Can dogs show affection by gentle biting?

Answer 1

Usually between other dogs, if the biter has nipped the bitee's muzzle while its ears are lowered and/or it's tail is down and wagging; it is called muzzling and is a submissive response developed in puppies. Muzzling is a sign to more dominate members of the dog's selected 'pack' that the dog has no intention of challenging their dominance.

Biting between puppies is play behavior, which helps 3 separate behaviors. The first teaches the puppies bite inhibition as litter mates will often yelp if bitten too hard, usually causing the parents to repremand the culprit biter. The second helps hone the puppies 'hunting instincts'. Puppies will often crouch and pounce on their litter mates, perfecting tactics that they would have been otherwise used in the wild. The last is not really a behavior, but instead play helps the pups create a dominance heirarchy among litter mates and pack members.

Both muzzling and the play bite origionate from the dogs wild ancestors, the wolf. Muzzling origionates from the fact that adult wolves would return to the pack with meat in their stomachs, the puppies would nip and lick at the adult wolfs muzzle in an attempt to get the adult to reguritate some of its meal. (It's gross, I know. But wolves can't carry large amounts of food back to their dens without eating it first, or else the pups would get attacked by other predators looking for an easy meal.)

Since even children from 6 and older are taller than most dog breeds; dogs will both muzzle and play bite at either a person's hands, or they will jump up on people in an attempt to get to her/his face.

Even though muzzling and play biting are not aggressive behaviors, it is best to teach the dog bite inhibition at an early age before the dog's bite force becomes stronger as it grows. The easiest way to do this is to let out a high pitched yelp as soon as you feel the dogs/puppies teeth on your skin, then pull your hand away and do not pay any attention to the dog/puppy.

The yelp and pull technique is usually enough of a deterrant to get any dog to stop biting you, but if not then drop a handfull of pennies into an empty soda can and tape the mouth shut. The rattle of the pennies against the soda can is a very aversive sound to any dog/puppy, which will make them release you in the confusion.

Forgive me if this was an extensive response, but 'gentle biting' can mean a number of things. I just gave the 2 most common forms of biting that people have when they have a dog. I hope that it was of some assistance to you.

Answer 2

nnot exactly depends because my dog is only 6 weeks old and she bites me because she is a puppy so with my dog it is how old is your dog?