Anyone Play Bitey Face With Their Grey?

[KickReturn]

My perfectly mannered Hester would be the dream dog for owners rambunctious dogs. I on-the-other-hand would love him to be confident enough to make a little more contact with his people (me). Problem is he is too darn polite.

 

However, when I greet him during his morning roaching sessions, he will open his jaws wide and swing his head toward me. You can tell he is just dying to hold part of me in his mouth. Occasionally he has put his open mouth over my arm. I am careful not to move but if a tooth makes contact he pulls back immediately. Over the last few weeks he has become a bit bolder and has progressed to alternately kissing and very gently grabbing my chin with his mouth. Once he even got most of my face in his mouth. He absolutely squirms with delight when this happens and stretches into massive roach. It is the happiest I ever see him and so contrary to how serious and dignified he usually is. When our morning greeting routine is over he jumps up prances around the room and than wacks me with his snout a few times.

 

Any reason to avoid bitey behavour? Has anyone ever been bitten by a Grey with which they are fully bonded? I assume other than the risk from accidental contact with teeth that Hester is not suddenly decide it's time to bite his daddy. But I ask because I wouldn't want to be wrong about that.

 

 

[Charlies_Dad]

Each pup will be different. My angel Charlie did this to my hand/arms however he also had been home for a couple years before doing so and I felt he was very gentle. He never ever put any force into his biting and it was more of grasping ahold of me. Our new boy

Stewie tried to do this with me yesterday but I was a lot more hesitant as he is new (a couple days) but he seems to be very similar

in his nature as Charlie was. I don't see a problem with this however I would avoid him biting your face even gently as you never

know if an accident can happen.

[robinw]

Phoenix used to play this all the time. It was funny. Treasure does it occasionally. Neither ever made contact with my face so I never worried about it.

[LaFlaca]

I made the mistake of allowing a mixed breed puppy that I raised play bite. She became a real biter as an adult. I would not recommend allowing a dog to put his teeth on you for any reason.

[TINMANPDX]

My boy, Elliott does this when he is excited and happy, or if he wants me to get out of bed and I hide under the covers. It is more of a sideway scisssor thing where he doesn't actually bite but presses the side of his snout against me and mouths me. For some reason, he only does it to me, not my husband or son. He has never hurt me in doing it.

 

Oh, and I meant to add - he doesn't do this to my face - just my hand, arm and sometimes my thigh. I would tell him no if he ever got near my face.

Edited December 18, 2012 by TINMANPDX

[Guest Wasserbuffel]

I play "bitey" with my grey. She's gentle, but a tad excitable, so I occasionally get bruised from a tooth that hits me as she swings her face around, not from her actually biting or using too much pressure. Her nitting can occasionally get a bit pinchy too, but I just yelp and she backs off.

 

Jayne is really bonded to me, and she's definitely just playing around when she's doing it. I love to play rough with her, so I do encourage it. Likewise, I gently smack her and push her around too and she knows I'm just playing, so when I end up poking her in the eye or kneeing her in the ribs, she doesn't get mad.

 

She doesn't, however, play bitey with any other human. She's on the verge of doing it with DH, I can see her wanting to when she's playing with him, but so far she's holding back.

[Riverhound]

We play bitey-everything with Brees. She only does it with us right now, but I would probably do it with my father if he encouraged it. She's shy with strangers, so no worries there. With us, she's very gentle in a crazy kind of way. Lots of snapping and gnashing of teeth, funny noises and excitement. No contact unless we initiate it. If I grab her mouth, she'll gum me.

 

Now, if hubby and I are play-fighting, she thinks nothing of biting me on the butt! I don't know what the difference is to her, but she seems to think a nip is okay then. Brees is insane, but very cute!

[Trihounds]

Common in our house, too! I call it the alligator face because their jaws open so wide!

 

When excited, Brucie will grab my arm in play - so gently. He's so good about it.

 

Bumper is a nibbler - now a gummer as he was a crate chewer at the track and we've had to pull everything from the canines forward. He is less gentle but we're safer due to his lack of teeth.

 

Squirt will actually chew on my face / chin with her molars. Ever so gently - she loves it and I allow it because she enjoys it so much. She is a big kisser too and offers lots of licks. I don't think for a second I am in any kind of danger with these guys. We've had Brucie and Bumper for 4 years, Squirt since January, and Omie - who is not affectionate in the same way - since April.

 

They only do it with me - never seen them even try or have the desire with someone else.

