How do I Fix a Puppy That's Biting?

Nipping and play biting are normal behaviors in puppies. As cute as this behavior may be when the puppy is just a few weeks old, it may turn out being a bad habit once the puppy grows and is equipped with razor-sharp teeth. Curbing the behavior of a mouthy puppy may be challenging, but with the right tools and persistence, the puppy may learn to be gentle with his mouth when playing with its human friends.

Things You'll Need

Chew bone
Tug toy
Bitter apple spray
Head halter
Leash

Instructions

- 1
  
  Teach your puppy to be gentle on human skin.
  
  Play with your puppy as usual, and as soon as the puppy bites hard, give a high pitched yelp as if you are hurt, suggests the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals. Stop the game for a few seconds or if he starts nipping again, get up and move away. This should teach the puppy that rough playing makes the game stop. Praise the puppy for stopping the nipping behavior.
- 2
  
  Redirect unpleasant behaviors rather than punishing.
  
  Give your dog a chew bone as soon as it starts nipping on your fingers or toes. This will help redirect the puppy's attention from nipping humans to chewing something more appropriate. As an alternative, distract your puppy from mouthing by wriggling a tug toy and redirecting its attention to the tug toy. This is a good method for puppies who like to ambush legs and ankles.
- 3
  Use bitter apple spray for obstinate cases. Spray your hands and feet with this taste deterrent before interacting with the puppy. With time, upon repeatedly tasting the bitter taste, the mouthing behavior should diminish considerably.
- 4
  Purchase a head halter, suggests the Humane Society of Missouri. A quick pull on the leash along with saying ''no biting '' in a stern tone of voice will allow quick control of the muzzle and the puppy should stop and calm down. At this point the game can resume and you can correct future nipping attempts swiftly and effectively.