Why Your Dog Likes to Grab Your Arm with His Mouth

Does your dog have a habit of grabbing your arm with his mouth? It’s not necessarily a bad behavior but it’s also something you don’t want to encourage. Dogs aren’t always able to know what the right level of pressure is when it comes to their mouthing behavior so this could lead to an accident down the road if you aren’t careful. Here are some of the most common reasons why dogs like to grab your arm with their mouth.

1. It’s an Invitation to Play

Your dog is most likely grabbing your arm with his mouth because he wants to play with you. You might have done this unintentionally but the dog has learned over time that mouthing your arm or other parts of the body like the hand and leg will trigger a reaction from you. It’s very likely that the dog is wanting to play with you if he is showing other positive signs like wagging his tail or jumping around enthusiastically.

2. Your Puppy is Teething

If it’s a puppy that’s grabbing your arm with his mouth then there is a likelihood that the dog is going through a teething phase. This is a period when the puppy’s baby teeth start to fall out to make room for the adult teeth. This can be quite uncomfortable for the puppy so they will start gnawing and chewing at things. If your arm is the main target of the teething behavior then you will need to try and redirect the dog’s attention to an object they are allowed to chew, like a chew toy.

3. The Dog Wants You to do Something

Play and attention is not the only thing that dogs want from their owner. The dog could be grabbing your arm with his mouth because he wants you to do something. Perhaps it’s close to meal time so he wants you to fill his food and water bowl. Context is important when you try to understand a dog’s behavior.