Dogs are amazing animals and make great pets, but sometimes, especially puppies, they can be a little too enthusiastic in their play and end up biting us. Biting is the most common form of aggression in dogs and can be dangerous if not corrected early on.
It’s normal for puppies and small dogs to nip at each other and their owners. But it can be annoying if your puppy likes to bite you when you’re petting them. Stop this behavior before it becomes ingrained into your dog’s personality and makes training difficult later.
You will requisite some persistence and steadiness, so how do you train your puppies not to bite? Declaim on to explore more!
Puppy biting – why do they do it?
Here are five reasons why puppies nip:
1) Teething
Puppies’ teeth start coming in between 4 and 8 weeks of age and continue until they’re about three months old. Their baby teeth fall out as permanent adult teeth emerge below them. When your pups start the teething process, make sure they have lots of chew toys around so they don’t want to chew on people instead!
2) Get Bored
If your puppy is left alone for too long without stimulation or exercise, this can lead to biting behavior. You should always try and engage your pup with some activity whenever you leave the puppy alone for long periods or during the day when you’re not home (e.g., toys).
3) Need Attention
Puppies need affection from their owners just like human babies do — they love being petted and praised by their owners.
4) Physical Activity
Puppies need lots of physical activity. It helps them burn off excess energy and relieves pent-up frustration that can lead to biting. A tired puppy is a less likely biter!
5) Lack of Socialization
Puppies learn from interactions with other dogs, people, and the world around them, especially when they’re young (between 7 and 16 weeks old). If your puppy doesn’t get enough of these experiences or has not learned how to deal with them appropriately before he’s about 20 weeks old, this could trigger aggression and bite later on!
Top 10 Simple Ways to Train Your Puppy to Stop Bite!
Dogs bite because they’re scared, anxious, or frustrated. They bite to get attention, because they’re bored, or just because they’re having fun. Keep in mind that puppies have 28 sharp and strong trifling teeth — so please, careful when handling them! You can start training your puppy to stop biting at any age, but it’s imperative if you bring him home as a young puppy (less than six months old).
1) Teach A Command!
Give a command such as “No bite!” in a firm voice when you notice your puppy starting to mouth someone’s hand or earrings while playing with them so that they pick up what the command means and associate it with playing appropriately around folks without using their choppers.
If your puppy does bite, it’s essential to show that you’re not happy with that behavior by using a loud noise or saying “Hey, they Niggles!” When your puppy stops biting and starts doing something else, reward your puppy with praise and treats when appropriate!
2) The Game Is Over!
The easiest way to stop a puppy from biting is to demonstrate that biting means the game is over. If puppy snippets at your finger during playtime, say “Ouch!” in a strict vocal sound and stop playing instantly. Remove the puppy from the situation immediately.
Ignoring your pup for 30 seconds will let him to peaceful and think about what he’s done wrong. When he finally stops biting, resume playing again but don’t reward him with attention until the next time he bites you.
If this happens repeatedly, stop playing until he demonstrates that he understands what’s expected of him by good behavior (such as sitting calmly).
3) Consistency Is Key!
Every time the puppy bites, correct him immediately and consistently with a sharp “No!” and take away the object of his attention (even if it’s your finger!). If the pup bites again, repeat the correction.
Reward good behavior – whenever he doesn’t bite but plays nicely by himself or with another dog or person, reward him with praise and petting (but not treats!).
It will encourage your puppy to play well without using teeth on other living things. Your job is to teach him that biting is unacceptable behavior.
4) Bite Inhibition
Puppies learn bite inhibition from their littermates. Your puppy is absorbing a lot of information from his littermates. It’s not just biting inhibition, either. When puppies play together socially and energetically, they learn how much pressure can safely be applied when biting another being with teeth.
They also practice using their mouths correctly on necks, legs, and tails instead of on faces and ears. When puppies are playing with each other, keep an eye out for signs that one puppy might be getting too rough with another puppy (e.g., growling). If this happens, separate the two puppies immediately by picking up one of them.
5) Redirection & Positive Reinforcement!
When your puppy bites you, redirect the behavior to a chew toy. It is the most critical part of training your puppy not to bite people. Ensure your pup has something soft to chew on like a toy. It can be a stuffed toy or a Kong with peanut butter inside.
Give them this as a substitute for biting you, and praise them when they chew the toy instead of you. Reward the puppy with treats or affection whenever he avoids biting by gently pushing against your hands instead of biting them. Positive reinforcement will help strengthen the new habit and prevent future biting incidents!
Instructions:
If you don’t have any toys for the puppy, get some! You can find a variety of plushy toys at pet stores or online that is inexpensive and perfect for this kind of training. Make sure that whatever toy you choose is made out of soft material (fur or fabric) to feel similar enough to your skin so as not to confuse your puppy with what he should be biting on.
6) Ignore Bad Behavior: Reward Good Behavior!
If your puppy is biting you, he’s telling you that he wants to play and chew. If you want him to stop biting, then ignore his bad behavior and reward good behavior.
Reward consistency, not progress. In other words, don’t reward the attribute that the puppy stopped biting today. Instead, cite your puppy when he has stopped constantly for at least three days before moving on to another positive behavior (i.e., playing with toys instead of biting). It will help teach your puppy that being gentle is good while being aggressive isn’t as fun!
Some examples of rewards include:
- Giving affection or petting them on the head while they’re chewing on their toys
- Giving them treats after playing with their toys for a while
- Letting them run around outside off-leash
7) Offer Potty Break!
Puppies have to go potty every few hours (usually). If you keep them on a schedule of letting them out after every meal or two, they’ll eventually figure out that they need to go outside when they wake up from naps or after playing for a while.
If you can’t watch them at all times, use an indoor crate, so they don’t have access to the carpeting in your home! Give them lots of praise when they potty outside to learn what behaviors earn rewards (i.e., going out).
8) Offer Quiet Time!
When it’s time for quiet, put away all the toys and other chewable items; so your puppy isn’t tempted to mouth them during a play session or when no one is watching him closely enough. Also, consider crate training if this will help keep him from chewing while you aren’t around but don’t force him into the crate; let him go in on his own accord, so he doesn’t associate being inside with punishment.
9) Be Calm
Yelling at your puppy won’t work and may make behavior worse. Puppies do not know what they are doing wrong until you explain it. And if you’re frustrated, the puppy will be too! Try to remain calm when teaching your puppy new skills, and do not reprimand them if they do something wrong—instead of punishing them after they nip at you, spend time praising and rewarding good behavior instead.
10) Enroll in Puppy Class!
Puppy classes allow you and your pup to learn how to communicate effectively with each other. They also help you learn how to deal with common behavioral issues, such as chewing, biting, and housebreaking.
Certain Management Strategies!
If you want your dog to stop biting, there are some practices that you can do:
- The first step is to teach your puppy that biting is not okay. You can do this by gently holding the puppy’s mouth closed when you think it might bite. It will prevent your puppy from being able to use his teeth and will therefore deter him from biting in the future.
- Please keep your dog leashed during walks and play sessions until he’s trained not to bite.
- Use an approved training collar (prong or choke) if necessary to teach him not to bite.
- Train puppy how to play gently with toys instead of people’s hands and feet by stuffing them with food, so he doesn’t get frustrated when he loses his grip on a toy.
- Use positive reinforcement training methods like clicker training or lure/reward training methods.
To Wrap Things Up!
Training your puppy not to bite is a process that takes time and patience. In this piece of information, I considered some tips for getting your puppy to stop biting. You can help your puppy grow into a well-behaved dog by following these tips.