Why Does My Dog Bite My Feet? Truth And Guide

Dogs are the closest friend of humans, and they are very active, energetic, and playful domestic pets. Most people love to have dogs as their pets since dogs provide people more love, warmth, and affection than other pets.

Dogs always try to stay closer to you when you are having difficult situations, illnesses, or sorrowfulness. Dogs are the most trusted guards for you, and you may have a strong bond with your dog. However, dogs have several interesting behaviors, including their biting.

Most dog parents raise the matter of why does my dog bite my feet since most dogs have a behavior of biting their owner’s feet. Discussing this matter will be advantageous for most dog owners since they all face this issue.

So, why does my dog bite my feet? There may be several reasons for your dog to bite your feet. Puppies may bite your feet due to teething and their eagerness to explore new things. In addition, your dog may bite your feet to take the attention, when they want to play, when feeling anxiety or stress, for fun and enjoyment, as well as due to their herding nature. There can be several situations of biting as well as the different natures of biting as well. 

From this article, you will be able to understand the situations that your dog may bite your feet and the answers for the matter, why does my dog bite my feet. Then let’s differentiate between play biting and aggressive biting, and finally, I’ll provide you some tips to stop your dog from biting your feet.

If you are a dog parent, then you may have this matter and the irritation due to the biting of your dog, and to get rid of your dog’s interruptive biting, keep reading the article. 

Situations that my dog bites my feet

The dog is the closest friend of man, and therefore dogs as domestic pets have a strong bond with people. Even though they are loving, caring, and affectionate pets to humans, there are some irritating behaviors of dogs.

Many dogs have a habit of biting their owner’s feet, and as a dog owner, I had the same issue of why does my dog bite my feet due to this interruption of my dog. As I have noted, there are several situations where my dog bites my feet. Let’s observe some of them.

1. When you walk

Most of the time, your dog may bite your feet when you are walking or running. I usually experience this situation with my dog since he is biting me whenever I try to walk or run.

I guess it is due to his need for playing, or as a result of a misunderstanding of that, I may leave him alone. They show their invitation to play by biting the feet when we are walking. In addition, some herding dogs bite the feet as a duty of their job.

2. When you leave 

If you are a dog owner, then you may experience his biting when you are leaving home. Dogs do not prefer to stay alone, and they always need to stay around you.

Therefore, they get anxious when you are leaving, and they bite your feet to keep you with them and take your attention.

It is sometimes irritating if your dog bites your feet when you are trying to go for an emergency or important work.

3. When you return

Your dog may be bored and anxious when you are away, and they are excited to see you. Therefore, with that excitement, they may bite your feet when you return home.

Dogs love the smell of your feet after wearing shoes, and they bite it as a way of gaining fun. However, I get angry when my dog bites my feet when I return home tired. 

4. At night

Sometimes your dog may bite your feet at night due to their stress, mental stimulation, or lack of exercise.

This can mostly happen when you leave your dog alone the whole day, and then they get stressed without having a chance to be active and release their energy. As a result, they bite your feet to release their stress.

Why does my dog bite my feet?

Even though dogs are such affectionate and caring animals, the behavior I hate the most is their biting. It seems funny when they are puppies, but it is no more joyful when your dog becomes an adult.

Then, why does my dog bite my feet? There are several reasons for your dog to bite your feet. Here are some of them that I’ve identified.

1. Teething

If your pet is a puppy, then the reason for their biting of your feet may be due to their period of teething. This puppy teething happens when the puppy is 5-6 weeks old, and during 12-16 weeks old, they receive adult teeth by replacing baby teeth.

During this puppy teething period, they start to bite and chew everything since it is a new experience for them. Your feet will be an easy reach for them.

2. To explore things

During little ages, puppies use their mouth to explore new things. They don’t have hands, and therefore they do everything using their mouth. They use their mouth to identify the nature of things by biting them.

Puppies learn new things from that and identify things. As a result, they bite your feet to see whether it is an object that they can chew or not.

3. To get the attention

When you stand or sit without looking at your dog, then it may bite your feet to take your attention to it.

Dogs always prefer to have love and attention, and they need you to stay with them by caring for them. Therefore, on several occasions, your dog may bite your feet to draw your attention towards him.

4. Herding nature

If your dog is a herding dog breed such as a German shepherd or Corgis, then biting feet comes from their genes from birth.

They do bite when herding cattle or sheep, and it is a behavior that comes from their historical breeds. Even though they are now domestic pets, not the herding dogs, their genetic behaviors can be seen as biting your feet to gather you.

