A puppy’s mouth is like our hands. Asking a puppy not to use their mouth is like asking a person to play without using their hands—it’s not easy!
People often ask if it’s okay for a puppy to put their mouth on human skin. This is a personal decision. Allowing a puppy to mouth you during play doesn’t make them more likely to bite for real. When dogs play together, they often use their mouths, and that doesn’t make them more likely to fight later. Remember, for a dog, using their mouth is a natural way to express energy and interact.
If you decide on a zero-tolerance policy, it’s like playing with a child and saying neither of you can use your hands—ever. Yes, it’s possible, but it’s not easy. Your puppy might decide not to play with you at all, which is the risk of this approach. If the biting is gentle and doesn’t bother you, you might choose to ignore it. However, if it bothers you or gets more intense, you’ll want to address it as explained below.
Biting During Personal Play
If your dog gets mouthy or overly excited during personal play:
Give your dog a toy to hold in their mouth. When you play, focus on the interaction, but use the toy just enough to keep your dog holding it. This helps direct their mouthiness while you figure out the best level of play. If your dog drops the toy, stop moving but stay engaged—encourage them to pick up the toy again! As soon as they do, continue playing as before. If you’re consistent, your dog will learn to play while holding something. In this video, notice that Lyra holds a ball, but Denise still plays with her.
Video: Lyra mouthing- personal play using toy
If your puppy doesn’t want to hold toys, you can still play but keep some low-value treats with you. When your puppy gets too excited, toss the treat away or hand it to them. This will shift their focus and help calm them down.
A tug toy works like a treat. If your puppy gets too excited, switch to tugging instead. Also, pay attention to the direction you’re facing during play. Puppies tend to bite more when you face them. Dogs often bite each other when they play face-to-face, so try turning away and see if the biting decreases.
You might also want to change the type of play. Some dogs bite more during chase games, while others get more mouthy during wrestling. Trying different games can make a big difference!
Have you considered how intense your play is? The best play often starts slow, more like “praise” than full-on play. That’s okay! It’s better to start slow and build up as you both feel comfortable than to run around wildly, which might scare or overexcite your dog.
Try playing for shorter periods. Puppies get overexcited quickly. Aim for one or two minutes of play, then switch to another activity.
Lower yourself to your puppy’s level. When we stand above our dogs, they may get more excited and use their teeth to even the score. Try getting down on their level. When we make ourselves smaller, the puppy might not feel the need to play as roughly.
If your dog gets too excited, go soft and passive. Turn away and look away. This signals to your dog that rough play isn’t fun. This will likely calm them down. When our dogs get rough, we usually face them and get bigger, but try doing the opposite! Once your dog calms down, go back to gentle play until you both find a comfortable level of interaction.
Remember, very tired puppies often become overexcited and make poor decisions. If your puppy starts biting a lot in the evening, it’s better to put them to bed than to play with them. Overtired puppies may seem like they need to play, but they actually need sleep. Puppies need a lot of rest!
The key point with personal play is…
Be patient while your puppy learns how to use their mouth properly. At the same time, have some strategies ready to keep both of you safe and happy. Pay close attention so you can tell when your puppy is getting too excited, and make changes before things get out of hand. It’s easier to get a puppy more excited during play than to calm them down, so focus on calmer play until you’re both comfortable with the rules.
Nipping While Playing with Toys
Biting during toy play usually happens because of how the handler is playing. Check the toy you’re using. Soft, floppy toys that move around in the air are asking for trouble because there’s no clear spot for your puppy to aim for!
Instead, offer the toy on the ground. The toy should move wildly AWAY from your puppy, so she can catch it between her teeth and the floor. Toys hanging in the air are hard to grab and may lead her to bite the closest thing: your hands and arms.
Check how tight you’re holding the toy. If you keep a steady tension on the toy and it keeps moving, it will be hard for her to let go and bite you because the toy will slip away if she opens her mouth. Once dogs learn this, they tend to hold on tighter. If you’re not sure, record yourself playing and look for any looseness in the toy. If it’s loose, you need to pull tighter.
But if you’re holding the toy too tight and not moving it much, your puppy might just hang on and get tired. She could let go out of exhaustion, and that could lead to frustration, causing her to bite your arms or legs instead, so avoid that too!
If you start to feel uncomfortable at any point, just drop the toy and calm your puppy with some treats. Next time you play, try to keep the energy at a level where you feel more in control.
Key Takeaway…
It’s very rare that I get mouthed hard during personal play or bitten by accident when playing with toys. That’s because I play with rules that the dog can understand, and I’m consistent with what I expect. If you get angry at your puppy for something that’s really your fault, you’ll ruin the fun, so make sure you have a plan to prevent problems from getting worse. On the other hand, you shouldn’t play in a way that allows your puppy to hurt you because that sends the message that it’s okay when it’s not! Focus on improving your play skills and have a plan ready if your puppy starts to mouth too much or shows signs of getting too excited. Over time, you’ll develop a style that’s safe and fun for everyone involved.