How to stop a puppy from biting and why you should

Many new pet parents think that puppy biting is just a cute way for young dogs to play with their new owner. Actually, it’s a very bad habit that needs to be nipped in the bud. Learning how to stop a puppy from biting is a necessary part of basic dog training if you want to raise a well-behaved dog.

Let’s start at the beginning: why do puppies bite?

Like human babies, puppies go through a teething stage. During this stage, they try to chew on everything as a means to soothe their mouth. It’s one of the critical periods of a young dog’s stage of life.

Mouthing and biting are natural behaviors for dogs. They tend to prefer using their mouths to manipulate things instead of their paws. Puppies use their mouths to explore their environment.

For most pet parents, puppy biting appears like a cute thing young dogs do in the beginning, but remember that a puppy’s teeth are extremely sharp. They can cut through human skin with very little pressure. If you’ve ever played with a puppy, you’ve probably experienced the small piercing holes that their teeth leave in your hand.

Even if it’s not painful and you don’t mind it, this behavior must be stopped.

I have talked about some of this on my second podcast episode on dog adoption.

Remember: as your new young dog continues to grow, his teeth won’t be as sharp, but his jaw will be become much more powerful.

When you don’t stop all the bad behaviors at the initial stages, it’s going to be much more difficult to deal with them later in your dog’s life, which can cause actual harm and other problems. It’s one of the reasons dog owners eventually give up their pets.

It’s very important to learn how to stop a puppy from biting. It’s much easier to curb the bad behavior in the beginning when your pooch is still young and in his initial development stages than it is to try and put an end to the habit after it has been formed.

How To Stop A Puppy From Biting and Why You Should Do So ASAP

Inhibit the biting

Dog owners learning how to stop a puppy from biting should focus on one of the most important factors in dog training – consistency. This means that you cannot allow your puppy to bite or chew on your body at any time, ever. I know that sounds like simple common sense, but let me explain this further.

A lot of pet parents like to play the game which I like to refer to as “The Claw” with their puppies. The way this game works is like this: you place your hand above your dog’s head, wiggle your fingers and move your hand around so the puppy chases it. We all know it.

What this does is teaches the puppy that biting your hand can be a fun game.

I’ve also seen pet owners wiggle their feet when their new pooch is lying on the ground. While this is fun and adorable, it sends the wrong message to your canine companion.

Dogs are clever animals that learn things from us, just as our kids do. We already know not to teach our children bad habits from the very beginning, yet we still ignore this rule when it comes to puppies. In other words, you will reap what you sow, so be careful.

Video: How to Stop your Puppy from Biting too much

EXPERT INTERVIEW: Essential Dog Training Tips From Dr. Roger Mugford

Consistency with puppy biting inhibition

Consistency will be key if you want to learn how to stop a puppy from biting for good.

Staying consistent will show your Fido that biting is unacceptable at any time. This also means that you need to talk with other family members and guests to make sure they are on the same page.

When your puppy bites, you need to give him a clear signal that this is an unwanted behavior. Never miss your cue on this, and stay consistent.

Unsurprisingly, biting inhibition is one of the most common warnings pet owners receive from animal shelters, veterinarians, dog trainers and canine experts. It’s a problem that a large majority of pet owners have to deal with but often ignore until it’s too late.

One thing pet owners don’t know is that puppies typically learn biting inhibition from other puppies. But when you adopt a dog, you take this responsibility upon yourself.

Use verbal cues to stop puppy from biting

As I explain in my video above, puppies will make a high pitched yelp to notify another puppy when they are biting too hard. Mimicking this sound is a natural way to show your pup that you don’t like what he is doing and that his behavior is unacceptable.

If you don’t like the idea of making a high pitched yelping sound, you can use your own verbal cue. I like using a simple “ow” sound.

As soon as your puppy begins to bite you, make the sound of your choosing and let your hand go limp. Always use the same sound/command and stay consistent with it.

Use the verbal cue training practice no more than 3 times within a 15 minute period.

If you need to do it more than 3 times in 15 minutes, it’s time for a time out. Place your puppy in his dog crate, or a playpen, or other secluded area. Ignore him for at least 15 minutes before showing him any more attention. This will help to reinforce the training and show him that biting is not an acceptable behavior.

A word of caution: as tempting as it is, avoid trying to make this into a game.

Basically, if you move your hand too quickly or try to fight back by pushing your dog away, his natural chase instinct will kick in and this will quickly become a game to him. Instead, your puppy must associate this behavior with something that shouldn’t be fun.

Furthermore, many dog owners also have a problem that’s closely related to learning how to stop a puppy from biting, and that is with puppies who chew incessantly. If that’s you, I’ve written an in-depth guide on how to train a puppy to stop chewing and made a video.

FULL GUIDE: How To Train A Dog To Stop Chewing: Step by Step Instructions

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