Instinct
Dogs with herding backgrounds will be particularly drawn to trying to bite ankles. It’s a natural instinct for them to try to nip at the ankles of people, other dogs, and even horses. This is a natural instinct for these herding breeds. Some examples of herding breeds are:
- German Shepherds
- Australian Shepherds
- Australian Cattle Dogs
- Border Collies
- Corgis
For these dogs, this instinctual ankle-biting behaviour is usually triggered by sudden, fast movements.
Boredom
Just like people, dogs can become bored. When they’re bored, they can start experiencing destructive or annoying behaviours. This can include ankle biting. If your dog is trying to bite your ankles more than usual or out of nowhere, try providing more mental stimulation like puzzle games.
Play and Fun
Puppies explore the world with their mouths. A new ankle-biting behaviour could be a sign that your dog is bored and is trying to get you to play with them. When you start walking past puppies, they find your ankles and any dangling shoestrings very interesting. Additionally, teething puppies have a tendency to put their mouths on anything. Most puppies will naturally grow out of this playful chasing and biting stage.
If your puppy is teething and attacking your ankles a little too much for your comfort, you can redirect him to a toy specifically made for teething. These toys allow your puppy to get out all of their biting and teething antics instead of taking it out on your ankles.
Fear and Anxiety
When dogs are fearful or anxious, it often manifests in what appears to be aggressive behaviours, like ankle biting. If your dog goes from playful nipping and chasing to forceful and aggressive skin-breaking biting, that’s when it’s cause for concern. Most ankle biting is playful in nature, but when it starts breaking skin, fear and anxiety may be the underlying cause.
Some puppies are especially fearful of people moving. This is especially true for dogs that may have been under-socialized as young puppies or taken from their mother too early. If your dog is biting your ankles aggressively, it’s best to work with a trainer to learn training techniques so your puppy stops biting ankles.
What To Do About Ankle Biting
There are many ways to get a dog to stop his ankle biting, and some dogs may respond better to certain methods. Here are five techniques to try with your dog.
When your dog bites your ankle, make a quick, high-pitched “Ouch!” sound. This mimics the yelp of another dog and is similar to how dogs learn not to bite each other. However, some dogs may actually get scared by this sound, and we don’t want our dogs to become fearful during training.
Some dogs may even find this sound interesting and actually get more excited by it. In these instances, try other methods instead.
Sometimes dogs will bite your ankles because it’s actually a fun game to them. In these cases, stand completely still. If you’re still and not moving, from your dog’s perspective, you just became very boring, which is what we want.
Your dog will no longer be interested in trying to chase and bite your ankles when you’re standing still because that is no longer interesting.
Many dogs will try to bite ankles at specific times, like when you walk in the door or when you let them outside. In these instances, have a toy available and ready to give your dog. You want to redirect your dog’s energy to the toy so it can bite it instead of your ankles. Toys specifically designed for teething or toys specifically designed for durability when chewing are the best options in this case.
If your dog is biting your ankles because he’s bored or wants to play, opt for puzzle game type toys to entertain him or interactive toys like balls for fetching. Puzzle games are great for keeping dogs occupied while mentally stimulating them and tiring them out.
If your dog wants to play with you specifically, playing interactive games like fetch or tug will redirect your dog’s energy to a useful game.
Some puppies are particularly persistent in their ankle biting and may actually be going more for your shoes or shoe strings. In those cases, it can be difficult to deter these puppies, and you may need to bring in other products to help you.
Chew deterrent sprays for dogs are formulated to be non-toxic and non-harmful but also very bitter tasting. These are gentle and non-staining so you can spray them on your shoes or even things like furniture. When you spray these on items that your puppy goes to bite, your puppy will be met with a very bitter taste. This naturally deters them from biting in the future.
Conclusion
Biting ankles is most often a natural and instinctive behaviour that most puppies grow out of. If your dog is being very forceful and aggressive and breaking skin, consider working with a trainer. If your puppy is experiencing normal puppy ankle-biting antics, there are several techniques you can use to get your puppy to stop biting ankles. Work through the techniques and find the one that works best for your dog.
