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By Mikkel Becker, via Vetstreet
Q: My puppy bites me all the time. The bites aren’t hard, but I really want to break her of this habit. Any suggestions?
A: Your puppy uses her mouth to explore her environment, since she doesn’t have opposable thumbs to grab items. As part of this exploration, the puppy learns how hard she can bite when interacting with people and other dogs. If a puppy uses her mouth too hard while nursing, it’s likely her mother will stand up and walk away, thus delaying a meal. Or if she bites too hard while playing with another puppy, the hurt puppy will likely stop playing.
SEE ALSO: How to Care For Your New Puppy
Learning to use bite strength properly in puppyhood is called bite inhibition and is crucial to developing a well-socialized dog. Though practicing with their teeth serves a purpose, puppies need to be taught how to politely use their mouths with humans.
Playtime Is Learning Time
Allowing your puppy to socialize with other vaccinated, well-mannered puppies and tolerant adult dogs will help her use her mouth more carefully. Although humans can help a puppy to learn bite inhibition, it is best taught by other canines. A well-run puppy class can be an excellent resource for puppy play. The American Veterinary Society of Animal Behavior recommends that a puppy can start classes as soon as seven to eight weeks of age, as long as she has had her first set of vaccinations seven days prior to the start of class and has been given her first deworming.SEE ALSO: Top 10 Puppy Names of 2011
Continue reading How to Keep Your Puppy From Biting
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