5. For fun and enjoyment

Another reason for your dog to bite your feet is fun and enjoyment. They love the smell of your feet, and they take it as fun to bite it.

Your response can make them more encouraged, and then they may think of biting your feet as a game for fun and do it constantly.

6. Anxiety and stress

Anxiety and stress of your dog can make it bite your feet.

Dogs get anxious and stressed in several situations, such as when you are leaving them alone when they experience a new thing or unfamiliar sound, or people, lack of exercise, lack of attention, or some physical or mental difficulties.

During these occasions, they get stressed or anxious and bite your feet to express it.

7. Wants to play

Your dog may bite your feet as a way of inviting you to play with them. Dogs love to stay with their owners, and they are always seeking attention from you.

Your dog may like to play with you, and it gives them fun and a way to release energy. Therefore, when you have no intention to play with your dog, they may bite your feet and try to express the need for playtime.

Play biting vs. Aggressive biting

When observing ‘why does my dog bite my feet,’ you need to clarify it separately as to whether biting of your dog is a play biting or aggressive biting.

Identification of it is essential since it is important to train your dog, identify his feelings and needs as well as decide the response you have to express.

Biting is a common behavior of dogs in their nature, and as we already discussed, they bite your feet due to several reasons. But the fact is which type of biting it can be.

If it is play-biting, then it’s fine. But if it is aggressive biting, then you have to be more concerned.

You can differentiate this play biting and aggressive biting by observing their body language and facial expressions. When it is a play biting, the dog seems relaxed without tension in facial muscles and raised hackles.

Play biting will be less painful, and their joyful nature will depict it to you. However, in aggressive biting, dogs wrinkle their muzzle and show their teeth with a stuffed body. They will act in an impatient nature, and their biting will be painful as well.

So, as dog owners, you have to identify the difference between play biting and aggressive biting and should concern the reasons for their behavior and give them a better response. 

Hints to stop your dog from biting your feet

Now we have a clear idea about why does your dog bite your feet, and as we know the reasons for them, now we can follow methods to stop your dog from biting your feet.

I also faced several difficulties due to the biting of feet by my pet dog, and therefore, I hereby mention some tips you can follow to stop your dog from biting your feet. Try them out.

1. Proper training

Training is essential to adapt your dog as a domestic pet and train your dog to obey your orders. While training your dog, teach him not to bite your feet and emphasize it as a bad thing.

If not, they’ll continue it by mistaking it as good. Try to make him obey your voice, and then you can stop it from biting your feet.

2. Chew toys

Chew toys are a good method to stop your dog from biting your feet. Chewing and biting are the nature of dogs, and especially when they are in their puppy ages, they try to bite everything to test their teeth and explore new things.

You can control their biting of other things such as your feet and hands by providing chew toys for them to keep chewing and biting.

3. Make time for your dog

Your dog may bite your feet to take attention and to invite you to play. So, make time for your dog and pay attention to him. And, have time to play with him and make sure that your dog is happy with you.

When they realize that you love and care for him, then there is no need for them to bite your feet to take attention. 

4. Control your responses

Your responses can encourage or discourage your dog from biting your feet. As an example, some people wave their feet on the face and head of the dog and then dogs mistake it as an encouragement to bite it.

In addition, if you laugh when they bite your feet and cuddle them, then they’ll misunderstand that you love biting your feet, and thereafter you may have to experience regular biting. Therefore, respond carefully to your dog’s biting of your feet.

4. Stay still

When your dog bites your feet, reduce movements and stay still. Your movements may encourage your dog to bite more, and staying still will show him that you ignore it and have no intention to play with him.

Then your dog may get discouraged and stop biting. When you try to resist biting, they’ll approach more, and it may cause you pain.

5. Bitter taste deterrents

Taste deterrents are another good way to stop your dog from biting your feet. If your dog constantly bites your feet and then you can take a bitter taste deterrent and spray it on your body where your dog prefers to bite.

Then allow him to experience the bitter taste when biting you. After several times of the same experience, dogs may stop biting your feet due to the bitter taste. You have to choose a worse taste that your dog hates the most. 

Conclusion

So, dog owners, were you satisfied with the answers to your issue of “why does my dog bite my feet.” I guess yes. Now you know in which situations that your dog may bite your feet and the reasons for that.

And also, you’ve got a clear idea to differentiate play biting and aggressive biting and the tips that you can follow to stop your dog from biting your feet. So, now it’s your chance to test them for your dog and get rid of their irritating biting marks on your feet.

Thank you for reading this post. Stay tuned with Jack Russell Owner for more interesting posts about our four-legged friends.

Cheers from Shaggy and Lenny!