[XTRAWLD]

Kasey enjoys a morning roach and bitey play session with me, nearly every day. He grabs my arm gently and I grab his mouth or his teeth. He tries every time to get nibbly with clothing....and clothing only. He's a lover not a fighter so he's never tried to nibble skin. Ryder....he doesn't care about not hurting....anything goes!

[BellaBean]

Gigi does something similar to this to greet me in the morning or when I come home. She jumps on the bed or couch and licks/nips (she bites, but makes sure her teeth are just pressed up against my face, not actually biting anything, if that makes sense) my face and neck. She loves it and since she does not make contact I let her do it.

[a_daerr]

I thought it was funny and let it happen... until Truman bitey-faced me and bruised the bridge of my nose.

Now, I let them play bitey-face with one another, but not me. I got too worried he'd break my nose or puncture my eye or something.

[Guest Clawsandpaws]

I play like this with Dudley, it's fun! But I agree with the other posts to not let him do it to your face, even if he doesn't mean to, it will hurt, these guys have some big chompers. Dudley loves to chase me at the park (while he's peeing I will run away) and he will get very mouthy, sometimes he will walk around the whole park with my hand in his mouth (don't worry, Im still attached to it.) He's gentle, but he has given me bruises before when we were playing too rough!

[Feisty49]

Annie Bella likes to play bitey with my fingers/hands when we're walking and she's feeling frisky. It's cute. She's smiling and prancing and happy, but I don't allow it because it's not a good idea, IMO, to allow/encourage dogs to use their teeth on people. Even though I know how to handle it and recognize when she's getting too frisky, I'm not the only person in the world with whom she comes in contact, and I'd never want her to play bitey too hard with another person and end up actually biting somebody.

Edited December 19, 2012 by Feisty49

[silverfish]

Any reason to avoid bitey behavour? Has anyone ever been bitten by a Grey with which they are fully bonded? I assume other than the risk from accidental contact with teeth that Hester is not suddenly decide it's time to bite his daddy. But I ask because I wouldn't want to be wrong about that.

The only reason I can see is that our reactions are a lot slower than a dog's reactions and it's not going to be terribly surprising if he accidentally bruises or even cuts your face one day - by accident, sure, but it's still going to hurt. If you're willing to risk it, then go ahead! Dogs do LOVE to play like this.

 

I play a version of bitey face with mine. I consider it an honour and a sign of great trust. But I don't let them go for my face, because my glasses cost nearly £400 what with the high index lenses, non-scratch coatings, light reactive 'sunglass' effect and variable focus! And it hurts when they get knocked sideways.

 

I tend to do most of my bitey face stuff with my hands pretending to be jaws. They still enjoy it, though probably not quite as much.

[KickReturn]

Wow, so everyone is into bitey face. And if I get an accidental injury I will wear it as a badge of love.

 

Next I am going to try and teach this boy to snuggle.

[Guest zombrie]

I would never allow that. Too many people coming in and out of this house and that would be unacceptable to have a dog putting his mouth on someones arm, or face for that matter. Plus, I really would rather not have an accidental bite (or cut or bruise...) from a dog who thinks he's playing but gets too rough. My dogs can do that with each other, not with people!

[GreytNut]

I do not allow my dogs' teeth to touch human skin for any reason, ever.

 

It is perfectly fine for dogs to play bitey face with each other. I would not permit them to do it with a human. Accidents happen, and when you have a dog with sharp teeth those accidents can be serious. If you need to go to the ER with a dog bite to the face, your dog is likely to face unfortunate consequences whether the bite was intentional or not. If your dog decides to engage in this sort of play with another person because you allow him to do it with you, that other person is going to understandably freak out and likely believe that he or she is being attacked.

 

I had to beg my neighbor not to call Animal Control on Tiny when he was new to my household and had a play-biting fixation. He playfully nipped said neighbor's child. It was all in fun from Tiny's perspective and no harm was meant or done, but it was not fun to that child's parent and I put a stop to that behavior before it happened again. If Tiny had gone for that child's face--in play or not--my neighbor would have seen to it that he was on the euthanasia table before I could say "Boo."

 

For your own safety and for your dog's, I would strongly suggest that you not allow him to do this with you no matter how much he enjoys it. There are plenty of safe games you can enjoy with your hound without putting your safety at risk or subjecting him to possible impoundment if an accident happens.

[Guest KennelMom]

I wouldn't encourage it...ESP if your dog is around kids or elderly (thin skin). I just don't think it's a good idea to encourag teeth on skin, esp the face! Even a well meaning dog can accidentally hurt you...not sure about you but I'm partial to my eyesight and eyes are on faces!

