Yeti's hilarious play biting ninja skills

In the whimsical world of American Dirus dogs, there lives a cute, white, fluffy puppy named Yeti. Yeti is a quiet, loving puppy who is just learning the fine art of play-biting, and she takes her lessons very seriously.

One sunny morning, Yeti decided it was time to practice her play-biting skills. She waddled up to her favorite chew toy, a squeaky wild boar, and gave it her best "I'm a fierce little puppy" look. With all the determination of a seasoned warrior, she lunged at the fuzzy boar’s nose, teeth bared and ready to strike.

But instead of a fearsome attack, Yeti ended up nibbling on the boar’s tusk. She looked puzzled for a moment, then let out a squeaky little "Squawk!" as if to say, "Hey, that's not what I meant to do!"

Yeti decided to seek guidance from her wise mother, Albreta, a grizzled American Dirus who has seen it all. Albreta chuckled when she heard Yeti's dilemma.

"Ah, my dear Yeti, play-biting is an art form," Albreta said, her tail thumping like a drum. "You've got to put some finesse into it, you see."

Yeti looked up at her mother with wide, curious eyes. "Finesse? What's that?"

Albreta grinned, revealing a mouthful of gleaming white teeth. "Finesse, my dear Yeti, is the delicate touch that makes all the difference. It's like trying to eat peanut butter without getting it stuck to the roof of your mouth."

Yeti tilted her head in confusion. "But I like peanut butter!"

Albreta chuckled again. "Never mind, my young one. Let me show you." With that, she demonstrated a masterful play bite on a stuffed toy, complete with dramatic foot grabs and playful growls.

Yeti watched in awe. "Wow! You're like a play-biting ninja!"

Albreta nodded sagely. "Indeed, young Yeti. Now go forth and practice your newfound skills, but remember, it's all in good fun."

With her mother's guidance, Yeti set out to refine her play-biting technique. She practiced on a large hedgehog, long-eared plushie dog, and even her own tail (which, I must say, led to some rather hilarious acrobatics).

One day, while I was holding Yeti on my lap, she started play-biting my hand. I couldn't help but laugh at my fluffy little pup, who was now engaged in an epic battle with my fingers.

Yeti looked up at me with a twinkle in her eye and said, "I'm practicing my finesse, just like Mom taught me!"

I burst into laughter. "Well, Yeti, it looks like you're well on your way to becoming a play-biting master!"

And so, Yeti continued her playful journey, armed with her newfound finesse and a whole lot of fluffy charm. She learned that play-biting was not just about having fun but also about learning how to play bite without harming others.

And as for Albreta, she couldn't have been prouder of her young apprentice. "That's my girl!" she'd woof with a wink, and they'd both join in on the joyous, fluffy, play-biting fun.

———

When raising a singleton puppy, it is important for the human to be the stand-in for the other puppies that would have been in her litter. In the canine culture, it is an important skill to learn how to curb your bite inhibition to master the art of playing without harming another. Singleton puppies who do not have the ability to learn this often bite much too harshly in play when they are older, causing other dogs not to like them.

Singleton puppies also have a tendency to be bossier and pushier with other dogs, so it is very important for the person raising a puppy like this to make sure they learn proper canine play etiquette, learning bite inhibition as well as how to share and take biting from others.

I use my hands and fingers to pretend to be another puppy’s mouth.

I pull her skin on the back of her neck and wiggle it, just like another puppy would do in learning to play bite. This way, Yeti learns that play is reciprocal. She can give, but also receive soft playing from others.

She’s super cute and a joy, but she does take a little bit more time because I have to be mindful that Yeti isn’t alone too often and doesn’t miss these important puppy milestones.

And…

Just in case you haven’t heard yet. *wink, wink

Over this winter, I am going to be writing the book on canine culture.

And how to help our dogs become fluent in human.

It should be a fun, entertaining, and informative read, even if you don’t have a puppy to train.

Here’s the link:

https://direwolfproject.com/direwolf-publishing/coming-soon1/canine-culture-shock/

Jennifer Stoeckl is the co-founder of the Dire Wolf Project, founder of the DireWolf Guardians American Dirus Dog Training Program, and owner/operator of DireWolf Dogs of Vallecito. She lives in the beautiful inland northwest among the Ponderosa pine forests with her pack of American Dirus dogs.