Anyone who has ever been bitten by a dog knows how much it hurts. Puppies need to be taught how to be gentle with their mouths so they don't hurt people. You can train your puppy to stop biting using inhibition, redirection, and other strategies such as getting your dog to exercise often and using a dog trainer.
Step
Method 1 of 3: Teaching Pup Bites Inhibition
Step 1. Consider how a mother dog teaches her puppies not to bite
If a puppy bites another puppy or its mother too hard, the bitten puppy will bark a loud “yip”. This sound startled the biting dog and made it stop. If he continues to bite, the bitten puppy will bark and run away. Puppies bite because they want to play, so they will learn to stop biting so they can keep playing. You can use a similar procedure to teach your puppy not to bite you.
Step 2. Yell when the puppy bites you
If while playing the puppy starts to chew on you and bite or chew, bark loudly in a high pitched voice. This sound will startle the puppy and make it stop biting.
- Keep the hand drooping while you bark and stop playing. If he continues to bite, move away from the puppy; You can return to paying attention to your puppy only when his behavior is correct.
- If the dog still doesn't stop, try saying "Naughty!" in a firm voice and walk away from the dog. Go to another room and ignore the puppy for 10-20 seconds. This trick will act as a punishment and help you teach your puppy that playtime stops if he bites too hard.
Step 3. Praise the puppy if he behaves well
When the puppy backs off, make sure you give him lots of praise and start playing again. Keep repeating this process each time your dog nibbles or bites until it becomes softer over time.
Method 2 of 3: Using Diversion
Step 1. Learn about distraction
Another useful training method for stopping a puppy's bites and other unwanted behavior is redirection. The purpose of this training method is to divert the puppy's attention from your hands and body to something else it can bite, such as a chew toy.
Keep in mind that a puppy's teething period usually coincides with his learning not to bite. So make sure the puppy has adequate chew toys. This will help relieve the discomfort in your puppy's mouth while teaching him good manners
Step 2. Give the puppy a chew toy to distract him from your hand
If your puppy starts biting your hand, one way to stop it is to distract it from you. Have a chew toy handy when you're with your puppy to help teach him that he needs to chew on toys, not your hands.
Step 3. Play with the puppy
Another great distraction is playing with puppies. Try playing catch up if your dog starts biting you. If your pup prefers to play catch and throw, take him outside and throw a ball or frisbee at him. Anything your dog likes can be used as a good distraction.
Method 3 of 3: Using Other Strategies
Step 1. Socialize the puppy
A puppy's socialization is very important to help him learn normal dog behavior. Socialize from an early age when puppies are still with their mother and siblings. You take over socialization training after the puppy leaves his sibling and mother (around 8 weeks of age) until he reaches 12-14 weeks of age. During this time, expose the puppy to puppies, adult dogs, cats, and other humans (all shapes, sizes, and genders) along with various situations such as car rides, park scenes, and activities around the house.
All this socialization is done to prevent biting behavior because puppies who know how to socialize understand how to play with other puppies and don't bite at the symptom of a threat
Step 2. Discipline the puppy as needed
Do not allow bad behavior of puppies when brought into the house. Set clear boundaries, such as where the puppy can be in the house, when he can eat, and what he can play with. If a puppy breaks a line, discipline it immediately and be consistent.
- For example, if the puppy is not allowed to climb on the furniture, say "No!" to the puppy and return it to the floor.
- Never hit a puppy. This will only foster fear in the puppy, and a fearful puppy is difficult to make a good companion. Instead, discipline the puppy by teaching it what you want and rewarding positive behavior. These rewards can be small treats and lots of compliments. If your dog does something bad, ignore it until the bad behavior stops.
Step 3. Get the puppy to exercise frequently
Make sure your puppy gets plenty of exercise and plays safely every day. Puppies usually bite because they are bored and want to play. Teach the puppies playable games, such as throw and catch, frisbee and tug of war.
- Take the puppy for a short walk 1-2 times a day so you can both exercise together. It's best if you don't take long walks (less than 15 minutes) as your puppy's bones and joints are still forming and walking too long can hurt him. DO NOT take your puppy for a jog or run until he is over a year old.
- It's also a good idea to have at least 15-30 minutes of playtime to allow your puppy to channel his excess energy. This will help the puppy focus more on the training session, including not biting, as he will be calmer after playing.
Step 4. Use the services of a professional
If you're still struggling with your puppy biting behavior and all of the above methods don't work, consider taking your dog to a professional dog behaviorist or certified dog trainer. Many pet stores offer obedience courses that are professionally organized and can help with biting behavior in puppies.
Tips
- Be consistent with your practice. Training a puppy properly takes time and discipline. You need to consistently push rules and teach right-false to puppies.
- Start training with the puppy as soon as possible. The younger a puppy is when he starts training, the easier it will be to obey the rules.
- Don't forget to teach the "no-biting" exercise to everyone at home. If some householders allow the biting behavior and others don't, the puppy will be confused and training will become more difficult.
- If you have young children, don't let them get close to puppies until they learn not to bite people.
- Do not wave your hand or paw in front of the puppy's facial paw. This will encourage him to play and bite your leg or hand.
- Say "Ow!" vigorously, even if you do not feel pain when bitten. The puppy will respond and stop wanting to please you.
