# Why is he pinching me??



## PatchonGSD (Jun 27, 2012)

This "pinching" business started about a week ago. Balen takes his front teeth and "pinches" up and down my forearm or my thighs. Sometimes he does it gently while I'm loving on him and sometimes he does it if he thinks I'm ignoring him. Most of the time I dont mind but he's gotten some skin a couple times and *that* freaking hurt. I think I'd rather get a full bite. 

Anyway, does pinching _mean_ something or is it just one of those quirky behaviors that some dogs pick up?


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## RocketDog (Sep 25, 2011)

Rocket does this. I think it's a form of grooming/affection. My last shepherd could do it so gently, and Rocket is getting more gentle. I don't really encourage it though, because it does hurt sometimes! I just distract him.


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## gsdraven (Jul 8, 2009)

Yup, it's a form of affection often done between dogs. Raven does it to the other dogs (and cat) in my house.


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## Scarlettsmom (Jul 12, 2011)

I did not know this. Thanks for asking the question.


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## shepherdmom (Dec 24, 2011)

Only my shepherds have done this. They do it with toys, blankets and each other. We don't let them do it to us because as Patchon pointed out it can hurt! 

Do other dogs do this or is this a shepherd only thing?


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## Beau (Feb 12, 2012)

Our GSD dog used to do this as well. None of the others do it.

I asked our trainer/behaviorist about it one time and she indicated it was a form of affection. She called it "flea biting", as in pack behavior where one dog will groom another.

My daughter thought that was hilarious, and everytime he did it to her, she would scream, "Stop, I don't have fleas!"


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## Courtney (Feb 12, 2010)

My boy will try to do this with my husband face/neck....but only when his beard is grown out for work. He's very gentle...well at least tries to be but my husband also redirects him because he's pinched his skin a few times. He's very calm when he does it and they are usually just laying on the sofa together.


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## shepherdmom (Dec 24, 2011)

Beau said:


> Our GSD dog used to do this as well. None of the others do it.
> 
> I asked our trainer/behaviorist about it one time and she indicated it was a form of affection. She called it "flea biting", as in pack behavior where one dog will groom another.
> 
> My daughter thought that was hilarious, and everytime he did it to her, she would scream, "Stop, I don't have fleas!"


Flea biting I've never heard a name for it before...  My kids would call it gnang, gnangs...


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## PatchonGSD (Jun 27, 2012)

RocketDog said:


> Rocket does this. I think it's a form of grooming/affection. My last shepherd could do it so gently, and Rocket is getting more gentle. I don't really encourage it though, because it does hurt sometimes! I just distract him.





gsdraven said:


> Yup, it's a form of affection often done between dogs. Raven does it to the other dogs (and cat) in my house.


Oh, good, I was starting to wonder if he thought I had fleas or something.


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## Beau (Feb 12, 2012)

shepherdmom said:


> Flea biting I've never heard a name for it before...  My kids would call it gnang, gnangs...


Yep, that's exactly the sound my daughter would make!!!!! :wild:


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## msvette2u (Mar 20, 2006)

It is called "flea biting", and it's affection, but in Balen's case I'd not pay attention to him because he did it (when you're ignoring him). 

NILIF and "Mind Games" state that you pay attention to the dog on _your_ terms, not his.

One of our Dachshunds does it to one of our other Dachshunds to the extend that he's bald on the back of his neck, well, not literally bald but near to it. He has a lot of fur missing there...


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## Daisy&Lucky's Mom (Apr 24, 2011)

Daisy did it to her stuffies. Used to do it to us but we redirected to chews. Gentle was not in her vocabulary.


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## qbchottu (Jul 10, 2011)

Whisk LOVES to give love bites. Unfortunately, it's painful because he pinches just a tiny bit of flesh with his front incisors and gnaws. I always yelped when he hurt me. After 5-6x of trying to groom me, he moved on to the females. Now when he gets his love bite cravings, he just settles for grooming them


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## Wolfgeist (Dec 4, 2010)

Definitely grooming and a form of affection and a way to bond. It's really, really good to hear that he is doing this to you.


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## frillint1 (Sep 2, 2010)

Chief does this all the time to me expecially when we rough house. It certianly does hurt sometimes. He did it to my guinea pigs once and made her squeak. He does it to Smokey sometimes to, but Smokey don't like it and will snap at Chief after a few seconds.


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## Anthony8858 (Sep 18, 2011)

Kira does this on my head, as I'm sleeping. I want to "Effin" scream at her.

Maybe I have head fleas, I didn't know I would have a dog giving me love bites of affection during the night.

Where the heck is my wife during all this? LOL


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## TrentL (May 10, 2011)

Draven does that with my beard/goatee T times


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## Lilie (Feb 3, 2010)

Hondo does it while he's being groomed. He's never hurt me. Lonestar (the Lacy) does it to my husband's beard. He makes hubby scream like a girl. But he allows it...go figure. 

My sister's Shih Zu does it to your neck.


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## PatchonGSD (Jun 27, 2012)

Wild Wolf said:


> Definitely grooming and a form of affection and a way to bond. *It's really, really good to hear that he is doing this to you.*


I'm happy to know its affection, I'll just have to remind myself of that next time he gets a chunk of my skin.


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## marshies (May 18, 2011)

Puppy does this...and up till now I thought it was because I was scratching her itch so she would scratch mine.


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## Jag (Jul 27, 2012)

My pug does it. My previous male did it when I would brush him..


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