Ouch! Did you adopt a puppy or a land shark?  If your puppy’s nips and bites are punctuating your play sessions, you need to help them learn that human skin is off-limits. To effectively stop a puppy from biting, knowing why they bite, how they learn, and how to respond fairly and kindly in a way your puppy naturally understands, are all important.

Despite what the sharp pain tells you, your puppy’s biting is not an aggressive act. So, what is the motivation behind their mouthy ways?  

Puppies use their mouths to explore and learn

Observe any puppy long enough, and you’ll see them taste, nibble, bite, chew, and attempt to consume almost everything in their environment. That’s because puppies learn and explore their world by using their mouths. Puppies learn by action and consequence, so the reaction they receive when they put something in their mouth—another puppy, a treat, or a hand—informs them whether they should repeat the behavior, or try something else. 

Teething makes everything worse

Their teething process intensifies your puppy’s need to bite and chew everything in their path, to seek relief from gum pain. Beginning around 12 to 16 weeks, your puppy’s 28 needle-like teeth will gradually be replaced by erupting adult teeth. As their adult teeth emerge, the gums become inflamed and swollen, and puppies chew to relieve their discomfort. 

During teething—which ends around 6 to 7 months of age—offer your puppy teething toys made from a soft, pliable plastic that is soothing and safe for teeth and sensitive gums. Always supervise your puppy, to prevent them from chewing or swallowing small pieces.

Puppy mouthing versus biting

Before you discourage all your puppy’s oral behavior, you must understand the difference between mouthing and biting. While both are natural actions, they should be recognized and addressed differently:

• Mouthing — A light, gentle exploration without significant jaw pressure, mouthing may involve light tooth contact, but does not leave a mark. 
• Biting — The mouth closes over the intended target with steady or intermittent pressure from the jaw and teeth, and the bite may leave an indentation, or break skin.
  

Mouthing should initially be tolerated in puppies between 7 and 16 weeks, because discouraging all mouth contact may unintentionally discourage all play interactions, and result in lost bonding opportunities. Teaching your puppy how to control their bite through bite inhibition will be impossible, if your puppy will not play.

Bite inhibition between puppies 

Play between puppies involves a steady back and forth of mouthing and biting as they chase, roll, and wrestle. When one puppy bites too hard, the second puppy cries out, causing the first puppy to release and pause. If the second puppy resumes play, the first puppy will soften their bite, to ensure the game can continue.

If the bite is painful enough, the second puppy may leave the game entirely, providing powerful feedback for the biting puppy. 

Gentle! Teaching bite inhibition with humans

To stop your puppy from biting your hands and feet, you should follow the puppies’ established pattern. For fast results, ensure every household member is familiar with the pattern:

• Play with your puppy as normal, ignoring any mouthing behavior.
• When your puppy bites hard, cry out in a high pitched voice. 
• Do not pull away—prey-like behavior may trigger more intense play biting—and instead, let your hand or foot go limp. 
• After your puppy pauses and relinquishes their grip, reward them by returning to play.
• If your puppy bites again, repeat the pattern.  

Three strikes? Time out, puppy!

As you work on bite inhibition, your puppy will be unresponsive to your yelps and cries at times. This is normal behavior that is commonly due to over-arousal (i.e., over-excitement). During this overstimulated state, your puppy cannot think clearly, and may resort to instinctive behaviors, such as biting or humping. 

Don’t repeat the yelp-and-see method more than three times in a 15-minute period. Instead, give your puppy a time out.

• Basic time out — Cry out as before, calmly remove your hand or foot, and avoid eye contact for 10 to 20 seconds. Return to play.
• Walk away — Take a few steps away, and return after 20 seconds.
• End of play — For puppies who are too rowdy, quietly take them to their crate or pen for a rest or a chew toy.

An abrupt end to the fun sends your puppy a powerful message—rough biting will not be rewarded. Never use harsh methods, such as scolding, scruff-shaking, or striking the puppy, for biting, because they are not only unnecessary, but also can harm your relationship with your puppy, and lead to fear and aggression.

Stay consistent and kind in your responses, and your puppy’s play behavior will steadily improve. 

Level up—advancing your puppy’s bite inhibition

Once your puppy shows improvement and is no longer biting roughly, raise the criteria for play time. Rather than interrupting play only for hard bites, begin yelping and pausing for moderate bites, then light bites, and eventually any tooth-to-skin contact. Follow the same action—consequence pattern as before, including time-outs when needed. With consistent application, your puppy will learn to control their mouthing behavior during human contact.

Coming at ya! Redirect those puppy teeth

Another option for discouraging puppy biting is redirection, which involves diverting your puppy’s focus from you to a toy. For example, when your puppy comes barreling toward you with their mouth wide open—we all know the look—present a fun toy instead, and praise lavishly when your puppy latches on. 

Long, braided tug toys are ideal for this training, because your hands stay away from the puppy’s mouth during play. Tossing a ball also can effectively redirect your puppy’s attention, and teeth. Keep a wide assortment of age-appropriate toys, to determine your puppy’s preference.

Bite, interrupted—use training cues to refocus your puppy

If you’ve been training your puppy, use cues for known behaviors, to refocus their attention after a bite:

• When your puppy delivers a hard bite, cry out as usual to interrupt the play.
• When your puppy pauses, ask for a simple behavior (e.g., sit, down, touch).
• Reward them with praise and treats.
  

