When a puppy arrives at your home it seems that the environment is brimming with tenderness, you get rid of pampering and care and direct all your actions so that your dog feels welcomed and protected within the bosom of his new human family.
The puppy, meanwhile, will also try to reinforce this feeling of belonging to a social group and will do so mainly through physical interaction, with some very tender nibbles… Which can end up becoming a problem. What to do if my puppy bites too hard? This is the topic we cover in the next article on our site.
Why is the puppy biting too hard?
Allowing our puppy to bite and chew is essential for the correct development of the dog. It is a completely normal and very necessary behavior so that in the future it knows how to bite correctly and acquires the well-known "soft mouth" in its adult stage. That is, that he is able to control the level of damage he causes.
How does he interact? Primarily nibbles on hands, ankles, and arms, and does so playfully, on very rare occasions causing significant damage.
Is this behavior allowed?
Yes, as long as the bites do not cause damage. It must be allowed because for the puppy this is not just a game, but a valuable tool that allows learning, determines the emotional bond with the human family and also It helps the puppy to stay in a good state of he alth.
If we forbid our puppy from nibbling, at first we will prevent it from hurting us, but in the long run we can have a serious bite problem, in which the dog does not know how to manage its force and ends up hurt us.
But what if the puppy starts biting really hard and playing rough? This is the behavior that cannot be allowed, primarily for the following reasons:
- If rough play is not corrected in time, the puppy's excitement will increase and the bites will become stronger and cause more damage.
- These games can cause harm to third parties, which means that if the dog has this attitude with its own owner, during the game it will try to do it in other contexts and with other people, such as a little boy.
Common mistakes when trying to correct this behavior
No form of violence is adequate to correct an undesirable behavior in the dog. Many of the recommendations that are generically made for the correction of an excessively strong bite can be considered subtle (but harmful) forms of violence:
- Leave him alone and locked in a room.
- Punish him by using a rolled up diary.
- Gently slap the puppy on the face.
- "Mark" the dog.
Applying these correction methods can be very harmful in the medium and long term, even reinforcing aggressive behaviors and ultimately resulting in a dog unbalanced.
How to stop this behavior properly?
Generally the first learning about bite inhibition is achieved by the mother of the puppy, growling and stopping playing with him when his bite is too strong, but it is true that later this learning should continue to be facilitated for the human family.
What to do if my puppy bites too hard:
Adequate socialization from puppyhood will be essential to avoid unwanted behavior from the very beginning. By interacting with other dogs, our puppy will learn more about canine language and will also learn that he is rejected when he carries out this attitude. However, apart from socialization and their relationship with other dogs, it is also very important that you are the one who begins to establish the rules of this social game:
- When your dog hurts you, make a loud screeching sound and stop playing with him. Remember that as he enjoys this game, little by little the puppy will begin to inhibit his behavior, allowing the game to continue
- Avoid playing with your dog and your hands when he is overexcited, because then he will not correctly manage his strength. Do not resume the game until it calms down, in this way the puppy understands that if the rules you impose are not followed, the game no longer takes place.
- Puppies need to bite because their teeth hurt, so you should allow them to chew on all kinds of toys and teethers. Whenever he uses them you should congratulate him effusively and even encourage him to bite them so that he understands what he should bite.
- Prevent children from interacting directly with the puppy while it is learning to bite, they should always play with a toy that prevents damage and should always be supervised
- The puppy must grow up with love and limits and these limits must be agreed and respected by all members of the human family, only then can learning be effective
If your puppy does not show improvement in its behavior despite implementing these guidelines, we recommend that you consult an expert in canine ethology in order to correct this behavior as soon as possible possible.
The puppy bites hard while playing
Especially during play times, the pup may start biting harder and harder, that's because his stage of youth, when milk teeth begin to fall out and definitive teeth developIt is usually especially painful in pit bulls, but also in small and medium breeds.
If your puppy bites you harder and harder when he plays, it is important to keep in mind some basic tips:
- When your dog hurts you, he follows the step by step that we have indicated before, expressing signs of pain and ending the game
- Avoid overexcitement, it has been shown (1) that the higher the excitability, the less self-control the dog has of the situation, which makes the game get out of control more easily. Try to play calmly, especially if you use your hands.
- If the bite is still not controlled, carry out play sessions using a toy as an intermediary, this way you will prevent it from hurting you.
Now that you know what to do if your puppy bites too hard, whether playing or not, don't hesitate to put our tips into practice and comment below if you have any questions.
