How to stop my 11-week-old Siberian Husky puppy from biting?

Question

Hi, my 11 week old male Siberian Husky does not stop biting me, my husband and son. Despite taking him on long walks twice a day, giving chew toys and play time, every play session or relaxing petting session turns into him biting and sometimes growling. We tried many different ways to stop this behavior but there's no sign of him improving. We stopped play until he calmed down, distracted him with toys and yelped like another dog to no avail. As he grows, the bites get stronger. Thanks! Pet's info: Dog | Siberian Husky | Male | unneutered | 2 months and 22 days old | 45 lbs

Dr. Heidi DVM, CVA, CCRT, CVTP, CVSMT, CVCH · Accepted Answer

Congratulations on your new puppy! Play biting and being excessively "mouthy" is very common in puppies. It sounds like you are doing everything right. 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 littermate puppy would do if they bit too hard), then walk away from the situation. More than anything, your puppy wants to play with you. If you walk away, it is negative reinforcement, so they are 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 you are doing all of those techniques correctly. You also have to remember that Huskies are VERY high energy, so 2 long walks may not be enough for Ghost. You will likely need to be creative to find additional ways to tire him 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.

How to stop my 11-week-old Siberian Husky puppy from biting?

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