Why Is My Dog Worse Than Others?
Some dogs are worse play-biters than others. If your dog had a bad play-biting habit, it helps to understand why.
Dogs kept in a restricted environment with little exercise and stimulation are likely to play-bite more than others.
Terriers, such as Jack Russells, tend to get very excited during play and can bite hard as a result. Some terriers are bred to have a high pain threshold so they learn to bite harder when playing in the litter and this is then transferred to humans when they go to their new home.
Some dogs that have broad heads, such as the Staffordshire Bull Terrier, have a larger area for jaw muscle attachment than narrow-headed puppies and so bite harder during play.
Dogs of breeds bred to work are often enthusiastic players and their biting can get out of hand as they find a way to release their energy, particularly if they are usually kept in confinement where there is little to do.
Dogs that have a lot of unsupervised play with young children or teenagers often become confirmed play-biters because of the opportunity to practice and the lack of appropriate training.
Return to 'Play-biting in Adult Dogs'