[GeorgeofNE]

Its all good fun until you get hurt.

 

I used to have a mixed breed--Pit Bull and Something--when he was a puppy, we used to wrestle around on the floor. One day he got too excited and treated me the way he would have another puppy, and bit me in the lip. I was so angry I literally saw red--but I knew it was my fault. You can't encourage a behavior one minute and then prohibit it the next.

 

I think it's a bad idea to play any game that involves dog teeth on human flesh, just like someone above said. You don't have to make a big deal out of NOT doing it, but I would certainly not encourage it, cause your "badge of honor" might end up being a canine tooth in your face--which might not seem so fabulous a few years down the road.

[KickReturn]

I would never allow that. Too many people coming in and out of this house and that would be unacceptable to have a dog putting his mouth on someones arm, or face for that matter. Plus, I really would rather not have an accidental bite (or cut or bruise...) from a dog who thinks he's playing but gets too rough. My dogs can do that with each other, not with people!

 

I don't think that Hester could even conceive of putting his mouth on another human - it's only me he wants. But glad to hear the other side of this. I think like with so many of the "risky" behaviours, it depends on the dog.

[Sambuca]

I agree that it doesn't sound like a good idea. All it takes is the dog getting over enthusiastic once for a huge problem to occur. Plus, I can tell you from experience that getting stitches in your face from a dog bite, sucks.

[Hawthorn]

I see no problem with this at all, at least for me and my dogs. Sophie occasionally puts her jaws around my chin and I consider it a compliment - a sign of deep affection and trust. She never does this with DH. Sunny will put his mouth around my and DH's hands when we come home and for such a big, boisterous, clumsy boy I'm always amazed at how extremely gentle he is. I wouldn't call it playing though - it's more of a greeting/affection/"I'm SO pleased to see you!" thing. As KR says, I really can't imagine them doing it to anyone other than their immediate family.

 

I've been bitten in the face too - many years ago and it was totally my own fault and completely different circumstances - but I don't see what that's got to do with it. I don't follow the logic that if I allow my dog to give me a gentle greeting with his teeth he might one day think that means it's OK to bite me. Or conversely, that if I never allow my dog to put his teeth on me even in affection that he would never bite me if the circumstances were right. Totally different things IMO.

[Guest Wasserbuffel]

I've been bitten in the face too - many years ago and it was totally my own fault and completely different circumstances - but I don't see what that's got to do with it. I don't follow the logic that if I allow my dog to give me a gentle greeting with his teeth he might one day think that means it's OK to bite me. Or conversely, that if I never allow my dog to put his teeth on me even in affection that he would never bite me if the circumstances were right. Totally different things IMO.

 

I agree with this.

 

In the OPs case, it doesn't sound like Hester is a really excitable grey, so it might be that bitey face will never result in an injury. Now, if I encouraged Jayne to play bitey with MY face, I would probably have some trouble. She's super excitable and isn't always careful enough for that. She already rams her nose and bared teeth (closed mouth) into my face when I ask for a kiss and she's over stimulated -- she's just supposed to touch her nose to my cheek. I usually have her do other tricks until she's calm enough to give a proper kiss, but I sometimes misjudge it.

 

Jayne did put her jaws over my throat once in play. We were on the bed and DH got her roughed up and excited. She pounced on me, and before I knew it, her teeth were on my skin on either side of my wind pipe. She was exceedingly gentle with that, even though she was very excited, and though I was a little startled, I didn't think for a moment that she would hurt me. It's never happened again, but though I won't encourage it, I won't reprimand her for it either.

Edited December 19, 2012 by Jayne

[Sambuca]

I just think it could only take a moment of over excitement, a minor miscalculation or a small distraction for an accident to happen with a sharp tooth on someones face. I wasn't saying the dog would do it intentionally, but we all know accidents can happen despite everybodys intentions.

[Guest Wasserbuffel]

I just think it could only take a moment of over excitement, a minor miscalculation or a small distraction for an accident to happen with a sharp tooth on someones face. I wasn't saying the dog would do it intentionally, but we all know accidents can happen despite everybodys intentions.

 

That's a different issue than what we're talking about. Some are implying that allowing a dog to play bitey will incline the dog to actually bite.

 

Jayne put her teeth to my arm in the first few months I had her. I tried to take a bone away before trust had been well established or enough trading up practice had been done.

 

Now, I can take just about anything from her without fear of a bite, and this is after a couple years of her regularly chomping on my arms in play.