itchy after dog 'bites'

[mizzlittle]

now here is one that has been eating (pardon the pun) away at me for a while... when I play with my dogs and we do rough fighting where we pretend to pin each other to the ground and chase each other and she mouths me (usually my hand) I get all itchy in the spot where her teeth have been (no marks as such just red and itchy!)...

Is there something in dog bites that make me itchy? I know it sounds bizzare but my brother gets it too and I've been meaning to ask for ages now and keep forgetting until another itchy mark gets on my hand! LOL

[bohemian]

Ist off,

This is not a great way to play with a dog. Dogs need to learn bite inhibition not 'it's a fun game to bite'

You are sending your dog ALL the wrong information and your dog is FAR more likely to bite a stranger or a child due to the messages you are sending.

There is lots of information on this site on bite inhibition and mouthy dogs and how to stop NOT encourage this behaviour.

That said, if you've had these bites already and they've come and gone then you've probably had some kind of mild allergic reaction that went away. Broken skin is always a concern though and can lead to infection since you never know what kind of bacteria the dog had its teeth when it bit you.

Bohemian

[Princesss04]

I have two rats and when they crawl on my with their claws I get red marks and than I start itching. They do not scratch me or bite me but I still get red marks and bumps like they have little poisions in their toes. LOL! Good luck and let me know if you find anything out it might help me also!

[Bill & Bob]

Yup, most likely just a mild allergic reaction. Bob's mouthed my arm or hands before and usually it gets a little reddish and itchy if his teeth scratched the skin. Goes away pretty quick though.

I generally tend to try and discourage the mouthing stuff too. Don't want him to think it's fun or ok to have hands in mouths. Bob's already gotten a bit overzealous when being given a treat by friends and caught their fingers. Nothing bad, but more of a surprise than anything else. Teeth just bumping fingers on the way to treats. If it happens by accident, that's an accident but I don't let him put his teeth on skin as a general rule.

Wrestling on the carpet is an absolute must though. Lots of fun. Just have to watch out for the paw on face maneuver. Ends the game on a sour note.

[mizzlittle]

Thanks for the advice everyone mild allergic reaction I can handle at least I know what it is now.

On the other point 'bite inhibition' ... okay they all know when playing must stop and don't 'bite' as such its just putting their mouth on my hand and thats it (no pressure is exerted)... they all know bite inhibition. This play is only with me and my brother they don't do this with anyone else and believe me there is 7 people in my house and they don't go near anyone else in this way. We 'ask' them to play this way by us initating the play - they don't so there is no chance or problem that they will get carried away... its more wrestling than anything else and when I say FINISHED/STOP they stop and then I say DECK and they hit the deck and wait for me to give them a treat and go and do their own thing...

I wouldn't recommend this type of play to anyone who doesn't know their dogs well and haven't been through a strict training course with a professional dog trainer... but I have and she trained me well and they trust me and me them so no worries...

[Bill & Bob]

Tell me something Mizz....I've heard that in grand ole Ireland you can take your poochie to the pub while you have a pint. I think this COULD be an awesome idea. Bob would love to just come and hang out when I meet up with people at the pub, but for food/health reasons, it's against the law to allow it.
I also just heard they banned smoking in pubs over there too! My Irish buddies Mom just about had a heart attack when she heard that! She got right on the phone to her sisters back home to console them. Very funny. Personally, I'm a smoker, but love having more restrictions added on. I say make it harder for us to smoke and we'll end up smoking less. Wouldn't want to take Bob to a bar that was filled with the old blue haze.

[mizzlittle]

There is a number of pubs that you can bring your dog down and have a few most are in the country. There is a few cafes that you can do it too but you have to sit in their outdoor area which is great during the summer... the cafes even provide doggie menus!

The smoking ban came in and I have to say its a blessing I'm a non smoker but even smokers think its better.

Awh sure Ireland is a grand old place - have you ever been?

[Bill & Bob]

Nope never been. Someone in my family told me that our background is supposed to be from some Northern Islands in Ireland. Mom did some research once and told us that we originally came from some windy, rocky, nasty islands in the North where nobody else wanted to live. Nice. Very nice. Apparently that has trickled down into our personalities as well! Just kidding.

I've barely ever been out of Canada. Went to Vegas once for four days. Only remember two of them though. Damn free booze. And gambling. And more free booze.

[mizzlittle]

you should so come over! I know that my dogs don't have to go through quarantine to go over to Canada but I'm not sure if its the same coming from Canada. My sister is marrying a Canadian, they are over there now to find a place for them to get married. I'm organising my dogs passports now!

[Princesss04]

You have to get your dogs passports? That is so funny!

