How to Stop Puppy Biting

Puppies bite for a variety of reasons.

Many puppies have a bad habit of playing to rough with their owners. Biting is a puppy's way of playing. Biting also calms your dog. Sometimes puppies bite because they are attempting to alleviate the pain of teething. Your methods for stopping biting behavior will have to be dependent upon why your puppy is biting in the first place.

Things You'll Need

• Chew toys
• Sock
• Water

Instructions

1. Give a little "yelp" every time your puppy bites you. The yelping sound, delivered in a high, falsetto voice, simulates a puppy yelp. When litters of puppies play with one another, sometimes they nip. When the nipping becomes too rough the puppies yelp to let one another know that it's too hard. If you simulate that yelp, you will let your puppy know that he has bitten too hard.

2. Ignore your puppy if you are petting or playing with the puppy and he bites. This teaches him that biting is not appropriate play behavior. Simply pull your hand away slowly. If you pull it away quickly your puppy will think you are playing. Stop all play for a few moments. Your puppy will understand he only gets attention when he plays nicely.

3. 

   Puppies chew and bite because they need to alleviate the pain of teething.

   Offer your puppy something appropriate to chew on. Puppies bite sometimes because they are teething. If this is the case, offer your puppy a chew toy, massage his gums, or freeze a knotted sock dipped in water. These are all remedies for sore gums due to teething.

References

• Eukanuba: Puppy Chewing