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How to Stop Puppy Biting Fast and Effectively

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Puppy biting is one of the most common and frustrating puppy issues.

Although it is a totally natural process, many dog owners are a bit overwhelmed by their puppy’s behavior and often ask if heavy biting is already aggression.

I’ve got good news and bad news.

The former is that puppy biting is normal, the second being that puppy biting is normal.

You probably have to sit this phase-out while you keep improving your bond with your dog and guide him to adulthood.

But sitting this out doesn’t mean you just have to sit there and watch him bite you or others.

There are some easy steps you can follow to make sure your dog learns the appropriate behavior.

Why Do Puppies Bite?

Mouthing, chewing, and biting are natural ways for puppies to explore, taste, and experience their environment.

Everything they see gets into their mouth.

This can escalate quickly when puppies eat stones or other foreign objects that could be harmful.

There are three main reasons why puppies bite stuff and it almost never has to do with aggression (more on that below):

  1. Gathering information (texture and taste)
  2. Teething
  3. Play-biting (this is where they learn bite inhibition)

The sharp little teeth puppies have helped them learn a crucial lesson during the early socialization process.

Puppies that spend 8 weeks with their mother and littermates are taught the so-called bite inhibition.

In this process, they will learn to adjust their biting behavior and the force they apply with their jaws to appropriate levels.

Puppies have tough skin so they are used to playing a bit rough with their brothers and sisters.

When they play with each other and biting becomes too rough one will start to yelp.

This is a form of feedback they get and is essential for their development.

To receive feedback, they need those sharp teeth because their jaws are not strong enough yet.

Through bite inhibition training they learn what to bite and how strong to bite.

Teaching Bite Inhibition

White puppy chewing on a toy.
Photo by Daniel Bendig on Pexels

When you bring your new puppy home, you now have the responsibility to continue with the feedback the littermates and the mother gave.

Many trainers believe that you should just imitate the sound of a little puppy screaming from pain but I personally believe that you as a human can never fully imitate canine behavior.

Your puppy will probably just be confused, assuming you would be able to create a sound even close to a puppy yelping.

I’m laying out my personal method to handle puppy biting below.

You will have to be patient and consistent with bite inhibition but it will pay off and your dog will be a well-adjusted canine citizen.

No Biting Tolerated

Petting your puppy almost always includes mouthing and biting.

The goal here is to teach your puppy that nipping on human clothes and skin is not tolerated.

Now, let’s say you’re playing with your puppy and he starts biting too hard.

It is important not to pull your hands or clothes away as a reflex.

Fast movements reinforce your dog to chase your hand and that will probably make it worse. Instead, you should:

  1. Leave your hand right there and say a clear “ouch” (in a yelping voice if you desire so) until your puppy stops biting.
  2. Praise him for letting go and continue playing or petting.
  3. If you have a rough play-biter that won’t stop nipping on you, simply stand up and ignore your puppy for a few seconds or leave the room.

Time outs are a very effective way to stop puppy biting as young dogs love to interact and play with their owner.

If you suddenly stand up and leave the room after he bit you, he will definitely remember that.

Once he is calm and gentle, you will enter the room again.

Redirecting

The goal of redirecting is teaching your puppy that mouthing on toys is okay but not on the skin.

You should also teach him that clothes are a no-go.

When he starts play biting, engage with him in a game of tug to redirect his attention to the toy and not your hand.

If playing gets too rough, you will simply stop just like before.

Another way to distract him from chewing is by teaching him the command “let go”.

This will bring structure into your game, teach him impulse control, and stops undesired behavior.

If your puppy also goes for your ankles, redirecting him works just great.

When he starts biting your feet, stop right there in your movement and tell him a firm “no” or use the same yelping voice you used before.

Once he has stopped, grab his favorite toy and play with him as a reward.

Gentle Treats

We want to really teach him how he should interact with our hands while playing or petting.

For this method, you will grab a bunch of small treats and place them between your index finger and thumb.

