How To Stop Puppy Biting

Puppy biting is normal puppy behaviour, but is at times painful and worrying for new owners!

Puppies bite for lots of reasons, mostly in play or as a way to communicate their needs. Although its normal, it is not appropriate when interacting with people. For children and older people who have more delicate skin, it results in bleeding injuries as puppy teeth are small, but incredibly sharp!

Stop puppy biting when playing

Puppies bite when they play with each other and with other dogs. Older dogs, particularly their mum, will correct them if they bite too hard. This is part of their learning bite inhibition.

Puppies continue this form of play when they interact with their owners because it is normal for them. However, we cannot correct them in the same way their mum does. We do not have the same doggy communication skills and a new puppy does not understand the word ‘No!’

Telling a puppy ‘No!’, particularly if shouted or said harshly will confuse the puppy. This leads to frustration and more biting. You could scare them, which also leads to more biting as they try to protect themselves. They could also become fearful of you.

To stop your puppy biting when playing do the following things:

Stop play and calmly move away
If they pull on your clothes, move away and provide them with a suitable toy to play tug with instead. Its important that you engage in the game. Simply putting a toy in their mouths and expecting them to entertain themselves will result in them coming back to tug on your clothes (Because its more fun and gets your attention!)
If puppy starts biting your hand when you are holding the toy, drop the toy. Puppy will try to engage you in play again by pushing the toy your way. Try the game again, but drop the toy as soon as they get close to your hand. They will soon learn, that for play to continue, they need to stay at their end.

Stop puppy biting in the evening

Commonly known as the ‘witching hour’ when your cute puppy turns into a land shark! Puppy biting increases in the evening for several reasons:

Puppy is tired after a busy day, but doesn’t know how to switch off and sleep
You may have been out all day and puppy is very excited to see you
You want to sit down and relax/eat your food/watch TV etc. All of which mean your attention is elsewhere and puppy wants your attention back on them.

What can you do about it?

Give puppy something nice and calming to do while you are busy. A Puppy Kong filled with something yummy is a great self soothing option that calms and encourages rest.
Teach your puppy a mat settle to encourage them to relax.

Stop puppy biting the kids

Kids are particularly exciting to puppies. When they bite them, the children understandably squeal, squeak and move around a lot! This is fun for the puppy and reminds them of playing with their littermates.

Children also like to hug and handle small puppies, which the puppy may not like. All interactions should be supervised. If puppy starts to wriggle and try to bite this is their way of saying they are not enjoying the interaction and would like it to stop.

What to do about it

When the children are playing or eating, give puppy something interesting to do in a different room
Try to teach the children not to respond so loudly or animatedly when the puppy approaches. Wearing thick socks can protect the children’s feet from sharp teeth and make it easier for them to stand still.
Teach the children the rules of playing with the puppy. If teeth touch skin, play stops. Equally, children should not play too roughly with puppies.
Give your puppy a choice about interactions with children so they do not feel overwhelmed by hugging, petting and picking up.

Stop Puppy biting feet

Feet are a fun target for puppy biting because they are at ground level and they move. We also react by moving more or making noises when those tiny sharp teeth connect with our feet. If your puppy is particularly attracted to feet, I recommend thick socks or slippers around the house so that you can lessen your reaction if they grab hold. If they don’t get a reaction, it will become less fun for them and they will get bored of the feet biting game.

To prevent puppy biting your feet, stop moving when they dart towards you. It is the movement that they are attracted to and of course your reaction.

Other reasons your puppy is biting

Puppies bite to communicate their needs. Unsurprisingly, we often don’t understand what they are trying to tell us. Here are a things your puppy might be trying to tell you: