How Do I Control My Puppy From Play Biting?

For a puppy, it is normal behavior to mouth, chew and bite as part of its learning. Most puppies learn bite-inhibition from other dogs, but if you only have one puppy, you must control it from play biting and train it properly before it becomes an adult. Although puppy bites are mostly harmless, an adult dog's bite could cause serious damage. Consistent and constant training will teach your puppy good doggy manners.

Things You'll Need

  • Dog leashes
  • Rope dog toys
  • Vinyl dog toys
  • Fleece dog toys
  • Canvas dog toys
  • Rawhide bones
  • Puppy treats
Show More

Instructions

    • 1

      Use a sturdy leash to train your puppy. When it nips or bites too hard, immediately stop what you are doing and use the leash to guide it away and tie it down to a "time-out" area for about 20 seconds. This will teach your puppy that biting is not polite.

    • 2

      Give your puppy plenty of toys made out of rope, vinyl, fleece and canvas to keep it entertained. Use these toys as fun distractions from your hands and feet when the puppy tries to play bite. With consistent work, your dog will "forget" to play bite you and want to play games like tug-of-war instead.

    • 3

      Provide good quality rawhide bones for the puppy to develop its teeth and jaws properly. Puppies need to teeth, lick and chew on things as part of normal development, and a rawhide bone is much better than your hands or feet.

    • 4

      Reward good behavior with puppy treats. Play biting is a normal part of dog behavior, so encourage your puppy to control itself by giving it a little treat and plenty of praise for obeying commands properly.

    • 5

      Socialize your puppy with other dogs at a dog park that does not require leashes. Frequent interaction with other puppies and dogs will control your puppy's urges to play bite humans. Dogs will yelp and stop playing with the biter if bitten too hard, so playing with other dogs will quickly teach your puppy bite-inhibition.