Welcome to the 18th post in our Dog Training blog series. This ongoing series features guest posts by local professional dog trainers and highlights some of the big questions they address to their clients. Today's post was written by Adam Miller of Big Dog Canine Behavioral Dog Training.
Adam Miller
Puppies explore the world around them with their mouths and a mouthing (or biting) puppy is a common issue that I come across while training owners. The puppy is not trying to intentionally harm their human, but they can get a little overzealous at times.
Puppy teeth, also referred to as “milk teeth,” are very sharp, can be painful on our skin and can easily tear or rip clothing. These puppy teeth are temporary, and a puppy will typically begin to replace them with adult teeth around 3-4 months of age and will usually have all its adult teeth by 6-8 months of age. This period of tooth replacement is referred to as “teething” (just like a human child) and, because it can cause a puppy’s gums to hurt, it is normal to see increased chewing during this time. Chewing feels good to the dog, helps relieve some of the pain and aids in removing the milk teeth. Your puppy’s mouth has a lot of changes going on during the first year of life. Besides teething, overexcitement or rough play can instigate or trigger biting. It is our job to teach them that teeth are not allowed on us.
In order to get mouthing under control, the following are some common techniques that you can use with your biting puppy.
- Redirect your puppy away from you and onto a proper chewable item. Be sure to have plenty of appropriate chew toys accessible to your puppy at all times. Praise and continue play if he directs his mouthing onto the object.
- Twist an old rag or t-shirt into a stick or icicle shape, soak it in water and freeze it. Offer this to the dog to help sooth any pain, give the dog something to focus on and assist in removing the milk teeth. Some people recommend you soak it in beef or chicken broth before freezing for added flavor.
- Disagree with the biting by yelling “ouch” loudly and immediately stopping play and turning away from the dog. Ignore the dog for a few moments and then go back to the activity. If the puppy keeps biting, repeat the process up to three times. If it continues, the play stops, and you move away from and ignore the puppy for a while.
- Physically or mentally wear your puppy out. Many puppies get nippy because they have pent up energy. Try redirecting your dog’s energy with a fun and up beat training session or taking your dog for a brisk walk. This will hopefully get the puppy’s focus away from chewing on you. Some dogs can become mouthy because they are tired. In this situation, the dog needs a break and should be put up to rest.
- Putting the puppy in a time-out can also be helpful. Place your puppy in another room and make sure that there are no toys or items of interest in the room. Leave the puppy there for a few minutes then retrieve the puppy and pick up where you left off. Repeat the process as necessary. The puppy will quickly figure out that mouthing will cause play to stop and separation from their pack.
- Take advantage of any opportunities for your puppy to play with other puppies and with friendly, vaccinated adult dogs. Other dogs can help teach your puppy bite inhibition and acceptable levels of play. Socializing and playing with dogs are important for your puppy’s development—plus, if your puppy expends lots of energy playing with other puppies, the dog will be less motivated to play roughly with you.
- Consider enrolling your puppy in a puppy class, where the puppy can have supervised playtime with other puppies and learn some new important skills.
Give all or some of these techniques a try the next time your puppy decides to use you as a chew toy. Be aware that the puppy may fight the change and the behavior may even worsen at first. This is totally normal since the puppy probably enjoys the activity or finds it fun and exciting but now needs a little time to learn that mouthing behavior is not allowed and will not be tolerated. Stay positive and consistent and stick to the plan. Before you know it, your dog will no longer be biting on you. As always, stay calm and confident and be the leader that your dog needs and deserves.
Adam Miller
This post was written by Adam Miller of Big Dog Canine Behavioral Training. For more information or to learn how Adam can help with your dog needs, contact him at bigdogcbt@gmail.com.