Puppy biting is a natural habit. This habit of theirs should be nipped in the bud. But to train them to stop biting can be very challenging. As puppies start teething, they need something to chew on, just like human babies. Dogs generally use their mouths over their paws and this habit is more genetic and natural. If you want to stop puppy biting, you need to nip it in the bud, because as humans outgrow this habit when they grow up, dogs don’t.
How To Curb Puppy Biting?
Puppies play with other puppies by mouthing each other and then often biting. When the other one gets hurt, they yelp and this makes the one biting stop. To make puppies stop biting, you need to imitate this behavior. Let your pup play with your finger or toe and the moment they start biting, yelp. This will make them stop. You also need to ignore your pup after they have stopped to let them know that this kind of behavior will not be accepted. Also, remember that you should not pull away from the bite, as this will make your pup chase the bite even further, possibly causing you a deep wound. This process will eventually teach your pup that gentle play is accepted, while rough play is not.
Redirect Puppies From Biting
You can also redirect them if you want to teach them that putting their mouths on human skin is not welcome. Whenever your pup tries to mouth you, you can pull your hand away and redirect them towards a treat or a chewy toy by waving at them. You can also distract your pups from their urge to bite by playing games like fetch with them.
Distract Them From Puppy Biting
Puppies love to mouth things out of curiosity. You should make your home puppy-proof and also provide a lot of puppy toys that they can chew upon. You can distract puppy biting by playing ‘hide the treat’ with them. This will make them curious to find their treat and also encourage mental stimulation. Also, socialize with your dog more if you want to curb this puppy biting habit.
Use Deterrence For Puppy Biting
If your puppy just won’t listen and tends to bite on something too often, you can use deterrence. There are some products like Bitter Apple, Yuck No Chew Spray, and such others, which are safe for the pups but have a very bad taste. When your pup bites on something sprayed with these products, it leaves a very bad taste in your pup’s mouth, thereby discouraging them from biting. You can let your pup associate with the taste or the smell of the spray by using the product on a cotton ball and putting this cotton ball into their mouth. They should spit it out immediately and then sniff it to make an association with the smell.
Use Treats To Stop Puppy Biting At Ankles
If your pup has a tendency to bit on your ankles, you can use some training and rewards to make them stop. Whenever they bite you, stop and then wave a treat at them to distract them. Give them the reward. This will teach them eventually that by stopping biting, they get a reward.
These above are few tips that can help you put an end to puppy biting. It is better to curb this habit in the bud, so that your pups grow up to be more disciplined.
