How Do You Alleviate Puppy Play Biting?
Mouthing, or play biting, is normal and quite common in puppies. In fact, if at eight weeks your pup is not doing some of this then something is probably wrong. If play biting goes uncorrected, however, it literally alters the dog’s functional position in the pack: He becomes alpha, you don’t. It can be argued that at this age, puppies mouth for various reasons. They could in fact be teething. It could be curiosity; how they are “exploring” the world around them. But make no mistake about it, pups usually play bite for reasons of dominance. The best example is the result of what happens when play biting goes uncorrected for the first six to 12 months of the dog’s life: play biting has turned into downright aggressive behavior. This is often when a trainer or behaviorist is contacted. Rule number one? Exercise your pup. Don’t overdo it at this age, but give him plenty of aerobic activity so that his preference is to nap and not nip. When he’s asleep, he’s happy and so are you (dog dream
