Chewing, Mouthing, Nipping, Biting

Dogs especially puppies explore their world with their mouths. When with their littermates they would have learnt to bite their ears, feet and face to initiate play, during play and to demonstrate annoyance. When your puppy comes into your house they try to do the same thing with you and your family members. The problem is we are not covered in fur like their puppy siblings so it can hurt a lot more and we don’t enjoy being bitten. Bite inhibition. The average bite force of a dog ranges between 100 Newton (N) to up to 2,000 N; this is enough to break skin and crack bones. When interacting with us, dogs rarely bite down with all their strength. Just like we have learnt to apply less pressure when holding an egg and more pressure when holding a rock, dogs learn how much pressure is okay to apply on human skin to exhibit gentle play using their mouth. This is called Bite inhibition. The recommended amount of pressure to allow is 0. Allowing your dog to mouth you can result in them wanting to mouth your guests, young children and your elderly neighbour. More so, when the object they are trying to get a hold of is moving the pressure they exert to stop it increases. Teach your dog a 0 tolerance policy to teeth on human skin.

Chewing
Mouthing
Nipping
Biting
What it is
Biting down hard on objects usually involves using the rear molars.
Holding objects or parts of a human in their mouth exerting a low ammount of pressure.
A sharp quick bite usually involves the front teeth. Can signal overexcitement or annoyance.
A bite usually involves the use of the canine teeth with extreme pressure often resulting in deep puncture wounds.
When & Why it occours.

It is a natural behaviour and A great stress reliever. Can be seen in excess during puppy teething stages.
This could be to initiate play or as a sign of affection. It is usually meant to be friendly and sometimes may be used to get attention.
This may occur during overexcited play when dogs are held or carried in uncomfortable positions, and if they want to increase the distance from the recipient.
Often seen in dogs that have been pushed to their limit. Is usually used by dogs as a last resort when all other options have been exhausted.
Solution
Provide the dog with plenty of suitable objects to chew. Some good options are a Treat filled Kong, Bully sticks, Nyla bones, Tendons, Suitable safe bones and Frozen pupsicles.
Let your dog know that mouthing hurts (even if it doesn’t) by saying "OWCH". If the play gets rough get up and walk away. Ask for an alternate behaviour like a touch or a lick. Help your dog learn how to play by directing the mouthing to a toy while engaging in play with you. Ask your dog to get a toy instead of biting you to initiate a play.
Keep play at the appropriate speed. Stop handling the dog if they are nipping. Put them on the floor, and give them space. Address the emotional, physical or psychological needs of the dog at that stage. Provide the dog with a comfortable safe space to rest and calm down.
Examine the triggers in the environment, observe the dog’s body language and help before a bite happens. In extreme situations like if the dog is injured or severely reactive a well-conditioned muzzle is a good alternative. Here is a great LINK to muzzle training. Consult your Vet or a certified VET behaviourist. And your dog trainer for help.
The videos below have some great information by trainers from around the world that can help with Chewing, Mouthing, Nipping and Biting

Frustration biting / aggression biting.

Puppy mouthing, nipping, and even the occasional biting is normal. However, some puppies bite out of fear or frustration. If your puppy doesn't stop biting or regularly bites down hard enough to draw blood, It can often be a red flag, and if not tackled early, it can lead to problems in the future. The first thing you should do, with the help of your vet or qualified vet behaviouralist, is to rule out pain as the root cause of behaviour. This is especially important for teething pains and issues like retained deciduous (baby) teeth, which can be really uncomfortable for young puppies. Puppy Temper Tantrums Sometimes, when you make a puppy do something they don’t like, like preventing them from accessing a particular area, chewing on a dangerous object, or even something as simple as keeping them still, putting on their collar and harness or handling their body, it can upset them, and they may throw a tantrum. Tantrums also happen when play results in overstimulation, How to tell a tantrum from regular play A puppy temper tantrum is more serious than playful mouthing, but it isn’t always easy to tell the difference.
Play
Tantrum
Bites are usually softer, and if you vocalise, the puppy lets go and backs off for a few seconds to reassess whether it's still play.
The bites are hard, and the puppy doesn't let go even if you vocalise that you're in pain. Often, when you try to disengage, they will follow and attempt to keep biting or redirect biting to another target nearby.
Puppy is usually happy to engage with a toy and continue playing.
Puppy doesnt want to engage with toys instead tries to bite you.
The muzzle might look wrinkled, but you won’t see a lot of tension in the facial muscles, eyes will be soft and playfull body will be loose and wrinkly often clumsy. vocalisation will be playfull and high pitched
The face will be hard, and the eyes may look wide, with dilated pupils. The body may be very stiff or frozen. They might pull back their lips and expose their teeth or growl low and deep.
What to Do?
  • Avoid getting angry or yelling. If you are ever in a bad mood, and someone yells at you or gets angry with you, you are more likely to lash out and say or do things you usually wouldn't and sometimes even do things you regret later. Your dog is the same. Remember the famous quote, " The only time two people yelling is helpful is when the house is on fire."
  • Stop training or interacting with your puppy when you notice you or your puppy are getting frustrated. Your puppy will pick up on your frustration and get anxious or frustrated as well. Training will only work if both of you are having fun. Check out this guide from Spirit Dog on what to do when you start getting frustrated while training your dog.
  • When your puppy throws a tantrum, avoid physically handling it. Instead, use a house lead to regain control and help your puppy move to a place like its playpen, where it can learn to settle down and not make bad choices. Here is an excellent guide from Kikopup to learn more about setting up a pen and teaching your puppy to love being in their pen.
  • If you're holding or handling your puppy and they start to throw a temper tantrum, avoid yelping like you're hurt. Doing that might actually cause your puppy to continue or intensify aggressive behaviour. Instead, be very calm and unemotional. Don't hurt your puppy, but continue to hold it firmly without constriction, if possible, until it stops struggling. After it has quieted down for just a second or two, let it go. Help rebuild the connection by rewarding your puppy for simple known behaviours and develop a training plan to counter-condition how the puppy feels about being handled.
If your puppy is throwing a tantrum because there is somewhere they want to go or something they want, there are two options. Option 1: You're happy to give the puppy what they want. Remain calm and wait for the puppy to calm down for a few seconds. Then ask your puppy for known polite behaviour, Touch, down, etc When they give you the polite behaviour mark, then provide them with the thing they are after. In the future, when your puppy wants the same thing, ask it to repeat the same behaviour. With time and repetition, it will learn to ask politely. Option 2: You do not want to give the puppy what they want. Remain calm and regain control with the help of your house lead or put a barrier between you and your puppy. Then ask your puppy for calm behaviour like a Go sniff, on your bed, etc. Give them a chew toy, a long-lasting chew, a lick mat or some enrichment. Teach your dog the Leave It command, and in the future, Tell it to leave when it wants the same thing. With time and repetition, your dog will learn that ignoring undesirable things leads to better reinforcement. Repeated bouts of biting in frustration are not something that the puppy will grow out of, so your puppy should be assessed by a qualified Vet Behaviourist and resolved as soon as possible.
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