How can I stop my puppy from biting all the time?
Puppies, like human babies, tend to develop several habits as they grow. Biting and nipping are behaviors that young puppies tend to exhibit in almost all of them. However, you should not just watch your puppy bite things and get away with them. This is because it might become a problematic behavior to correct afterward.
Therefore, you should monitor your puppy and make him stop biting on things and even on you. To be able to do this, you will have you understand why your puppy is engaging in this behavior.
Biting is a normal behavior in young puppies. There could be different reasons why different puppies bite and nip on things and people. Teething is a common reason for a puppy to chew on things. If this is not controlled, biting may continue, and with time your adorable dog may end up hurting people.
As puppies grow, they want to get their mouths on everything. This means that biting is quite inevitable when your puppy is exploring and trying to figure out how the world works biting is quite unavoidable.
Other puppies are just rough and enjoy rough play. That means that when he wants to play, there is a chance that he will bite to initiate play. However, as much as your puppy I biting to do so, he does not know that it hurts. Therefore, shouting or hitting your puppy is not an option when you are trying to correct this behavior.
In this article, we are going to look at how to stop a puppy from biting all the time.
The ways to stop a puppy from biting all the time
Once you have determined why your puppy is biting, it is time to curb the behavior. Usually, you have to remove the stimuli for grinding. Below are some of the ways you can use to stop a puppy from crunching all the time;
-
Inhibit puppy biting
As we outlined earlier, puppies have no idea whether biting is terrible. It is the method that they use at all times to make explore and learn about their surroundings. And to do this, most cats will likely use their mouths and teeth. Understand that your puppy has no idea whether biting is wrong and hence may not understand why you need them to stop.
To inhibit puppy biting, it is recommended that you train your puppy to play gently. If your puppy is biting on your hands and maybe ankles, inhibiting will work. For instance, you should stop playing immediately after your puppy bites and discourage biting.
However, be very careful with your puppy’s teeth. They tend to have that chase instinct, which he would use in the wild to hunt and kill prey. When you pull your hands from his mouth, your puppy might be even more encouraged to continue the biting.
-
Redirect his behavior
As mentioned above, puppies tend to engage in biting during play. Therefore, it is easy to stop this habit by simply redirecting your puppy’s behavior. Understand that puppies enjoy playing; it is the highlight of their days. Therefore, refraining is ineffective for your puppy to stop biting.
However, you can use toys to redirect his attention from your hand. For instance, once you notice that your puppy is about to bite, present him with a toy. Furthermore, puppies that are teething are going to need something to itch their gums with. Therefore, toys play a huge role in stopping puppies from biting on things.
You can get your puppy a toy to bite on instead. Once he starts to mouth your feet, offer him the toy. The toy should be attractive enough more than the biting itself.
-
Teach him that biting is not allowed
One of the most exciting things about owning a puppy is that you can always train him on his behavior. Dogs, like in the wild, develop the need for a pack for a family. Once you adopt a puppy, it is crucial that he feels like he belongs to you. This makes him want to please his master, and usually, we do like that. If you wish to guarantee loyalty, get a dog, as the saying goes.
For this reason, puppies are the easiest to teach and train undesirable behaviors and those that are desired. Therefore, you should not have much trouble training your puppy to stop biting. You can do this by rewarding him once he does not chew. Verbal phrases like ‘stop’ or ‘let go’ can also ease the learning process for your pup.
Whenever your puppy bites on you, you should refrain from pulling away. This might entice him to keep chasing your hand or feet. Instead, remain still until your puppy lets go. You may reward him with a treat to encourage good behavior. Ignore him and do not resume play until he lets go.
In addition, you should also let your puppy know that it hurts when you bite. You can scream out in pain, and since he does not want to upset his master, he will stop biting when he knows it is hurting. This will have him stop mouthing and biting all the time.
-
Praise them
Dogs love to be appreciated and tend to do things to get that praise after doing something good. When trying to get your puppy to stop biting, always ensure that he is rewarded for his excellent behavior. Believe it or not, this trick works very well in stopping puppies from indulging in the most undesirable behaviors.
You can use this method to reinforce good behavior in your puppy. Command him to let go when your puppy is biting on you or something. Once he obeys, praise him by petting him and saying nice things about him. This way, your puppy will eventually learn that biting is bad behavior and thus stop the habit.
