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How to Stop Puppy Biting

All puppies "mouth" or play bite. As they get older, and their jaws get stronger, it starts to hurt. Teaching them the appropriate way to use their mouths is essential puppy training.

Dogs use their mouths like we use our hands - they investigate and learn and manipulate all sorts of things with their mouths. They have to - they don't have opposable thumbs. When they are very young (less than 10 weeks old) they should learn the most basic lessons of "how to use your mouth" from their mother and litter mates. The primary lesson of "how to use your mouth", aside from eating, is that when you apply too much pressure, somebody yelps and Mom corrects you. A mother dog corrects her puppies swiftly and clearly, but without traumatizing them. This is what we want to do when "Mom" is gone and we have to train our puppies how much jaw pressure is acceptable.

If your puppy was taken from its mother early (many breeders consider anything before 10 weeks as too early), then it may have missed some critical lessons from its mother, or its litter-mates, or both. As a result, your puppy may have very little idea how much pressure to use when they put their mouth on your hand.

Those little puppy teeth are sharp. If they're used inappropriately, they can make you think your otherwise adorable little puppy is just to cutely disguised monster. So here's how to teach your little monster to stop biting people.


Get a toy your puppy really likes and sit down quietly with him. When the puppy starts to chew on your hand, make a fist to make it harder for him to bite down. With your hand still in a fist, try to distract the puppy with the toy. The puppy may prefer biting your hand at first - don't respond, just keep working the toy until he lets go of your hand. Don't throw the ball unless your puppy knows the fetch game. Very young puppies may not immediately understand they should go fetch the ball, especially when there's this nice hand in their mouth that they can chew on.

Make the toy the center of attention. Make it fun - jiggle it, roll it, whatever you have to do to get your puppy to play with it. You are teaching your puppy that toys are more fun than hands.

After your puppy has figured out how much more fun toys are than hands, you have leverage. The next time the puppy bites your hand while you're playing with the toy, say "Ouch!" in a loud but calm voice, and end the game. Instantly. Do not look at the puppy, and be sure to take the toy away and put it where the puppy can't get it. After you've done this a few times, the puppy will figure out that when it bites too hard, the game ends and it gets no attention. Puppies really want attention. They want it much more than they want to bite hands.

If your puppy bites you and you don't have a toy, make the "Ouch!" noise, and turn away. Do not look at your puppy or acknowledge that its there at all. This is what alpha dogs do to discourage behavior they don't like.

The hardest thing here is to be consistent. Sometimes when you're playing with your puppy, you're having such a good time that you're willing to ignore a nip here and there. Don't. The puppy is just testing the biting limits again. Also be sure that everyone in your house sticks to the no-bite technique. If you are really rigorous about it, even the most razor-toothed pup will come around in a few days.

As your puppy's behavior improves, reward what you consider acceptable bite pressure.

Some assertive puppies will attempt to bite to get attention. Do NOT reward this by looking at them. If you can, get up and go away. If the puppy bites you again and you can't move, turn around and give a loud "NO", looking the puppy right in the eye as you say it, then look away and don't look back.

Never, ever hit or shake your puppy for biting you. Its not their fault - they don't know any better. Hitting or shaking them will only make them afraid of you, which will create a whole spectrum of other problems.

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