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<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\nThere are many ways you can end the constant daggers from puncturing your flesh during those exciting (for your pup) play sessions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
First, it\u2019s important to determine whether the dog is really being playful. Also, the age of the dog will help determine what methods to use.<\/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\n When puppies play, they use their teeth to hold a toy or tug with it. Sometimes when they grab it, their sharp little teeth inadvertently scratch us. Or catch a thumb.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Sometimes they even want to play with our hands. And their puppy teeth can really hurt! <\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n With young puppies up to about five months old, play biting is just that: play. It\u2019s very rarely aggression.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Most puppies have a loose body language:<\/p>\n\n\n\n A playful pup may even do a play bow, where his front dips down to the floor, while his rear end stays up, happily wagging his tail.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Even older puppies up to a year old have the same body language, although they may be a little rougher.<\/p>\n\n\n\n How quickly a dog ages depends on what his size will be as an adult and his breed. Smaller breeds like Maltese or chihuahuas mature more quickly than larger breeds like golden retrievers<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n A toy breed may be considered an adult at a year old, whereas a large or giant breed may not be considered to be an adult until two years of age.<\/p>\n\n\n\n As a puppy approaches maturity, he may become more independent and may challenge you more. But that doesn\u2019t mean he\u2019s necessarily aggressive.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Also, some dogs, like field-bred retrievers, often naturally have what\u2019s called a \u201csoft mouth,\u201d in which they control the pressure when teeth meet something.<\/p>\n\n\n\n They were bred to pick up prey that\u2019s been downed without damaging it. But that doesn\u2019t mean you don\u2019t have to work with them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Training helps communication and sets limits with all dogs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Unlike the body language of a playful dog, an aggressive dog may show the following: raised hackles (hair on the back of the neck), tense face with wrinkled muzzle, lips pulled back to expose teeth, tense body language, ears set forward, and a hard stare.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Whereas a puppy may have a soft play growl, an older dog that\u2019s aggressive may have a deep-throated growl.<\/p>\n\n\n\n An aggressive dog may snap and lunge in a menacing manner.<\/p>\n\n\n\n If there\u2019s any doubt, I recommend getting the help of a qualified, positive-reinforcement trainer or behavior consultant.<\/p>\n\n\n\n As service dog puppy raisers we mostly work with golden retrievers and labrador retrievers, two of the most mouthy dog breeds on the planet. From day 1 we work on teaching our puppies what is appropriate (toys, chews, etc) and inappropriate to bite (hands, feet, legs, etc)<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Of course, no one wants to be bitten. But when a dog has proper bite inhibition, he\u2019s learned to control the force of his mouthing and to be gentle. <\/p>\n\n\n\n A dog with bite inhibition usually won\u2019t break skin.<\/p>\n\n\n\n It\u2019s easier to teach bite inhibition to a younger puppy than to an adult dog.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Young puppies are routinely corrected by their littermates and mother when they bite too hard.<\/p>\n\n\n\n A littermate who\u2019s bitten too hard in play will usually scream a high-pitched yelp. And the puppy who was too rough will back off and will have learned to be gentler with his teeth in the future. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Then the play will continue with littermates learning not to bite too hard if they want to continue interacting and playing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The puppy\u2019s mother will also correct a puppy that bites too hard. From this information, the puppy learns what\u2019s acceptable and what\u2019s not acceptable.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Then, you bring your sweet furry bundle of joy home. He explores the world with his mouth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n And our hands seem like such fun play things–the way we wave them around and wriggle our fingers. It\u2019s just a big toy to him inviting him to explore it with his mouth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n But when his needle-like teeth touch our skin, we feel pain. To help teach a younger puppy to back off and have bite inhibition, we may yelp like a littermate would.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The puppy should back off. If he does, immediately praise him and redirect him to a toy or chewie to occupy him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Depending on the dog, you can try this with an older puppy who\u2019s just mouthy. After you yelp (OW!!!), if he backs off praise and redirect to a toy or chewie.<\/p>\n\n\n\n My sheltie Murphy is the poster dog for bite inhibition. He learned as a young puppy not to put pressure with his mouth on my skin. <\/p>\n\n\n\n When I yelped (OWWW!!), he immediately backed off and learned that interaction and play with me ended if he was rough with his teeth on my skin. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Within a short time, he learned not to put his teeth on my skin. He\u2019s eight now, and playtime with him is a joy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Puppies usually–but not always–understand this language. Some puppies may not, such as those taken away from their mother or littermates when they\u2019re too young. Puppies should stay with them until they are eight weeks old. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Adult dogs may<\/em> respond to the yelp. Some may not back off. There are other ways to teach them not to be nippy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Some older puppies or adult dogs may even become over-stimulated by the yelp and become more mouthy. Of course, don\u2019t try this again with them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Remember: any time you try to yelp to get the puppy to understand that he\u2019s used too much pressure with his teeth on your hand, afterwards your hand should go limp. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Don\u2019t wave your hand around and excite the puppy to grab it again. And don\u2019t do the \u201cyelp\u201d exercise more than three times per session. If you see that it\u2019s not working after one or two tries, don\u2019t try this method again.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Instead, try one of the methods below to teach your dog to never<\/strong> put his teeth on you. After all, that\u2019s the ultimate goal.<\/p>\n\n\n\n After determining that your dog is play biting, not being aggressive, there are many ways to try to stop the mouthiness.