Puppy Biting Problems

Puppies are generally a playful bunch, with some habits that can appear sweet or endearing. Those same habits, however, can lead to problematic behavior down the line of they are not corrected early. Biting is one of those habits. Even if your puppy doesn't mean to hurt the person or thing he's biting, young dogs will not know when the bite becomes dangerous unless their mothers or owners teach them.

  1. Natural Behavior

    • Puppies are natural biters, nippers and chewers for a couple of reasons. Puppies use their mouths to explore and discover the world around them. Biting is also the way they learn how to hunt. When the mother dog raises the puppies with a litter, Mom and the litter mates automatically put a puppy in line when the nips become too strong or painful. The mother dog often uses some type of physical warning, while the litter mates yelp in pain.

    Considerations

    • Some puppy mouthing should be allowed; after all, it is the way they learn about the world. It is also the way puppies learn the limits of biting and what is acceptable behavior. The time to draw the line is when the puppy's teeth start to dig into the skin, especially if the bite draws blood. If a puppy bites too hard, according to PetPlace.com, you should quickly retract your hand, say "Ouch," and stop interacting with the pup for a few minutes. This teaches bite inhibition and mimics the behavior the litter mates would display in the same situation.

    Correction

    • If a gentle bout of bite inhibition training does not do the trick, animal behaviorist Patricia McConnell offers a couple of ways to take the correction one step further. One is the startle response and redirection method. When a puppy bites too hard, make a loud yelping sound that is sudden and abrupt enough to startle him. Once he backs off the bite, hand him a ball or other object that he is allowed to bite and chew. The second method is stopping the action. When a puppy's bite is unacceptable, abruptly leave the room. With continued reinforcement, the puppy will learn that unacceptable biting results in losing his friend.

    Prevention

    • One of the best ways to prevent a puppy from getting carried away with his biting is to pay attention to how you play with him, McConnell notes. Steer clear of tug-of-war and other games that encourage the puppy to nip and bite. Use toys when playing with your puppy, rather than your hands, to let him know the toys are OK to bite, but your hands are off limits. Never entice your puppy to bite you, even if you mean it all in fun.

    Warning

    • The way you correct a puppy's biting is also important, PetPlace.com notes. When you give your puppy attention for biting, even if it is negative attention, your puppy sees that as a reward and will be prone to continue. One example, according to PetPlace.com, is reacting wildly when your puppy bites, such as screaming, yelling, jostling him or waving your arms. Your pup can see this as a playful toy that becomes alive when he bites it. Pulling away if your puppy bites when you grasp his collar is another no-no. Your puppy will view his biting as a victory and way to get you to stop pulling his collar and go away.