When Should a Puppy Stop Biting?

Biting is part of a puppy's natural behavior and instinct. In their natural environment, the mother dog teaches the puppy to stop biting. As a pet owner, you have this responsibility in the home before biting becomes a problem.

  1. Significance

    • Puppies that bite past four months are showing dominance and disrespect for their owners.

    Socialization

    • Puppies that have frequent contact with older dogs or other puppies are less likely to continue biting.

    Trust

    • Puppies will instinctively bite out of fear. Build a trust bond and minimize sudden environment changes to decrease biting problems.

    Misconceptions

    • Hitting a puppy on the nose with a newspaper or tapping the snout for discipline is not effective and builds fear, creating a worse biting problem.

    Benefits

    • After you have reprimanded the puppy for biting, spend time bonding to let the puppy know you still love him. The puppy will trust you more, while understanding the limits to his behavior.

    Warning

    • You should always provide consistent training with a puppy to stop biting completely.