Jaws on Paws

Are your puppy’s needle teeth turning you into a pincushion? Mouthing is typical puppy behavior. They do it a lot when they're playing ... it's how they play with each other! The thing is, a fur coat can take those needles much better than we can!

One of the most valuable lessons you can teach your dog is bite inhibition — that human skin is very fragile. For example, I once did a private lesson with an aggressive Great Dane. The owners told me that the dog had been hit by a car the previous year and ran into his crate and would not come out. When the owner reached in to try and pull him out, the dog closed his mouth on the man's arm, but didn't bite down. Turns out the dog had a BROKEN HIP and must have been in terrible pain! Yet the owner didn't have a scratch on him.

Another family had a 2-year-old Golden Retriever. The dog was loose outside and got in the trash. Their 5-year-old child ran up behind the dog to hug it. The dog bit the child's face so severely that she almost lost her eye and required several surgeries.

Regardless of the circumstances surrounding these situations, the Dane had EXCELLENT bite inhibition. The Golden did NOT.

That said, how do you teach it? As with any lesson you are teaching a young puppy, patience, persistence and consistency are key. When the pup starts to mouth, if it bites down hard you yelp "OUCH!" like you've been severely wounded. Go for the Oscar! Don't yell it like you're mad (and you will be, because it hurts!). Instead, act like you are hurt. Then immediately turn your back for a few seconds and ignore the pup. Turn back and find the nearest appropriate chew toy, give that to your pup, and praise heavily when he chews on that instead of you.

Puppies don’t want to hurt their playmates. They just don’t realize the strength of their teeth. When Puppy Brother wrestles with Puppy Sister and bites down too hard, she yelps and ends the game. That’s no fun! When your pup chews on you too hard and you yelp and turn away, his favorite playmate ends the game! He will learn that biting down is a sure way to put the brakes on his good time. Remember, puppies have no attention spans! You will likely have to repeat this many times before Fido gets the picture. This is normal.

Grabbing your pup’s mouth shut, jamming your finger down his throat, rapping his nose … all these things in my experience make the behavior worse. He’ll either think you’re roughhousing with him — which will make him play harder! — or he’ll grow afraid of your hands, which you certainly don’t want!

You can teach your pup great bite inhibition. It’s a lesson that will help make a safer future for you, Fido and your family!

Contact: 803-356-9170 or PawsitiveRslts@aol.com

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