Would you be more specific with the breed and age of the dog?

Capone is a 1yr old Bullmastiff we rescued about 4 months ago from a local shelter.

I know just what you are talking about. I think it is part of "puppy-play." They'd be nipping and tugging at each others (or Mom's) ears or muzzle, tail... so he does the same with you.

Mom-dog would eventually teach him this is no longer ok to do and since he is doing it more frequently, I'd start including this behavior in "no-bite" training. You don't want a dog (though he may be a big-love) to learn it ok to mouth people.

My cats do this, too. They did it from kittenhood, sometimes when they were hungry, other times when they were cuddling with me. Now, 10 years later one still does this if he's hungry and I'm asleep. The other uses it as a "warning" he'll launch his head a my hand but then just 'nom' (thats the best word I have for it - sort of along the lines of num-num-num yummy sounds people make at babies to get them to eat) on me a few times to let me know we've crossed the line from "pet me, dammit!" to "ok, away with you" or if he doesn't like the spot I pick for his insulin.

Thanks puc, I appreciate the input. I'm definitely not okay with this behavior. I probably shouldn't have tolerated it to start with, whether it was playtime or not. Now it has become an acceptable habit that he has begun to do when trying to dictate when playtime is. Between this and the playtime thing, I think he needs to know who's the boss. :p

We had this problem with the Shepherd mix we adopted at 10 months old. It was especially bad when she jumped up and nipped. I couldn't consider letting her near children.
Consistent grabbing of her muzzle and firmly giving a quick shake accompanied by "NO" made her aware the behavior was not accepted. All play stopped for this correction and she finally quit the habit.
In extremely excited moments - like a new tennis ball for playing fetch- she begins to jump and nip, but alters her behavior to a twitching sit. It has taken over a year of immediate correction response to reach this point, but that's the only way to modify a bad behavior that has become habit.

With Tegan, I did the correction and then would shove a chew toy in her mouth (with praise) so that she would learn what she could and couldn't bite. Sometimes the leash was the only thing close at hand, and at one point she would quickly bite her leash upon realizing she'd mouthed someone or somrthing inappropriate.

She did chew up her leashes for a while, and I see from other discussions that leash-grabbing can be seen as a tug of war for authority. But at the time it was an alternate chew toy that was always close by.

Good luck,
LC

With greyhounds we call it 'nitting'. I just did a websearch on the term and it seems to be breed specific, but may be what you're talking about. It always makes me laugh because it's obviously a sign of happy excitement (and who can resist a happy dog?), but you're right the dogs needs to be redirected. I use a quick happy 'SIT' and like LC's approach of handing the dog a stuffy. Even an 'uh uh' and turning away is apt to get a better result than grabbing their muzzle. The dog will quickly learn that he gets no attention when he nibbles you and will learn to control himself.

Kaiser used to flea bite when he was younger, he would only do it when he was excited. We would just tell him no and sit on our hands so he couldn't nibble us :) When he calmed down then we would pet him. He caught on pretty quick and doesn't do it at all anymore.

My dog is 2 years old and he does this flea bite.although i let him play bite me and ill push him around and he will play with me, i do this with all 11 of my dogs, but i teach them its not okay to bbite a stranger. They only play with me. He only does this when hes trying to love on mme,he only does this when i push him away i bealive this is to show me lovelovelove.ithink that its stipid that none of you play with your dogs.thats atupud.and instead you yell atl them to not bite you. When there trying to love you

jorah will put my whole chin in his mouth and give me nibbles. if i didn't 100% trust him, i obviously wouldn't put up with this but he is very gentle about it and i just can't resist. he only does this to me, never anyone else.

I called it "mouthing" with my bulldogs. I'm all about positive reinforcement so I wouldn't yell, or push, or do anything negative. Would first try to re-direct to a toy. If that didn't work, and they were still being mouthy, I would immediately stop play. Just turn around, away from your pup. They catch on quick to what's acceptable and what's not during playtime.

I realize this is a very old thread but I don't think that y'all are understanding the biting the OP is talking about. My dog does this to other dogs at the dog park sometimes, especially her long time buddies. What she does is put her front teeth somewhere on their body, usually on their cheek area and nibble as if she thinks they have an itchy spot that needs scratching. It's not biting at all, it's a very rapid gnawing movement almost as if their mouth is vibrating. It's actually pretty funny when they do this...I think it's kind of an affection giving movement.

Thing is, the OPs dog was a year old and has been doing it since they rescued him at 8 months. He also does it more when they play. Sounds like a typical bullmastiff pup playing.

The Alpha dog theory crap has been debunked years ago by the very people who started it. No respected dog behaviorist, or trainer uses the dominant bullcrap techniques anymore, none.

Please stop perpetuating this nonsense. When it works, it's because the dog is SCARED OF YOU, not because they're respecting your place in some none existent hierarchy.

thank you, ellie!!!!! very well said. the whole cesar millan way of doing things is totally outdated.

Old thread but, I just go back from a 10 day vacation and my Aussie did this me me. She was so excited to see me and was going crazy, wagging licking and teeth together chewing. It was adorable

Every dog, every breed does this.

Why get in a snit about it? Nothing being hurt!

I have a 2 year old pit bull that does this when we play. I think it's funny, and adorable. He doesn't do it to anyone else though. Just me, when we're playing. I get on all fours and headbutt his shoulder, and he spins in circles chewing on me, and pulls on my shirt, and sometimes tries to pull my shirt off. He likes nibbling my chin too.

My daughters pointer does it to just her at night after supper but not every night just after a big playful happy love session just her shoulders where her hair lays. Very gentle & sweet then he’s done haha.

My 17yo staffie never did this but she never cared for toys either. My new one 2yo does. He's also an Amstaff so I call them Pibble-Nibbles and it's usually on my earlobes because that's where he gets the most giggles 😍( see what I did there 😁) The 17 yo's birth mom did it but only to my mom. That's the Alpha thing in a nutshell!

Its a sign of affection and them tryi to groom you or bordem

So i have a dog that does that flea biting to everything. im talking my bathrobe, the edge of the bed, me, his bed on the floor, a sweatshirt, pile of laundry, my girlfriend, his toys, the clothes we’re wearing, the clothes we’re not wearing…everything. anyone have an explanation for that?

I would probably say that you would need to check for things like bed bugs, mites, fleas, or scabbies. Obviously your dog is seeing something that you cant see. My dog starting to do the flea picking or insect removal act after i had a friend stay at my house for about a week it started out in just a few areas like my couch or a bed my friend had spent a good bit of time on then i noticed my dog was doing this to me and i went to the doctor and found out that i had scabies i later found out that my friend had a few months ago and thought that she had got rid of it but apparently did not and hence the dog doing the little front teeth biting that you speak of.