How to Play Appropriately with a Puppy

Most of us are so enamored with a new puppy that we get on the floor, roll around, play rough house, among a myriad of other things when trying to bond with our new family member.  What is critical to remember is that what we teach our dogs as a puppy is what they will do when they mature.  I hear excuses all the time that the mouthing and biting is, “soft” and just because they are a puppy, “It’s okay.”  NO!  It is NOT!

I don’t care what breed it is, but puppies that mouth, or are encouraged to bite during play WILL be disrespectful to you and others as they mature. This is how puppies play with each other.  It is vital that your puppy not see you as another puppy.  It also teaches a puppy that this is how to deal with frustration, or even fear.  Essentially, this is setting the dog up for failure.  A dog that learns that mouthing or biting is okay in puppyhood WILL do this later on.  Biting is always a problem for families with children.  

One of the easiest ways to mitigate biting is to give the dog appropriate things to chew instead and never rough house for play time.  It is also helpful to use food dispensing toys for meals.  It helps direct the puppy to use her mouth on objects not people. Play time should be things like throwing a ball, or hiding treats for the puppy to find.

The second thing that is critical with puppies is height. The closer you are to a puppies face, the more likely you are to get bitten…in the face!  More children are bitten in the face by dogs than any other place because they are at the dog’s level.  So, even if we adults lay on the floor with a puppy, the puppy learns very fast that you are ON HER LEVEL and encourages disrespect.  Think about this further.  Do you wonder why puppies jump on you?  It’s not attention seeking as many people would believe. It’s to be on the same level with your face, like another puppy.  This includes things like going up the stairs.  You should go first.  A puppy that sleeps in bed with you does not see you as her leader. She sees you as another puppy because you are on the same level. We love the cuddling in bed, but this can come later once your puppy is trained and you have earned her respect.  Puppies should learn to sleep on the floor in a crate until they have earned the PRIVELDGE to sleep on any furniture.

In short, getting down on the floor and rough housing with a puppy actually encourages the dog to disrespect you which also relates to the dog not coming to you or paying attention to you as she matures. It encourages a puppy to use her mouth to deal with frustration or even fear.  Build respect with your puppy when she is a puppy, not later when your adult dog has behavior problems much harder to change.

Photo Caption:  “Once a puppy learns a “leave it” command, putting a toy on a string can be a great way to play without letting the dog bite your hands, or the hands of a child.  But, the human should always win the toy back.”