Is Your Puppy a Shark in Dogs’ Clothing?
Fact: Puppies bite. They bite hard, and they bite a lot. Let’s start by reviewing the rampant misinformation out there. Should you yelp when your puppy bites you? I mean, you can, though it may or may not cause your puppy to stop biting you. It’s far more likely to ramp up an already over-aroused puppy. Should you jam your fingers farther down his throat or pinch his lip? Absolutely not. Never. No way, no how. Puppy biting is normal. Punishing a dog for normal canine behavior is simply inhumane. Should you hold your puppy’s mouth closed? No! There are two likely outcomes. One, your puppy will think it’s a game. Two, your puppy will learn that hands moving toward his mouth can cause pain or discomfort. Neither is an appropriate outcome. To all of the tearful, frustrated puppy parents covered in bruises and teeth marks, here’s what you need to know.
Blumenfeld, H. (2021). Is your puppy a shark in dogs’ clothing? Dog Adventures Northwest. Retrieved February 18, 2022, from https://dogadventuresnw.com/how-to-deal-with-puppy-biting/
Photo: iStock.com/Lubo Ivanko
View ResourceTopic(s): Behavior, Intervention, Pet Families, Problem Abnormal Behavior