Why does my puppy bite me but not my husband? Here’s What to Do Next

Potential Reasons Why Your Dog Only Bites You

As it turns out, there are a variety of reasons why your dog tends to bite you and not your husband. We’ll lay out many of the common causes here, and you can decide which one might fit your scenario best and how to proceed. As always, we are open for questions and inquiries, please see our Contact page!

See How The Other Side Plays

I’ve seen many instances where the husband plays rougher with the puppy as opposed to the wife. They will wrestle with it and let the puppy teeth and bite them, and the pupper loves it! Sometimes this leads to your dog wanting you to play with them the same way, so they initiate it with biting and grabbing your clothes.

On the other end of things, it could be possible that you play more with your puppy and they are going to you for more playtime! This particular problem can be hard to solve without knowing more about the situation at hand, but it could be useful to watch how your husband plays with the dog and compare that to your own play style.

2 Answers 2 Sorted by:

It could be an alpha dog thing (he doesnt nip your wife because hes claimed her). Try it with her scolding him when he nips you.

There is not enough information in your post for a proper clinical assessment. However, there are some general things you should consider.

“Nipping” can be caused by excessive arousal or attention-seeking. Unless youre under-playing it, nipping shouldnt be classified as “attacking you.”

Scolding your dog may sound like barking and amp up the puppy, or it may make him fearful of you. Either way, this is likely to lead to more, not less, aggression or guarding.

Your dog may be resource-guarding your wife. If so, this is a serious behavioral issue that requires professional intervention.

In the general case, rewarding your dog for low-energy behavior is probably your best bet. Spend some time in the evenings rewarding him with treats for sits or downs, give him a chew toy or raw meaty bone to keep him occupied, or anything else that is acceptable to your family and a relatively sedate activity.

If your dog behaves inappropriately, a good look-away will signal your displeasure better than a verbal scolding. While it may increase attention-seeking behavior in the short term due to extinction burst, this kind of signal should be instinctively interpreted as a calming signal and may stop the unwanted behaviors more quickly than you expect.

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Why Does My Dog Bite Me And Not My Husband