Why Is My Puppy Biting the Older Dog’s Neck?

The innocent, unmatured puppy state in a dog’s life is the cutest for me. They are so playful, cheerful, and fun to watch. But some things concern us thinking is it okay to let them do what they do. One such occasion is when a puppy is biting the older dog’s neck frequently. It does look like they are just playing but is it what it really is?

So, Is your puppy biting the older dog’s neck? You do not need to worry because when a puppy is biting an older dog’s neck, cheek or face, it purely means fun. All the gruesome sounds and growling noises may concern you, but the two dogs are having the best time of their lives.

It will go on for hours whenever this happens until one of the dogs is tired. The older dog, too, will participate in the play by nudging and gently biting the puppy back.

What’s more distressing are the noises they make. The pup will muster all his courage and energy to bring out the most ominous growling noises he can. 

Yes, this bitey face play is cute and fun to watch. But things can escalate significantly if the pup annoys the older dog and pushes him off his limits. Then you’ll have to interfere and break things up before any worse happens.

Why Does My Puppy Always Bite My Other Dog’s Neck?

Small pups are mischief masters. They love to annoy their parents, siblings, and anyone around, and that’s how they have fun.

If you have an older doggo and a puppy, the game of bitey face must not be new for you. I’m sure that whenever your puppy bites an older dog’s neck, cheek, face, etc., you must be watching the play and laughing your guts out.

When we laugh, their play will accelerate. It happens several times a day and will go on as long as the puppy is tired of the older doggo had enough.

Most of the time, this is pure fun. It also strengthens the pup’s social skills and affection towards the other pet. 

What Are The Possible Reactions Of Older Dogs During The Play?

Even still, there are many reaction possibilities in older dogs. If he’s a playful and funny character with exemplary patience, the older dog will opt for the game with the pup.

And there are times when this game could go on for hours several times a day. Moreover, you can’t say that the puppy doesn’t learn anything from the bigger fluff boy. He’ll teach him many tricks and lessons about life. 

Secondly, some older pooches have limits. After the line is passed, he’ll not be in the mood for the bitey face game anymore on that particular day.

He will ignore the puppy’s silly games after that. These dogs are the dangerous type when it comes to escalated bitey-face games. 

When they are off mood, it could aggravate and annoy them to the max that they get angry and jump at the pup. It is where you need to bring in your involvement.

Whenever you notice that the end of the big boy’s patience is near, quickly remove the baby pup and distract him with something else. As an example, give him his favorite chew toy to play with.

The third type is the dogs that completely ignore the presence of the playful pup. The small doggo will try as much as possible to engage the older dog in the game, but the uninterested big boy will just walk off.

These boys, too, can suddenly get angry. If you know the man’s mood and he’ll snap, it’s better to get the puppy away and distract him with a chew toy or something. 

Is It Normal For My Puppy To Bite My Older Dog?

Many dog parents who have more than one dog have a question. Why is my puppy biting the older dog’s neck and face? Is it normal? 

Yes. It’s completely normal. As I explained in the discussion above, if a puppy biting older dog’s neck or face, let them.

It strengthens his social skills and the relationship between the pappy and the big buddy. So yes, this play is entirely normal and natural as long as both dogs have a good time and enjoy the game. 

But, if you notice any signs that the big dog is being too tough or not enjoying the puppy’s friendly silly bites or that the pup’s bites are injuring the older boy, you will have to interfere and break them up.

If either of them is hurt, though the play is purely based on fun, one of the dogs could snap. The game will turn rough and escalate into an anger-driven fight if that happens. 

No pet owner wants their pets to fight and have stains on their relationships because a fight like that at a very young age could put cracks on any affinity for the lifetime of both pups. 

How Do I Get My Puppy To Stop Biting My Other Dog’s Neck? 

As I explained before, there are times when you need to step in between this bitey face game to stop it from turning southwards.

But you could also train your pup to stop biting other dogs’ necks, faces, etc. Whenever you see your puppy biting the older dog’s neck or face, follow the steps we explain below.

• Keep An Eye On The Play 

However funny it is, this play could quickly turn upside down within a second’s miss. Therefore whenever your puppy starts biting your other dogs for fun, you need to watch the dogs.

If you ever feel that things could get out of hand, step in and separate the dogs. You could always distract them with their favorite chew toy or simply play another game with them. This way, they won’t get into any unnecessary fights.

• Separation

If you really want to remove the habit of your puppy biting an older dog’s neck, you could use the separation method.

As soon as they started biting down on each other’s neck, remove the small puppy from the senior one. Then place him in a separate room.

Whenever he tries to start this game, he’ll know that you will isolate him and that the playtime is now over for him.

• Reintroduction Of The Two Puppies

After the separation, you can reunite the dogs when the puppy calms down. But you should not let them distance themselves from each other.

If you feel like there’s tension, interact with them with another game they both love.

• Repeat Whenever Necessary 

When the puppy biting the older dog’s neck, once again remove and separate, then follow the steps above. 

So we hope that the information we shared with you above will help relieve you from all the bitey-face game problems. We’ll see you next time.

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