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Why does my 9-month-old puppy bite my hands? How can I stop it?

Updated On September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Dog | Mixed Breed Medium (23 - 60lb) | Male | neutered | 8 months and 4 days old | 53 lbs

How do I stop my nine month old Collie/Australian Shepherd mix from biting down on my hands and arms? He doesn't do it all the time. I avoid smacking him.

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2 Answers

Most Helpful Answer

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

Veterinarian, Certified Veterinary Acupuncturist, Certified Canine Rehabilitation Practitioner

Published on August 20th, 2018

Play biting and being excessively "mouthy" is very common in puppies. (And at 9 months old, Floyd is certainly still a puppy.) 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. Especially if Floyd is biting down, it is vital that he NEVER puts his teeth on a person. If he does, then you need to walk away and the play session is over. It will take a while, but he will get it. I also found that allowing my puppy 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. And Floyd is a herding breed dog, so he is smart with a lot of energy, so he needs a good outlet for his energy. I hope that was helpful! Good luck! Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

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

    Veterinarian, Certified Veterinary Acupuncturist, Certified Canine Rehabilitation Practitioner

    Published on June 19th, 2018

    Play biting and being excessively "mouthy" is very common in puppies. And it sounds like Benelly has developed his own game. It consistently gets a reaction out of the person and is always an interesting game for him. So, this behavior can be a challenge to stop in an energetic dog. 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. This technique will be a little challenging with Benelly because of his size at 9 months of age, but is worth incorporating into his training. There are a few other important concepts of training him. He should not get rewarded for biting (play should stop), he should get rewarded and be allowed to play when he does not bite, and you will need to find ways to tire him out and decrease his energy. 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. I also found that allowing him 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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