Buzz
Biting is a natural part of a dog's developmental process, and usually, puppies get responses from other members of their 'pack,' including adult dogs, which helps them learn to control their biting. Allowing a puppy to bite without correction can cause behavioral issues as the dog matures; a cute nip from a 5 kg puppy could turn into a serious bite from a 36 kg adult dog.
If you or someone in your family is being physically threatened or concerned about the puppy, seek help from a certified Dog Trainer or an Applied Animal Behavior Specialist.
Steps
Understanding Puppy Biting Behavior
Learn how puppies discover how not to bite. Puppies typically don’t realize how hard they are biting, and they bite with enthusiasm without understanding the impact on others. Puppies learn the intensity of their bite by playing with other puppies or adult dogs. They will bite and tussle until one of the puppies gets hurt and yelps. The dog who was bitten will stop playing, and the biter will be surprised and stop as well.
- Next time the puppy plays and gets a similar reaction, it will begin to understand that biting can harm others, both dogs and people. This helps the puppy adjust its behavior accordingly.
Understand the dynamics of the dog pack as puppies grow. Adult dogs tolerate the behaviors (occasionally playful mischief) of puppies quite well, but they become less forgiving as the puppies mature. This is because adult dogs expect puppies to 'know better.' Therefore, as puppies grow, the discipline from adult dogs shifts from gentle corrections during play to quick warnings, including growling or biting.
- In some cases, when 'teaching' a puppy, an adult dog may pin the puppy on its back to teach a lesson. However, in most situations, owners should not imitate this behavior unless guided and observed by an experienced trainer.
- Since this is a natural process, puppies typically learn from adult dogs that biting is unacceptable before they are big enough to cause harm to other dogs or humans.
Use discretion when training. When choosing a training method for your puppy, consider how much time you can dedicate to training and the appropriate method for your specific situation.
- If there are children in the home, it’s crucial for the puppy to understand that it should not bite the children. However, involving children in the training process may not always be suitable.
Teaching the puppy not to bite
Play with your puppy until it bites you. When it bites, let out a yelp, mimicking the sound a dog makes, using a tone that can be loud and sharp like a dog’s yelp. Stand up and stop playing with the puppy to reinforce that its behavior is unacceptable.
- If you’re using a clicker for training, click as soon as the puppy releases your hand or stops biting.
Keep your hand relaxed when the puppy bites you. Jerking your hand away in pain, although a natural response, may encourage the puppy to play more roughly and continue biting. Moving your hand in this way encourages predatory behavior, which will make the puppy want to keep biting you. On the other hand, a relaxed arm will be less exciting to the puppy during play.
Play with your puppy again. If it starts biting again, yell or scold firmly and stop playing once more. Repeat these steps no more than three times within 15 minutes.
- Trying to train the puppy for too long will not lead to noticeable results. The puppy won’t learn to stop biting, and its behavior will continue.
Reward your puppy for positive reactions. Between accidental bites, if the puppy licks you or tries to please you, praise and/or reward it. The puppy should be rewarded and encouraged to give positive feedback, including not biting.
Stop reacting for a moment if yelling alone doesn’t work. When the puppy bites, yell loudly and pull your hand away to signal that playtime is over, then ignore the puppy for 20 seconds. The isolation from the pack sends a strong message to the puppy that its behavior was wrong. If the puppy continues to bite, stand up and walk away for 20 seconds.
- After 20 seconds, you can return and resume playing with the puppy. You need to convey the message that gentle play is encouraged, but rough play is not. Play with the puppy until this outcome occurs, then repeat the ignoring/stopping play steps.
Reduce your tolerance for the puppy’s bite strength. If you make it clear that biting hard is unacceptable, your puppy will try to bite more gently. Continue preventing the harder bites and keep doing so until the puppy can gently bite your hand and learn to control its bite strength.
Be patient and persistent. This process can take a long time, especially with puppies that have a high prey drive. The method will be effective, but you may end up with several bites during the training process.
