Puppy Training: Mouthing

A puppy mouthing your hands or feet seems cute but can lead to problems later when it is larger. Puppy teeth are sharp and can cause injury since they do not realize how hard they are biting. It is best to train your puppy not to mouth you or any other objects other than approved toys while it is young to prevent problems when it is older. It is important to prevent behavior at a young age that will not be allowed when it is fully grown.

Things You'll Need

  • Chew toys
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Instructions

    • 1

      Provide your puppy with a variety of toys that it can chew on. Since it is natural instinct for it to chew, making sure it has things to chew will help it to not chew other things.

    • 2

      Stop playing immediately if the dog mouths you, and say no mouth or no bite in a stern tone of voice. By withdrawing your attention when unwanted behavior occurs, it will quickly learn that mouthing will cause it to lose playtime and affection.

    • 3

      Make a loud noise, such as a yelp of pain, if the dog latches onto you and will not let go. This will startle it and cause it to release you.

    • 4

      Avoid rough play since this is reminiscent of its play with littermates and will result in nipping you as it did his siblings.