One of the things I love about this website is the feedback I have been receiving from new dog/puppy owners around the world. As I have mentioned before, my puppy is now almost 10 years old but I certainly remember those early puppy years. Some memories I have are fond ones, others I am still trying to forget – how I did love those strappy sandals that never had a chance against her ravenous puppy appetite! In any case I wouldn’t trade those early years for the world. As I was checking my mail the other day, I received an email from a new (and very frustrated) puppy owner asking for advice on getting her new pup to quit biting.
Her dilemma, in her words:
My Shih Tzu puppy is almost ten weeks old. I got her when she was five weeks. She’s playful and fun but I can’t get her to stop biting me. That seems to be the only way she likes to play anymore — rough! I’ve been telling her No!, holding her mouth shut while saying “No bite!” and even shoving my hand back in her mouth like a trainer told me to do. Nothing seems to work. In fact, she thinks I’m playing a game with her and gets more excited the more I try to stop her. Sometimes she walks right up and attacks me! What can I do? Is he vicious? Help!
Now I am not an expert, nor am I a dog trainer but I have owned dogs for over half of my life and I have spent countless amounts of hours immersed with other dogs. So while I am not a trainer, here is my response to her plea. Take it or leave it.
Biting and mouthing are normal behaviors for puppies. Dogs do not have hands so they investigate objects and their environment with their mouths. To a curious puppy, everything about this big world is brand new and exciting. He learns as he goes along. You can almost hear the thought processes as he discovers something he has never seen before: “What is this? [chomping on it] Something to eat? No? [tossing it around] Can I play with it? Maybe. Can I make it squeak?”
Playing is also a normal learning behavior for puppies, especially play-fighting. Play-fighting with littermates and other animals develops reflexes, coordination, and physical skill. It also enables puppies to develop social skills and teaches them how to interact positively within their canine society, their “pack.” Sometimes their fighting and “attacks” on us appear frighteningly fierce but to them, it’s just a game. Much like a group of kids playing make-believe games and pretending to be grown-ups, puppies have their own games and pretend to be “grown-ups,” too.
A dog’s ability to control the force of his biting is called “bite inhibition.” It is a critically important skill that every puppy needs to learn, the earlier the better. At first, they do not realize their own strength nor how sharp their little teeth really are. Puppies learn to control the force of their biting from the reactions of their mothers and littermates during play, especially play-fighting.
We can teach puppies about bite inhibition, too, but I have found most methods often recommended are not effective. Mommy dogs’ methods, however, are very effective, often more so than ours. Most likely because they are speaking to their pups in a language they innately understand. A new puppy is much too busy learning how to be a dog to take time to understand our human words and ways. That takes time and maturity. Puppies respond to their mother’s ’dog language’ in a very powerful, instinctive way. We can take advantage of that by copying a mother dog’s actions and using them for ourselves.
While we certainly don’t have to growl at our puppies or shake them with our teeth, but we can modify a mommy dog’s technique for ourselves. The next time your puppy bites you, react in a high-pitched voice. Exaggerate a little. Maybe a very loud, “OW!” Then refuse to play with him or pay attention to him for a few minutes. If he doesn’t get the message and continues to bite, give him a little scruff shake and scold him in a low-toned, threatening voice. You can exaggerate a little on that, too. Sound meaner than you really are. For puppies that just won’t quit or seem to get wilder with every correction, flip them over on their backs, scold them in that same low, scary voice (which would be equivalent to growling for them) and gently but firmly, hold them in that position until they stop struggling.
People often give puppies the wrong message about biting by some of the games we play with them. Wrestling and tug of war can encourage a puppy to bite and make it hard for him to distinguish when it is okay to use his teeth and when it is not. To make it easier for your puppy to learn good manners, it’s a good idea to avoid these games. At least until they understand their boundaries.
Puppies seem to learn a great deal about bite inhibition and authority between five and eight weeks of age through play with their mothers and littermates. This is an especially good reason not to buy very young puppies. Puppies that were acquired earlier need to be taught these important things by their owners and might require a little more intense use of a mommy dog’s methods than puppies that stayed with their litters longer. Puppies that receive little or no training in bite inhibition, either from their mothers or their people, may grow up to develop behavior problems.
Even with their mothers, puppies act a lot like kids – they’re always testing and pushing their limits. They have good days and bad days. With patience, persistence, and a few hints from your puppy’s mother, you will be able to tip the balance towards more good days.
I believe everyone in the world has heard about the Obama girls’ new puppy, Portuguese Water Dog, Bo. As much as we have all probably grown tired of hearing about him on the radio and of seeing him on the news, I must admit the dog is super cute. (I personally have a thing for the black/white coloring!) 