As the owner of a gorgeous little puppy, you no doubt love spending time with them. However, one problem that can become a very serious issue for a young pup is their desire to bite. Puppy biting can be adorable at first; before long, though, it can become a serious issue. Especially if they bite a smaller animal or a younger member of the family, such as a toddler.
Are you dealing with the threat of puppy biting at home? Trying to find the best way to bring this annoying problem under control? Then there are a few useful solutions that you could think about trying. For the most part, solving puppy biting comes down to a balance between discipline, positive reinforcement, and lifestyle changes. In this guide, we will try to break down what you need to know so you can stop your puppy from biting everything that it sees.
First things first – puppy biting is normal
So, the main thing that you need to understand is that puppy biting is normal behaviour. It is very common for a little puppy to engage in this behaviour. That, though, does not make it any less annoying!
If you want to help your puppy to stop biting, then you have to understand why it bites. It is also important, though, to note that this is not abnormal behaviour. You do not have to worry that your pet has some serious flaw in terms of its personality or its character. In fact, for the most part, the act of biting in a puppy is a totally normalised behaviour.
Why it bites, though, and how to stop that problem, are very important things to understand.
Why is my puppy biting everything?
The main reasons that your puppy likes to get involved in a bit of biting can be quite varied. For the most part, though, a puppy can have one of the following reasons for biting:
· Youthful mannerisms. As children, we often do the kind of things that, as we get older, seem insane. Well, puppies are the same; they tend to have very ambitious personalities, which can lead to issues with discipline – especially when it comes to biting.
· You keep using your hands. You might think that playing with your puppy with your hands is fun, but you are just encouraging them to take a chomp. By using your hands all the time, you are telling your puppy that you are a toy. Avoid that if you can.
· An excess of energy. A common reason for a puppy biting is that it has a lot of energy left over. Puppies do not see the art of biting as something to avoid; they see it as a game for the most part. So, if they have energy left over, they might turn to some biting.
· Lack of training. This is an especially common reason. Many of us do not train our puppies until they become young adults. However, if you neglect any kind of discipline and training, it could come back to bite you, literally.
· They think it’s funny. Pets, especially puppies, tend to be want to just have fun all the time. They might not realise that biting isn’t quite as funny to a human as it is to them. So, they might simply be using their teeth as a form of affection. Keep that in mind.
· They are teething. Another reason for a puppy biting you is that it is going through the teething process. Teething is a sore thing and it can easily set off all but the calmest of puppies. Teething is uncomfortable so try to find a way of soothing this discomfort.
· They are bored. Another cause of puppies biting humans is that they are bored. If you worry that your dog is not getting enough stimulation and that this is the cause, then take them for a long walk or an activity that is exciting to a dog. If they keep biting, keep researching.
· They are learning. Another reason is that some puppies learn by doing, and they will basically want to see what your reaction is to them biting. Roughhousing is the common interaction for a new young dog, so getting it out of that habit is the priority.
There are many essential factors to stopping a puppy from biting. Understanding why it bites, though, is the first phase.
The secrets to stopping a puppy biting
If you are still having some headaches with your puppy bearing their teeth, then you might want to think about the following situations. This should go some way to making sure you can make sure that your puppy stops biting everything it interacts with.
Manage their energy levels
A common reason for puppy biting is that they get really excited. When a puppy is overly stimulated they have an energy overload that they need to find a way to use up. Sadly, that might mean they choose to use having a nibble at your fingers as the way to use up that energy!
So, try and make sure that you keep the energy and excitement more balanced. You shouldn’t remove the fun factor from life, but you should learn not to overdo it. This is a good way to stop puppy biting from escalating to a serious issue.
Get your pup more sleep
Another reason for biting can come from having too much energy to know what it can do with. The best thing to do is to take your puppy for a quick walk, a toilet break, and then some training time. This should take around 20-30 minutes. Then, get them back into their safe space and let them sleep off some of that excess energy.
If your pet has something to do and something to focus on then it becomes much easier for them to not resort to these negative habits.
Put in the early training
A good way to stop puppy biting is to get your puppy involved in things like coming when its name is called, and positive interruptions. These are great as they are mentally stimulating and they can be quite tiring, leading to your dog being focused enough that it does not have to resort to things like biting just to use up some of its energy.
This is a good way to make an early marker, too. If your dog starts biting something and you can break the biting mood, give it plenty of positive encouragement and praise.
Bring out the toys
A simple solution to help lift the need to bite is to let them chew on something that is actually safe to bite. They should be looking for something like a ball or a tug rope to chew on. This helps them to get their chewing needs out of their system.
If you spot your puppy biting, then you should give it the chew toy and make it clear that this is for chewing. If they get the hint and start chewing that, reward them with a treat to help them fully understand what you want.
Use discipline to your advantage
If your pet is not getting the message, then use discipline. The best way is that if you notice your puppy biting and it will not stop then calmly pick them up and put them into the safe area/bed area. this will make them very quickly realise that you do not want this and that they will be consigned to boredom if they keep breaking this house rule.
Before long, they will realise that this is the trigger; if they get too excited and start biting, they will be sent to bed early.
Set a clear template for chewing
By having chew toys and always moving your hands away as soon as they start to chew, you can lay down the law and make sure that your pet fully understands that chewing humans is not a good thing. This is a simple and effective technique, but it can make sure that you can quickly and easily pass on the message that chewing humans is not the way forward.
You need to make sure that it always has something else to chew on, though, and this can soon pass the message on for all human interactions.
Stopping your puppy biting is easier than it might appear
With a mixture of all of the above, you should soon work out why your puppy is biting, and how to stop your puppy from biting. It is a case of trial and error and a little bit of patience. Once you learn that shouting or losing it with your puppy solves nothing, you can focus on more humane solutions that should keep them smiling and happy for the most part.
So, focus heavily on the fact that your puppy is engaging in biting. Take a calm, considered, experimental approach by using the above. Stick to that, and you should be much more likely to bring the puppy biting problem to an end.