Learn how to train your pup to take treats nicely—and keep all of your fingers in the process.
Dogs may nip or bite at your fingers when you give them a treat for many reasons, including lack of bite inhibition, impulse control, or impatience. Most puppies learn not to bite from their mother and littermates, so a dog who is prone to this behavior may have been removed from their litter too young. However, even if your dog is an adult, you can still train them not to bite your fingers with these easy tips.
Treat training should be a fun bonding experience, but constant bites can be a bummer. Try these tips and tricks to better set you and your dog up for success.
Unlike basic commands like “sit” and “stay,” there are several factors in play when training your dog to take a treat gently. Even the way you offer your dog a treat can affect their reaction to it. For example, it’s easiest for a dog to take a treat gently out of an open hand. Especially when you’re first starting out, make sure to keep your fingers out of the way when offering your pup a reward.
It’s also important for owners to remain calm and steady. Snatching your hand away in anticipation of a bite will often only make the problem worse and frustrate your dog. Lastly, remember that consistency is key. Choose one method of offering your pup a treat and stick to it.
The idea that dogs only bite due to aggression is untrue. A dog will use their mouth or teeth in different ways as they explore the world around them. Learning why your dog does this can help you curb or cut out this behavior.
Bite inhibition (Trusted Source) refers to a dog’s ability to control the force of their mouth. Puppies usually receive their first lessons in bite inhibition from their mother and littermates. Through playtime and roughhousing, puppies learn when a bite or nip is too hard. When one puppy gets too aggressive with another, the victim of the bite or nip typically stops playing. This interruption teaches the aggressive dog that they’ve gone too far and should be more gentle in the future.
After this initial introduction, the task of teaching proper bite inhibition is up to pet parents. Puppies must be properly taught bite inhibition when it comes to humans. If this step is skipped, a dog’s nipping and biting problem is likely to persist into adulthood.
Puppies learn a lot during their first few weeks in the world, which is known as their primary socialization period. During this time, puppies learn things like communication, impulse control, manners, and bite inhibition from their mothers and siblings. This is an important developmental step, and a reason why it’s suggested that puppies not be separated (Trusted Source) from their mother and littermates until they’re at least 8 weeks old.
Separating puppies too soon can interrupt the development of these rudimentary social skills. The earlier a puppy is removed from their littermates, the more likely they are to experience behavioral issues as an adult, including fear, aggression, anxiety, and reactivity.
Positive reinforcement can have a powerful effect on dogs. For this reason, you should never give your dog a treat if they nip, bite, or try to snatch it from your hand. Dogs that receive the reward anyway learn to associate unwanted behaviors like biting with good things, like receiving a treat. This can be difficult for dogs to unlearn.
Like bite inhibition, dogs learn to control their inhibitions in puppyhood. Young dogs in particular can have a hard time controlling themselves when they want something. It’s important for dog owners to instill impulse control in pups during these developmental periods.
Understanding your dog’s threshold levels, (Trusted Source) or the point at which their fight or flight response begins to kick in, can help you better address your dog’s impulses. To set you and your canine up for success, work on ways to keep your dog below the point at which they get overwhelmed.
Teaching dogs to take treats gently can easily be accomplished in your home, yard, or on the go. When preparing to start training, it helps to have these simple supplies at the ready.
If you’ve tried these tips and still fear for your fingertips when offering your dog treats, don’t fret. There are plenty of alternatives to try. One simple method is to toss your dog treats from afar. A fun way to do this is to add in a verbal cue — like “catch!” — and offer a second reward whenever they’re successful. Over time, you can practice throwing treats from farther and farther away.
One other way to minimize nipping is to offer your dog a lickable snack like the Kong Easy Treat. These enticing treats can be stuffed into interactive toys and minimize a dog’s need to use their teeth.
Dogs often bite when taking treats if they didn’t learn proper bite inhibition or impulse control as puppies. They also may have been inadvertently rewarded for food aggression in the past, like if they’ve ever snatched a treat from their owner’s hand.
Giving extra snacks, using a clicker, adding a verbal cue, or using a combination of these methods can help you teach your dog to take treats gently. As always, remember that patience and consistency are always the most important aspects of dog training.
Consistency is key when treat-training. Always use the same cues with your dog and offer them the treats in the same way each time. Only allow them to receive their reward for appropriate behavior. Otherwise, you’re accidentally reinforcing bad behavior. Lastly, keep sessions short so as not to overwhelm or bore your pup.
To train a dog that’s not food-motivated, use the same techniques as you normally would, but with a reward they prefer, like their favorite toy or some belly rubs.
