Puppies are basically hairy toddlers. They have no idea what they should and shouldn’t do, and it’s up to you to teach them the rights and wrongs of life. One of the biggest issues is to learn how to stop your puppy from biting and nipping.
Puppy teeth are like razor blades, and it can be quite painful when they catch you, let alone when they clamp down with meaning!
The good news is that there are ways to stop puppy biting fast, and look forward to a time when your hand isn’t constantly indented with tiny little holes!
It’s important to remember that puppies aren’t biting you out of spite or anger, they’re doing it because they don’t know any different. They have only been in contact with other puppies in their litter to this point and they don’t understand that human skin and puppy teeth aren’t meant to be a natural mix! The problem is, as your puppy grows, those nips and bites can be painful, and aggressive puppy biting is something which needs to be tackled quickly, especially if you have children in your household.
The best way to stop your puppy from biting fast is to be vocal and deny your puppy what they want. By doing this, they will learn far quicker.
“Ouch! That Hurts!”
So, a good way to tackle aggressive puppy biting or playful nips is to let your puppy know that when he or she bites and nips, it hurts. If you’re giving your puppy a treat and they snatch or bite, say “ouch” quite loudly, in a high pitched voice, and move your hand away. Your puppy will then learn that if he or she pulls out the teeth, they don’t get treats and they don’t get play time.
If your puppy wants to play and shows you by lunging at you teeth first, do the same thing. Yelp, and say “ouch” and move away quickly. Your puppy will quickly associate teeth and biting with not getting what they want. Over time, hopefully a short amount of time, they will stop with the aggressive puppy biting, because they want treats and they want play time.
In addition, when you’re playing, your puppy’s teeth should never once touch your skin. Practice the same theory, if you get nipped or bitten, make it known and move away. This is how mothers teach their puppies not to be aggressive with their siblings too.
You might have to take a few nibbles before this becomes known to your puppy, but it’s vital that you and those within your household all stick together and do the same thing. Over a short amount of time, your puppy will soon learn that when the teeth come out, good things don’t come their way!
For more tips here’s a video we love!
