| It’s Starting To Hurt! | | | | again so that a trend emerges
Bite too hard, play |
| | | | by yourself! |
| Mouthy behavior is normal in puppies, and provides an | | | | This exercise is even more effective if all the people |
| excellent opportunity to teach your puppy to have a | | | | that come into contact with your puppy implement it |
| soft mouth. Use soft mouth exercises to stop your | | | | with one exception. Young children should never |
| puppy from biting you. | | | | teach soft mouth exercises. When you puppy |
| Dogs are not born with soft mouths, but they can | | | | starts to get overexcited and begins to bite too |
| learn to bite softly if taught properly, which means | | | | hard, have your children leave the area so you can |
| plenty of information and communication from you | | | | do the training. |
| and from other dogs. | | | | When your puppy is consistently demonstrating |
| Interacting with other dogs is critical to teaching your | | | | better self-control, you can start to monitor even |
| puppy bite inhibition. When two dogs play together | | | | the moderate to light pressure bites. Now, if your |
| and one bites too hard, the other one cries and runs | | | | puppy is putting her mouth on you with even |
| away. This behavior helps to teach the biter to | | | | moderate pressure, screech OUCH, leave, and |
| play-bite softly. | | | | ignore her for a few minutes. Then go back and try |
| Normal puppies can and should play-bite continually in | | | | again. |
| social interactions, because biting and mouthing are | | | | Remember, you must give your puppy plenty of |
| normal canine behaviors. Puppies and young | | | | outlets for her mouth and jaws. Stuffed Kong toys, |
| adolescent dogs have a physical and psychological | | | | frozen wash cloths, chew toys soaked in broth or |
| need to use their mouths. Remember, dogs use | | | | chicken stock, and tug-of-war games are just a few |
| their mouths the way humans use their hands. | | | | great ways for your puppy to use her mouth and |
| Soft mouth exercises need to begin as soon as you | | | | jaws in an acceptable way. If you say no to one |
| get your new puppy. Puppy teeth are sharp, but | | | | item (your hands or your clothes) you must say yes |
| their jaws are underdeveloped so these exercises | | | | to another (her toys). |
| should not be painful to you. When your puppy is | | | | And always manage your puppy’s behavior. |
| mouthing your hand or fingers, monitor their bite | | | | If she is biting and mouthing you excessively, this is a |
| pressure. If your puppy bites too hard, screech | | | | clear signal that she is bored and needs to release |
| OUCH very loudly and look at your puppy as | | | | some energy. A good dose of aerobic exercise |
| if she just ripped your hand off. Then leave the | | | | should remedy this. |
| room and ignore your puppy for several minutes. | | | | On a final note, never reinforce your puppy’s |
| You need to make a strong impression on your | | | | biting or mouthy behavior. Your attention, be it |
| puppy that if she bites too hard, she will end up | | | | scruff shaking, grabbing her snout, or smacking her |
| playing all by herself. Being very social animals, most | | | | nose is all reinforcement to your puppy and will make |
| dogs and puppies will not opt to play by themselves. | | | | the problem worse. |
| Be prepared to repeat this exercise over and over | | | | |