Dog Using Teeth In Play

FCIM

We recently acquired a family dog. He is a four year old pom/sheltie cross and came from a pound. He's very loving and warm, very gentle apart from initial domination issues with our child (kept trying to hump him in the first few days) which were quickly overcome. He's settled in very well and apart from a bit of separation nervousness when we have to leave the house, he's made impressive progress and is well loved in return.

He loves attention and gets a lot. This evening though he's been craving attention and whilst he will often lick our hands when we pet him, tonight he's been going with his teeth (not snapping, it would seem he's being affectionate but we don't want him thinking his teeth are affectionate). I told him no firmly when he did it with me and went away from him and made it clear that I wasn't petting him anymore.

I since went back to him as after a while something seemed to be making him nervous, he was moving across the room and suddenly slipped or turned around quickly (I didn't see which) but he was nervous even with me petting him again and had his ears pricked towards the back door. Both myself and my spouse have reasonably solid dog experience, I grew up around my Grandad's and my wife owned one up until about a decade ago. Any ideas as per the using teeth affectionately (he has done it on and off but seems more determined tonight - I will also say he has craved attention tonight, jumping up on me so it's not over petting)?

deadlybuzzman

Our dog does it all the time and it's fine and she's very gentle even though has massively powerful jaws. obviously she doesn't have hands so as far as i can tell it's her way of holding onto me when she says hello when I come home from work.
She'll also take me or my wife by the hand and pull us gently to her bed.
Is the dog being bitey or just mouthing?

FCIM

deadlybuzzman wrote: »

Our dog does it all the time and it's fine and she's very gentle even though has massively powerful jaws. obviously she doesn't have hands so as far as i can tell it's her way of holding onto me when she says hello when I come home from work.
She'll also take me or my wife by the hand and pull us gently to her bed.
Is the dog being bitey or just mouthing?

It certainly wasn't snapping or outright trying to hurt me. My spouse saw what happened and said he wasn't being aggressive which confirmed my thoughts. He was also licking my hand and cuddling into me/across me affectionately (no way trying to be domineering). Maybe my nerves coming into play a bit as I've never owned a dog, though as I said I have experience of them but perhaps the security of my Grandad being the boss not being there I am a bit jumpier about teeth than I should have been. He's not the most powerful dog being a pom/sheltie so maybe I should bite the bullet, let him do it and see as I should be strong enough to stop him really hurting me if it's more than affection.

DBB

Hey op,
You can stop worrying about whether your dog is trying to dominate you... He's not. It's a theory that is long since debunked
http://www.apbc.org.uk/articles/why-wont-dominance-die

I'm trying to understand whether you mean your dog is actually opening his mouth and filling it with your hand, or is he nibbling at you with his front teeth without actually wrapping his mouth around you?

deadlybuzzman

I totally get where you're coming from as this is our first dog of our own too and I was worried would it lead to problems.
I got the feeling with ours that she wasn't the most confident dog and that she did it for reassurance as much as much as anything.
Bite inhibition was an idea I came across where if she pressed down more than what was comfortable then a "ah ah!" or whatever let's her know it's not OK. Overtime she learned to be very gentle.
Now that she's older and much more confident she mainly only does it when she greets us and wants to bring us over to her bed.
As she was a rescue I do think it made her a more settled confident safer dog..... The only downside was the drooly sleeves!

FCIM

Thanks for the input both.

I would say nibbling. Certainly he didn't try to get my whole hand in his mouth and there was no suddenness to suggest snapping. It was as though he was using his teeth as an extension of his tongue if that makes sense.

tk123

FCIM wrote: »

Thanks for the input both.

I would say nibbling. Certainly he didn't try to get my whole hand in his mouth and there was no suddenness to suggest snapping. It was as though he was using his teeth as an extension of his tongue if that makes sense.

Bailey does this - but he only does it to his most favourite people lol. They actually love it lol because he's so gentle when he does it!

FCIM

tk123 wrote: »

Bailey does this - but he only does it to his most favourite people lol. They actually love it lol because he's so gentle when he does it!

I might bite the bullet and let him do it next time.

DBB

FCIM wrote: »

I might bite the bullet and let him do it next time.

I think TK123 and I are talking about the same thing.. It's very much a nibble with the very edges of the front teeth... Their jaws don't actually open... It'd remind you of a cartoon character eating corn on the cob
I've had 3 dogs that did/do it along my chin and my nose... ranging in size from Westie to German Shepherd... It always makes me laugh, it's so adorable, but you do have to watch out for the occasional inadvertent pinch!

tk123

DBB wrote: »

I think TK123 and I are talking about the same thing.. It's very much a nibble with the very edges of the front teeth... Their jaws don't actually open...

Eh Bailey's do!
'OMG where have you been!! (he saw them earlier that day) I'm going to retrieve you now.. OM'

njs030

DBB wrote: »

I think TK123 and I are talking about the same thing.. It's very much a nibble with the very edges of the front teeth... Their jaws don't actually open... It'd remind you of a cartoon character eating corn on the cob
I've had 3 dogs that did/do it along my chin and my nose... ranging in size from Westie to German Shepherd... It always makes me laugh, it's so adorable, but you do have to watch out for the occasional inadvertent pinch!

My big girl holds our hand in her paws and nibbles away happily for ages
It's so cute!!

FCIM

notjustsweet wrote: »

My big girl holds our hand in her paws and nibbles away happily for ages
It's so cute!!

OK, would seem it's nibbling and he was being affectionate going by the advice here. I just felt teeth and thought bad. Next time he tries it I'll let him though he could've learnt not to now lol.

njs030

FCIM wrote: »

OK, would seem it's nibbling and he was being affectionate going by the advice here. I just felt teeth and thought bad. Next time he tries it I'll let him though he could've learnt not to now lol.

We call it grooming, though it's probably not the correct word for it I think it's some kind of affectionate bonding type of behaviour.
Let himdo it and if he goes too hard just let him know with 'ah ah' or something.

It sounds like he's really happy

FCIM

notjustsweet wrote: »

We call it grooming, though it's probably not the correct word for it I think it's some kind of affectionate bonding type of behaviour.
Let himdo it and if he goes too hard just let him know with 'ah ah' or something.

It sounds like he's really happy

Thanks, hopefully so.

I take it by your confidence in saying to let him do it and only letting him know if it's too hard that there's some distance between what he's doing and him actually hurting me?

njs030

FCIM wrote: »

Thanks, hopefully so.

I take it by your confidence in saying to let him do it and only letting him know if it's too hard that there's some distance between what he's doing and him actually hurting me?

Oh I'm no expert I'm just going on my own comfort level!
If you're not comfortable then don't let him, I wouldn't let my dogs do anything I was uneasy about, you could always distract him with a toy if he does it again.

FCIM

notjustsweet wrote: »

Oh I'm no expert I'm just going on my own comfort level!
If you're not comfortable then don't let him, I wouldn't let my dogs do anything I was uneasy about, you could always distract him with a toy if he does it again.

If it is something he wants to do then I'm happy with him doing it now I understand it's unlikely to hurt me and even if he goes too hard then it is improbable that he will give me anything lasting. My big no no is licking my face. Some people love it, I'm no way, anywhere else yes but my face no. I was just concerned teeth would lead to hurting.

DBB

FCIM wrote: »

OK, would seem it's nibbling and he was being affectionate going by the advice here. I just felt teeth and thought bad. Next time he tries it I'll let him though he could've learnt not to now lol.

Each to their own all the same op... If you don't like him doing it, just give him a calm verbal warning before removing your hand for a few seconds. Chances are he'll revert to licking if you do this a few times