How to Get a Nine Month Old Puppy to Stop Biting

Nine-month-old puppies can be a handful. Puppies will often bite and chew on furniture, people, other pets and anything they can sink their teeth into while their teeth are coming in, usually in the first few months of life. By nine months, puppies have all of their teeth and often stop biting, but sometimes the biting and chewing can persist beyond teething.

Things You'll Need

  • Spray bottle
  • Rattle
  • Leash
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Instructions

    • 1

      Determine if the puppy is biting for a reason. Some puppies will bite to get attention or to communicate with their owner, or even to tell their owner that they are annoyed. If the biting only comes at specific times, find out what is causing the biting. These behaviors can often be corrected once the root is known.

    • 2

      Spray the puppy with water when it bites or tries to bite. This sends the signal to the puppy that biting is not allowed. It can take several times before the message gets through, since puppies have short attention spans and need several examples. Instead of water, try also using a loud noise such as a rattle.

    • 3

      Use a corrective leash. A corrective leash is the best way to get a nine-month-old puppy to stop misbehaving, especially when the biting is typically accompanied by jumping. This is an easier way for the owner to get the behavior to stop, since it is safe for the dog and teaches it that jumping is not allowed.

    • 4

      Enroll the puppy in a training class. The class should teach you various methods to take charge and show that you are the master and the dog is the pet.

    • 5

      Give the puppy a light pop on the nose when it tries to bite. The nose is a sensitive area for the puppy. A light tap accompanied by a command of "no" in a growly, low voice will send the proper message. This shouldn't be a hard pop, just enough to startle the puppy.

    • 6

      Reward good behavior. Puppies can benefit from rewards like treats, which should only be given for good behavior. A nine-month-old puppy that still bites can be trained to stop biting and do something else for a reward. For example, if a puppy bites to ask for help in retrieving something it can't get to, like a toy under the couch, pop it on the nose for the bite and tell it to sit or lie down. Only once the puppy obeys should you give a treat for the correct behavior and retrieve the toy. This shows the puppy that biting is not the way to get what it wants.