Why do Puppies Bite?
This is perfectly normal behaviour from your puppy and can even sometimes be cute when they bite or nibble at your hands. They are exploring their new surroundings and don't know what is acceptable behaviour. When they played with other puppies in the litter they would have done a lot of biting and mounting so this is completely natural, However they need to be taught that this is not really acceptable when it comes to skin. If you ever see puppies playing they will play rough and bite each other but the bite gets painful the puppy will normally yelp letting his friend know that they need to take it easy.
They have to learn how to play with humans gently and how to take treats gently especially if you have young children as a nip now will be a full force bite once your dog is full grown.
How to Teach Your Puppy Not to Bite: Training Tips
To start you need a to take treat and hold it in your hand tightly so your puppy can't get to it no matter how hard they try. Even if they bite,nip and scratch your hands don't give in. You won't give your puppy the treat until they back away or move their nose away from your hand. That's not right, I'm rewarding my puppy for bad behaviour ? Not necessarily as you only gave the treat when they moved away, This will trigger something in the puppies brain. Try repeating this numerous times until your puppy understands what you want them to do.
They need to learn from an early age that biting is unacceptable. We also recommend using play toys that they can really bite especially tug of war, This can help in relieving some of that energy.
Another way to train your puppy not to bite is using the same technique they use when play fighting. Remember earlier when we mentioned that they yelp when the play is getting too rough? You can do the same by saying "Ouch" and giving the impression you are hurt whilst turning away. This will let them know that they have bit you too hard and if they do it again it will result in them not getting your attention, Which is the last thing they want.
This techniques have worked for a lot of people over the years but you need to implement these consistently to teach your puppy that biting is a no go. If your puppy still carries on or is biting too much then you may want to look at regular exercise as well as using these techniques, Check out our Top 10 Brain Games for Dogs.
You may also want to check out this article for further insight.
Comments