How To Stop Your Puppy From Biting?

The joy of bringing home a new puppy is unmatchable. But the tail-wagging and happy cuddles can come with plenty of challenges too, including biting.

Bringing up a pet requires the same attention and vigilance that bringing up a human child does. If you are a first-time pet parent, don’t worry. It is not uncommon to ponder over questions like how to stop my puppy from biting when excited, and more.

We know how worrisome a puppy who bites can get. Therefore we have come up with plenty of practical suggestions and techniques to get your puppy to stop biting before things turn worse.

How Do You Get Your Puppy To Stop Biting?

Puppy biting can be a painful stage. Even though it will be challenging to deal with a puppy who bites, never lose your cool with them. It is not a sign of aggressive behavior, so a simple, calm command like “no” or “stop” can help alert a pup to stop biting. Here are other ways you can try to deal with a puppy who is in the biting phase.

• Ensure your puppy is adequately fed and fully satisfied with their nutrition requirements. Their meal should contain a balanced amount of proteins in the form of lean meat, vegetables, starch, milk, and fruits. Don’t forget to keep them hydrated at all times too.
• If the puppy is indulging in too much play-biting, warm them off. Offer them safe toys that they can bite and play with so that you do not end up with your clothes torn and shredded into pieces.
• Whenever you feel that your puppy is overly excited, leave the room for as long as they are not displaying the proper behavior. Leaving the room and not responding to their excessive excitement will help discourage the unwanted behavior and they will soon overcome their biting habits.
• A simple “no” command can go a long way. Make sure to teach your puppy such basic commands early on. This will help you communicate with your puppies effectively. Make sure to practice positive reinforcement while teaching your dogs these commands so that they do not associate their actions with punishments. For example, reward them with a treat when they follow your command.
• Teach your puppies different ways to curb their mouthing behavior. They should be taught that biting may hurt the people they are playing with. Teach the puppy to control their bite force and to be gentle with their mouth when they are interacting with people around them. The control of a puppy over their mouth is known as bite inhibition, and will help teach them an acceptable level of biting.

Along with applying all the steps mentioned above, please make sure to handle your pet with maximum love and care. The process of teething and mouthing is as tricky for them as it is for you. They can experience immense pain during this phase, so proper attention and attentiveness is the best way to tackle and soothe their discomfort, while teaching them safe and healthy behavior.

Why Do Puppies Bite?

The first reason why puppies bite is due to mouthing.

Puppies use their mouths to explore the world around them. They learn about what objects they can put in their mouth and chew and nibble through the process of mouthing. They try to interact with everything around them through their mouth. This also leads them to develop the habit of play-biting with people around them.

Play-biting can also result when your puppy is overly excited. Sometimes when they have pent-up energy that they cannot release through playing or indulging in an activity, then that energy comes out in the form of biting.

A puppy who also lacks sleep or is hungry and improperly fed can feel irritated and exhausted, leading them to bite their owner’s hands and feet.

The second reason why puppies bite is due to the natural teething process.

The deciduous teeth in puppies generally start to appear when they are around 2 to 4 weeks old. The teething process begins around 3 to 4 months, and lasts for two to three months, followed by the appearance of adult canines. During the teething period, it is common for puppies to bite to help relieve their discomfort and pain.

When Do Puppies Stop Biting?

The puppy biting phase is a typical phase that every fur parent can expect to go through. Although the first few bites from your puppy can come as a surprise, it is nothing to be worried about and is commonly perceived in all dog breeds.

The phase develops during the first year of the puppy’s life and lasts for at least three to four months until the teething process stops and the adult teeth are fully developed. So, it is normal for your puppy to bite until they turn around 4 to 5 months old.

When Should You Be Concerned?

Even if you apply all the steps mentioned above, you may find yourself experiencing difficulty managing your puppy’s biting habits. If your puppy consistently exhibits any of the following signs, it may be time to consult with a vet or a certified professional:

• They aggressively grab and bite anything they come in to contact with.
• Their biting is preceded by growling and snapping. They stiffen and stare at a person for a few seconds before biting. This usually occurs when they meet strangers or guests at home.
• They are unfriendly and hostile with children, and constantly howl and bark at them.

Raising a puppy is one of life’s joys. However, this also means helping them through challenging phases like the biting phase.

After reading this article, we hope you’ll be well versed with different techniques on how to stop a puppy from biting your feet and hands, or anyone else’s for that matter, and build your confidence in being a good fur parent.