Puppies bite and nip. They chew on just about everything, especially as they start to teeth. Part of this is just their natural inclination. Because, unlike human babies, they do not have thumbs and cannot hold on to things with their paws, they’ll put something in their mouth in order to see what it is. They use their teeth for manipulating objects in their world and for exploring. In this regard, some biting and nipping is just to be expected. And who can argue with a cute face like this one:
And, when puppies are young, this is usually considered to be cute behavior. Over time, however, as puppies grow, they might not realize how hard they are biting or nipping and this can become a more serious behavior. If you want your puppy to stop nipping, here’s a few things you can do to make it happen:
1. Yelp when your puppy bites you
When dogs mouth each other during play, if one of the dogs gets too rough and bites down too hard, the receiving dog will yelp, which startles the biting dog and teaches that dog that the bite was too hard and the play too rough.
Even if it does not actually hurt when your puppy bites you, letting out a little yelp will have the same effect; it will teach that dog that they’ve hurt you and they are doing something you do not want them to do.
2. Don’t pull away
Your first inclination might be to yank your hand or arm away when your puppy nips you, but this can actually encourage the dog to make chase and bite you again. Instead, just yelp or say “Ow!” or make another loud noise and let your hand go limp. This will be enough of an indication that you did not like what just happened. Ignore your puppy for a thirty seconds and then start playing with him again.
3. Replace your skin with something else
If you do not want your dog to mouth you at all, it is important for you to replace your hand with something they are allowed to bite. For example, if they are trying to nip at your hand, pull your hand away before he has a chance to bite down and then offer him a chew toy, instead. This will teach him that you do not want him to bite your hand, but that there are things that are appropriate for him to chew on.
4. Teach the “leave it” command early
You will want your dog to know this command for a huge variety of reasons, but it is also a good way to get early control over your dog’s mouth behaviors. Teaching this command early can help to prevent many of the aggressive responses that we teach our dogs by grabbing something out of their mouth.
5. Use distraction
With younger dogs, it is perfectly acceptable to use distraction to train them out of nipping or biting at your ankles.
Herding breeds especially will take part in this activity. If you find your puppy doing this (which can be dangerous, as they get underfoot, where you might trip or step on them), keep a toy with you. The moment they start biting at your ankles, wave the toy around to distract them. Reinforce any behavior that moves away from biting and nipping with positive praise and he will learn that you do not like it when you bite and he is rewarded when he doesn’t do it.
