The Best Way to Get a Puppy to Stop Biting

Biting is a common activity for puppies. Playtime and teething are frequent times when your puppy may bite. While it is an expected behavior, biting should be discouraged. Puppies chomping on hands and feet may be cute now, but could become a major problem as the puppy grows into adulthood. Training your puppy not to bite at a young age is a much easier task than trying to retrain an older dog.

  1. Instincts

    • The reason dogs, or any animal, do many of the things they do is out of instinct. Puppies explore their world through their mouth and their nose. Dogs are pack creatures, so when they are taken from their mother, your family becomes their new pack. Just as litters of puppies bite each other, your new puppy will begin to treat your hands and feet like brothers and sisters. The puppy is trying to communicate with you through biting and play. To teach your puppy to stop biting, you must speak to its instincts and language.

    Puppy Speak

    • Dogs have the ability to learn many human commands. With patience and repetition, you can train your puppy to behave and obey. Teaching your puppy not to bite begins with acting like a puppy yourself. When your puppy bites too hard, make a high pitch yelping sound. This is the sound the pack brothers would make if playtime became too rough. This tells the biting puppy to back off. Stop playing with the puppy when this happens. In the litter, the hurt puppy would create distance from the biter and take a moment to lick any wounds. While you don't need to lick yourself, ignoring your puppy for a few minutes will still speak its language and get your point across that biting hard is not acceptable. As your puppy learns to bite softly, you should still pretend to be hurt. Continuing to yelp when it bites will eventually teach that biting skin is bad.

    Distractions and Rewards

    • If your puppy still wants to bite, it may mean that it is bored or teething. Offer a chew toy, such as a hard rubber ball. There are many varieties available at pet stores. Choose a ball that is well constructed and made of thick hard rubber. Raw hide chews are also great distraction items. They will keep your puppy busy for a long time, and they work great to keep the teeth clean and healthy.

      When your puppy licks you and does not use teeth, reward him. Praise him for being good. Pet the puppy on the chest and sides. Head and face petting may cause your puppy to become overexcited again. Treats can also be used as rewards and training tools. Keep a handful of treats or puppy biscuits nearby to offer to him when he responds to your commands.

      With patience and effort, your puppy can learn the tools he needs to become the gentle furry member of your family you've always dreamed of.