Biting is an unpleasant behavior for new puppy owners, but it is very natural. Puppies aren’t trying to be mean or destructive by biting people or things, they’re just exploring the world. That said, it’s important for puppies to learn to keep their mouths shut at an early age to prevent future behavior problems: pups holding their mouths or biting are more socially acceptable than adult dogs. to keep his mouth shut. Training puppies not to bite requires patience and gentleness.
Why do puppies bite?
Puppies bite people and objects for a variety of reasons, including exploring the world through their mouths. Therefore, biting and chewing are normal parts of puppy development. Common reasons a puppy might bite you or things around your home include:
- Teethe As they grow and develop, puppies will lose their baby teeth and adult teeth will come in. This process usually actively happens around the time the puppies go home to their permanent family. Just as human infants can get cranky when teething or stick things in their mouths while trying to massage their gums, the same is true of teething puppies. Many puppies chew or bite objects to ease teething discomfort.
- Reduce stress – What do puppies have to stress about? They eat, sleep and play. However, there is a lot to be stressed about – their world is confusing and changing. Puppies are adapting to all kinds of new situations, people, places and experiences. Mouthing and chewing helps puppies relieve some of that stress.
- Bored – When puppies and puppies are bored, they look for things to chew on. Chewing is fun and a way that they can be entertained. This is advisable (with dog-safe chews) as it is good for our puppies.
- Play —Puppies often haven’t mastered a skill called bite inhibition, or the awareness of using their mouths in play. Puppies often learn from their littermates to adjust how much and how much they can bite while playing. When you bring your puppy home, they may still be developing and perfecting these skills.
How to train a puppy not to bite:
Step 1: Make sure your puppy has plenty of doors for safe and proper chewing, including puppy-safe chews and toys specifically designed for chewing. We don’t want to prevent puppies from chewing, we just want them to chew on things that are safe and appropriate.
Step 2: Supervision is very important for puppies. Set them up for success by not giving them access to things you don’t want them to chew on. Sometimes called “puppy proof,” you need to keep your puppy out of things they could bite or chew that could cause harm or damage.
Step 3: If the puppy is biting you when you play or are playing with them, do not scold or punish your puppy. Instead, when the puppy bites, let out a high-pitched cry and then redirect your puppy with a safe and appropriate toy for them to bite or chew on. By emitting a high-pitched cry, you are telling the puppy that the bite is painful. Doing this mimicry, the puppies will get similar feedback from their littermates on how to bite more or less during play.
Step 4: Be consistent while playing and training your puppy. Puppy biting training should be something everyone in the family is involved in by gently redirecting your puppy to toys that are safe to chew on.
How to prevent a puppy from biting: recap
The best way to prevent a puppy from biting is to prevent inappropriate biting behavior as much as possible by providing the puppy with plenty of suitable things to chew on. When your puppy bites things they shouldn’t, move them to appropriate toys to pull and chew on. If your puppy bites you, he’s not trying to be mean. Do not scold or scold your puppy. Instead, let out a cry that mimics what your peers would do. Then redirect your puppy to mouth play and bite into an appropriate toy or chew.
