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Put a Stop to Puppy Mouthing

By Alina Jumabhoy

Put a Stop to Puppy Mouthing

Photo by Show 131/ CC

Image courtesy of congerdesign @ Pixabay

When a puppy is still young, puppy mouthing is completely normal behavior. After all, this is how a puppy explores the world, interacting with different objects.

However, while puppy mouthing may be necessary during the earliest stages of your pup's life, this isn't something that should continue on into adulthood.

Why?

Because an adult dog is much stronger and heavier. What used to be gentle puppy mouthing can unintentionally cause injury as a dog grows up. Plus, puppy teeth themselves can be quite sharp, especially if they come into contact with a child's skin. This is why it is so important to put a stop to puppy mouthing once your pup is a couple of months old.

Bite Inhibition

Bite inhibition is the ability that a dog has to control how hard he mouths and nips. This is usually something that a pup will learn from his mother, as well as his littermates.

How?

Well, when a puppy bites another pup too hard, that other pup will usually let out a yelp and immediately stop playing. This causes the first puppy to stop playing too, teaching him that biting too hard puts an end to the fun.

This is a method that you can copy when teaching bite inhibition to your puppy...

When your puppy mouths you, yelp in the same way that a pup would. Make sure that you immediately stop playing too, leaving your hand to go limp.

Your dog will likely stop too, if only for a second. Make sure that you quickly praise your dog as soon as he has stopped, and then immediately carry on playing.

It will take quite a bit of repetition, but it won't be long before your puppy soon learns not to mouth.

Already tried this method with no success?

Instead of letting your hand go limp, try putting a stop to the play altogether. Walk away from your puppy after you have yelped. Then, wait for your pup to remain calm for about half a minute or so, before returning to play.

This will help to reinforce the idea that mouthing is bad, but playing in a gentle way is good.

Provide a Safe Alternative

While many puppies mouth while playing, others do this simply because its an instinctive behavior. Puppies have a natural urge to chew and bite.

If you don't want this urge to be carried out on you, or any of your belongings, then you will need to provide your pup with a safe alternative.

What sort of things should you give your pup to gnaw on?

Try some of the following:

Don't forget, every puppy is different when it comes to the things he enjoys chewing on. Make sure that you try a few different chews and toys until you have found some that you know your puppy genuinely enjoys.

Remove the Temptation

Many puppies only mouth when they are playing certain games.

So, to prevent puppy mouthing, simply stop playing those games. For most pups, these involve rough play games, such as wrestling.

There are many other non-tactile games that you can substitute this with. Try playing tug of war, or a game of fetch. Introducing your dog to other pups his age will also help your pup to release all of that energy, making him less likely to mouth you when you get home.

Make sure that you also never tease your puppy with your fingers or your hands. Even using an item of clothing can only end up encouraging the mouthing.

Is your puppy mouthing your belongings as well as your skin?

This is another temptation that you should remove.

Make sure that all of your belongings are well out of your puppy's reach, in the same way that you would baby-proof a house if you were bringing a new baby into it. Baby gates and other types of barriers can also be useful to limit your pup's access to certain parts of the house until you have the puppy mouthing under control.

Basic Obedience Training

Giving your pup a treat or a toy as a distraction is always a good idea, but what happens when you don't have a treat or a toy around?

This is where basic obedience training comes in...

This will give you an extra tool when it comes to distracting your pup. By teaching your puppy various commands and tricks, you will be able to use these to encourage your pup to control his impulsive behaviors.

Wondering what basic obedience training involves?

Teach your puppy the following commands:

  • Sit

  • Stay

  • Lie down

  • Recall

  • Leave it

When it comes to puppy mouthing, the two most-useful do tend to be “sit” and “leave it”.

Once you have these commands cemented into your pup's brain, your puppy should automatically listen to you each time you say one of them, even if they happen to be mouthing at the time.

Don't forget, each time your puppy stops mouthing to listen to your command, make sure that you provide plenty of praise, and even a treat. This will really help to reinforce that good behavior.

Don't Punish Puppy Mouthing

As mentioned earlier, mouthing is an instinctive behavior.

Your puppy isn't doing this on purpose, meaning that puppy mouthing isn't something that can be stopped immediately.

For some pups, it takes quite a bit of time to ease away from the mouthing. Punishing your puppy for not learning this fast enough will definitely not help the situation. Instead, it is likely to just make your puppy fearful of you, especially when your hands are near your pup's mouth. This could make certain situations quite tricky in the future, from vet visits to being able to remove a dangerous food item from your dog.

Rather than punishing your puppy for unwanted behavior, focus on rewarding your puppy for positive behavior instead. This will give you so much more success in the long run.

Although puppy mouthing is a natural behavior, this is something that you need to take control of quite early on. Fortunately, with plenty of consistency, it doesn't take long at all to put a stop to puppy mouthing, even for the more playful pups out there!

