Why the puppy bites - and what you can do about it
There is hardly anything cuter than puppies. It's just cute how they scuffle and encourage their humans to play. They're hard to resist, but before you know it, your tail-wagging companion will have spotted your hand as a chew toy, or the pup will be biting your feet or arms. It doesn't have to be. In an adult dog, biting is not funny at all. Therefore, you should wean your puppy from biting as soon as possible.
Contents
A look into the mouth: the puppy teeth
The change of teeth
Bite Inhibition: Why Does a Puppy Bite and When Will It Stop?
Why does the puppy bite when playing?
How can I stop a puppy from biting?
What toys are suitable if the puppy bites?
Why chewing is important for dogs
What can I give my puppy to chew?
A look into the mouth: the puppy teeth
A strong bite is essential for a dog. But it's not there right away: puppies are not only born blind and deaf, but also toothless. They don't need teeth yet to suck on the mother's teats.
But in the third to sixth week of life the time has come: the small milk teeth slowly break through. With two fangs, six molars and six incisors each in the upper and lower jaw, the dog's milk teeth have a total of 28 teeth. What is striking about these first teeth is that they are much more pointed than those of an adult dog. And as a dog owner, you often feel that!
The change of teeth
The so-called change of teeth only takes place in dogs between the fourth and seventh month of life. The fully formed dog teeth have considerably more teeth: namely 42.
The exact time and duration of the change of teeth depend on the breed. But it usually takes place after the puppy has moved into its new home and the mother and littermates have already separated.
One of the important lessons now is to teach your four-legged friend what he can and can't do with his teeth. Not so easy, because a puppy chews and bites everything it can get between its teeth when it is about to change teeth. Some pups will bite leashes , shoes, or table legs, while others will snap at their humans. If a puppy is biting their face or snapping at other parts of their body, it's time to stop.
Tip : Avoid wild tugging games during the change of teeth - in the worst case this can promote tooth misalignments. It is best to choose teething toys without a squeak: the "rewarding" noise that bites can be an incentive for the dog and therefore counterproductive.
Bite Inhibition: Why Does a Puppy Bite and When Will It Stop?
Normally developed dogs will not bite without need or good reason. This regulates the so-called bite inhibition, a behavior that ensures that dogs do not injure themselves when fighting each other - and which of course should include their human pack members.
However, biting inhibition is not innate. Young dogs learn this behavior through interaction with parents and littermates, beginning around the fourth week of life. This is one of the reasons why separating the animal from the litter too early can lead to socialization problems: If the dog hasn't learned that it shouldn't snap during play, out of frustration or irritation, you have to teach it consistently. Your dog will not stop the unwanted behavior on its own.
Snapping and biting puppies and adult dogs is often the result of misdeveloped bite inhibition and/or poor dog training .
Why does the puppy bite when playing?
Snapping is a natural behavior of puppies during play . As soon as the dog gets teeth, the animal wants to try them too and bites one of the sibling puppies, for example. However, the siblings will not put up with such behavior and will snap back, again causing pain. This leads to harmless young dog biting, in which the biting inhibition described above develops. The puppy learns that after a bite, they bite back - that is, something unpleasant follows.
As the puppy gets older, the change of teeth is due, which often causes unpleasant pressure and itching. The animal is now chewing and gnawing more to get relief. During this time, no object is safe from him and even fingers and toes become chew toys if you don't show your fur nose any limits.
In addition, the puppy also bites in these situations:
- in dog games as a high-spirited request
- out of frustration or boredom
- when excited
- when examining unknown objects
However, what still looks cute in puppies can become dramatic in adult dogs. So stop it immediately if your puppy bites or snaps.
How can I stop a puppy from biting?
With the following tips and tricks, you can reliably prevent the puppy from biting and snapping.
- Chew toy: When playing and romping with the dog, always have a chew toy to hand that the dog can use to bite and nibble.
- Consequence: If your puppy bites into forbidden objects or tries to grab you, you should react strictly and consistently: Take the taboo object away from the little sharp tooth, together with a corresponding word signal such as "No!" or "Ugh!". At the same time, offer him the toy and praise him when he gets distracted with it.
- Clicker: If you already have experience with clicker training, the principle can also be applied to anti-biting training: not biting is positively and precisely reinforced with the clicking sound of the educational aid.
- Game break: If your puppy is not distracted by playful biting attacks, get out of the game. Command the animal "No!" to stop and ignore it for a few minutes or send it to its place. In this way, the little one learns that rough behavior scares off their playmates.
- Alpha animal: This works even more effectively if you behave like a dog for a short time when you are bitten: growl at the puppy, "snap" mischievously, grab the cheeky rascal for a moment and then ignore him. This is close to the species-typical response of a higher-ranking dog and will impress the pup.
- Deliberation: When you act with the puppy, avoid violent movements. This also applies to stroking: massaging is better than patting. The dog might reflexively try to snap at frantic hands.
Also, don't get involved in wild biting games with the puppy and if possible refrain from undifferentiated vocalizations: Both of these can encourage the inexperienced animal to play and lead to a puppy biting.
Of course, young dogs learn best bite inhibition in interaction with other dogs: For this reason, you should definitely attend a puppy school with your puppy . There your wild four-legged friend can compete with other puppies and playfully learn these behaviors that are important for the further life of a dog.
What toys are suitable if the puppy bites?
Since biting and chewing on objects is part of a puppy's healthy development, it makes sense to provide the dog with "allowed" biting objects. This will satisfy his natural need and reduce the likelihood that he will tamper with shoes, socks or even table legs and sofas. You can find out why puppies and older dogs still nibble on objects in our guide “ Dog nibbles on everything ”.
Why chewing is important for dogs
Chewing is good for dogs. The so-called chewing instinct is completely natural and does not stop even after puppyhood. Chewing has the following functions in dogs:
- Dental health: removing plaque and preventing tooth decay
- species-appropriate employment
- relieving tension
- come to rest
- Strengthening of the jaw muscles
It is important to offer the right chews so that your puppy can fulfill its urge and not chew on clothing, furniture or sticks.
Everything that could be dangerous for your puppy in the apartment and in the garden should be removed from his field of vision and action if possible. This includes poisonous plants such as cyclamen, ivy, geraniums or laburnum, power cables and multiple plugs as well as cleaning agent containers.
Caution : Under no circumstances should you feed them animal bones. These can splinter and cause serious injuries to the throat, esophagus and gastrointestinal tract. In addition, animal bones, even if they don't splinter, can cause severe blockages in the intestines.
What can I give my puppy to chew?
There are plenty of alternatives to animal bones that offer your puppy fun and variety and are completely safe for the dog:
- A really tough chunk - and thus a guaranteed long-term job - is cattle scalp. Most dogs are happy to accept and work on the bars or plates. They are high in protein and minerals but low in fat.
- Beef ears and pig ears keep the “chewing muscles” moving. Pig ears are fatter and are usually eaten faster. The dried pig ears are particularly suitable for small dogs that would literally have to nibble on a cattle ear for too long.
- Chews made from buffalo and cattle skin are also very popular with passionate "rodents". Buffalo skin bones are particularly useful when changing teeth. However, older dogs also like to eat them - especially if they have a hearty rumen filling. Some dogs go for chewing shoes or chewing discs made from cattle or buffalo skin. Both last a long time.
- Chewing sticks are popular snacks for in between: They are often made from twisted cowhide and are also suitable for smaller dogs.
- Dental care sticks contribute to the dental health of your dog. They are designed to help prevent plaque and can be fed once a day.
Important : Note that chews are often very high in energy. You should take this into account when calculating the daily ration of dog food.
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