Golden Pawprint training resource vol. 1

Example Article

Managing your puppy …2018
Play Biting
A mouth with paws is probably a good description of a young pup. Just has children have to learn not to slap with their hands dogs have to learn to be polite with their mouths. Play biting is normal, natural and a necessary behaviour of puppies. Puppies learn to control the pressure of their bite from playing with other puppies. When one puppy bites too hard, the other puppy yelps and stops playing. This ends the play, teaching the puppy bite inhibition. Once you take your new puppy home your job now is to continue to work on this bite inhibition and to teach your puppy that play biting is best done on toys and other dogs not on people. Dogs will bite for reasons other than play; yet play biting is the most common reason in puppies.

PREVENTION AND MANAGEMENT
Avoid encouraging your puppy to mouth your hands, clothes or shoes. It will only confuse your pup about how to use his teeth. Instead provide your puppy with a variety of toys for mouthing. Proactively provide and rotate toys in the environment for novelty and entertainment. Manage or confine your puppy when you are unable to address play biting.

PROBLEM SOLVING
Immediate withdrawal of attention is the most effective method to stop play biting. The instant your puppy touches your skin or clothes with his teeth, freeze and slowly withdraw yourself form the situation. Calmly and quietly stand up, fold your arms, look away and walk away. Ignore your puppy for 2 to 3 seconds, then cue a sit, reward the sit and redirect your puppy to biting on a toy.
When working on bite inhibition you would work on the hard bites at first and then gradually work on the softer bites until there is no mouthing at all.

Do not use verbal or physical reprimands. Shouting “No”, swatting on the nose, grabbing the dog’s muzzle, or pinching his lips are counterproductive and often leads to hand- or head shy dogs. Punishing play biting does not teach your dog how to interact appropriately and may cause or contribute to the development of serious aggression.

HAVE PATIENCE Be prepared for your pup to try and play with you as a toy, again and again. Puppies tend to forget themselves in the middle of a play session and try and bite you again. Remember they are all different some will be quite persistent while others will switch to a different way to play quite quickly.