How to Stop Your Puppy From Biting

By eHow Pets Editor

Related Entries:

For young puppies, nipping, biting and "mouthing" are normal behaviors and rarely cause serious harm. But it's important to stop these behaviors before your dog reaches adulthood, when a bite could inflict serious injury.

Things You'll Need:

Dog Leashes
Rope Dog Toys
Vinyl Dog Toys
Fleece Dog Toys
Canvas Dog Toys
Puppy Treats
Frisbees

Instructions

Step 1:

Begin your training early - when your puppy is 6 weeks old, if possible.

Step 2:

Teach your puppy that biting hurts you. When he bites, give a sharp "no!" or "ouch!" - or even a yelp like a dog would make. This is the same reaction that your puppy would get from another puppy if he bit too hard during play. It teaches him that he's been too rough, and the odds are that he'll be more gentle next time.

Step 3:

Remove your hand slowly - don't jerk it away - and give your puppy a toy that he can chew on without damage.

Step 4:

If your puppy ignores your reaction and bites again, repeat your "no!," "ouch!" or yelp, and leave the room for a few minutes. Let your puppy know that when he bites, he will lose his playmate. This, too, mirrors the reaction he would get from another puppy if he played too roughly.

Step 5:

Be persistent in your training. As your puppy's behavior improves and his bites are softer, continue to yelp or give a sharp "no!" or "ouch!" whenever he puts his teeth on you. Make it clear that all bites are painful and unacceptable to humans.

Tips & Warnings

Make sure your puppy always has plenty of chew toys to exercise his mouthing and chewing instincts.
Make sure your puppy is getting plenty of exercise and play time every day. Going for walks, playing fetch and learning tricks are great distractions that may reduce biting.
Try to create a consistent schedule for play time - perhaps 15 to 30 minutes, twice a day. Your puppy will learn to look forward to that time and will be less likely to seek attention at other times.
Remind all family members, including children, to be consistent about the "no biting" rule.
If your training doesn't seem to be working or if your puppy becomes aggressive instead of backing off when you indicate that he's hurt you, see a veterinarian or professional trainer for help.
Rough games like tug-of-war and wrestling may encourage aggressive behavior, including biting.
If you have young children, don't leave your puppy alone with them until he has learned not to bite.

How to Stop Your Puppy From Biting Provided by eHow.com

Comments (14)

Jun 5, 2008 maggie magnolia

thanx ill see if it helps...

Jun 27, 2008 dogluver736

sounds good. ill try it with my puppy she bites all the time

Jul 6, 2008 Mara

My puppy bit the vet!

Jul 16, 2008 mathes

But what if my puppy is deaf and can't hear my say ouch? I am having a terrible time with him and he is chewing up the carpet?! And he has probably 6 bones and 5 ropes! Grrrrr He is a pistol! H-E-L-P!!

Sep 5, 2008 KyanaJ

Thanks!!I sure hope this helps. He still likes to nibble sometimes.

Sep 9, 2008 Cortney21

I wish I had tried all of that when my dogs were young.

Jan 15, 2009 Alyciia!!

My puppy isn't that young but she bites like crazy! Idunno, if she hates us being taller than her or she wants to play but it is really annoying and it hurts too cause her teeth are S.H.A.R.P.! I'm gunna still try this thou... it might just work.. maybe...if my sister can learn to obey these rules too :p

Jan 15, 2009 Alyciia!!

Jan 23, 2009 katiee

I have tried a million things for my puppy, but what it came down to in the end is having lots of toys and stuff for him to chew on. I even gave him old shoes, which he loves. I buy him a new toy/new chewies every week or two, and he stays entertained and doesn't bite anymore.

Jan 29, 2009 gramtrude

My puppy is just 5 months old. He knows he should not bite us because i've had him since he was 7 weeks old. But when I yelp like another dog he really gets mad. And when you shake a finger and tell him no, you should see him. He goes ballistic. It's funny now, but he can't keep doing that. I'll try ignoring him for a bit and see if that helps. He has tons of toys and likes them all. He will stop chewing us and chew the toy sometimes, but my hubby isn't the type to get up and replace his arm with a toy. It's hard when only one is doing the training. Confusing to the pup. I'll try ignoring him and see if that helps.

Mar 3, 2009 jamilis

Blayze is still young and we have been trying the techniques for about a month now so hopefully baby girl will nibbling

Apr 5, 2009 Charlie2009

the yelping like another puppy works every time with my 7 week old border collie

May 30, 2009 nouvellarose

I have a maltese puppy that is 4 months old. bought her on-line and she was high end. High end puppy mill and to date have spent $5,000.00 for medical. She is so sweet and is eating the last 3 weeks but at 7 at night she runs around and up and down the stairs like she is possessed??? What is going on? I have never owned a Maltese..had a poodle and never experienced this behaviour. The biting was horrible and I stopped that asap! Tonight after 5 weeks she is back in her crate as I have had it. I am no longer the leader of the pack as all her sickness..she was babied.and now she pee's and poops....after she does her business and then to play will bark at me..and lo and behold drop a pee the size of a quarter to play (she loves to run and be chased. My new carpet is destroyed and I cannot part with her. Does anyone have any suggestions? She, is late on dog obedience classes as she had coccidia, that is now gone. The evening is so bad for about an hour as she has this witching hour...horrible. Could something be wrong with her? HELP!!

Jun 21, 2009 candygirl93

thanks i will try to do it on ginger

Any inappropriate content? Tell DailyPuppy!

More Puppy Pages

How to Train Dogs Not to Nip

Dogs do not nip because they are bad; they nip as a way to play. It is a natural behavior for dogs to use their mouths during play. A dog that nips simply has not been taught that nipping humans is an unacceptable behavior. Dogs must be trained not to...

For a puppy, biting is part of play, and even painful bites are rarely meant maliciously. The problem is that people have thinner skin than dogs, so your puppy needs to learn to be gentle. Showing him that his bites hurt is usually enough to get him to...

Instructions Teaching Bite Inhibition Step 1: According to dog breeder, trainer and author Liz Palika, the mother dog and the littermates teach a puppy not to bite so hard. They encourage the puppy to practice bit inhibiting this behavior by yelping...

Left undirected, puppies that bite and chew will quickly destroy shoes, upholstery pillows, clothing and rugs. Additionally, nipping humans and other pets is a nuisance puppy habit that can lead to more serious problems (such as aggression) as the dog...

Any dog who bites its owner, even playfully, needs more training, because a dog who bites its owner will bite anyone. While it is natural for a puppy to bite, it should still be discouraged to teach the puppy that biting people or other animals is an...