When puppies bite each other, they learn a very important skill: bite inhibition. With play biting, puppies learn how much pressure they can apply with their teeth and what happens when they apply that amount of pressure.
By appropriate mouth interactions, and with feedback from other pups and humans, the pup acquires the ability to control how soft or hard they are biting. This is known as Bite Inhibition.
If you have a young puppy who is eager to bite you with those awfully sharp puppy teeth, you may assume your puppy is aggressive. The truth is that puppy biting is normal puppy behavior. What often looks like aggressive behavior turns out, in most cases, to be just a puppy whose nipping has gone a little over the top.
Forbidding a young puppy from biting altogether may offer immediate and temporary relief, but it is potentially dangerous because your puppy will not learn that his jaws can inflict pain. Consequently, if ever provoked or frightened as an adult, the resultant bite is likely to be painful and cause serious injury.
The most important thing to remember is that for the vast majority of puppies, mouthing or play biting is a phase that they will typically grow out of once they reach between three and five months of age.
Physically punishing a natural reaction to biting is completely unnecessary and will traumatize your puppy. Biting and mouthing is not aggressive behavior. Instead, they are simply learning how to deal with the growth of its new teeth while acquainting itself with the world around it.
For a dog who is acting out of fear or frustration (for example, a dog who is barking and lunging on leash), using the word 'no' to stop the behavior without helping to alleviate their fear or frustration will often lead to an escalation in behavior, such as growling, air snapping, or biting.
Puppies can often get overstimulated which causes them to get into a biting frenzy, or just like a toddler that throws a tantrum when it's time for a nap, your puppy may be showing you that they need crate/playpen time to unwind and relax. Puppies also may bite in order to get OUR ATTENTION!
“The bites are not meant to hurt you, but rather to indicate the dog wants a play session, not a cuddle fest,” she adds. This is especially true for puppies and young dogs, who want to do nothing but play most of the day, she says. You may find this happens when you want to calmly pet your dog.
If your puppy becomes aggressive about biting or if the bite breaks the skin or causes bleeding, it's a sign the dog is trying to be dominant. You must immediately take action when a puppy won't stop biting and can't be distracted by treats or commands.
If your puppy is grabbing and nipping clothes, stop! Don't look at him or talk to him, just completely freeze. Wait for him to let go of your pants, and then continue on your way. If you continue to walk, your puppy gets to play tug with your pant leg - a very fun game!
It's important to realize that these dogs are not simply being jerks – in most cases, whether because of genetics, lack of social skills, or negative past experiences, they bite because they don't know any other way to respond when they feel frustrated or threatened. It's an emotional reaction, not a conscious choice.
“If your pet is play-biting (or pulling at you for attention), then he'll do it because he's having fun with you, and it's a sign of affection,” explains Dr. Nelson.
Lunging and biting are typical puppy behaviors that can happen due to excitement, boredom, frustration or even because the puppy is tired and needs a nap. It is most often just playful, affectionate, attention-seeking behavior, which means the pup has no malicious intent.
The “Witching Hour”
Many owners find that 7 a.m. and 7 p.m. bring out the worst in their puppies! If you know that a particular time of day prompts crazy biting, do your best to manage/prevent the behaviour and engage your puppy otherwise.
Some reasons dogs don't come when called include distraction, confusion, or fear. Gradual training and positivity are ways to help build a reliable recall so your dog will come when called.
If your dog is engaging in an undesirable behavior to get your attention, the best thing to do is ignore him.
To a human, “no” is a negative. It means you can't do/have what you want. When we say “no” to a toddler or a dog, it usually means “stop what you're doing right now” but a dog doesn't know that. It knows you're not happy – your body language and tone of voice will convey that.
When puppies play with each other, they use their mouths. Therefore, puppies usually want to bite or “mouth” hands during play or when being petted. With puppies, this is rarely aggressive behavior in which the intent is to do harm.
When Can You Start Training Your Puppy? Training a puppy starts as soon as you bring them home, which is typically about 8 weeks of age. At this young age, they can learn basic puppy training cues such as sit, stay, and come.