Teaching Good Habits
Encourage your puppy to play with other friendly puppies and adult dogs. Playing with other vaccinated dogs is a normal part of a puppy’s childhood. Much like your own childhood, this is a time for exploration and learning. Regular play with well-behaved dogs, who don’t need to be taught not to bite, will encourage your puppy to play nicely around other dogs and you.
- Consider enrolling your puppy in a puppy training class where your pup can learn important skills while playing.
Give your puppy a chew bone or favorite chew toy instead of allowing it to bite you. Bring out the toys or bones and let the puppy chew on them. This will teach the puppy that its teeth should only be used on toys or bones, not on you.
Engage in other types of play activities. Rough play with your hands can be fun, but it may teach your puppy the wrong lesson. You can encourage other playful activities, but avoid letting the puppy bite your fingers, hands, ankles, or toes.
- Learn to play fetch with your puppy. Stick to consistent rules every time you play.
- Learn to play tug-of-war with your puppy. Stick to consistent rules to encourage the puppy to stop biting when it gets close to your hand.
- Provide your puppy with plenty of new, interesting toys. A bored dog is more likely to seek attention from you by biting. Rotate the toys to keep your puppy engaged.
Use unpleasant-tasting anti-bite sprays to prevent your puppy from biting you. Before playing with your puppy, spray anti-bite solution on the areas of your body and clothing that the puppy likes to chew. When the puppy starts biting you, stop all activities and wait for the puppy to react to the anti-bite solution. Praise the puppy and continue playing when it stops chewing.
- Some anti-bite options include bitter apple, rubbing oil, tea tree oil, or white vinegar. You can also use breath fresheners (such as Binaca) that have a scent and sound that is unpleasant to the puppy when sprayed in its mouth during biting.
- Spray the anti-bite solution on your body and clothing (if safe for clothes) for at least two weeks. After two weeks, your puppy will strongly dislike your hands and ankles.
Ensure your puppy gets plenty of exercise. A well-exercised puppy (one that is tired) will not be rough when playing with you. This helps prevent the development of bad habits from the start. A tired puppy is generally a well-behaved puppy.
Don’t "fight fire with fire". Sometimes, you may feel the urge to punish your puppy by slapping, hitting, or wagging your finger in its face. The problem is, these actions can lead to one of two things: they may encourage your puppy to keep playing roughly, or they could provoke an angry response from your puppy. Avoid physical punishments that may scare or lead your puppy to imitate them.
- If you plan to use these types of punishments, it is recommended to consult a professional dog trainer or animal behavior specialist for assistance.
Don’t ban regular playtime. You may not enjoy being bitten every time you play with your puppy, but you truly want to break the invisible leash between you and your puppy, and playtime is part of achieving this. Don’t skip play sessions just because your puppy doesn’t know how to play gently yet. Teaching it the difference between right and wrong while continuing play is the best approach for both of you.
Avoid Biting Games
Walk your puppy daily. Consider your puppy’s vaccination status before taking it for walks in public areas with many other dogs. Make sure to leash your puppy for its own safety.
Replace your hand with an approved chew toy. Give your puppy the chance to chew on an appropriate toy. Reward your puppy for playing with it.
- If your puppy hesitates before the toy, try applying a bit of tuna water or peanut butter to make the toy more appealing.
Stop your puppy from playing if it gets too rough. If your puppy starts playing too aggressively, you can ask your puppy to “stop” playing for a moment, even before it starts biting.
Tip
- You might need professional help if these methods don’t show any specific results.
- Puppies begin to grow their adult teeth around 4 months old. It’s best to complete training before this phase, as adult teeth can be much more damaging than baby teeth.
- Small breeds can also cause dangerous bites; don’t skip puppy training just because they’re small.
- Allow well-behaved adult dogs to help train the puppy. Though their methods may seem strict, adult dogs are quite skilled at teaching puppies proper behavior.
- Supervising your “kindergarten-aged” puppy during playtime could be a great way to spot and correct biting behaviors.
