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As dog parents, you want your dog to behave nicely with you and around others. So why does he keep nipping you? Why does he bite your sleeves?
You don’t want your dog to do that for a lot of reasons. Not only is it annoying, it can also be quite painful. And he might damage your clothes, too.
So why does your dog use his mouth and teeth on you? And what can you do about this behavior?
Why does my dog bite my sleeves?
As much fun as having your dog is, there are probably some habits he has that are pretty annoying for you to deal with. Barking, pawing, and destroying your stuff are just some of those.
Dealing with any kind of unwanted behavior can be really frustrating. That’s especially true if it has anything to do with biting!
Dogs are mouth-based creatures. You’ve probably already noticed that the way your dog interacts with the world is mostly through his mouth. Dogs will investigate things with their mouths, and it’s how they pick things up and put things back down.
It’s also how your dog might try to interact with you. Your dog may bite at your sleeves for a variety of reasons.
The most likely reason is that your dog is trying to get your attention. Most unwanted behavior stems from this. Your dog may not feel that he’s getting the focus he needs from you!
It could also be that something is exciting your dog, and this is the only way he knows to express that excited energy!
That means that your dog is biting your sleeve because he either wants your attention or because he’s just that excited. Since dogs interact with objects with their mouths, that’s why he’s using his mouth on you.
Before we talk a little more about why dogs bite your sleeves, here are some related articles to check out:
- My Dog Jumps and Bites When Playing—What Can I Do?
- Why Does My Dog Jump and Bite While Walking?
- My Dog Jumps and Bites When Excited—What Can I Do?
What does it mean when your dog bites your clothes?
If your dog is still in his puppyhood, then you may be dealing with him biting your clothes a lot. This is an especially common behavior for puppies.
At this age, puppies are doing a lot of learning. They might not know yet that tugging at your clothes to get your attention isn’t the right way to go about it.
He thinks this is how he gets you to play with him, or that this is an appropriate way to show an emotion he’s feeling, like excitement, stress or frustration.
If you don’t curb this behavior early on, then he might continue doing it into adulthood. So if your grown dog is still biting your clothes, it’s probably because he never learned that it’s not okay.
As his dog parent, it’s your job to show him that that’s not right! Using positive reinforcement dog training will help safely and effectively show your dog what behavior is appropriate instead.
Related topic: For dog training in general I highly recommend you get a program that walks you through step by step, such as Braintrainingfordogs. Certified dog trainer Adrienne Farricelli teaches you to train your dog to be the best dog he can by be using mental stimulation! Check out Dogpackr’s review to see if this is a fit for you!
Why does my dog try to bite my arm?
Another term for this kind of behavior is mouthing. Dogs usually mouth as a way of seeking out attention or affection.
If your dog is biting or mouthing your arm, he’s usually trying to get you to focus on him. It could also be that, over time, your dog has learned that doing this gets your attention.
It’s important to remember that attention is often your dog’s primary goal in these moments. It doesn’t matter if it’s positive or negative attention—if your eyes are on him, then you’re giving him what he wants!
To learn more about mouthing and biting, make sure you take a look at this article: Dog Mouthing Affection: How to Stop Your Dog Giving You Love Bites.
How to stop your dog from biting your sleeves
Now that you understand why dogs bite your clothes and parts of your body, you probably understand your dog a little bit better overall.
You’re probably also wondering how to get your dog to stop biting your sleeves so much.
Here are a few helpful tips you can use.
Stop moving
If your dog is biting your sleeves to try and get you to play, then the very first thing you need to do is stop moving completely.
Remember, one of the major reasons that your dog is doing this is to try and get your attention. When you move around, even if it’s to try and shake your arm out of his mouth, that’s still interacting with your dog.
In fact, any kind of movement could make pulling your sleeve even more exciting to your dog.
So, as soon as your dog starts biting your sleeve or mouthing your arm, stop moving.
Stop all the fun as soon as he starts biting your sleeves
A dog’s version of a game can be pretty different from our version of a game. To your dog, tugging and biting is all part of playtime! This is how he plays with other dogs, after all.
You can still play tug with your dog, of course. But you have to teach him that your clothes are not appropriate tug toys. If you’re playing and your dog starts to bite your sleeves or any other bit of clothing, that’s when the fun needs to stop.
This will show your dog that if he wants to keep playing, it has to be with his toys, and not with your body parts.
Avoid situations that get him overexcited
When dogs get overexcited, it can be pretty hard for them to control themselves. When they’re overexcited, they tend to forget all the manners you’ve taught them.
That’s why it’s best to avoid situations that you already know will excite him too much. If there are situations that overexcite him but that you won’t be able to avoid forever, it’s a good idea to learn more about desensitization and counterconditioning. This will help your dog learn to remain calm in these situations.
You should also make sure to learn these 5 tips to calm an overexcited puppy quickly.
Give him a time out
If your dog just won’t stop trying to bite at your sleeves, then a time out may be necessary.
You can leave your dog in his crate for a few minutes to let him calm down. Remember that a crate should never be used as punishment. Instead, it should be a quiet, relaxing place where he can decompress.
Want to learn how to properly crate train your dog? Here’s how to crate train a dog easily in 13 steps.
Related questions to why your dog is biting your sleeves
Let’s take a quick look at some related questions you might have, other than why your dog is biting your sleeves.
Why does my dog bite me when excited?
A dog that bites you when he gets excited can be really frustrating behavior. No one likes being bitten, and trying to get an overexcited dog to stop acting out is very difficult!
Your dog bites you when he’s excited because it might be the only way he knows to express himself. Dogs use their mouths to interact with the world, so biting might be their go-to way to tell you how they feel.
If your dog bites your sleeves (or you!) when he’s excited, make sure to follow the above tips to show him that this is not behavior you like.
Why does my dog bite my ankles when I walk?
Does your dog nip your ankles when you walk? That’s not only super annoying, it can hurt quite a bit too!
Most likely, the reason why your dog is biting your ankles is that he’s trying to herd you. Some breeds, like Collies or Sheepdogs, have been bred specifically as herding dogs.
And, unfortunately, that behavior might end up applying to you!
Your dog may think it’s his job to herd you while you’re walking. And nipping the ankles of livestock is how dogs usually herd them!
If your dog shows this behavior, then you might need to help him direct his herding tendencies to something else. There are lots of great ways to enrich your dog’s life. Here are 21 fun things to do with your dog at home.
Why does my dog bite me and not my husband?
There are lots of reasons why your dog might only bite you and not someone else in your household.
Most likely, he’s learned that biting the other person or people living with you does not get him what he wants.
If you’re the only one who gives him attention or who doesn’t try to curb this behavior, then he might think it’s okay for him to bite at you!
Remember, consistence is key. Use the above tips to help your dog learn that he shouldn’t bite anyone at home—including you!
Why is my dog nipping at visitors?
Having visitors come to your home is just so exciting. But if your dog gets overly excited when guests come over, it can be hard to deal with.
One way that your dog might show his overexcitement is by nipping at your visitors. This could also be his way of trying to defend his territory.
If your dog gets overexcited with visitors, here’s what to do!
Conclusion
There are lots of fun parts about having a dog. But getting bitten, even if it’s just your sleeves, is not one of them!
If your dog does bite your sleeves, there are lots of reasons why that might be. Usually, it’s to get your attention in one form or another.
The good news is that it’s never too late to show your dog that something he does is inappropriate. Remember to stay patient and consistent as you train your dog. Use plenty of positive reinforcement, and in time you’ll find that your dog has much more polite ways of expressing himself!