{"id":21925,"date":"2016-05-23T20:19:19","date_gmt":"2016-05-24T04:19:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/puppyintraining.com\/?p=21925"},"modified":"2024-02-23T16:04:07","modified_gmt":"2024-02-24T00:04:07","slug":"why-does-my-puppy-bite-my-older-dogs-face-how-to-play-bitey-face","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/puppyintraining.com\/why-does-my-puppy-bite-my-older-dogs-face-how-to-play-bitey-face\/","title":{"rendered":"Why Does My Puppy Bite My Older Dog’s Face? [How To Play Bitey Face]"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Do you notice your puppy biting your older dog’s face<\/a>, cheek, scruff, and neck while making growly noises, showing teeth, and in general making the most menacing looks and sounds a dog can muster?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Do you ever watch this situation and wonder why does my puppy bite my older dog’s face?<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

To the untrained eye, it sometimes looks like a dog fight<\/a>, but make no mistake these two (Raven and Archer in the pic above) are having the time of their lives.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We like to call this game Bitey Face<\/strong> and it can be played anyplace at any time (not just in a doggy bed made for one).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

QUICK RECOMMENDATION: <\/strong>My puppies have drawn blood with their teeth many times. The Milunova Pupr Pals\u2122 Dog Toy<\/a> is a plush squirrel puppet toy that helps to protect your hands from those sharp puppy teeth during play. <\/em><\/p>\n\n\n

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\"My<\/a>
My puppy bites my older dog in the face!? What’s Going On?<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n

So what exactly is Bitey Face?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

QUICK TIP:<\/strong> Even if your pup’s like playing Bitey Face you may not want them engaging in this activity. One thing we do when we want Bitey Face to end is put our two puppies on a tie-down with their favorite chew toy. One of their favorites is\u00a0Beef Collagen Sticks<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

How To Play Bitey Face<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

You’ll notice your puppies will engage in this game on their own and generally follow the rules in the list below…<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \n
  1. You need at least two dogs\/puppies to play this game.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  2. Rough play is the norm.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  3. Grabbing cheeks, necks, scruff, and faces is all part of the game.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  4. Growling noises while showing teeth are commonplace.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  5. The game of Bitey Face looks and sounds very scary, but most of the time it’s harmless play.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  6. Remember, a game of Bitey Face can escalate so you always want to keep an eye on the players.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n

    Does this sound like the same game you mentioned when you were wondering why your puppy bites your older dog’s face?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Being a puppy Archer doesn’t have the best social skills and he tries to engage the other dogs in our house in games of Bitey Face.  Here are the reactions of my other three dogs:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Linus vs Archer<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Linus will play the game, but he has his limits and you can see as well as hear his mood change when he’s done playing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Archer will test Linus’ limits, but it’s sometimes wiser for the humans to get involved.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Make sure you (the human) break up play if you see a change in either dog’s mood.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Stetson vs Archer<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Archer will try to engage Stetson in a game of Bitey Face but to no avail.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Stetson simply runs away or ignores Archer till he stops bothering him. (see just like in crate training, ignoring your puppy’s unwanted behavior actually works!)<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Raven vs Archer<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

    While Linus has his limits and Stetson calls “no joy” Raven will indulge Archer for a full 12 rounds of Bitey Face.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    They will go head to head like a bout between Ali and Foreman. It’s the Rumble In The Jungle Baby!<\/p>\n\n\n

    \n
    \"Raven<\/a>
    Raven teaching Archer the Art of Bitey Face.<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n

    How Are Humans Involved in A Game of Bitey Face<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

    QUICK TIP:<\/strong> Another way to break up a game of Bitey Face is by separating your puppies and giving them both a puzzle toy to play with like the Dog Brick Puzzle Toy<\/a> by Nina Ottosson.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

    If your dogs engage in Bitey Face it’s usually harmless, but you still want to keep an eye on your dogs to make sure a real fight doesn’t break out.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Here are a few things to keep watch for:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Watch your dog’s body language.  You might want to break things up if:<\/p>\n\n\n\n