Nipping, lightly biting

Almost everything I do is with my mouth. Not sure how humans are able to pick so many things with their frownt paws (they call it H.E.N.D.s I think), like sticks, cheese (CHEEEEESE, myummm!), treats. They even hold my leash with their front paws hends.

I likes walking with my paws. If I need something tasted I use my mouth. If I need to eat I use my mouth (and teeefs!). If I want play with something, like pick up a ball and run I also use my mouth. Is my mouth also a hend…? (Need to think about it next time I look at the sky at 3am)

We also used to play with my siblings when we were puppies. Nip, push, jump, roll, nip, paw, nip-nip-nip. Fun times!

For some reason many humans do not like when we nip them. Especially smaller human-pups. They start making noise and wet salty face. My human tells me that’s because dogs have thicker skin than humans (of course we do!), and human-moms don’t carry them around in their mouth.

Stay calm, disengage

We want to play, we get excited. Ball is moving, jumping, stopped! I want more, I want to run and catch it! Human throw it, how can I tell you to do it?! Pull your pants with teefs? Nip your hand?, Nip your moving toe in the slipper? I am sooo impatient - it looks like a puppy game!!!

Whut… he stopped and looks away… Did I do something wrong? Maybe I jumped to high? Maybe he did not like when I nipped his arm and then his shirt? Uh-oh… Uh-oh… time to sit and make nice big eyes, maybe he will play with me again. It was going so well, and now… Alright, he threw the ball again, YAY! (Hope I’ll remember not to nip him again on the way back)

Sources

• The Language of Dogs By Justin Silver and David Donnenfeld Library Link