DOG CARE

How to Train a Puppy not to Bite :Managing Behavior Issues like Mouthing, Nipping and Play Biting in Dogs

May 15, 2023

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How to Train a Puppy not to Bite :Managing Behavior Issues like Mouthing, Nipping and Play Biting in Dogs

Dogs are like children and they cannot communicate easily with you. They can only perform by doing some actions to put their point. They desire for attention when they perform some bad or good action and ultimately they gain attention from you, either it’s your negative or positive reaction. But, if it is your negative reaction, they are likely to repeat that action again. Well, the breeding and human aggravation is not only the reason of biting. Most dog bites happen when acting with familiar dogs thus it’s really very essential to know the requirement to educate people on how to avoid from such dog bites. It is very necessary to realize that any dog has the mental ability to bite and that too by inferring the common reasons why they bite, it is likely to prevent them.

Decoding dog bite warning signs

It’s important to learn to read your dog’s body language. A dog normally gives other warning signals before escalating to growling, lunging, or biting. Because some of this communication is subtle, you’ll need to observe your dog’s body language closely to learn what the signals are and what has triggered them. Warning signs leading up to a bite can include pupils dilating, hackles raising, ears going back, and lip licking. Take care to notice these sometime subtle warning signs. If you see any, cease interaction and try to remove the trigger, or stress factor, that is causing the dog to react in this way.

Some people discipline a dog for growling, thinking that the dog is being “bad” and that telling the dog not to growl will stop the behavior and fix the problem. However, growling is your dog’s way to communicate that they feel threatened by something or someone. If you punish your dog for growling, they might learn you don’t want them to tell you how they feel. And the next time, they might give you less warning before a possible bite.

Punishing the growling does not change the underlying emotional state that causes the behavior, but it does teach your dog not to communicate with you. Frequently, when a dog bite occurs seemingly out of nowhere, that dog has a history of having warning signals ignored or punished.

Why dogs bite

Dogs can display aggression and bite for a wide variety of reasons.

Trigger stacking: Every dog has noises, sights, etc. that induce a stress response. If they experience one of those triggers and are not able to decompress before experiencing another, it might lead to a bite. An example would be a reactive dog on a walk seeing multiple dogs in a row without being able to decompress. Then a biker passes by, and they lunge out to bite them.
Taking away their ability to warn: Like stated above, most dogs will give warning signs leading up to aggression. When they have been conditioned not to give those warning signs, they might escalate right to a bite.
Defensive aggression: This is fear based. These dogs are asking for space with their warning signs, but if pressured they might bite to get that space.
Offensive aggression: Dogs displaying this will go forward toward a person or animal even if given space.

How to Minimize Your Dog’s Mouthing and Nipping

Dogs spend a great deal of time playing, chewing and investigating objects. They also enjoy playing with people, of course. Puppies chew on our fingers and toes, and they investigate people’s bodies with their mouths and teeth. This kind of behavior may seem cute when your dog is seven weeks old, but it’s not so endearing when he’s two or three years old—and much bigger!

It’s important to help your dog learn to curb his mouthy behavior. There are various ways to teach this lesson, some better than others. The ultimate goal is to train your dog to stop mouthing and biting people altogether. However, the first and most important objective is to teach him that people have very sensitive skin, so he must be very gentle when using his mouth during play.

Bite Inhibition: Teach Your Dog to Be Gentle

Bite inhibition refers to a dog’s ability to control the force of his mouthing. A puppy or dog who hasn’t learned bite inhibition with people doesn’t recognize the sensitivity of human skin, so he bites too hard, even in play. Some behaviorists and trainers believe that a dog who has learned to use his mouth gently when interacting with people will be less likely to bite hard and break skin if he ever bites someone in a situation apart from play—like when he’s afraid or in pain.

Young dogs usually learn bite inhibition during play with other dogs. If you watch a group of dogs playing, you’ll see plenty of chasing, pouncing and wrestling. Dogs also bite each other all over. Every now and then, a dog will bite his playmate too hard. The victim of the painful bite yelps and usually stops playing. The offender is often taken aback by the yelp and also stops playing for a moment. However, pretty soon both playmates are back in the game. Through this kind of interaction, dogs learn to control the intensity of their bites so that no one gets hurt and the play can continue without interruption. If dogs can learn from each other how to be gentle, they can learn the same lesson from people.

When you play with your dog, let him mouth on your hands. Continue play until he bites especially hard. When he does, immediately give a high-pitched yelp, as if you’re hurt, and let your hand go limp. This should startle your dog and cause him to stop mouthing you, at least momentarily. (If yelping seems to have no effect, you can say “Too bad!” or “You blew it!” in a stern voice instead.) Praise your dog for stopping or for licking you. Then resume play. If your dog bites you hard again, yelp again. Repeat these steps no more than three times within a 15-minute period.

