My teething puppy bites me, not toys. How to stop painful biting?

Related Answers from Veterinarians

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  Answered By Jenny, DVM

  Veterinarian

  Published on August 1st, 2017

  You can invest is different chew toys such as the elk antlers or water buffalo horns as they are stronger and more durable than raw hides. Kong also has good products for large breed puppies that you can fill with their different flavor sprays to make chewing a little more challenging therefore they do not get bored as easily. It is important to rotate the toys so he doesn't always have the same ones or he will get bored. When he bites you or something that is not allowed, you have to be consistent and tell him no then replace it with something that is appropriate until her learns the difference

  

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  Answered By Mara Howard, DVM

  Veterinarian

  Published on September 30th, 2017

  Congratulations on your new puppy! Play biting behavior is normal for puppies, but something that needs to be discouraged in regards to people. When Teddy begins to nip at you, drop the tone of your voice as deep and low as possible, say sternly “no bite” (don’t yell or get over excited) and turn your back on him for 30 seconds. If he continues trying to jump or bite at you continue to move away with your back toward him until he gives up and sits down. When he does that, calmly say “good boy” and very gently let him without getting him excited, and then give him an appropriate toy to chew on. With time, he will learn that biting at hands stops playtime and will decrease that behavior. If this doesn’t work or the behavior is persistent, I would recommend either setting up a consult or reaching out to your regular veterinarian for further advice. Good luck!

  

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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 12th, 2018

  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. It sounds like Toffee is grabbing at anything he can to get you to play with him, so you need to teach him what is appropriate to play with. You may need to use a baby gate or a kennel to keep Toffee away from your pants while you are working on training him. 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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