sturdy, like a piece of furniture, you can keep them in a safe place. You’ll be able to see immediately whether they’re playing with their toys or starting to chew on something they’re not supposed to. If you cannot keep an eye on them at all, it’s best to put them in their crate or a safe play area instead.
2. Redirecting your puppy to a more appropriate behavior.
You can encourage your puppy to hold a toy, which helps prevent biting or chewing on inappropriate items. We recommend giving your puppy access to various hard textured toys. Appropriate toys include nylabones, deer antlers, and kong toys.
Avoid any toys that can be shredded or soft toys, such as plushies and rope toys, because their textures can be similar to your rug or clothing, which could encourage them to chew on household items. By teaching them not to chew on soft items, you discourage them from chewing on you.
We’re here to help
Are you struggling with managing your puppy’s puppy biting? The good news is that you don’t have to tackle it alone.
At Beyond the Dog, our training is grounded in science and backed by over 20 years of experience. Co-founded by Dr. Kristyn Echterling-Savage, a Certified Applied Animal Behaviorist (CAAB), Board Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA), and one of the nation’s top dog behavior experts, our programs are informed by her decades of hands-on experience and her research in dog behavior modification. We know that every dog (and every household) is unique, which is why our programs are fully customized to your needs. Our goal is simple: help you see meaningful progress in the shortest time possible while building a happier relationship with your dog.
At Beyond the Dog, we understand that lasting behavior change comes from more than just a few training tips — it requires a clear, structured approach incorporating science-backed training methodology. That’s why we’ve developed a training program unlike anything else in the area, designed to maximize progress while making life easier for busy dog owners. We offer in-home programs and virtual programs, so training occurs where you actually need it. We’d love to help. Schedule a free consult today.“
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