If you find that yelping alone doesn’t work, you can switch to a time-out procedure. Time-outs are often effective for curbing mouthy behavior in adolescent and adult dogs. When your dog delivers a hard bite, yelp loudly. Then, when he startles and turns to look at you or looks around, remove your hand. Either ignore him for 10 to 20 seconds or, if he starts mouthing on you again, get up and move away for 10 to 20 seconds. If necessary, leave the room. After the short time-out, return to your dog and encourage him to play with you again. It’s important to teach him that gentle play continues, but painful play stops. Play with your dog until he bites hard again. When he does, repeat the sequence above. When your dog isn’t delivering really hard bites anymore, you can tighten up your rules a little. Require your dog to be even gentler. Yelp and stop play in response to moderately hard bites. Persist with this process of yelping and then ignoring your dog or giving him a time-out for his hardest bites. As those disappear, do the same for his next-hardest bites, and so on, until your dog can play with your hands very gently, controlling the force of his mouthing so that you feel little or no pressure at all.

What to Do Next: Teach Your Dog That Teeth Don’t Belong on Human Skin

After you teach your dog to be gentle with his mouth, you can move on to the next step: teaching him to avoid mouthing people altogether. Try the following tips:

Substitute a toy or chew bone when your dog tries to gnaw on fingers or toes.
Dogs often mouth on people’s hands when stroked, patted and scratched. If your dog gets all riled up when you pet him, distract him by feeding him small treats from your other hand. This will help your dog get used to being touched without mouthing.
Encourage noncontact forms of play, such as fetch and tug-of-war, rather than wrestling and rough play with your hands. Teaching your dog to play tug-of-war prepares him for dealing with arousal and frustration. To keep tug-of-war safe and fun for you and your dog, you’ll need to follow strict rules. Once your dog can play tug safely, keep tug toys in your pocket or in a place where you can easily access them. If he starts to mouth you, you can immediately redirect him to the tug toy. Ideally, he’ll start to anticipate and look for a toy when he feels like mouthing.
Teach your dog impulse control with specific exercises such as sit, wait and leave it.
If your dog bites at your feet and ankles, carry his favorite tug toy in your pocket. Whenever he ambushes you, instantly stop moving your feet. Take out the tug toy and wave it enticingly. When your dog grabs the toy, start moving again. If you don’t happen to have the toy available, just freeze and wait for your dog to stop mouthing you. The second he stops, praise and get a toy to reward him. Repeat these steps until your dog gets used to watching you move around without going after your feet.
Provide plenty of interesting and new toys and things to chew so that your dog will play with them instead of gnawing on you or your clothing.
Provide plenty of opportunities for your dog to play with other friendly, vaccinated dogs. He can expend a lot of his energy playing with them and have less need to play roughly with you.
Use a time-out procedure, just like the one described above, but change the rules a little. Instead of giving your dog time-outs for hard biting, start to give him time-outs every time you feel his teeth touch your skin.
- The instant you feel your dog’s teeth touch you, give a high-pitched yelp. Then immediately walk away from him. Ignore him for 30 to 60 seconds. If your dog follows you or continues to bite and nip at you, leave the room for 30 to 60 seconds. (Be sure that the room is “dog-proofed” before you leave your dog alone in it. Don’t leave him in an area with things he might destroy or things that might hurt him.) After the brief time-out, return to the room and calmly resume whatever you were doing with your dog.
- Alternatively, you can keep a leash attached to your dog when you’re around to supervise him. Let the leash drag on the floor. Instead of leaving the room when your dog mouths you, you can immediately take hold of his leash and calmly lead him to a quiet area. When you get there, tether him to a heavy piece of furniture or put him behind a baby gate to confine him. Then leave the area or turn your back to your dog for the brief time-out. When the time-out is over, untie him or release him, and resume whatever you were doing.
If a time-out isn’t viable or effective, consider using a taste deterrent. Spray the deterrent on areas of your body and clothing that your dog likes to mouth before you start interacting with him. If he mouths you or your clothing, stop moving and wait for him to react to the bad taste of the deterrent. Praise him lavishly when he lets go of you. Apply the deterrent to your body and clothes for at least two weeks. After two weeks of being punished by the bitter taste every time he mouths you, your dog will likely learn to inhibit his mouthy behavior.
If your dog shows no reaction when you yelp, does not stop mouthing when you use time-out and isn’t deterred by bad tastes, another possibility is to make it unpleasant for him when he mouths. The following technique should only be used as a last resort—only if nothing else has worked. Carry a small can of peppermint or spearmint breath spray in your pocket so that it’s always handy. The instant your dog starts to mouth you, yell “Ouch!” and squirt a short burst of the breath spray directly into your dog’s mouth. He won’t like the taste, and he really won’t like the sensation of the spray. Your action should be swift and smooth. This tactic won’t work if it deteriorates into a wrestling match between you and your dog—and it definitely won’t work if your dog becomes aggressive or afraid of you. You should only need to use the spray a few times. If you’re uncomfortable using punishment and can’t implement it quickly and without struggling with your dog, it’s best to use the other procedures recommended here or seek professional help. (Please see our article, Finding Professional Behavior Help, to locate a qualified expert near you.)
Because mouthing issues can be challenging to work with, don’t hesitate to enlist the help of a Certified Professional Dog Trainer (CPDT). A CPDT will offer group or private classes that can give you and your dog lots of assistance with mouthing. Please see our article, Finding Professional Behavior Help, to find a CPDT in your area.

