BY FRAN JEWELL
In my job, I have spent thousands and thousands of hours socializing puppies and older dogs. One thing that people do all the time, especially with puppies, is stick their fingers in the puppy’s mouth and allow the puppy to mouth or lightly bite on them. It doesn’t matter what breed the puppy is, they still stick their fingers in the puppy’s mouth.
So, what is wrong with this? There are several reasons this is simply one of the worst things you can allow a puppy to do.
First, puppies, as they become adults, will do the behaviors they learned first when they are stressed. If one of those behaviors is allowed to happen, especially during the first 16 weeks, then the puppy is so much more likely to put its mouth on someone when it is stressed—whether it is good stress or bad stress. This sets the puppy up for failure as an adult. When an adult dog decides to use its mouth (it doesn’t matter how gently or how hard), it can become a liability.
Now imagine you own a large-breed dog, maybe one that is known for protection, such as a Rottweiler, German shepherd, Great Pyrenees, Akita, Giant Schnauzer, or even a cattle dog. Someone who is afraid of dogs comes near or visits your home. The dog might, in greeting, put its mouth on that person simply because they have been allowed to. What you see as a friendly gesture is interpreted as an aggressive bite by the stranger.
Now imagine you have a little dog—a beagle, Westie, poodle, or oodle mix. It doesn’t matter what breed. The same thing happens. Now you find yourself in the midst of a lawsuit or a fine and your dog is labeled a vicious dog.
It really doesn’t matter what breed you own; if a dog’s mouth is on someone, it can and most likely WILL be misinterpreted as aggression and a bite by someone.
Secondly, a dog that is allowed to put its mouth on someone as a puppy will do that behavior in the midst of severe or even light stress. Imagine you take your dog to the vet and the dog is stressed because the vet needs to restrain it for an IV. What happens? Your dog is far more likely to use its mouth to resist and get what it wants—which is to be released. Then the vet muzzles your dog and your dog now has a bad experience with the vet. It’s an endless cycle.
What does mouthing mean? Many times it is just play, as a dog would do with another dog. However, it is not respectful to a human. A dog should not play with a human as he would with another dog. Many people do not see the problem with this. People want to play with their dog. In that case, there are many other ways to play with a dog that do not involve a dog mouth on the human. Catching, retrieving, hunting for food in the grass, hunting for items like wallets, even short sessions of teaching obedience and tricks, can greatly enrich the owner/dog relationship, and no mouth is involved.
I always ask people, “What if my 90-pound German shepherd put his mouth on you. How would you feel?” No one ever answers that they would like it. There is no difference in a German shepherd mouthing you or a tiny Pomeranian. Stop mouthing dead in its tracks and encourage other forms of play to keep your dog happy and safe throughout its life.
Fran Jewell is an Idaho Press Club award-winning columnist, IAABC-certified dog behavior consultant, NADOI-certified instructor #1096 and the owner of Positive Puppy Dog Training, LLC, in Sun Valley. For more information, visit positivepuppy.com or call (208) 578-1565.