[Bill & Bob]

I got Bob a driver's license last week, what's so funny about that? Just kidding, although he did climb into the front seat of the Honda last week and was looking straight ahead like he was driving.

[melanie]

well i dont think bob is old enough to handle the road, surely he doesnt have the right training, one of those rally drving courses should fix that, i will watch the racing circut for him to emerge, please streesss to him that drink driving is not on, and teach him to throw his paws in the air in that 'what the hell you doing jesture'.
ohhh ireland, beautiful country am told, my family are irish decendants (well we were convicts ok, yes horse stealing criminals, oh dear dont tell anyone, sheesh, but cant walk past a horse or bread without wanting ot steal it, must be genetic ) want to go there one day.
in australia used to be able to take dog to pub, some country pubs still do ( i need her at the pub, how will i get home otherwise ) but now we just sit outside in the beer garden where she can be tied up and sit with me. but now they want to ban smoking in pubs here to, sorry but i just wouldnt know what to do with beer if i had no ciggies, poor dog would not want to come either, who wants to hang out with a drunk smoker desperate for a smoke . (always wary at pubs with dog, dont ever take my eyes of her as i know some pretty nasty drunks are out there, not to mention the free roaming pig dogs waiting for dads)
oh i heard about those doggy passports, fantastic idea, they need them here for trips between oz and NZ.
me want to go to vegas too, my friend got married there by elvis, oh tacky. oh the bright lights, tacky performance and worse souvoneers, oh yeah i could handle that (hubby anti gambling so i will have to sneak it in, what a wet blanket).
yay we have irish doggies here, do they bark with a rough brouge accent ?

[mizzlittle]

Aie and the leprachauns jump out with pots of gold too! LOL - only joking! It scares me sometimes the picture of Ireland people have! No the pubs here are okay with the dogs and the locals too you just don't stay there very long with them a few drinks on a Sunday (pubs don't open until 1pm on Sunday because its a Holy Day) or Saturday before dinner of for lunch and then I'm out of there! Everyone has a bit of Irish in them... it happens when another country takes over and starts shipping all its inhabitants out to other countries for the slightest wrong or forcing them to leave because the lack of work... thank god those days are over... suddenly everyone is coming back home as the wage here has got very good.

As for doggie passports its an awful lot of hassle... you have to get them their rabies shots (aren't the norm here) and six months later you have to get their bloods done to check if they are free from rabies... you must inform the Department of Environment and let him know that you are wanting to bring your animals out of the country... he then will sign off on your passport form... you have to get your dog microchipped (which we all do anyway) and photos done for the passport (getting them to sit still will prove difficult) you have to ensure they get a vets check and receive a letter from them that your dog has all his shots is perfectly healthy and is wormed for every form of worm there is out there... buy a animal carrier... which has to be approved by the Department of Environment, the vet, the airline and customs and then to top this all off you have to worry about how your little ones are going to take the journey... maybe my sister can just get married over here!!!

[kasher+tazz]

Talking of dogs in pubs...my local is dog freindly inside and outside, i was in there on friday night, to my amazement i saw a lab pup ( Cant have been more than 3 months old) running around without a lead! ( had to do a double take i had drunk a few glasses of wine after all) but no there was definately a puppy in the pub - not my idea of a suitable place to take youre puppy...beutiful little puppy though i had to have a cuddle!

[mizzlittle]

yeah I don't think I'd take a puppy and let him/her off the leash. Plus I have this thing about strange people coming up and rubbing them - I'm like have you washed your hands?!?!

[melanie]

if charlie girl comes to the pub she has to sit with me at all times and is often tied to my foot (i slip the lead over my shoe) or my chair. a nasty drunk once was intimidated by her so started picking on her to reaffirm his manhood, creep, this is the sort of thing i look out for. and when she is physically tied to me i wont forget her (very unlikely)
it is funny how we form this little pic in our heads of other countries, wasnt the show heatbeat from around there abouts (probably not ), see what i mean. but then hay some people have funny ideas about aussies (half based on fact of course ).
i actually collect old irish stamps, i love fantastic and interesting history of your country. see that is the difference for me between your countries and ours, we dont actually have much history. whites invaded here only 200 years ago, where as alot of my fascination for ireland and similar places comes from your long and colorful history. oh one day i will explore it for myself.
gee doggy passports sound pretty intense, see they dont tell us that in the news, we just hear you have one. once you have it though do you have to contact the dept of environment each travel or is it only the first time?? and can you just book the flight and show up with dog after the initial flight?? and where is the dog kept during flight??
tell your sister you will buy her the best present ever if she comes over there for the marriage, could work