Why Is My Siberian Husky Puppy Biting & Nipping?

With those striking eyes and fluffy coat, your puppy might tempt you to play with it without bothering to train it to be obedient even when it nips at your fingers and toes. Although nipping and biting are perfectly normal for teething puppies (as it is for human babies to chew on almost everything) even at a young age, nipping and biting are ways a Husky puppy can assert his dominance over you, so make sure you start training your puppy in bite inhibition as soon as possible. Training your Husky puppy early will make it easier to teach as it gets older and can minimize the harm caused by its bite.

  1. Rules of Puppy Training

    • There are important rules when it comes to training dogs, whether young or old. Without taking note of these, any attempt at training will likely fail. First and most important, always be consistent. Make sure everyone your dog interacts with regularly --- especially those who are in your home --- knows the details of how you are going about training and socializing your Husky. Be consistent even with commands or words you use for certain actions. Consistently praise good behavior and discourage bad ones --- there must be no exceptions if you want your puppy to learn. Socialize your puppy early and never hit your dog or exercise any harsh punishments. With patience, consistency and willingness, you will have a happy, obedient and caring dog that respects you.

    Chew Toys

    • The first way you can stop your puppy from biting you is to give it chew toys. If it chews on something else, scold it firmly with a "no!" "don't!" "off!" or something similar and give it the correct chew toy; don't hit the dog. Praise it when it chews on the right object. Do not give your puppy socks, clothes or footwear to chew on. It won't be able to distinguish which ones are OK to chew on and which aren't.

    Think Like a Dog

    • When puppies play among themselves, it is normal to bite one another. It is not until a puppy yelps that its playmates learn that it has been hurt. Imitate this and startle your puppy with a high-pitched yelp or "ouch!" when it bites or nips at you, then stop playing or leave altogether. This will teach your Husky puppy early on that biting is bad and will just make its playmate leave. HuskyTips.com suggests pinching your puppy on the neck if it bites you. This imitates how canine mothers grasp their young by the neck.

    Other Methods

    • If your puppy doesn't seem to be responding to any of the methods suggested, you may try using a pair of gloves covered with something that smells or tastes bad to your dog. The dog will eventually make negative associations and refrain from biting you. Note, however, that some dogs may outsmart you and know they can nip at you once the gloves are off. Another method is saying, "No!" firmly, then proceeding to using your thumb to press the inside of your puppy's mouth under his tongue and putting another finger under his chin. Holding for a few seconds will make your puppy feel uncomfortable.