It’s natural for puppies to mouth and bite. Dogs are predators. Pups in the wild (e.g., wolves) must learn to use their teeth to survive. Though it is normal for puppies to bite, domestic dogs must learn rules for proper canine communication, both with other dogs and with humans. It’s extremely helpful for puppies to have the opportunity to learn from their mother and siblings prior to weaning. Therefore, puppies should remain with their littermates until they are 8 weeks old. This allows them to learn through play, how to control the force of their bite. Watch puppies at play; note how they wrestle and roll around, biting each other wherever they can get a grip. Whehn they bite too hard, though, their brother or sister will do two things: shriek loudly (a puppy distress yelp) and quit playing. This leaves the biter alone and puzzled about why the game ended. After a few dozen repetitions, puppies realize that when you bite too hard, good things end abruptly. It’s a critical lesson that will serve them throughout their lives.
“Bite inhibition” is what prevents a dog from biting a person or another dog hard enough to inflict a serious injury. A dog that hasn’t learned to inhibit the strength of his bite may still be a loving, sweet dog. However, in unusual circumstances (e.g., getting his tail caught in a door, the sudden approach of a stranger) the dog may be provoked to bite. It’s understandable that dogs are apt to bite in response to pain, but lack of bite inhibition can be deadly. Many a bewildered family has put their beloved dog to death, not understanding how a “perfect” dog could inflict such a terrible bite.
How to teach your puppy bite inhibition
Teaching the puppy to restrict the force of his bite is best done as a gradual process. The end goal is to teach him how to bite without inflicting injury. The goal isn’t to teach the puppy to never put his mouth on human or dog skin.
Start by correcting the worst bites. When the puppy bites hard enough to hurt you, let out an alarming high-pitched yelp as the puppy bites down (timing is important), stop playing and walk away and act as though you have been really hurt by the bite. Your yelp should be sudden and over-dramatic. Your yelp should stop the puppy and will be a signal to the puppy regarding which behavior caused your interaction to end. If your puppy doesn’t stop when you yelp, experiment with another pitch. Gradually over several weeks, correct the weaker bites until finally the pup uses his mouth to gum, not bite, you.
