Alice White
When cuddling or playing with the puppy, it often happens that you get a little pinched by him. At first, this behavior may seem funny to us, but if the dog continues it when he is fully grown, it can become significantly more disturbing and even dangerous.
How to stop biting or pinching your dog or puppy when they are excited? A dog trainer and behavioral expert for dogs gives Pettime advice on how to solve problems with biting or pinching in four-legged friends in the best possible way:
Does your dog bite your hands when you play with him?
Is he using his teeth to get your attention? Does he nibble at you to show you his affection? First of all, you should know that it is not only puppies and young dogs that display such behavior but older animals as well.
Why Does My Dog Bite While Playing or When I Pet Him?
To better understand this behavior in adult dogs, we need to look back. During the growing phase, puppies spend a lot of time playing with their siblings. Every now and then you pinch each other’s paws, neck, … This is how you discover and explore the use of your jaws.
But how do the dogs learn to deal with biting and pinching one another? Nature has a solution for everything: if a puppy bites its siblings too hard, they will whine briefly, which means that they are in pain and that leads to the immediate end of the game. Through repetitions, the culprit then learns that there will always be a whine if he does not hold back while biting.
One speaks here of a bite resistance that develops naturally.
It is therefore important that you let your dog be in contact with respectful fellow dogs as early as possible so that he himself and naturally learns to hold back when biting. It’s not his fault, it’s the owner’s! I’m sure you’ve seen adult dogs at dog parks who are unaware of the power of their jaws! Actually, this behavior is normal, because some dogs that have not been properly trained are not aware that they are hurting others.
This is the reason why it is the responsibility of the owner to promote bite resistance in the puppy from an early age and to ensure that it is maintained throughout the growth phase.
How Should You Deal With Your Dog’s Biting and Pinching?
One must be careful to regulate the intensity of the bites of his four-legged companion. There are different ways of doing this. This exercise, for example, aims to teach your dog that our skin is extremely sensitive.
The basic principle is that you take on the role of another dog and imitate the natural behavior of a puppy.
How do you do that?
Go to a place that is designed for play and start playing with your dog without adopting a punitive attitude towards him, as he will always react to that in the same way. Remember, it’s the owners who decide it’s time to play.
Make movements with your hands calmly. As soon as your dog bites or pinches you, you will utter a loud, high-pitched scream, just like puppies do. Then withdraw for about 40 seconds without paying the dog the slightest attention, and then resume play. Repeat this exercise. Your scream should show him that he has exceeded your tolerance level.
If, despite this exercise, your dog continues to bite your hands happily, stop the exercise with a scream and take a break for several hours before repeating it. For prevention, I highly recommend that you get your dog specific dog toys or interactive games so he doesn’t get bored.