Using cues as interrupters can effectively turn a negative into a positive, and “reset” the game—which is a great way to sneak in some extra training, too!

Not the table legs! Distract your puppy from destructive chewing

If your puppy isn’t mouthing you, they’ve probably got their teeth on something in their environment. Keep your puppy safe by puppy-proofing your home, crating or confining your puppy when they cannot be directly supervised, and providing a variety of appropriate toys based on your puppy’s chewing habits.

Additional distractions include Kong toys, which can be filled with your puppy’s food and a little peanut butter for a long-lasting activity. Puzzle toys teach your puppy to use their brain rather than their teeth.

Not MY legs, either! Puppy ankle-biters

Moving feet and ankles—especially children’s—make attractive targets for puppy teeth. Herding breeds may view their family as something to herd, and be especially keen on this game. 

If your puppy grabs your pant leg, shoe, or ankle, stand still. Resist the urge to walk away or keep walking, because movement will intensify their prey or herding drive. When your puppy releases their hold, reward them with a toy or treat.

In bad taste—deterring your puppy from clothes and furniture

Persistent puppies who prefer to chew on your clothes or particular home items may need a taste deterrent, to break their mouthy habit. Taste deterrents are available in a spray that can be applied to clothes, shoes, and furniture. Once your puppy discovers their favorite bites are bitter, they’ll be less likely to try again.

A little help from canine friends—social experiences

Puppy socialization classes are a great opportunity to expose your puppy to various breeds, sizes, and personalities. In addition to learning foundation manners and bonding with your puppy, many classes allow supervised play time that can help your puppy burn energy, practice bite inhibition, and rehearse body language skills with their own species.

Interactions with puppy-friendly, vaccinated adult dogs can also be a great opportunity for your puppy to learn and practice appropriate play. Monitor all interactions closely, and do not allow your puppy to play with unfamiliar dogs.

Takeaways—general tips to reduce puppy biting

In addition, follow these guidelines, to curb your puppy’s biting habit:

• Provide consistent daily exercise. Physically satisfied puppies are less likely to chew or mouth from boredom or stress.
• Never use physical punishment to correct your puppy for biting. Harsh correction only suppresses, and does not resolve, bad behavior, and may lead to fear or aggression down the road.
• Maintain a routine for your puppy, including a set bedtime—puppies get mouthy when they are over-tired.
• Hard biting ends the game, always. 
• Never tease your puppy with your hands or feet (i.e., wiggling fingers or toes).
• Avoid grabbing your puppy’s face while playing.
• Distract your puppy with treats, if they attack your hands during petting.
• Teach your puppy an “out” cue, to build a positive association with removing things from their mouth.
• Rotate your puppy’s toys regularly, to maintain interest and provide a variety of appropriate chewing options. Keep toys easily accessible, or carry one with you at all times.

This too shall pass—be patient with your puppy

Puppy biting hurts, and can be scary if not controlled. When you start feeling frustrated, calmly end your interactions, and take the puppy to a safe place, such as their crate or pen. Never resort to harsh methods to “discipline” your puppy. Simply removing the valuable resource (e.g., you, the toy, the opportunity to play) sends them a clear message.

When to seek a professional help for puppy biting

If you are concerned about your puppy’s behavior, or your training seems ineffective, contact a professional in your area:

• Your veterinarian — Always your first point-of-contact for any behavior-related concerns
• Board-certified veterinary behaviorist — You may receive a referral to a veterinarian specializing in behavior medicine for individualized assistance.
• Certified professional dog trainer — If your puppy is experiencing normal biting behavior, one-on-one sessions with a positive-reinforcement based puppy trainer should resolve the issue.
  

Puppy biting must be “nipped in the bud” early and correctly, to prevent destructive or harmful adult dog behavior. Teaching your puppy to use their mouth gently protects not only your hands and feet, but every person, child, and animal your dog encounters during their lifetime. And, your puppy is protected, too—behavior-related issues are the leading cause for surrender and euthanasia in dogs younger than 3 years old. 

Are you searching for the perfect veterinarian to guide you and your furry companion through puppyhood? Use VetVet to discover, compare, and book a qualified veterinarian in your area. 

Sources:

https://vetmed.tufts.edu/behavior-service/behavior-topics-species/dogs/puppy-biting/. Cummings Veterinary Medical Center. 2021.

https://veterinarypartner.vin.com/default.aspx?pid=19239&id=8978091. Veterinary Partner.

https://www.clickertraining.com/how-to-survive-puppy-teething-and-nipping. Karen Pryor Clicker Training. 2017.

https://www.aspca.org/news/top-5-ways-prep-your-home-puppy-or-kitten American Society for the Prevention and Cruelty of Animals. 2018.

https://outwardhound.com/bestsellers/nina-ottosson-dog-games. Outward Hound. 2021. 

https://www.dacvb.org/page/AnimalOwners. American College of Veterinary Behaviorists. 2021. 

https://avsab.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/Puppy-Socialization-Position-Statement-FINAL.pdf. American Veterinary Society of Animal Behavior. 2008.

https://apps.apdt.com/eweb/DynamicPage.aspx?webcode=TrainerSearch The Association of Professional Dog Trainers. 2017.