Puppies mouth objects, including fingers, as a normal part of play and to explore their world. However, this behavior becomes increasingly troublesome as your puppy gets older and larger. Teaching it to keep its teeth off of you and other people will prevent bigger problems down the road.
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Teaching Gentle Mouthing
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Your puppy needs to learn bite inhibition, or how to be gentle when it mouths. Playing with other puppies teaches your puppy the basics of this technique, but human skin is more sensitive and requires greater delicacy. Allow your puppy to mouth your hand until it bites hard. As soon as it does, relax your hand and yelp in a high-pitched voice. Use a forceful command if yelping doesn't work. Startling your puppy causes it to let go of your hand. Once it stops mouthing or starts licking your hand, reward it with praise. Repeat this procedure up to three times during 15-minute sessions.
Use short time-outs if your puppy does not stop mouthing after you yelp. You'll need to startle it enough to make it look around, but use caution with this approach. Yelling or shouting will scare it and discourage it from interacting with you. Pulling your hand away quickly will encourage further biting and rougher play. Don't pay any attention to your puppy for 10 to 20 seconds after it stops biting. You might need to move away from your puppy if it tries to play again right away. When the time-out ends, play with your puppy again until the next bite.
As your puppy gets better at bite inhibition, challenge it more by yelping after milder bites, followed by soft bites. This teaches your puppy to use even less force when mouthing. Continue until it barely applies any pressure on your skin during play.
Avoiding Contact
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Once your puppy masters bite inhibition, help itlearn to avoid putting its teeth on your hands or feet altogether. Keep a steady and interesting supply of toys available for your puppy to chew. Give it one to redirect its behavior when it begins mouthing. Avoid rough play that leads to biting or intense mouthing. Play tug-of-war or fetch with your puppy instead. Never slap the sides of your puppy's face, even in play, or hit it for biting you. Give your puppy treats as a distraction if it tries to mouth you when you pet it. Use longer time-out periods of 30 to 60 seconds. Make sure it has plenty of time to socialize. Playing with other puppies as often as possible helps your puppy burn off energy and improves its social skills, making it less likely to bite. Distract your puppy with a tug toy if it ambushes your feet while you walk. If nothing else works, spray a taste deterrent on your clothes and body before playing with your pup. The bitter taste will discourage it from mouthing you.
Aggressive Biting
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Puppies can bite while throwing a tantrum. Growling, baring teeth and maintaining a rigid posture accompanies biting during temper tantrums. This type of biting requires a different response than mouthing. In this situation, don't yelp or try to startle him. Doing so could lead to further aggression. Keep a firm hold on your puppy until it settles down. Make sure you stay completely calm. If tantrums occur frequently or intensify, seek professional help from a Certified Applied Animal Behaviorist, an American College of Veterinary Behavior diploma holder or a Certified Professional Dog Trainer (see the Resources section below).
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