Stopping a Puppy From Biting

By EmmaLee

Instructions

Hands Are Not Toys

Step 1:
Purchase several toys and keep them within easy reach as a substitute for hands. Set the rule of hands being off-limits as top priority when training a puppy to stop biting. Every family member and visitor must work together on this for the puppy to receive positive reinforcement. During playtime, it is easy for dog owners to forget that using hands around a dog's face sends the message that hands are toys. When the puppy takes a nip at hands, pant legs or some other object that is not meant as a toy, speak firmly and tell it no. Quickly hand a puppy toy to your pet as a substitution. Do this immediately while it is fresh in the puppy's mind or the concept will be lost.

Quick Stop

Step 1:
Use the same word every time to reprimand for biting. "No" is quick and to the point. Use a firm voice so the puppy understands you are the one in charge. Also, keep a spray bottle filled with water ready to squirt immediately when your puppy nips. The puppy will not like being squirted and will soon make the association that a bite results in a squirt.

Fill a can with rocks, coins or any noise making object. A quick shake of the can will remind him that biting is bad behavior. Be consistent in the method you choose as a deterrent.

Toys

Step 1:
Puppies need to chew on something and they have a lot of energy that needs to be released. New teeth can also be very bothersome. When you spot your pet chewing on the wrong object, quickly make a substitution to its toy. Select a rawhide chew toy for teething. Rawhide toys tend to get soggy after they have been chewed, so do not get a rawhide piece that has a colored coating. The color will come off on carpet or paws. Stuffed animals are cute but if there is a child that has stuffed toys at home, the puppy may get its toy and a child's toys confused. The same can happen if the puppy is given an old sock as a toy. It won't know the difference between a toy sock and a good sock.

Resources

Pet Smart dog toys

More Puppy Pages

Puppy Training Advice to Stop Chewing

Chewing is a common problem with puppies. According to Dr. Patrick Melese, a board-certified veterinary behaviorist, puppies chew for several reasons: to "explore their environment... relieve stress and boredom, and when their permanent teeth erupt...

Teething is uncomfortable and painful for puppies. Puppies that are teething will chew anything that provides relief. That means your hands, furniture, other pets and anything else within reach. There is no way to stop puppies from chewing. Instead...

How to Correct a Puppy Nipping & Chewing

Most people love puppies, but no one loves to have fingers nipped or clothes and furniture shredded. Nipping and chewing are natural behaviors in puppies; they learn about the world around them by exploring things with their mouths, and they chomp down...

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...

Dogs have a natural chewing instinct, especially teething puppies. It's important for owners to give them safe bones that are designed for their particular needs, sizes and breed types. This stimulates the dogs' mental faculties, as well as gives them a...