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My puppy keeps biting me. What's the best way to stop puppy nipping?

Updated On September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Dog | Siberian Husky | Female | spayed | 3 months and 10 days old | 54.3 lbs

I am not able to train Nova for bite inhibition. I tried positive reinforcement, doesn't work. I tried avoiding her she will come behind me and bite me. I tried yelping abd she bites even harder. I tried holding her muzzle or scruf of neck and she will bite even harder. I am open to suggestions. Currently I give her time outin a bathroom but once dhe is out she will bite again

4 Answers

Most Helpful Answer

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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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Other Answers

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    Answered By Jennifer Summerfield, DVM CPDT-KA

    Veterinarian, Certified Dog Trainer

    Published on February 19th, 2017

    Please don't hit Jessie for any reason - this is not an acceptable training method for puppies, and will not help her to learn what you want. Biting and mouthing are completely normal behaviors for puppies this age. This is how they explore the world, and how they instinctively want to play. Jessie does need a variety of different toys to provide an appropriate outlet for this behavior - long floppy fleece toys for tugging, plush toys for biting and carrying, and smaller toys or balls for chasing and fetching. Instead of putting the toy in her mouth, drag it along the ground enticingly to attract her attention, or toss it and encourage her to chase after it - these are much more effective ways of getting her interested in a toy than trying to put it in her mouth. If you have difficulty figuring out how to do this, I would recommend enrolling Jessie in a puppy kindergarten class, or scheduling a private lesson with a good reward-based trainer who can show you how in person. You can search for a qualified trainer in your area here: www.ccpdt.org

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    Answered By Jennifer Summerfield, DVM CPDT-KA

    Veterinarian, Certified Dog Trainer

    Published on December 3rd, 2016

    Biting and mouthing is a very normal behavior in puppies this age - this is how they explore the world, and how they instinctively want to play. Emily will grow out of this behavior as she gets older, but there are a few things you can do in the meantime to help. First, make sure that she has a variety of different toys to provide an appropriate outlet for this behavior - long floppy rope or fleece toys for tugging, plush squeaky toys for biting and carrying, and smaller toys or balls for chasing and fetching. She should also have lots of items for chewing such as bully sticks, cow or pig ears, large rawhide chews, and puzzle toys such as a Kong stuffed with peanut butter. If you are playing with her and she bites you, just redirect her to one of her toys and use that to play with her instead. If she bites your hands when you pet her, calmly stop petting and ignore her until she calms down. At this age, you may only be able to pet her when she is sleepy and calm - this is perfectly okay. Since it sounds like you're having some trouble training Emily, I would also recommend enrolling her in a reward-based training class or having a trainer work with you one-on-one to show you how to help her learn. You can search for a qualified trainer in your area here: www.ccpdt.org

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    Answered By Karly Macon, DVM, MS, CVA Certified Veterinary Acupuncturist

    Veterinarian

    Published on April 17th, 2017

    Biting is a normal part of puppy behavior. Provide plenty of safe puppy toys for her to exercise her teeth on, instead of on you! Check out this fantastic dog behavor and puppy socialization website for more great, free tips on how to encourage safe play: dogstardaily.com. Have fun!

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