Has Your Puppy Been Biting? Here Are Some Tips To Get Them To Stop

Playful activity is not unusual for puppies; however, it does involve lots of biting with very sharp teeth. When puppies are a few weeks old this may seem like adorable behavior, but after a couple of months, it’s time to teach Fido not to bite. Here’s what you can do.

Bite Reticence

Puppies learn bite reticence when playing with other puppies. Puppies love to bite all over other each other, but sometimes a little “yelp” will echo when a puppy has bitten a bit too hard. The offender will often stop playing for a moment and then start playing again. This type of engagement helps puppies to control the force of their bite. If puppies learn how to be delicate with each other, they can learn the identical lesson from humans.

The Human Touch

• Give a toy or chew-bone when your puppy tries to chew on your fingers and toes.

 

• If your puppy gets excited while being petted, divert him by giving little treats from your other hand. This will train your puppy not to mouth when being touched.

 

• Push for contact free forms of play like tug-of-war and fetch rather than rough play with your hands.

 

• Give your puppy lots of interesting toys to grab their attention instead of your fingers and toes!

 

• Be tolerant and understanding. Remember, playful mouthing is standard behavior for puppies and young dogs.

General Safeguards

Don’t wave fingers or place your toes in close proximity to your puppy’s face, even when playing, as this can entice your puppy to bite your fingers and toes.

Physical chastisement can make your puppy scared of you and cause serious aggression. Stay clear of scruff shaking, hitting your pup on the nose, and any other reprimands that could scare or hurt him. Meeting up with dog trainers in Oakland for a bit of doggy fun is a great way to help your puppy work off aggression.