Puppy hood of your dog is a time of boundless joy, adorable antics. It is the time when those sharp, tiny teeth that seem to find their way onto everything, including your hands, clothes, and furniture!If you are currently sporting a collection of playful nips and nibbles courtesy of your furry bundle of joy, you’re not alone. Biting is as much a part of puppy hood as wagging tails and wet noses. But when do these cute nibbles transform into a concerning behavior? And more importantly, how can you guide your furry friend to express their excitement or curiosity without turning into a mini jaw?
Welcome to your comprehensive guide on how to navigate and gently correct your puppy biting and mouthing behavior. Brace yourself for an interesting journey full of patience, consistency, and a whole lot of love!
Understanding Why Puppy Bite
Puppies are curious, playful, and love to explore the world around them. One of the ways they do this is through their mouths, by biting and mouthing. This is because puppies experience a lot of new textures, tastes, and sensations that they want to investigate, and their mouths are their primary tool for exploration.
Teething is another major reason why puppies bite. Similar to human babies, puppies also go through a teething phase where their baby teeth fall out and adult teeth come in. This process can be quite uncomfortable and even painful for them, leading them to chew and bite on anything they can get their little paws on to relieve the discomfort.
Play is another big part of why puppies bite. For puppy biting is a way to interact with their world and engage in play. They do this with their siblings, and they will do this with you too. It’s a way for them to communicate, engage and establish relationships.
Lastly, puppies bite to learn about bite inhibition. Bite inhibition is a crucial skill that puppies usually learn from their mothers and siblings – it’s how they learn to control the force of their bite. When a puppy bites another puppy too hard during play, the other puppy will likely yelp and stop playing, teaching the biter that they need to be more gentle.
How to Stop Puppy from Biting?
Teaching your puppy to stop biting takes patience, consistency, and understanding, but it’s well worth the effort. Here are some effective techniques you can use:
1. Redirection
Redirection involves guiding your puppy’s biting habit to an appropriate object, like a chew toy or a bone. If your puppy starts to bite on your fingers or clothes, calmly say “no” and replace whatever they’re biting with a toy. It’s crucial that the object you’re redirecting them to is something they’re allowed to chew on. This way, they learn the distinction between what’s acceptable to chew and what’s not.
2. Using Chew Toys
Providing a variety of chew toys can help satisfy your puppy’s natural urge to bite and chew, especially during the teething phase when their gums might be sore. The toys should be durable and safe for your puppy to chew on. Rotating the toys every few days can keep your puppy interested. Also, consider using puzzle toys filled with peanut butter or kibble to keep them engaged for longer periods.
3. Yelping
Yelping is a technique that mimics the natural way puppy biting learn about bite inhibition from their siblings. When your puppy bites you, emit a high-pitched yelp. This should surprise your puppy and cause them to pause. This pause is a learning opportunity – it helps them understand that they’ve bitten too hard and need to be gentler.
4. Time-outs
If yelping doesn’t work or if your puppy biting is too excited, you may need to use time-outs. The idea here is to withdraw your attention and stop all fun interactions as soon as your puppy bites. You can either leave the room or place your puppy in a quiet, safe, and boring area for a few minutes. This helps your puppy understand that biting leads to an end of playtime.
Avoid Games That Encourage Biting
Games like tug-of-war or roughhousing can often encourage biting. Instead, opt for games like fetch or training games that stimulate their mind and teach them self-control.
Teaching ‘Leave It’ Command
Start with a treat in your hand and close your fist around it. Say “leave it” and wait.
Your puppy biting will likely paw, lick, and nose at your hand to get the treat. The moment they stop, praise them and give them a different treat from your other hand. Repeat this until they move away from the first treat when you say “leave it”. Gradually progress to more challenging scenarios, and eventually to stopping them from biting.
Positive Reinforcement
Rewarding good behavior is much more effective than punishing bad behavior. Whenever your puppy interacts with you without biting, give them a treat, praise them, or play with them. This will make them more likely to repeat that behavior.
Every puppy is different and what works for one might not work for another. You may need to try different techniques, or a combination of techniques, to see what works best for your puppy. It’s important to be patient and consistent with your training, and keep in mind that this is just a phase that your puppy will eventually grow out of.