When you start feeding them to your puppy you should pay attention to how he grabs them.

If he bites too hard on your hand you will stop feeding him.

Leave them a bit longer between your fingers to see if he just tries to lick them out of your hand or if he uses his teeth.

Getting Rid of Excess Energy

If all of these tips don’t seem to work it is probably because your puppy is not exercised enough.

I am not only talking about going for walks but also a lack of mental stimulation that can encourage biting behavior.

You should also consider attending puppy classes which are very important for his socialization.

Puppies are the best teachers when it comes to play-biting and yours will love the play and interaction.

I have visited puppy classes since my dog was 9 weeks old and we still go to play classes twice a week.

There is nothing better for a dog than playing with other dogs in a safe and controlled environment (not like the dog park).

Puppy Teething

Like babies, puppies lose their teeth and that’s why their gums can be irritated and itchy.

Providing your puppy with safe chew toys is the key to relieving that urge.

I personally use the Kong for Puppies and the Nylabone Chew Toy.

High-energy dog breeds are more likely to chew, so getting that energy out in the morning and throughout the day is mandatory.

Puppy-proof your home, so he won’t chew on cords or an expensive rug or swallow harming things.

Things to Avoid

There are certain situations where you set yourself up for failure in regards to puppy biting:

  • Avoid fiddling your hands in your dog’s face or grabbing his head between your hands for fun. This will only encourage him to bite.
  • As I said before, avoid quick movements or pulling your hands away when he mouths on them.
  • Do not play too rough with your puppy. This could potentially damage his little teeth and will encourage rough playing.
  • We do not want to discourage the puppy from playing at all. It is your responsibility to show him how to play gently.
  • Do not lose your patience and yell at him. Raising your voice does no good.
  • Never hit or kick your puppy for biting you. He is not showing dominance or aggression towards you and physical punishment will make him afraid of you which might cause real biting.

Puppy Keeps Biting Kids

If your puppy keeps nipping your kids, you should teach your pup bite inhibition in addition to teaching your child how to stay calm and redirect your puppy.

Biting is totally normal and so is the instinctive reaction of kids to pull away.

However, it’s important to teach both how to treat each other and to get your kid involved in dog training to make sure that your dog listens to everybody.

When Play Biting Becomes Serious

Play and puppy biting is perfectly normal in most cases and doesn’t mean that your dog is showing any signs of aggression at all.

You just have to observe your dog’s body language as well as his vocalization to cross aggression out of your list.

When your pup is play-biting, he looks really clumsy with a relaxed body posture and no determination to harm you at all.

It occurs when playing or petting the head, for example.

Early signs of aggression that mostly occur in adulthood (hopefully never with the right training) can include your puppy biting significantly stronger than usual.

His body is tense and he shows you his teeth and growls at you but beware of the difference between play-growling vs. threatening growling.

If this happens during a normal play session and he doesn’t experience any pain or something else that might have startled him, you might have a problem.

Just to rule out any medical issues, you should visit a vet and get your dog checked out regardless.

If you then try your yelping sound, it will only encourage his aggressive behavior.

Instead, do not show any emotions and do not back up from your puppy because that is showing him that you are afraid and fearful which is prey behavior.

If you can, you should firmly hold him still without hurting him until he has calmed down.

After that, you should consult a professional to specify the problem and to avoid any further aggression.

My Rottweiler chewed and mouthed for maybe a couple of weeks and then simply stopped after we calmly showed her what to bite and what not to bite.

She’s around 2 years old now and biting was never a problem.

Even during the most intense play session, she’s still so mindful and will never catch your arm or even finger by accident.

Let me know in the comments what helped you to get rid of puppy biting.

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Disclaimer: This blog post does not substitute veterinary attention and does not intend to do so. I am not a veterinarian or pet nutritionist. If your dog shows any sign of illness, call your vet.

About Danielle

Equipped with 5+ years of expertise as a Rottweiler owner, I partner with licensed veterinarians and trainers to share research-backed and actionable advice for you and your furry friend.

