Question:
I have a 4 month old Wire Fox Terrier who is a “mouther.” Since I am the main subject of his mouthing affection, I continue to have small punctures and scratches on on my arms, hands and ankles. He has a number of puppy teething toys and we have tried “no” commands, displeasure yelps, constraint until he calms, bitter spray (which he loves), and ignoring him. While he is improving, his biting continues and seems to increase when he gets tired (when he bites he is placed in his playroom and promptly takes a nap). He is teething. Is there anything further we can do to alter the mouthing behavior or is his persistence just a part of his teething?
AKC Answer:
Puppies mouth or nip for several reasons. As you noted, two of the primary reasons are teething and becoming overtired. Puppies also play with littermates and explore the world this way. The main message you want to get across to your puppy is that when he nips you, all fun stops immediately. Make sure you have a toy when you play with your puppy so he has something besides you to “go after” but if does nip you, we recommend the following.
Tooth Brushing Basics
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Frequently asked questions
Stop puppy from biting?
The AKC walks through this step by step — the key points are covered above, sourced to the AKC article linked on this page. I have a 4 month old Wire Fox Terrier who is a “mouther.” Since I am the main subject of his mouthing affection, I continue to have small p…
Stop puppy from biting hands?
The AKC walks through this step by step — the key points are covered above, sourced to the AKC article linked on this page. I have a 4 month old Wire Fox Terrier who is a “mouther.” Since I am the main subject of his mouthing affection, I continue to have small p…
Stop puppy from biting hands and feet?
The AKC walks through this step by step — the key points are covered above, sourced to the AKC article linked on this page. I have a 4 month old Wire Fox Terrier who is a “mouther.” Since I am the main subject of his mouthing affection, I continue to have small p…