Do you have a puppy dog at home and it won’t stop biting everything ?
Don’t worry. It’s normal, everyone does it and all you have to do is have a little patience, guarantee his safety and teach him, little by little, not to do it.
A veterinarian explains, “dogs a few months old use biting objects in the environment as a method of exploring .” In fact, the animal health specialist points out, “many times they do not control their bite force until they are five months old.”
The expert tells us that one of the most effective tools to control the bite is playing with their peers, especially with the mother and the brothers of the litter. “When they are with their parents or siblings, they build hierarchical ties. Socialization is the period where the puppy learns to interact with people, other dogs, other pets and also with the environment (street, subway, bicycles, cars, etc. ). In this period that lasts from 2 weeks of life to 4 months of age, they can bite hands and objects to explore or out of fear or insecurity.”
How to teach him not to bite
A puppy at home can bite anything: plants, cables as well as any element that gives off a smell that seems pleasant to it, such as shoes, socks, etc.
“In this period when they are exploring the environment with their mouths, they tend to smell or bite everything. One option is to offer toys so that they focus their attention and play. We can find all kinds of toys. Rubber or balls are a good option. There are also some where you can put sweets inside to keep them entertained.”
Can your teeth hurt?
When a puppy bites it can also do it because it is in pain for something, as natural as it is changing its teeth. “It is a physiological process that generally occurs after three months and extends up to 5 or 7 months of age.
During this period they can bite a little more due to inflammation of the gums and eruption of the teeth permanent,” says the specialist.
When should a puppy stop biting?
Considering that the puppy has been adequately socialized, the act of biting or destroying household objects usually subsides between 5 and 12 months of age . “When the pet continues with these bad habits, we recommend that they visit an ethologist or trainer.
The professional will study the bad habits, identify the owners’ handling errors and draw up a behavior redirection plan,” recommends the veterinary specialist.
Can we use toys to bite them?
Even if it seems to you that they behave like little ‘savages’ with their toys, since it can take very little time for them to destroy them, don’t worry, it’s also normal. “Dogs interact with their toys by shaking them from one side to the other or bringing them so you can throw them away and have them look for them,” explains Paulo Chen, who insists that the important thing is that they know how to control the force of their bite..
“There are trainers who advise that they bite our fingers to control the force of the bite. If they go too far, at the same moment we say an “Ouch” and stop the game for a few seconds.” The act of stopping the game is the way in which our ‘furry’ will realize that he should not bite so hard. We will do this exercise until they know how to control the bite but that will depend on the breed and temperament of the pet. “A Yorkshire is not the same as a shepherd German,” he recalls.
Can you hurt yourself when playing with them?
Another important aspect is what kind of toys we give them because nothing is worth anything. “What could happen with hard toys such as sticks or deer antlers is that milk teeth are fractured . Traumas or blows can cause some injury to the dental germ and cause it to erupt inappropriately,” he warns us. Also, when they already have the final teeth and play with hard objects, they can suffer premature wear of the dental piece or crown fractures.
