Wondering why your dog likes to nibble your neck? This article provides answers to these questions and it will tell you what to do if your little friendly Fido can’t stop trying his mouthing affection on your neck.
So, why does my dog nibble my neck? He is showing his affection towards you. Giving you a soft bite on your neck is one of his desire to create an intimate relationship with the first member of his pack. Other reasons why your dog can’t stop nibbling your neck include stress or anxiety, teething, being happy being with you, and separation anxiety.
Having known the possible reasons behind your dog’s behavior, it doesn’t end there. You should endeavor to know when to consult a dog expert and what you can do to help. All of these are discussed in the latter part of this page.
READ: Why Does My Dog Nibble My Ears? (6 Reasons)
9 Reasons Why Your Dog Nibble on Your Neck
1. Teething
When a puppy is undergoing teeth eruption [1], he will keep trying his newly erupted teeth on everything in order to reduce the pain. However, his teeth aren’t strong enough to cause any harm, which means you have nothing to worry about. Besides, your little puppy will never think of causing any harm to you unless you annoy him.
Meanwhile, you are expected to help your little dog overcome the pain caused by the teething process by getting at least two chewing toys for him. This will also help reduce his desire to nibble on your neck as he will focus more on the toy.
3. Separation Anxiety
Don’t be surprised if your dog is all over your neck when you just come back after being away for some period. This shows you that he has really missed your presence, and he’s happy to see you once again.
Apart from nibbling your neck, he will likely lick your face, hand, and other reachable parts of the body. You might allow him to deliver his welcome message for a while before you tell him to stop.
3. Your Dog is Stressed or Under Intense Pressure
Your stressed or pressurized dog will nibble its neck as a way of reducing his tension. Seeing a stranger or listening to loud and shocking sounds is enough to put him in a very stressful condition, which will probably make him run straight to you to draw comfort.
In such a case, you should take him out of his stressor and place him in a very quiet and safe place to recover.
4. Happy Being With You
Because dogs are known for their excitement whenever they are around their owners, it won’t be out of place to predict that this is the reason why your dog nibbles on your neck. He wants to be around you, especially if he doesn’t have other dogs to nibble on or play with.
5. Seeking Attention
Here is another possible reason why your dog is in such a mood whenever he is with you. If he had done it once and successfully got your attention, expect him to do it whenever he wants to attract your attention.
If your dog is in his playing mood and there is no other pet to wrestle with, he won’t think twice before asking you to be his playmate for the time being, and this is done through nibbling your neck and other crooked strategies.
6. Affection
Just as said earlier, dogs naturally possess boundless affection for their owners. Nibbling your hand, leg, and neck is one of the ways to show it. However, you should be alert enough to detect if he is getting over-excited in order to prevent him from biting you unintentionally.
7. You Have Rewarded Him Unintentionally
Another reason behind his nibbling behavior could be that you have rewarded him unknowingly. It is possible you gave him a treat when he first nibbled on your neck to distract him.
Instead of seeing it as a caution, your dog must have misinterpreted your action to be a reward. Hence, he now feels that this is the best way to get a nice treat from you. In this case, you should stop giving him any treat whenever he tries to nibble on your neck. Instead, you should give a vocal command like “stop it” or “get down.”
8. Could Be Medical Problems
Some unhealthy medical conditions could be responsible for his actions. Infections, soreness, or sickness might force your dog to nibble around your neck. They might equally lead to a dog bite if he’s not treated as soon as possible.
9. Claiming Possession of Your Neck
As much as this appears very funny, it is one reason why your dog always wants to be around your neck. He possibly sees himself as the owner of your neck and wants to guide it jealously. In this case, you would see him scream or growl as soon as you move your neck.
On no condition must you permit your dog to develop such a mindset because it is dangerous as he might decide to bite the neck any time he becomes aggressive.
Why You Should Stop Your Dog From Nibbling on Your Neck
Though your dog means no harm while displaying this attitude, you can’t completely rule out the possibility of hurting you unknowingly. If he gets too excited in the act, he might bite you, which is dangerous to your health.
This is why you must do everything possible to stop him from displaying this attitude on you and everyone around you. The question is, how is this possible? See below for the answer.
How To Stop Your Dog From Nibbling On Your Neck
You must know that there is a unique way to stop him for every reason behind his decision to nibble on your neck. Nonetheless, below are some of the ways to help your dog overcome his nibbling attitude:
Move Out of His Sight: Do not hesitate to stay away from his sight or location as soon as he is heading towards your neck. This is a way of telling him you are unpleasant with his nibbling behavior. Alternatively, you can command him not to come closer to your neck.
Get Him A Chewing Toy: This will help divert his attention away from you as he will completely focus on the toy.
Get One or Two More Dogs: Dogs are known as highly social animals that love playing in groups. You are, therefore, doing your dog a whole lot of good if you get him one or two dogs he will play with.
Instead of nibbling and stalking you all day, he will target his new friends and have an exciting time with them.
Seek the Dog Expert’s Advice: As mentioned above, the decision to carry out this attitude could result from some disorder in his body system. Hence, the need to visit a veterinarian can’t be overlooked at some point.
You should consult your vet to diagnose what is really happening to your friendly canine and provide the best solution.
Conclusion
Preventing your dog from nibbling around your neck doesn’t mean you don’t want to create a close intimacy with him; instead, it means you prevent any form of an unhealthy occurrence like a dog bite.
However, you are advised to find a better and more secure way of getting close to your puppy or grown-up pooch. You should engage him in road walk; play with him, and train him properly.
Is there any other thing you love to ask about your dog and his behaviors? Feel free to paste it in the comment section below.
