My puppy is biting and nipping. Is this normal? How do I train her?

Related Answers from Veterinarians

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  Answered By Jennifer Summerfield, DVM CPDT-KA

  Veterinarian, Certified Dog Trainer

  Published on July 30th, 2017

  It's completely normal for Nova to be constantly biting and mouthing at this age - this is how puppies explore the world, and how they instinctively want to play. She will grow out of it on her own as she gets older, so there's no need to try and train this behavior away - it isn't possible to do this, as it's a normal developmental stage that all pups go through :) But, there are definitely some things you can do in the meantime to make things easier. Make sure that Nova has a variety of different toys available to provide an appropriate outlet for this behavior - long floppy rope or fleece toys for tugging, plush toys for biting and carrying, and smaller toys or balls for chasing and fetching. She should also have lots of different things to lay down and chew on, such as bully sticks, rawhide chews, cow or pig ears, and puzzle toys such as a Kong stuffed with peanut butter. If she gets excited and bites you, just redirect her to one of her toys and use that to play with her instead. Please don't grab her muzzle or scruff, as this will not help the biting and often teaches puppies to be afraid of your hands. Focus on making sure that she has lots of her own things to bite and chew, and use these to redirect her as often as needed. The biting and mouthing will resolve on their own by the time she is about 8-10 months old, so for now you need to be patient and consistent while she learns.

  

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  Answered By Dr. Heidi DVM, CVA, CCRT, CVTP, CVSMT, CVCH

  Veterinarian, Certified Veterinary Acupuncturist, Certified Canine Rehabilitation Practitioner

  Published on April 5th, 2018

  Congratulations on your new puppy! Play biting and being excessively "mouthy" is very common in puppies. I have not personally had luck with the techniques of saying "No!" or holding the muzzle. I that makes puppies more excited. My general rule for puppies is that you make a high pitched squeak (like a litter mate puppy would do if they bit too hard), then walk away from the situation. More than anything, Nova wants to play with you. If you walk away, it is negative reinforcement, so she is less likely to do that behavior again. Depending on the puppy, the goal is to get them to look away from you or start doing something else before you engage in play again. I found that a long rope toy made a good toy to play with my puppy because there was lots of toy for him to bite at without touching my skin. It sounds like Nova prefers more interactive play, so that might be helpful to play with her and get some energy out. I also found that allowing my dog to play with other dogs was a great way for him to learn what is appropriate play. I took my dog to doggy day care twice a week as a puppy which really helped with his energy level as well as appropriate play technique. And finally, start a puppy class. A basic obedience class is so important for a puppy. They want to behave, but don't know what to do with their energy. I hope that was helpful! Good luck! Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

  

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