Biting
So you have this cute, playful little puppy in your house. Your first instinct is to pet him but the second your hand moves near his face it's met with teeth and a closing jaw. An overwhelming need to show affection is replaced with anger.
Don't worry, it's just a phase in your puppy's life.
Mouthing, biting and nipping should be expected from your puppy. Puppies learn to play with their litter mates at a very young age by biting each other's fur (or hair). This is usually harmless and painless to a dog, but to a human it's an entirely different story. Unfortunately, your puppy has only existed for a few months and doesn't understand this. It's important you understand that it is unlikely your puppy is biting you out of aggression. However, if your puppy is showing teeth and growling see our section on Aggression.
I will explain four easy methods of changing your puppy's behavior. You will most likely need to use all four of them.
1) Yelp and act hurt (even if you aren't). A quick and sharp "NO!" works wonders. Puppies get their baby teeth while they are still nursing from their mother and are taught by her not to bite. This is one of many reasons why you should make sure your puppy is not taken from its mother too young (see section on Finding the Right Breeder). If you're lucky your puppy will understand that you are in pain and stop. More than likely your puppy will only be in the process of learning not to bite humans. It's important to always use this method so that when your puppy does learn to restrain himself, you have a way to communicate when you are in pain.
2) Ignore it. When I say this I don't mean that you should sit there and let your puppy eat your hands. I mean you should either walk away or stop interacting with him. If you are in the middle of a play session with your puppy and he bites you, stop playing. He'll quickly learn that biting you means no play. Avoid eye contact, hold your head high and ignore him. The behavior won't disappear right away and it can take anywhere from days to months for your puppy to understand, but if you are consistent I guarantee it will fade away.
3) Give your puppy something to chew on. Sometimes your puppy doesn't mean to bite you but her gums are so sore she can't resist. Any dog store will sell toys that are specifically meant for teething puppies but there are many alternatives you can find in your house. When I knew my puppy was in a biting mood I would have a toy in my hand and every time she'd open up her mouth to bite me I'd stick it in.
4) Reward your puppy for not biting. If your puppy bites you and then stops, reward her. If she is just sitting there doing nothing wrong you can reward her (see section on Treats and Rewards). If your puppy understands that good things happen when she stops biting, she'll bite less and less often.
The trick doesn't lie in any one of these methods but all of them put together. Mix it up or use them all at once.
Hitting your puppy is not recommended. Not only is it immoral and can cause psychological problems but it either teaches your puppy aggression or teaches them to be afraid of you. Many animal behaviorists believe that hitting can actually prolong the biting phase.
Tips & Advice
- Remember: All puppies have a biting phase and the behavior will go away with these methods but it will take time
- Play biting or biting because of a sore mouth is very different than biting out of aggression
- It's hard for a young puppy to restrain himself, so don't get mad
