How to Stop Your Puppy from Biting Fast

Is your puppy biting you and other members of your family? Are you at your wit's end trying to figure out how to teach him not to bite? Whether the biting is playful or aggressive, this behavior must be stopped, now. If the puppy is allowed to continue biting while he is young, he will bite as an adult dog and that can spell big trouble for both you and your dog.

If a puppy nips one of its brothers or sisters a little too hard play will stop. Dogs are social creatures. If they weren't they would not live in packs. By being ignored the puppy is punished and quickly learns what is and isn't acceptable behavior. In our world your puppy finds itself separated from its Mum and its brothers and sisters. How on earth is your puppy supposed to know that puppy biting is not acceptable when its natural family isn't around to teach it right from wrong? Just like you don't understand 'Dog' your puppy doesn't understand 'English'. So how do you cure puppy biting?

•    You are going to achieve results by making your puppy earn everything. By behaving itself it will be rewarded. The ultimate reward is your attention. Playing, praising, stroking, walking, feeding and of course, the odd doggie choc is all rewards. Choose a quiet room without any distractions and play with your puppy. As soon as it starts mouthing offer its chew toy and praise it when it uses it.

Remember to use a keyword for the toy so that your puppy learns what it is. If this is successful keep the session short to prevent your puppy from getting too excited and from biting. If your puppy is like mine was, you probably won't have immediate success with this exercise. Your puppy will have probably nipped you before you even get to offer the chew toy.

•    You need to appreciate that although chewing and biting are not the same, the two are closely related in terms of solving the problem. The pet stores are full of chew toys. Buy some because you are going to use them to both stop puppy biting and save your home from destruction by puppy chewing! You will give the toy to your puppy every time it attempts to chew something it shouldn't. You are also going to use chew toys to stop biting.

•    Either yelp or shout 'ouch' when your puppy bites you. Use the same noise or word so that your puppy learns that this is the noise humans make when hurt and that teeth hurt. You must yelp or shout 'ouch' the moment you are nipped and you must use sufficient volume to startle your puppy so that it has your immediate attention.

•    After shouting ignore your puppy. Remember this is the ultimate punishment. This little-known trick is an effective way of teaching your puppy the connection between that noise/word and punishment. Do not touch or talk to it (these are rewards), just leave the room without looking at it and close the door. Leave your puppy for about a minute and then return to the room and resume play. The moment your puppy mouths your skin you offer its chew toy and praise it when it uses it. When your puppy bites you again you once again shout out and leave the room. You repeat this over and over again until your puppy learns what acceptable use of its mouth is.

•    When appropriate encourage your puppy to interact with other dogs, family members, and strangers so that your puppy develops into a confident, considerate well behaved dog. A confident dog is unlikely to resort to biting. You must build your puppies confidence while teaching it that biting is unacceptable.

You now have in your possession all the basic knowledge you need to stop your puppy biting forever but please remember that all puppies are different. If your puppy needs a little more time please be patient and stick with the technique. The main key to learning how to stop a puppy from biting is to be consistent with your training. Do not expect your dog to understand what you are trying to teach him on your first attempt. By following these simple steps, and with continuous and consistent training, you can ensure your puppy will grow into a healthy, well-behaved dog.