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Why you shouldn't play with a puppy with your hand: the danger that awaits the owner
09.02.2023 04:30
Updated: 13.04.2023 22:50
When a small four-legged friend appears in the house, you want to spend a lot of time playing with him. But not all games are safe.
Often the owner himself teaches the dog incorrect behavior even at the stage of playing with the puppy, which later leads to disastrous consequences.
Why you can't play with your hand
When a puppy is very small, it bites a person's hand so funny that you want to play with it again and again. The owner "attacks" with his hand, imitating the terrible mouth of an animal with his fingers, and the puppy happily joins in this game.
But it should be remembered that in six months the dog will have the beast's terrible mouth. And it will not imitate a bite. Closer to a year the dog will grow up, gain weight and feel its strength. It will start biting seriously. And it is not even that it is aggressive and wants to harm a person. It is just that it is used to this manner of communication. In a dog environment it communicates exactly like this - it bites another dog. Sometimes lightly, if it wants to play, and sometimes strongly, when it makes it clear to another individual that it does not intend to play or is protecting its toy (food, territory).
He transfers the same behavior to people, since the owner encouraged the animal’s natural inclinations from childhood.
Remember: even a minor bite from a large dog, such as a German Shepherd or Rottweiler, is a serious injury to a person. Also, do not forget that the dog will transfer this behavior to all people, including children.
What about the little dogs?
Many people believe that playing with hands won't become a problem with small dogs. Yes, a Spitz is unlikely to bite a person, but it can bite until it draws blood. And it's unlikely that it's comfortable to live with a dog that's always trying to bite your hand, even if it doesn't draw blood.
Scratches on hands are no fun. By the way, many small breeds have large and strong mouths. For example, corgis can bite very hard.
And again, don't forget about children, who can be very frightened by such a dog.
How to play with a dog correctly
The dog needs to be taught that it cannot bite a person. This applies not only to hands, but to other parts of the body. Some owners do not stop the puppy from trying to bite their face, which is doubly dangerous.
Scold your dog if he grabs your hand, nose, leg, or even clothing. It is important that other family members follow this strategy.
You need to play with a puppy using a toy. It is much more interesting, comfortable and safer. Tug of war, playing with a ball, bringing a ring - all this is great for games.
Make sure that the puppy grabs the toy, not your hand. Later, it will grow up, but the habit of playing will remain, which will allow you to load the dog on a walk or train the grip for guard duty.
