It is common for puppies to mouth or bite at people, but that doesn’t mean they are aggressive. There are many reasons why puppies bite and mouth hands, but no matter the reason, it is important to teach them not to bite hands. Teaching your puppy bite inhibition is the first step in helping your pup learn impulse control self-restraint and an important step toward helping your puppy become a well-behaved dog. Here are tips from the dog training in Phoenix on how to teach your puppy bite inhibition so that he can grow into a healthy and well-adjusted dog.
What Causes Your Puppy To Chew On Your Hands
There are several reasons why puppies chew people’s hands. Let’s look at some of them.
Teething
Puppies go through a teething period that ends at about 6 months old. As much as teething is a natural part of growing up, it can be painful and overwhelming for puppies. That’s why Pups develop a tendency to mouth and bite to relieve soreness or irritation while teething.
During the puppy teething stage, you can provide plenty of safe toys and chews to help relieve the pain. Remember to make sure the toys are suitable for teething puppies.
Playing
Puppies love to play, which can lead to fun and frustration at the same time since they use their mouths a lot. Mouthing, chewing, and biting are normal playful behaviors for puppies and dogs. It’s their way of exploring their world when they notice new people, places and experiences! Though mouthing is a normal part of puppy play, you should still nip this behavior in the bud by discouraging your puppy from this behavior; instead, it can play with toys.
Bite Inhibition
Puppies use their mouths to explore the world around them, just like human infants do. If the puppy bites another dog too hard during play and the other dog yelps, this will be a lesson for your puppy not to bite so hard again. This is bite inhibition, and it’s an essential skill for dogs to learn for safe social interaction with other animals and people. When a puppy doesn’t learn bite inhibition, he can grow up to be a dog who plays rough with people and even other dogs—and this is not safe or fun for anyone!
The Best Way to Prevent Biting
Here are some of the steps you can take to prevent your pup from chewing your hands.
Offering An Acceptable Alternative
When your puppy tries to gnaw on fingers or toes, substitute a toy or chew bone. Offering an acceptable alternative will not only help prevent biting it will also aid in the teething process. When playing with your puppy, use a toy or chew bone instead of your hands and feet to play tug-of-war or fetch.
Avoid Petting Your Puppy When He Is Excited
To prevent biting, make sure that you aren’t petting your puppy when he’s wound up. Let him calm down first before stroking him, and make sure to start with gentle, short strokes. If your puppy does get too excited, distract him with some small treats from your other hand.
Play Time With Other Puppies
Playing with other puppies and adult dogs can help your puppy learn to inhibit his biting behaviors. It is one of the best ways for your dog to learn to behave appropriately when playing. Be sure to supervise playtime very carefully to ensure it doesn’t get too rough or out of hand. If they begin to get too rowdy, separate the dogs immediately, and let everyone cool down before you start playing again.
Use A Time-Out Procedure
Time-outs are not just for kids! If you are worried that your puppy has issues with biting and nipping, try using a time-out approach when he misbehaves.
As soon as your puppy bites or nips at you, give a high-pitched yelp. Then walk away from him and ignore him for 30 to 60 seconds. Walk back into the room and calmly resume interacting with your puppy. Use this time-out procedure whenever he nips or bites at you.
When your puppy bites you, it’s not because he is aggressive toward you. It is an attempt to communicate with you. Most of the time, your puppy is simply playing, exploring and investigating the world around him. The best way to help your puppy overcome biting is to help them use their mouths only for the things they are supposed to, like toys. Remember to reward your puppy for good manners, reinforcing the behavior. And with these tips in mind, hopefully, you will be able to stop your puppy from biting!
