A guide to stopping puppy biting

Puppy bites happen — especially if they’re teething or exploring their environment. That’s why teaching bite inhibition is so important. It gives your furry friend the skills they need to interact with their environments differently.

Bite inhibition doesn’t teach your dog not to bite. Instead, it teaches them to control the force of their mouths and teeth. Teaching this skill in puppyhood can be the best way to do it, as you’ll be dealing with puppy teeth and a lot less force than you otherwise would be teaching this skill into adulthood..

There are several ways to teach your puppy bite inhibition. We’ve summarized some top tips below.

Mimic a puppy’s response to biting

Hard bites to hands or fingers hurt. While your first instinct to a skin puncture may involve yelling some profanities, this will confuse your puppy and could lead to more of the same behavior. Your pup might interpret this reaction as excitement, or worse, they may associate biting with receiving attention.

Instead, you can try mimicking a puppy’s high-pitched yelp the next time you get a nip. This is one of the best ways to teach puppy bite inhibition, especially if your furry friend is younger. After you do this a few times, they may begin to understand that they’ve hurt you and that you don’t want to play that way. Remember, consistency is key!

Avoid interacting with a biting puppy

Puppies may not be aware of the force of their bite, which is why it’s important to teach them early. You need to show your pup that biting or nipping at any time means playtime is over, and they won’t be getting more attention.

Rather than responding with more aggression (hitting, kicking, etc.), you need to avoid and ignore your puppy. This can be difficult, especially when you have a puppy who has tons of energy and razor-sharp teeth. The human and dog bond is strong, after all! However, this important step is a great way to still show your love for your dog without compromising on the standard of good behavior that you want to set for your home.

As far as next steps go, we recommend setting up a blocked-off area for you to go to when your puppy starts biting. You can use a baby gate or simply shut the door. Alternatively, you can gently place them in a crate or isolated area. The ultimate goal here is to be out of your dog’s reach so that you can easily ignore them without worrying about what they’re getting into.

You might also experiment with a reversed version of this training process, such as putting your puppy in time-out. Either way works — we recommend that you choose the best method for you and your specific needs. We don’t, however, recommend this reversed method if your puppy is a runner. Chasing after your dog in this part of the training process can give them negative attention and encourage more rough play or aggressive behavior.

Puppy mouthing and biting allow them to explore their surroundings. However, when they do this during play, it’s a good idea to show them that playtime is over.

You don’t have to be rude or angry as you end the play session, though. In fact, yelling can confuse your puppy or give them negative attention which can perpetuate bad behavior. Instead, you can hold your arms up and back from the toy, giving them a clear signal that no more play is happening right now. Avoid trying to remove the toy roughly or getting into a tug-of-war. Then, leave the room quietly to reinforce the idea that social behavior stops when play gets too rough.

Play provides excellent opportunities for owners to take simple steps to reinforce good behavior. Puppy classes, physical exercise, and plenty of chew toys (such as tug toys) are all excellent ways to give your puppy high-value attention and experiences, redirecting them from the urge to bite or mouth.

While biting can be a normal behavior, it’s important to connect with a vet if you see the behavior persisting or escalating. They can give you personalized support to help the puppy stop relying on oral means of stress relief, such as a new redirection method, bite inhibition training, or bitter spray. Additionally, they can offer gentle play strategies that promote normal behavior as your dog develops.

Symptoms that could indicate additional help is needed can include:

• Unbridled aggression. This can include outbursts toward children, strangers, pets or pet parents, which may remain even after the dog finishes their development.
• “Petting aggression.” This form of aggression generally happens when you’re petting or “loving on” your puppy and can be normal. However, it could be a sign that you need professional biting support if done constantly or severely.
• Protective behaviors. Aggression around food bowls, toys, or any other key puppy areas may require intervention by a trained medical professional.
• Post-sleep aggression. If your dog is aggressive upon waking from sleep, this could be a sign of more severe aggression under the surface, which could lead to a bite injury.

If you’ve ever played with a puppy, you’ll know that biting is very normal. Just like human babies seem to put everything in their mouths, puppies will often bite at anything you put in front of them. Though it might be harmless while they’re young, biting is much less forgivable in adult dogs.

If your new puppy loves to bite, don’t fear.

In most cases, biting and nipping are completely normal and can be curbed with proper dog training. We’ve put together a list of several reasons why your puppy may be chomping at everything—and what you can do to help, starting today.

Exploration

This is one of the most common reasons puppies bite. With so much of the world new to them, puppies rely on their senses to investigate new environments and objects. Since dogs don’t have hands, they usually use their mouth to handle something they’re interested in. By taking a little nibble, they can determine the texture and weight of the object and whether it tastes “good.”

Seeking play or attention

Since puppies can’t vocalize their needs, they may bite you to instigate playtime or get some affection. This behavior isn’t appropriate and should be discouraged whenever possible. You can redirect successfully by leaving the room until the dog is calmer and only reinstating play when they are calm again.

Teething

Between three and six months of age, puppies lose their baby teeth and grow in their adult teeth. Like human babies, puppies might experience pain as their adult teeth grow in. To help alleviate the pain or remove the baby teeth on their own, puppies may chew or nibble. Chew toys can help curb the behavior and redirect their attention from your table and chair legs.

Fear or frustration

Puppies may use biting as a defense mechanism when they feel threatened or upset. This can include being protective over certain items, although their instinct to nibble doesn’t have to be prompted by protection. Intervention from a dog trainer or consistent redirection can help to limit this response.

Hunger

A hungry puppy may bite at your hands and feet to try to communicate that they’re looking for food. If a feeding routine has been established, this isn’t the typical reason behind a puppy biting. If you want to fix this, you can practice commands to help your dog learn to take treats gently, then move on to other feeding-related commands for a better overall mealtime experience.

Lack of exercise

A puppy who isn’t getting enough exercise might become aggressive. This pent-up energy can manifest through biting. Owners can get ahead of this by creating regular exercise schedules and investing in high-quality, high-stimulation toys to keep their pups occupied through all stages of development.

Neurological disorder

Medical problems that can cause a dog to be overly aggressive. However, only a veterinarian can accurately diagnose this issue. Unfortunately, sometimes you can only manage the aggression, not train them out of it. Working with a vet can help you identify the best ways to support your dog, giving them alternative methods to help them thrive in your home.