Nipping or Biting
Here's a news flash puppies nip!
Okay, I guess you already knew that. But here's the surprise you may actually be encouraging your puppy to nip. Let's talk about how to stop this behavior before it grows up to be an adult-sized dog problem.
Puppies are a lot like babies they use their mouths in part to explore their world. Little kids are forever sticking things in their mouth from your favorite house plant to the bar of soap in the tub. That's one of the ways they experience taste and texture, and figure out what's good and what's not. It's all about experimentation. continue reading article
A puppy is the equivalent of human baby/toddler, they do things that we know they shouldn't, but they don't realize it for themselves. The responsibility of training your puppy to not nip or bite falls upon You, their owner and the pack leader.
Playing with Siblings
During playtime, puppies chew their other siblings, they need to play because your puppy is socializing themselves with others. Amongst themselves they will show each other what is acceptable within the pack and without you knowing your puppy is learning the rights and wrongs. People are not 'other puppies', we are the pack leaders and do not tolerate antisocial pack behavior, so it is up to us to demonstrate how we play, without the nipping. continue reading article
If you've ever been nipped by a puppy, you know those teeth can be as sharp as ice picks. While other dogs generally have thick skin and can handle a nip relatively undamaged, we humans are not quite so fortunate. And yes, a puppy bite can definitely break skin.
So how do you put a stop to your puppy's nipping?
First, it helps to understand that he's not biting maliciously. Biting and mouthing are natural activities for puppies and young dogs. They instinctively nip when playing with their siblings. This is the way they interact with the world around them. Left with his family, a puppy would soon be taught by his mother and siblings to control his bite. But most puppies are removed from their mothers before they've had a chance to learn this lesson. continue reading article
The main reason why puppies bite is as a result of Puppy Teething.
Puppies' jaws are weak and as a result of new teeth they gnaw, mouth and even play-bite to sooth the gums around the teeth. This combination of weak jaws with extremely sharp, needle-like teeth, can result in numerous play-bites which, although painful, seldom cause serious harm. The developing pup, therefore, receives ample feedback regarding the force of its bites before it develops strong jaws - which could inflict considerable injury. The greater the pup's opportunity to play-bite with people, other dogs and other animals, the better the dog's bite inhibition as an adult. continue reading article
Biting and mouthing is a common activity for many young puppies and dogs. Puppies naturally bite and mouth each other when playing with siblings, and they extend this behavior to their human companions. While other puppies have thick skin, however, humans do not, so it is important to teach your puppy what is appropriate, and what is not, when it comes to using those sharp teeth.
The first part of training the puppy is to inhibit the biting reflex. Biting might be cute and harmless with a 5 pound puppy, but it is neither cute nor harmless when that dog has grown to adulthood. Therefore, puppies should be taught to control their bit before they reach the age of four months. continue reading article
Biting is one of those things that every puppy seems to do, and every puppy must be taught not to do. Like many behaviors, such as jumping up on people, biting and nipping can seem cute when the puppy is small, but much less so as he gets older, larger and stronger.
Left to their own devices, most puppies learn to control their biting reflex from their mothers and from their littermates. When the puppy becomes overenthusiastic, whether when nursing or playing, the mother dog, or the other puppies, will quickly issue a correction. continue reading article
Most humans are not aware that some of their body postures when greeting an unfamiliar dog are perceived as a threat in the dog world. For example: typical human behavior when greeting a dog is to say over and over again, "it's ok, it's ok," as they extend their arm out to reach over the dog's head to give them a pet. This is a threatening posture in the dog world. Always let the dog approach you in their own time, especially if it does not want to meet you. continue reading article
