Dog obedience and training > Information > Puppy biting

Puppy biting

By Ty Brown

Many of my clients have complained about their puppies biting them. The puppy is having a great time playing and biting, but the owner is none too happy about this particular behavior.

The truth is that many puppies grow out of puppy biting on their own. For others, however, this behavior is only the beginning of certain dominant behaviors that, if not fixed, will wreak havoc once the puppy has grown up. I recommend that dog owners take control of the situation and fix this behavioral problem before it gets out of control. After all, it may be cute to wrestle with your Rottweiler puppy and allow him to bite you playfully, but once he has grown up, you may feel differently.

Understand that puppy members of the canine family in the wild also participate in puppy biting. Adult members of the pack have their methods to deal with this behavior when it gets out of hand. A typical reprove would involve a quick growl, accompanied by a nip at the puppy, followed by ignoring the puppy for a few moments. We can learn from and emulate this same formula.

When your puppy bites you quickly use your index finger to lightly rap him on the nose, tell him ‘no’ at the same time, and end your play session. Go back a few minutes later to resume play. When he bites, repeat the behavior.

It will take several times before you puppy realizes that his puppy biting is what is causing this negative reaction. But soon he will be able to associate the act of biting you with the rap on the nose and the end of the play session. These results are obviously negative, he will look to avoid what is negative, and will soon cease this annoying behavior