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My puppy bites playfully. How do I stop her from nipping us?

Updated On September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Dog | Boxer | Female | unspayed | 1 month and 27 days old | 25 lbs

My grace is 53 days old , she is healthy puppy eats good poops good but she bites anything, she has her chews and toys yet she bites us though in a playful way. How do I stop her from biting us?

3 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 March 28th, 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 littermate puppy would do if they bit too hard), then walk away from the situation. More than anything, Grace 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. 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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Other Answers

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

    Veterinarian, Certified Veterinary Acupuncturist, Certified Canine Rehabilitation Practitioner

    Published on January 19th, 2018

    I certainly understand and sympathize with your situation. I have one younger dog that is much too high energy for my older dogs. You didn't mention Susson's age, but I have a few suggestions for you that have helped me. Don't forget that 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 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. I also found that allowing him to play with other dogs is 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. My older dogs do not play as rough as he wants to, so daycare has been great to allow him to play rougher with other dogs and come home tired. And 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 have found that my dog is the most tired after we have done a good round of training. And if taking a class isn't an option right now, work on training at home. When she goes on walks, make her sit at each corner before she crosses the street. It sounds simple, but additional mental stimulation can go a long way. Another thing that people think of to keep a puppy busy is treats that keep them busy for a longer period of time. This does seem to help. You can use long lasting treats like a Kong filled with peanut butter, yogurt, treats, etc and frozen so it takes longer for him to eat. My dog also really like Bully Sticks which I also freeze to make them last a little longer. Keep her mentally and physically busy during meal times. I love using a feeding balls like a Buster Cube or Tricky Treat ball to feed meals in. It keeps my dog busy for at least 5-10 minutes at each meal and requires him to work. There are a number of interactive dog games and toys available now. Outward Hound makes a number of toys that your dog has to figure out a puzzle of some type before they get a treats. Here are some ideas for those. https://www.petco.com/shop/en/petcostore/category/dog/dog-toys/dog-games-and-puzzles/interactive-dog-toys I have not tried the Clever Pet yet, but it is an electronic interactive toy that I am intrigued about. https://clever.pet So, I think the key is to vary her activities daily and include a wide range of physical and mental stimulation. Be sure to be creative to tire her out on a regular basis and help everyone keep their sanity. Good luck! I hope that was helpful. Thanks for using PetCoach.

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    1Pet Parents found this answer helpful

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

    Veterinarian, Certified Veterinary Acupuncturist, Certified Canine Rehabilitation Practitioner

    Published on December 1st, 2017

    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 pitches 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. 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. If you haven't tried it yet, look into your local dog park or doggy daycare center. It sounds like Sugar has a lot of energy that she doesn't know what to do with. In order to help keep her busy in her kennel, I would try to use long lasting treats like a Kong filled with peanut butter, yogurt, treats, etc and frozen so it takes longer for him to eat. My dog also really like Bully Sticks which I also freeze to make them last a little longer. I would also try to keep her mentally and physically busy during meal times. I love using a feeding balls like a Buster Cube or Tricky Treat ball to feed meals in. It keeps dogs busy for at least 5-10 minutes at each meal and requires them to work. And speaking of working. I have found that my dog is the most tired after we have done a good round of training. A basic obedience class is so important for a puppy. They want to behave, but don't know what to do with their energy. Even if you have done a basic obedience class, I would consider trying an advanced class, a nose work class, a tricks class, etc. And if taking a class isn't an option right now, work on training at home. When she goes on walks, make her sit at each corner before she crosses the street. It sounds simple, but additional mental stimulation can go a long way. I hope that was helpful! Good luck! Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

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    1Pet Parents found this answer helpful

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