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Mouthing
One of the most common problems encountered
when introducing a puppy to a family with small
children is mouthing. A pup investigates everything
with his mouth, and when he is playing with his
littermates, he mouths, nips, and bites. This is
natural behavior with other dogs, but it is not
appropriate with people.
A puppy has to learn not to bite when he is being
handled, or when he is playing with both children
and adults. The puppies’ mother will
start to teach them—if a pup is
playing rough and bites her, she will
give a warning growl. In the same
way, a pup will yelp if he is nipped by
one of his littermates. This is seen as
a signal and the pup knows he must
stop.
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Puppies