Bite Inhibition

Puppies bite and it is a good thing they do! They practice biting each other in play and they mouth us the same way. It is important for us to teach our dogs how gentle to bite.

As a puppy they have needle sharp teeth to make it hurt but they don't have the power behind the jaws yet to inflict damage. It is extremely important when you get a puppy to practice dog bite inhibition. Because they have those needle teeth they often do elicit a reaction from us "Ouch!" and a pause in our interaction with the dog. Puppies love to play bite and will learn how to inhibit the force of their jaws to keep the game going. So your puppy learns to bite gently before he acquires strong jaws and big teeth.

To teach your puppy to not bite you all together may offer relief temporarily but it will not change the fact that your dog will not know how to control the pressure behind his jaws, which can be dangerous. As an adult, the dog that was forbidden to play bite, may be provoked or fearful and will likely result in a bite that is painful and a severe injury.




Dogs play together and often are able to aggress without damage. They can play and teeth clash because they are practicing bite inhibition with each other. A dog that doesn't get to interact with other dogs and learn from a young age appropriate play is likely to cause more damage to another dog when giving a correction.

It is easy to teach our dogs how to bite appropriately. Encourage interacting with your puppy and allow mouthing. When your puppy bites you too hard you need not punish it or scare it, simply say "Ouch" and withdraw all attention. The puppy learns the result of biting too hard makes all play stop. It is equally important that your puppy then doesn't go pick up a toy or play with another person. Only pause for a couple seconds and then resume your interaction. Continue to play with your puppy in this manor, anytime you feel your puppy bites too hard, "Ouch" and ignore the pup. If your pup doesn't respond to the yelp, get up and leave the room if necessary. Continue to practice this even when the bites don't hurt. Fake it! We want your puppy to learn that we are so sensitive that we can't handle the lightest amount of pressure. Soon play biting turns into just play mouthing. We have now taught our dogs that in the event that they might bite a person, little pressure is sufficient, thus resulting in barely a red mark on the skin. Again a dog that is punished or taught never to bite will likely result in a puncture to the skin if ever the need to bite was there.