Jaws - How to Manage your Puppy Biting

One of the first things people notice when they bring their puppy home, after how adorable they are, is how sharp their teeth can be. Their little mouths latch onto anything they can, clothing, furniture, and the most jarring: when they happen to catch your fingers or ankles.

The biggest question we get is: ‘how do I stop my puppy biting?’ and we’ve got some news for you… it’s a bit more complicated than that.

Mouthing and nippy behaviours in puppies is actually very normal! It does not come naturally to them to inhibit such behaviours.

These behaviours can be triggered by any of the following:

• Because they are teething and wish to soothe their pain.
• They are intrinsically interested in movement as part of their early learning prey drive.
• They would naturally play rough and tumble with their teeth and through grabbing with their siblings.
• It’s a natural ‘attention getting’ behaviour.

As with a lot of puppy learning, it is about managing the situation and setting them up for success, instead of confusing them with reprimand or punishment for doing something that comes naturally to them. They need our help to learn when this behaviour is appropriate, and when it isn’t. 

Here are a few tips to manage the situation when your puppies are getting mouthy and nippy with you:

MINIMISING REHEARSAL

Your clothing choice can make a huge difference!

• Try to avoid baggy clothes. When the fabric flaps around, this can intrigue and excite your puppy, so they are more likely to want to grab at it.
• Wear gumboots. They will protect your ankles and stop you from reacting to any nip in a way that will excite and promote more nipping in your puppy. It is also harder for them to grab hold of slippery rubber too.
• Avoid wearing your dressing gown around your puppy. They are very confusing as they have the texture of a soft dog toy and a belt that hangs down like a tug toy! It’s very unfair and unrealistic for anyone to expect a puppy to know the difference between a dressing gown and a toy!
• Baby gates and pens are essential so you can swiftly disconnect from your puppy if necessary to prevent accidental reinforcement. Re-enter the space when the pup is calm or exit again if they try to grab you. They soon get the message that grabbing at you stops any interaction or attention.
• Avoid playing rough games with your dog, especially with your hands as this encourages dogs to become more likely to grab you as they feel you’ve invited them to do so.

REDIRECT

Try and redirect your puppy’s nipping onto a toy.

• Have a toy that you can trail along the ground which creates the movement they desire.
• If you can, anticipate when they are likely to start the mouthing and always have that toy ready to go. 
• Always give your puppy at least 2-3 good outlets of play with you each day.
• If they get too rough or over aroused the game must stop.
• STAND LIKE A TREE - if your puppy gets too nippy and you cannot move away then we recommend freezing and completely disengaging from the dog. Fold your arms across your chest and act still ‘like a tree’. Once the dog moves away and disengages or settles down you can move again.This works with young puppies but can promote some ‘bullying‘ behaviours in adolescent dogs so choose wisely.
• Throw a bit of their kibble/treat away from you every time they come towards you to grab them. This redirects their desire to chase on to chasing the food not you.

TEACH A SETTLING BEHAVIOUR

It’s important your pup learns how to settle if they get too over stimulated.

Have a pen area or crate that they can go to relax if they start getting fixated on nipping at you.

• Have a small piece of line attached to your puppy’s collar at all times
• You can use this to guide them away to their pen area if they need a couple of minutes to just calm down (this stops you grabbing at their collar and manhandling them).
• As soon as your puppy is calm and quiet, let them out again and be ready to initiate a game of play with a toy.
• If your pup starts getting nippy with you again, calmly guide them back to their pen and give them another couple of minutes to calm down.
• When you let them out to play this time, try to end the game before they get over excited and nippy with you.
• If you don’t have a pen/crate area for your puppy, ensure you have a room that they are safe to be left in without getting into mischief.

Every dog is different so try any of these methods to see which works best for you, your family and the puppy. It’s our job as our puppy’s guides to ensure they understand what we want from them, so we have to take the time to teach. But ultimately avoid reprimanding or being overly vocal as this can lead to further confusion, worry, frustration or retaliation behaviours.

If you need any help, know that you aren’t alone. Allsorts offers One on One Puppy Consultations, and are always prepared with the tips and tricks!
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​Co-Authored by
​Brooke Rapira 
Prime Pups Educator & Dog Sport Instructor
Sarah Endres
Dog Trainer and Behaviour Advisor