Sharp puppy teeth
Spend a few minutes with a young puppy and you’ll soon become aware of just how sharp those puppy teeth are. Puppy play can quickly turn rough, but it’s important to remember that your puppy isn’t trying to hurt you. Puppies are learning about the world, and they use their mouths to explore. You need to help your puppy learn appropriate behaviour, so that play time is a fun and bonding experience for you both. Let’s take a look at what you can do.
Play fighting
Puppies aren't able to use their hands, so they use their mouths instead. It's normal for puppies to bare their teeth, growl, nip and bite their litter mates. In fact, play fighting begins to develop in puppies from 2 to 3 weeks of age. Puppies also mouth on things around them which often includes their mum. It's often mum who is the first one to let a puppy know if a bite is too hard, or play is too rough as she starts to teach her litter 'bite inhibition'. A puppy's litter mates also help with this too.
Learning bite inhibition
It's important to teach puppies to inhibit their biting when interacting with humans and other pets. What might seem cute while your puppy is young can become a serious problem as your puppy grows. You don't want your puppy biting hard or biting children. Bite inhibition is something that every puppy needs to learn, and they'll need your help. That way they learn how to control themselves so they can develop into a well behaved, balanced adult dog.
What should I do if my puppy is mouthing and nipping?
Think about how you play with your puppy, and encourage gentle play right from the start. Remember that your little puppy will grow, and you want them to be well mannered around people of all ages.
A range of safe and appropriately sized chew toys are a must for every puppy. When play becomes more vigorous, redirect your puppy by placing a chew toy in their mouth. Your puppy then learns that this is an appropriate item to mouth on. In the early stages, you'll need to redirect your puppy a lot so be consistent and have plenty of chew toys on hand.
If your puppy bites you, make a short sharp yelping sound just like a puppy in pain would. Your puppy is most likely to be startled and stop biting you. At the same time withdraw your attention from your puppy and ignore it. This shows your puppy that when they bite, the fun and play stops. When your puppy is calm, gently praise and reward them.
Positive reinforcement
Remember not to punish your puppy, as this affects the bond you are trying to develop with them. It also gives your puppy attention when they are displaying undesirable behaviour which can back-fire on you and actually encourage the behaviour that you don't want to see. When your puppy engages in well-mannered play, offer food rewards and verbal praise to reinforce the behaviour.