Quick and Easy Solutions for Puppy Biting
Originally published December 2018; updated August 2023
Puppy biting is a thing. In fact, it’s usually one of the biggest things my clients need help with.
Before getting to those quick and easy solutions for puppy biting, here are a few things to know:
1) The majority of dog professionals agree that most puppy biting is normal.
It might feel out of control or “aggressive,” but most biting is very normal. That does NOT mean you have to deal with it until puppy stops teething.
Your puppy’s age is a reality, but not an excuse.
For more on setting your own expectations, check out my post Puppies: There Will Be Teeth.
Although most biting is benign, sometimes it’s not. If your puppy’s biting feels like aggression, do not hesitate to get in touch with a qualified professional ASAP. Puppy aggression isn’t something to DIY or mess around with.
2) Some puppies bite more than others.
All puppies bite, but some bite more than others. Sometimes that due to breed: some breeds have been selectively bred to bite (the Belgain Malinois and Australian Cattle Dog are two examples). Sometimes it’s due to early experiences: puppies who had no littermates may bite more than those who grew up around puppies of a similar age.
3) Puppies are not biting all the time.
Although it might feel constant, there are periods where your puppy isn’t biting, and we're thankful for that! If you're struggling with puppy biting, ask yourself:
When is my puppy not biting?
What's different about the not-biting scenarios compared to the biting scenarios?
How can I make the biting scenarios look more like the not-biting scenarios?
The Solution for Puppy Biting
The solution for most normal puppy biting boils down to prevention and redirection.
The better your prevention - so he doesn’t bite you in the first place - the less pain you’ll experience.
One of the easiest ways to prevent puppy biting is to give your pup something else to do with his mouth. Just make sure to offer the treats or the yummy chew before he starts biting.
Holding the puppy. Hand feed yummy treats while holding the pup, or offer a yummy chew.
Petting the puppy. While petting with one hand, offer a toy or yummy chew next to the puppy's mouth with the other hand.
Putting on a leash/collar. Right before you begin to put the collar around her neck, drop a handful of very small treats on the floor. While she's busy scarfing them up, you can quickly snap the collar on.
If prevention fails, I utilize redirection to get the pup’s teeth back onto something legal.
And of course, I always recommend doing some reward-based training with your pup so she has some ways to interact with you that don’t involve biting. We cannot expect what we haven't taught.