-
Let them socialize
Most puppies have never been able to socialize since they are the only pets in a household. Due to domestication, most puppies are separated from their families and adopted by a new owner. This means he will not have his brothers or sisters to play with. It is essential to expose your puppy to socialization at a young age.
Your young puppy will be able to play with others, probably in the park, with your friend, or in a doggy daycare. This way, as they all learn and explore, he will know that biting is not allowed all the time. Puppies will have a more open and accessible means to communicate than we do. This will help curb puppy biting all the time. For instance, once your puppy bites another while playing, the other puppy will tell him it hurts. This way, your puppy will slowly let go of the behavior and adopt gentle play instead.
-
Avoid playing with your hands.
Puppies do not seem to get enough play. The more you initiate play, your little pup will get energized. Once he is full of energy, you will have difficulty trying to calm him down. In addition, you should avoid play that influences your puppy to bite. For instance, you cannot wave your hands in your pup’s face. This will stimulate him to chase after your hands and thereby catch. As indicated earlier, puppies get enticed to pursue when the hunting instincts kick in.
If your puppy continues to bite, refrain from playing with him using your hands thoroughly. Instead, they are involved in games that require more physical activities. For instance, you can get your puppy bone-shaped toys to fetch. During playtime, throw the bone and entice your puppy to bring it. Not only will this meet his need to bite on something, but it will also burn up the extra energy that your puppy may have.
-
Avoid punishing your puppy.
As much as this might seem practical to instill good behavior, it is not. Instead of correcting behavior, punishing your puppy may lead to aggressiveness as well as anxiety. When your puppy bites your hand, you should not slap or yell at him. If you want to let he know that he is hurting you, producing the ‘ouch’ sound is advisable. This does not include scolding your puppy.
You can alternatively ignore your puppy if he initiates play by biting your hand. Do not engage with him whatsoever until he lets go. Do this every time your puppy bites on you until he stops.
-
Chewing toys
Once your puppy starts to bite on things, you must figure out why. If your puppy is teething, you may consider getting him chewing toys. These toys are usually harmless, and your puppy will like them. In addition, they ease the itchy feeling on your puppy’s gums.
Always ensure these toys are clean before handing them to your puppies. Also, consider leaving them where your puppy can access them.
-
Puppy deterrents
This is also another way to make your puppy stop biting all the time. There are several ways to deter puppies from biting. This works well, especially if your puppy will not stop biting on boots or hands. This is an effective and relatively cheap method since most are natural.
For instance, cayenne pepper is a good dog deterrent. Add the latter to water in a spray bottle to apply this method. If your puppy is biting on a specific boot, spray the solution on the surface. You should know that cayenne pepper irritates the nose and throat; thus, be careful when using it. Your puppy will not go anywhere near the boot.
You may also use sprays on your hands to keep your puppy from biting. You may use them on your hand and surfaces you do not want him biting on. This will keep him from chewing on your hands during playtime.
We mentioned earlier that the best way to curb biting in puppies would most often include training. To be able to train your puppy successfully, you must, first of all, understand him. However, we have made it easier for you to adapt to the concept of puppy training. Below are some of the tips you may use to train your dog to control undesirable behaviors in puppies:
- Daily exercise is necessary for all dogs, regardless of age or sex.
- During this time, your puppy connects with his keeper and develops a bond that joins them. This bond is essential to your puppy as it is a family union. Exercising your dog is important when you are looking to train him. After all, this is usually the best way to engage with each other. Your puppy is going to learn more about your likes and dislikes. This will ease the training process.
- Always reward good behavior. Training helps alleviate multiple behavioral issues in dogs. Whenever your puppy gets it right, you should appreciate him. Dogs are always looking forward to being appreciated for good behavior. You do not have to make treats the only way to reward good behavior. This might increase the chances of obesity due to overeating.
- We cannot forget to mention how vital patience is when it comes to puppy training. Your pup is not going to get it right at first. He may repeat the same habit before you get him to stop it. Therefore, you will require patience and resilience before he fully trains. And there is no end to training; by the way, you will have to keep reminding him repeatedly. However, once your puppy grasps the basics, you will not have much trouble getting him to stop biting all the time. It is also essential that you encourage your puppy during training.
In conclusion
Biting is undesirable and should be discouraged at a young age. Control how you play with your puppy, and always make sure it is gentle play at all times. I hope the above-discussed points will be of assistance to your puppy biting problem!