Cheri

Wednesday 8th of February 2023

I started using a spray bottle when she was being naughty. It's always worked for the cats and it's helped a lot. I can just grab it now and she'll stop.

Danielle

Wednesday 8th of February 2023

Hi Cheri, it may work as sometimes dogs make the connection between the undesired behavior and the unpleasant stimuli but it's not advised to use. Positive reinforcement paired with perhaps a verbal correction or redirection works just as well if not better with puppies. There's absolutely no need to go with this type of training for something as normal as puppy biting, house training, etc.

Pat

Thursday 5th of January 2023

Mine just turned a year old she will take my hand and guide it to scratch her belly. She nips at my hands to play when I say ouch she kisses it to make Itn better it hurts and I bleed but I do the same when she scratches at me I tried to make her stop scratching the same way ouch and she immediately licks it to make it better. I take me away from her and she will follow me to other room and try to rub against me to make up. So now I do t know what to do

B J

Sunday 27th of February 2022

If I try to take a toy away from Gizmo, he GROWLS and tries to bite me. How do I stop this?

Danielle

Sunday 27th of February 2022

Hey, that sounds more like resource guarding than regular puppy biting. I'd suggest you read up about that. You can get rid of it by positively reinforcing instances where your dog doesn't display this behavior and ending play sessions when he does growl at you.

In theory, growling is only natural to let you know they don't want you to take it but your dog has to learn that that's up to you, not him. You can also work with redirection. Use other areas for your training too (such as hand-feeding since this will teach your dog where the food comes from and prevents food aggression). Also, introducing an "out" command helps.

Cheers, Danielle

Rhonda

Thursday 30th of December 2021

I am getting a Rottweiler 8 weeks old, any advise you can give to me for this puppy?

Danielle

Friday 31st of December 2021

Hi Rhonda, to be optimally prepared, I'd suggest checking out other articles for raising puppies in general (socialization, crate training, tips for the first night, and so on - you'll find more linked in the articles.

Cheers, Danielle

Margarita Valdez

Thursday 22nd of April 2021

HI DANIELLE,

I RECENTLY GOT MYSELF AN ENGLISH BULLDOG, HE IS THE SWEETEST THING BUT HIS NIBBLING HAS BECOME A BIT OVERWHELMING HE IS 3MONTHS GOING INTO 4MONTHS ON MAY. HE CAN BE PLAYING WITH HIS TOYS AND IF WE GO BY HIM HE GOES FROM THE TOY TO OUR SHOES OR PANTS, HE IS A VERY TOUGH PLAYER MOSTLY BECAUSE ALL DOGS IN MY NEIGHBERHOOD ARE LARGE DOGS EX:GERMEN SHEPS, MALONOIS,GREAT DANES. WE HAVE TRIED THE NO, PUTTING HIM IN HIS CRATE WALKING AWAY(AND HE IS RUNNING AFTER US) HOW CAN I GET HIM TO UNDERSTAND BITTING IS NOT OK OR ARE THESE SIGNS OF AGGRESSION?

Danielle

Friday 23rd of April 2021

Hey Margarita, this kind of puppy biting is totally normal for a 3/4 month old pup and I wouldn't worry about aggression unless it's full-on attacks (real aggression in puppies is extremely rare).

When people say they've tried the no, crate, walking away, etc. it's often not the way it's intended to be used. A clear no, removing the pup and not starting any chase or game is a very clear signal to your puppy that it's not okay and he'll understand. If you just started doing this, it might take some time to see the effect.

If he's used to playing with large dogs, observe his body language. Is he often pinned to the floor, getting run over, trying to hide, etc.? My Rottie puppy was quite tough but a 3m old pup can't keep up (mentally or physically) with large dogs if they're not holding themselves back. Try finding pups of the same age and similar breed to avoid that your dog learns to overcompensate for strong players. Really depends on the type of play tough. It might just contribute to a harsh play/puppy biting style overall.

Cheers, Danielle