Glossary
Bite inhibition
A dog's learned ability to control the force of its mouth, which puppies normally acquire through play with littermates and people.
Also called: soft mouth, learning to bite gently, bite control
Bite inhibition is how hard a dog bites when it does use its mouth. Puppies learn it in play: when a littermate bites too hard, the other yelps and stops playing, and the biter learns to soften up. Trainer Ian Dunbar popularized the idea that puppies should first learn to bite softly before they learn not to mouth at all.
A dog with good bite inhibition may still bite when frightened or hurt, but tends to cause less damage. A dog that never learned it can hurt someone even in play.
Owners help by ending play for a moment when a puppy bites too hard, and by letting the puppy meet other well-matched puppies in classes. It is not the same as mouthing, which is the behavior itself.
Last reviewed November 8, 2026