Puppy Biting - at odds with partner

[Puppytalk]

My partner is encouraging our 15 week old puppy to bite and chew his hands and he says he has too learn the difference between who he can and can’t play rough with. - I personally think this is a stupid philosophy and a puppy if taught it’s acceptable will turn into a dog who bites.

Your thoughts on this would be appreciated

I agree with you and have been told by a dog trained when puppies bite (teethe as they all do) you need to put a toy in their mouth.

The puppy is going to be very confused about what is and isn't acceptable, and your DH is going to regret encouraging him when the puppy puts a bit too much force into it and hurts him.

Teaching the puppy to chew toys instead is a much clearer lesson to learn.

I did this with Battendog and he has grown into a springer with an incredibly gentle mouth (but then springers tend to). I can put my fingers in, all around his mouth and be confident he will not accidentally hurt me because he knows exactly how gentle to be. I did it by getting more a more precise about stopping play as soon as he was even a little bit too hard in his mouting. Essentially, I acted like it hurt way before it really did. We soon got to the point where any pressure at all stopped play.

It has not turned him into a dog that bites.

It's the difference between bite inhibition (his way) and bite prohibition (your way).

Some resources to help you decide:

www.dogchatforum.com/aggressive-puppy.htm (How do we stop play biting)

doggonesafe.com/Dog_Owner_Bite_Prevention

adogsdharma.com/PDF-articles/Bite_Inhibition.pdf

talentedanimals.com/blog/teaching-bite-inhibition/

It's not necessarily a bad idea. Dogs do need to get used to having your hands and fingers in and around their mouths without going to bite you, after all.

Mine is a mouthy breed but he has never (since puppyhood) bit me so it hurt. We did what your DP does and I can now fish in his mouth for things, put my fingers in to rub toothpaste and he accepts it just fine.