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8 Creative Kong Recipes to Try

By Alina Jumabhoy

8 Creative Kong Recipes to Try

Photo by Show 131/ CC

Image courtesy of Kapa65 @ Pixabay

Kongs are a great way to mentally stimulate your dog, but they can quickly get bored of the same fillings. If you want to really give your dog a mental challenge, here are eight creative Kong recipes to try.

  1. THE JERKY POP

This Kong recipe is so much fun to watch your dog eat. However, it can sometimes get a little messy, so you may want to save this one for outdoors.

Ice pops are great in the summer, and jerky ice pops are a doggy dream come true.

To begin with, you need to seal the end of the Kong. A small amount of peanut butter is usually enough to do the trick. Place the Kong into a paper cup.

Then, fill the Kong with some broth. Make sure that it is one that doesn't contain any added salt.

Place a couple of sticks of dog-friendly jerky inside the Kong, before placing the cup into the freezer for a few hours.

Don't have any jerky?
You can make this yourself easily by drying thin slices of meat in your oven.

Meat jerky
Photo by Show 131/ CC

  1. FRUIT AND VEG CHUNKS

Stuffing a Kong with fruit and vegetable chunks is a great option if you have multiple dogs.

Why?

Well, you have likely noticed that some of your dogs know how to empty a Kong in a matter of minutes, while others tend to take their time.

By using chunks of fruit and veg, you can vary the chunk size for each dog's Kong. For the dogs that take longer to finish a Kong, use smaller chunks to make it slightly easier. For Kong-savvy dogs, go with larger chunks that they really have to work for.

Need fruit and veg ideas?

Here are a few fruits and vegetables that are safe and healthy for dogs to eat:

  • Blueberries

  • Apples, without the core, seeds or stem

  • Blackberries

  • Broccoli

  • Celery

  • Cucumber

  • Zucchini

  • Pineapple

  • Carrots

  • Cauliflower

  1. SARDINES IN SPRING WATER

Short on time?

This Kong filling is perfect for when you're in a hurry.

All you need to do is stock up on tinned sardines. However, make sure that they have been preserved in spring water, rather than oil or brine, especially if you plan on using this as a treat on a regular basis.

Then, simply open up a tin of sardines and use this to fill the Kong.

Freeze the Kong for a few hours to make it even more of a challenge for your dog.

  1. KIBBLE AND CREAM CHEESE

Looking for a way to make your dog's mealtime last even longer?

It doesn't take long for them to work out how to get their kibble out of a Kong, so give this trick a try...

Mix some of your dog's kibble with a small amount of cream cheese. Stuff this into a Kong and then freeze.

The cheese acts like a cement, holding everything together so firmly. This will make it much harder for your dog to empty the Kong.

  1. A FESTIVE FEAST

If you are looking for festive Kong recipes, look no further than your kitchen...

You are likely buying plenty of festive foods during the holiday season. Chances are, many of these would make a delicious and healthy Kong stuffing.

Need some ideas?

Turkey, whether cooked or raw, works well in a Kong. Raw or cooked chicken and beef are great options too.

You can pair this with some winter vegetables, from Brussel sprouts and carrots to peas and sweet potato. These can all be fed both raw or cooked, with the exception of the sweet potato which should always be cooked.

  1. A KONG OMELET

Got some extra eggs that need to be used?

A Kong omelet will always be appreciated by your pooch!

All you need is an egg and some vegetables that your dog likes. A small amount of cheese is optional.

Then, cook up the egg, scrambling it at first and then folding in the veg. Mix in the cheese before filling the Kong with the mixture. Alternatively, use a small chunk of cheese to seal in the large hole.

You can either wait for it to cool before giving it to your dog, or freeze it to feed later.

  1. OATMEAL, FRUIT AND HONEY

Want to give your dog a special breakfast treat?

This is one of the best Kong recipes for doing so.

A Kong stuffed with oatmeal, fruit and honey will definitely get that tail wagging.

Begin with the oatmeal, making sure that this is cooked. Use a spoonful of this to seal the small hole at the end of the Kong.

Then, add in a few small fruit chunks. Alternatively, if you use a juicer, you can use the fruit pulp leftover from this. Just make sure that this does not contain any fruits that are harmful to dogs.

Continue layering the oatmeal and the fruits. If you want to get even more creative, add in a few layers of yogurt too.

Once you reach the top, give the Kong a drizzle of honey. Your dog will go crazy for this, but use the honey in moderation since it is a sugar.

Either feed immediately or freeze and feed later.

  1. YOGURT AND BANANA

When it comes to Kong recipes, this is an easy one to throw together at the last minute. Of course, it does become even more challenging if you freeze it.

All you need to do is...

  • Slice a banana in half or thirds, depending on the size of Kong you are using

  • Stuff the banana straight into the Kong

  • Fill in the gaps around the banana with some plain yogurt

Make sure that you do not use a flavored yogurt. These often contain sweeteners that can be harmful to dogs.

In order to keep your dog interested in his Kong, and to make sure that it remains challenging for your pooch, you need to mix it up when it comes to the fillings you use. You can stuff a Kong with just about any food that is safe for a dog to eat, so get creative the next time you are looking into Kong recipes for your dog. 

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