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Some work better than others depending on the dog. The rules below apply to both puppies and adult dogs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n When the dog is mouthy with you, turn away and give him no attention for 20 to 30 seconds. If that doesn\u2019t work, leave the room for that amount of time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Make sure before you leave that the room has been puppy-proofed so he can\u2019t get in any trouble for that brief time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n When you return, be very calm, don\u2019t wave your hands around. You can even give him something to do when you return like a chewie <\/a>or a puzzle toy<\/a> or a Kong<\/a> stuffed with moist dog food. <\/p>\n\n\n\n I love the Extreme Kongs and freeze them stuffed with a pate dog food overnight. Most dogs love <\/em>this and it keeps them occupied and focused on something other than play biting you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Or you can have him perform an obedience command like sit and calmly praise and treat when he does.<\/p>\n\n\n\n If your dog is still too focused on you and mouthing when you return, leave again. And do the same routine when you return. Do this no more than three times.<\/p>\n\n\n\n If this doesn\u2019t work, try something else.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Most dogs will start to understand that your attention–which they seek–goes away when they\u2019re too rough.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Another way to withdraw your attention that teaches some dogs not to play bite is to take your dog to a safe space and leave him there for 20 to 30 seconds. <\/p>\n\n\n\n This can be taking him to another room and leaving him on the other side of a gate.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Then go back and release him to be with you again. Do it no more than three times. If it\u2019s working, your pup will stop being mouthy when you return.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Tip: the place you use shouldn\u2019t be his crate. You don\u2019t want that to become a negative place.<\/p>\n\n\n\n PRO TRAINER TIP: <\/strong>Don\u2019t use this method or leaving the room if your dog has separation anxiety or it may exacerbate that problem.<\/p>\n\n\n\n When your dog wants to play with your hands, have a favorite to or chew for him to get.<\/p>\n\n\n\n You can teach him a \u201ctake it\u201d command. As you give him the desired object, tell him \u201ctake it.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n Praise when he takes the new item. By doing this, you\u2019re teaching him new rules of the game. He gets rewarded for listening and not touching your hands.<\/p>\n\n\n\n If he still attempts to go for your hands instead of the toy, throw the toy instead instead of handing it to him when you tell him to \u201ctake it.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Some dogs get mouthy when being petted. You can teach him to be calm when petted.<\/p>\n\n\n\n You can have him sit then give him treats from the other hand while petting him. Tell him \u201cgood petted\u201d when he sits and doesn\u2019t mouthe you. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Treats should be pea-sized tidbits. One of the treats I like are Cloud Star Tricky Trainers<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n It also helps with some dogs to pet him under the chin, not on the top of the head.<\/p>\n\n\n\n PRO TRAINER TIP: <\/strong>Prior to working with your dog in any training practice, you want to set him up to succeed. Make sure that he\u2019s been adequately exercised so that he dispels any pent-up energy. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Otherwise that extra energy might be directed to your hands! Take him for a walk or play fetch before doing your training session.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Stop rough-housing or wrestling with your dog. When you do that, you become a big toy in your dog\u2019s mind.<\/p>\n\n\n\n He gets too excited and can\u2019t help but mouthe you. So find other ways to play with him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Play fetch or tug<\/a> as long as he knows how to immediately release the toy when you tell him to.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The more your dog\u2019s able to be calm in any circumstance, the better his behavior will be.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Teach him basic dog training commands<\/a> like sit, down, stay, wait, leave it, and settle.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Some dogs love to play with our feet or ankles–especially when we walk.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Puppies and herding breeds like border collies or shelties love to \u201cherd\u201d your feet.<\/p>\n\n\n\n When my sheltie Duffy was very young, he used to want to nip at my feet when I walked. <\/p>\n\n\n\n He wasn\u2019t being aggressive. Instead, he was trying to herd me like a sheep! It was in his genes. I did the following to end this behavior<\/p>\n\n\n\n So make going away from your feet more fun than playing with them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Have a toy ready to redirect \u201cankle biters.\u201d Wave the toy around to excite them. Then either play tug or throw the toy, telling him to \u201cget it.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n If your dog has other fun things to do–including activity toys like the Tornado Puzzle Toy<\/a> or Treat Tumble Puzzle Toy<\/a>–he\u2019ll be less likely to see you as one.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Rotating them every week keeps him from getting bored with them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Dogs with too much excess energy are more likely to play bite. So make sure that yours has expended some before you expect him to be calm.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Take him for a walk. Play fetch. If he\u2019s dog friendly, have him play with another dog he gets along with. <\/p>\n\n\n\nHow To Determine Whether It\u2019s Play or Aggression<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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Teaching Bite Inhibition<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
How To Stop Your Dog From Play Biting<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
1. Leave the dog for 20 to 30 seconds<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
2. Time-out!<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
3. Redirect your dog<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
4. Teach your dog to be calm when petting<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
5. Play nice!<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
6. Encourage non-contact forms of play<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
7. Work on impulse-control exercises<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
8. No playing footsie!<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
9. Provide and rotate toys<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
10. Exercise your pooch<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
11. Use taste deterrents<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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