The 24-days-old Shiba-Inu puppies in this video are biting each other’s nose. This is one of the loveliest things to watch when puppies are around each other. They put the other’s nose and mouth completely in their mouth. It’s to play, not to attack. And in this video, looks like they are relatively gentle with it. One of the puppies did whimper for a moment. They must not know their strength at this point of their development. Animal behavioralist Amber Johnson writes in Pet Premium that when puppies play-bite, they get feedback from their siblings. If someone yelps, they know they are biting too hard. She suggests that we train our puppy the same way when they bite us too hard–by our own way of yelping, then letting our hand go limp, so the puppy knows he bit too hard. This is feedback for him because he’s just exploring how to use his teeth. He has no way of knowing how much force is considered “too hard” unless he gets feedback. Puppies explore the world through their mouth. It’s natural that they chew and mouth at this point.
Amber also suggests that when your puppy licks you (probably after hearing you “yelp”), praise him, so he recognizes this behavior as gentle and one that you appreciate. If your puppy starts mouthing you when you are watching television or busy with something else, a good idea is to quickly replace your hand with one of his favorite toys that he likes to chew on. This helps him to associate the idea “I want to chew” with “a toy is something I chew on, not a human hand.” Punishing is definitely not advised. This is a natural part of development. They are simply following nature. Gently guide them how to properly use their teeth. This is a video that would feel good to come back to anytime you want a pick me up.
Article source: Amber Johnson on Pet Premium
