My Dog Won’t Stop Biting Me – What Else Can I Do?
Puppy biting is a normal phase during any dog’s life cycle. However, it is not always so, especially past a certain age. Puppy biting may be a tell-tale sign of emotional trauma. Hence if it is not done away with in good time, it may lead to dog aggression.
Puppy biting often ends when your puppy is between seven to ten months old. If biting persists, that might indicate underlying issues that might need you to consult an animal expert.
Your puppy will not stop biting you, but you have tried everything? It would be best if you tried going through this article for the most common causes of puppy biting, precautions to take, and how to do away with the behavior gradually.
Common reasons for puppy biting
Some of the reasons that trigger your puppy into biting you or random things include;
Teething
This refers to the process by which a puppy’s teeth erupt. Like humans, they experience the temporary and permanent teething phase. The initial development of teeth occurs between three to six weeks, whereas the adult set of teeth is usually up by the sixth or seventh month.
This process is usually accompanied by pain, which causes your puppy to chew and bite on random items as a coping mechanism. This is usually the best time to reinforce some training.
Premature separation from its mother and siblings
This significantly contributes to its bite inhibition which is usually the force at which the puppy uses to bite onto your hands or other things. A puppy that gets separated from its mother and siblings at an excessively early stage will most likely have poor bite inhibition.
Regarding puppy biting, a mother-puppy relationship is vital as your puppy gets to distinguish between how much biting force is acceptable and unacceptable while suckling. This is a critical aspect that your puppy will miss if weaned early.
The biting inhibition also gets enforced further as it interacts and plays around with its siblings. Its siblings will alert your puppy if it happens to bite too hard. The puppies may also retract from playing to make it known that they have been inflicted.
Exploratory puppy phase
This phase is coupled with lots of biting and chewing on random items as your puppy aims to familiarize itself with its surroundings. This may be the most annoying yet playful stage as the puppies have discovered their mouths’ versatility.
This phase requires you to be very keen and attentive to your puppy to prevent it from playing with dangerous items that may inflict injury on it. Hence this is also an excellent stage to start training at taming this behavior.
Habitual biting
This is usually indicative of improper puppy training. Your puppy might have picked its biting habit up from continually doing so without any consequence or disciplinary action. Hence, your puppy may perceive it as acceptable behavior, especially while interacting with other puppies or people.
Biting should never be condoned as it may result in injury, especially when it develops a powerful jaw in the future. It is essential to collectively instill proper training as lack thereof may put you and your loved ones at risk in the future.
There are so many other seemingly apparent reasons that may cause puppy biting. As mentioned, some of them are to attract your attention due to boredom or conversely draw away your attention due to unnecessary panic, thus triggering, overexcitement among others.
Taming your puppy’s bite
There are several methods available to aid in managing puppy biting. These measures are primarily founded on the quality of your puppy’s training and discouraging early separation of your puppy from its family in the event of adoption.
A few methods you can employ to combat puppy biting include;
Puppy toys
The contribution the usage of these puppy toys makes is incredibly underrated. Besides keeping your little buddy entertained, these toys also come in a wide range to cater to various needs that we will briefly highlight.
They keep your puppy occupied thus may come in handy for puppies in the explorative phase. It is recommended that they are made of soft, pliable material for safety of use.
There are chewy toys that are very useful during the teething stage. Getting your puppy a chewy toy prevents it from chewing and biting onto household items that may be potentially dangerous.
Toys also reduce the usage of body parts during playtime. The tendency to use any body parts is much discouraged because of the apparent risk that it pauses, particularly to an individual dealing with an untrained puppy.
Quality training
Training should be incorporated in most if not all of your puppy’s activities. It is imperative to do so as a well-trained puppy is easier to manage. The probability of your little buddy throwing tantrums and damaging your possessions will also significantly reduce.
Quality training ensures that your puppy can pick up on behavioral and emotional cues such as your cry when it bites you too hard, your voice intonation when praising it for good behavior, and your intonation when discouraging bad behavior.
Making time to play
Playtime is essential as it ensures the proper development of your puppy’s bite inhibition. This happens as it plays with either its mother or siblings and other puppies.
You can use other ways to tame the biting, including being observant of your puppy’s wants and needs. There are instances when interaction may not be welcome, maintaining calmness, developing an effective way to administer discipline when they bite too hard, and so forth.
Final words
At this point, we can establish that effectively training your puppy is of great importance as it may save you from a lot, including injuries. An untrained puppy may pause grave danger when it develops into adulthood.
Consulting an animal expert may be necessary for those with a lack of know-how on training their puppies. In this case, it is recommended that you see one to take you through the process or refer you to the next best puppy trainer.
Notably, taking matters into your own hands is rarely ever the best option. Hence, we advise any owner of a puppy with biting problems to seek medical advice from a vetted animal specialist for a more lasting and reliable solution.
