How to play without biting

If you have a puppy at home, it is possible that they are going through that period in which they want to bite everything… Do you know why it happens or how you can teach him to play without biting? Today in our Terraviva blog we tell it.

Puppies are energetic, spending a lot of time playing, nibbling and searching for objects. Not everyone behaves the same but all these activities are usually common to them; which implies that they use their mouth and their little teeth to explore the world.

When the puppy is separated from its litter and its mother to reach its new home (with us), the most normal thing is that they want to continue playing and catch everything in their path.

When puppies play with people, they often bite (always innocently and playfully) and even grab our hands, limbs or clothes. This type of behavior is endearing and funny when our puppy is a few weeks old, but it is not so cute when he is already several months old and pups.

That is why it is very important to help your puppy learn to control his behavior. The key is to prepare your little one to stop biting people and furniture.

The most important objective is to teach him and make him understand in his own way that we are sensitive to our skin so that it does not bite us and associate it as something “not fun, therefore, not valid to play with humans.

We explain how you can easily teach your puppy to play without biting:

• Toys should not be missing!

It’s a good thing to play energetically with your puppy and for you to use his teeth, but this type of play should be directed at appropriate play objects. The most recommended is always to play like this from the beginning. Have a variety of sturdy toys when you start playing with it. In this way, when your puppy is going to use his teeth, direct his energy with a good toy.

Make your complaint known.

Another of the really effective methods is to react like another dog and let out a high-pitched howl like “Auu!” when your puppy uses his teeth to bite you. You should do this even when he doesn’t hurt you, he just made contact with your skin.

It is important that when this happens the game is over for a short period (minimum). Remember that when you return to it, you should have toys on hand to make it easier for your puppy to play and put them in his mouth.

convert to the word “Let” in a code to prevent him from putting things in his mouth that are not appropriate. We recommend that you make him learn it in serious situations and not when you are participating in the game. However, once your little one has mastered the meaning of “Let go”, you can start using it when you are playing. By the way, don’t forget to reward him when he obeys you!

never punish him

Punishing your puppy is always a mistake and you will be more likely to encourage behavior that we don’t want repeated. Puppies who are punished, either physically or verbally, are more likely to retaliate aggressively. You should always give him positive reinforcement!

Every time your puppy plays well with you, do not forget to praise him and convey a positive feeling. This will ensure that you drive him to play without damaging anything.

It’s almost inevitable that your little one will use their teeth on you. That’s their way of starting to explore, have fun, or get noticed. Don’t slack off teaching your pup to play the right way. If your pup is still too searching, he should seek professional help.

Remember that you can always visit our Terraviva veterinary clinics where our veterinarians will examine your pet and give you the best advice on what actions to take to change its behavior.

If you want to continue seeing interesting things about pets, keep watching our blog.