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Topic Dog Boards / Health / Play biting
- By naomi4 [gb] Date 04.11.12 14:21 UTC
My 9 week old puppy keeps on play biting on everything...clothes, peoples hands...are we to discourage this?
- By Jeangenie [gb] Date 04.11.12 14:39 UTC
This is perfectly normal; puppies don't have hands to explore the world with as we do, so have to use their mouths instead. She only needs to learn to use her mouth gently, because humans are such feeble namby-pamby weeds, and not play with us as she would another pup.

You can't go wrong if you follow the advice in The Bite Stops Here.
- By naomi4 [gb] Date 04.11.12 14:57 UTC
that web page is very helpful thankyou. At what age would you recommened to start teaching them to stop?
?
- By Jeangenie [gb] Date 04.11.12 15:01 UTC
Straight away. It's nt at all confrontational. :-) Don't let pup get too wound-up or overtired, because that's when they lose what little self-control they have. Think of a toddler having a tantrum! When things are getting too much, or she starts getting too hard (those teeth are sharp and hurt even when she's being gentle, quietly but firmly say "No, gently" and offer her something that she's allowed to bite hard on. Does she have any squeaky toys? They can make things worse for a while.
- By naomi4 [gb] Date 04.11.12 15:42 UTC
So it's best just not to let her play with our hands at all then? and yes...she has ALOT  of squeaky toys!
- By suerogers [gb] Date 04.11.12 15:52 UTC
We tried all the advice with varying degrees of success. Then, as if by magic at about 18 weeks she just stopped! She still 'plays' but that biting stage was over. I found rubbing teething gel on her gums really helped.
- By Jeangenie [gb] Date 04.11.12 16:42 UTC

>So it's best just not to let her play with our hands at all then?


Playing with hands is fine all the time she's gentle. :-) When it gets painful, stop the gme. That's how she'll learn how much force is okay. She must always think hands are kind things that never do anything nasty.
- By Rhodach [gb] Date 04.11.12 20:56 UTC
When playing with her litter mates/dam they would have let her know when she was biting too hard and any game would come to an abrupt end, this is what you are now teaching her, she will soon get the message.
- By Dill [gb] Date 05.11.12 11:14 UTC
As it says in the article, you don't want to stop her mouthing, mouthing is GOOD, it helps her to develop bite inhibition which will protect both her and you as she gets older.  ;)
- By naomi4 [gb] Date 05.11.12 21:18 UTC
okay :D im just a bit concerned about her ruining my clothes as well! she just LOVES buttons! .....and my hair
- By Dill [gb] Date 05.11.12 21:47 UTC
If you allow her to chew your clothes and buttons now she will do it forever!   

Easiest way to stop this is distraction :-D have a chewy toy that you can offer her when she starts on your clothes or buttons, she'll soon learn that they are off limits ;)

I find with my own dogs, solid rubber toys with interesting shapes (ie. not a plain ball) are most appreciated especially as pups Have a look at these

My youngest's favourite is a pink (ew) rubbe ball with fingers all over it like a rounded sputnik - it bounces unpredictably and is knobbly all over :-D  Wish they still sold them in asda :(
Topic Dog Boards / Health / Play biting

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