How to Stop Puppy Biting

How to stop your Puppy Biting – use this to help with training your puppy not to bite.

Need help with toilet training too – click here. 

Puppy biting is natural puppy behaviour.  Your puppy might also make growly noises when he plays which is also normal behaviour.

However, pup must learn not to bite anything human. Clothes, hair, and skin.

Your pup will continue to play-bite his litter mates and other dogs but he does need to learn that putting his teeth on a human is not acceptable.

Calm, Positive Actions

Don’t shout at pup when he is biting – pup isn’t doing anything wrong. He just has no idea that he’s not allowed to do this.

If your sitting quietly with pup, gently stroking him and he starts to nibble your fingers, just a gentle, but firm, ‘no’ or ‘ahah’ and remove your hand. If pup stops you can praise him calmly, if he doesn’t get up and walk away.

If you are playing with pup and he starts to bite you, stop immediately, again a firm, ‘no’, or ‘ahah’. Make it clear it is not acceptable and if you find yourself in the position that your pup is hanging off your arm, at this point so remove him with a firm ‘off’.

Once pup stops and understands you are not happy, send him off to play with a toy away from you. Don’t use the toy as distraction while he’s still biting you.

If pup becomes over excited, then maybe it’s time for a rest. Help pup to calm down by putting him in his bed or crate if you are using one. (crates must be trained properly and happy being in his crate before being used for ‘timeout’)

The same principles apply if your pup bites your clothes, hair or anything else human…feet are particularly exciting to puppies. I’d recommend encouraging children to wear slippers for a while.

Try to Anticipate the Behaviour

Often a puppy will have a time of day where they go ”nuts”. They’ll have a burst of energy, run around, nip at everything they can find and seem almost uncontrollable. Usually this is when pup is getting tired.

Teach him to go to his bed for a rest BEFORE the behaviour starts. Pop him in his crate with a lovely tasty Kong, this will help him to relax and he’ll most likely sleep.

Break the habits you don’t want, create the habits you do want.

Training puppy to use a crate, with the door shut, is the most valuable training aid you will ever have. If you need help to crate train your puppy check out this article. 

Get more help with your puppy training, download my free puppy eBook, or book your puppy training today.