Why does my puppy bite?
There are several possible reasons your puppy is biting you (and everthing and everybody!) The puppy might be trying to establish dominance over you. He might only be trying to get your attention. Or, perhaps he’s just playing. In any case, it’s a bad habit and it often hurts! And it’s definitely not a habit we want in older dogs.
What can you do to stop it?
As we say, there’s more than one way to skin a cat. (Don’t tell our cats.) But what I’ve found most effective is by being firm, showing them who’s dominant and then offering a replacement. First, a few things NOT to do.
- Don’t let it continue, thinking it’s “cute”. And surely don’t laugh or praise.
- In spite of your first reaction, don’t pull away. Pulling away often tells a puppy that you’re playing, or worse, that you’re submissive.
- Don’t let the behavior continue for too long. If the puppy continues to bite, put him away for a while. He’ll eventually learn that playing by your rules means longer playing times but doing it his way earns a trip to the crate.
So what can you do?
- Make a noise loud enough to get their attention. This might be a yelp or it may be a command. “No!” or, “stop biting!”.
- Press your hand TOWARD the pup. Place your hand firmly on the pup’s head and neck and, without hurting them, press them to the ground. Hold them there for a couple of seconds, repeating your command. “No biting!” (Note that they’ll probably not much like this at first. But the more you do this, the more they’ll accept it and will eventually submit rather quickly.)
- Offer them an alternative. As soon as you let them up, hand them a toy that’s made for their chewing.This is why it’s important to have safe chew toys nearby at all times. This isn’t a reward. It’s an alternative.
These dogs are very smart. They’ll learn this very quickly at a very young age if you stay persistent. But remember, it’s up to you!