General Precautions

Avoid waving your fingers or toes in your dog’s face or slapping the sides of his face to entice him to play. Doing these things can actually encourage your dog to bite your hands and feet.
Do not discourage your dog from playing with you in general. Play builds a strong bond between a dog and his human family. You want to teach your dog to play gently rather than not at all.
Avoid jerking your hands or feet away from your dog when he mouths. Jerky movements might seem like a game to your dog and encourage him to jump forward and grab at you. It’s much more effective to let your hands or feet go limp so that they aren’t much fun to play with.
Slapping or hitting dogs for playful mouthing can cause them to bite harder. They usually react by playing more aggressively. Physical punishment can also make your dog afraid of you—and it can even cause real aggression. Avoid scruff shaking, whacking your dog on the nose, sticking your fingers down his throat and all other punishments that might hurt or scare him.

Managing a dog with behavior challenges

Managing is doing what is required to prevent your dog from practicing undesirable behaviors while offering your dog a great quality of life. It involves getting to know your dog, helping them to be as social as possible, and supervising them when necessary — with the goal of keeping your dog comfortable and safe for life. It’s about setting up the dog’s environment for success.

Every time your dog practices a behavior, they get better at it. If you allow your dog to continue practicing threatening behavior, you are putting yourself, the dog, and others in danger. Don’t wait for your dog to bite someone before getting help. Without help, a fearful dog might make a decision that could result in physical damage to someone. In some cases, that behavior could ultimately cost the dog their life. Don’t take that chance.

There are many ways to manage a dog and their environment, so they don’t get the opportunity to behave in a way that could get them into trouble. Every dog and every home are unique, of course, so management strategies for each situation will vary.

Some examples of good management strategies include:

Put signs around the house communicating current training protocols to keep everyone in the household on the same page regarding the dog’s training.
Erect physical and visual barriers, such as doors, X-pens, and baby gates, if necessary.
Train your dog to use a crate as their safe place.
When you are out in public with the dog, have them wear a vest that says “Dog in training” on it.
Train the dog to wear a basket muzzle.
Use high-value treats (things the dog finds particularly yummy) that can be given through a muzzle.
Use nutraceuticals (e.g., L-theanine) and aromatherapy (e.g., BlackWing Farms products) to help manage the dog’s overall emotional state.

Some of the Reasons Why Dogs Bite Are: Dominance and Authority

Pet dogs are like social animals and they can only express out through mouth or by doing some action. They bite because they want to build leadership in the pack. Canines generally use their teeth to offer connections to other group.

Alas, if your pet is untrained, it will use its teeth forcefully on a human being to talk or communicate. Though, nipping or biting is their own ways of being playful. So, if you want to defend dog biting, you must find out whether the pup is nipping out of fierceness or just playfully. It’s you to understand the dog’s behavior. This can make them stop biting or nipping.

Lack of Training

Dogs tend to bite because sometimes owners train them in a painful manner. They are not trained properly due to which, they don’t know how to behave with others. In this case, they start biting and so to stop this habit, owner should not use support that is extremely painful for the dog and this can make them angry and fearful too. Treat them firmly and properly while training.

Protection and Security

Pups are generally seen that they bite because of insecurity and the need to protect their place. They feel like somebody is going to harm them. So, never wake a dog suddenly while sleeping. Besides, if you want to take a dog’s food away, it’s better to do it in gently. Also, never try to move the dog off the bed without wheedling it softly or lightly.

Fear Biting

Dogs are just like human being. If you keep them on the defensive attitude, they will do anything to protect themselves. Fear biting is commonly maneuvered towards strangers. Nevertheless, they may feel endangered by family members if any of the members bend over the dog while they take rest. In this case, they may bite and nip. In fact, they also bite if you try to hug them while they take rest. Don’t let your children to pull on a dog’s tail playfully as they can bite your children once they become irritate.

Maternal Instincts

Dogs become bitter when she has puppies. They don’t like others to disturb or tease their puppies and to protect them they generally bite others. So, you must respect the material instincts and don’t allow children to approach young puppies around the other be careful while handling spring ones.

Physical Pain

Pain may cause dog to bite. If your pet has severe otitis, chronic injury, just teach your children to stay away from dog and hold them properly. Utmost physical discomfort will make your pet attack on you. If two dogs are fighting with each other, then the other one may get physical pain. In this case, one may bite you. So, communicate gently to approach them.

Warning Signs When Dogs Bite

The common inductions that cause dog bites will endow you to avoid these problems. They have some actions or behavior which can indicate you that they are going to bite you.

Be alert when:

Dog’s ears are pinned back typically and the fur along their back rises
Their white portions of eyes are more visible
They show off their teeth in anger

How to Stop Dog Biting?

To stop dogs bite, you have to take care of few things like:

Socialize your dogs

Pup socialization important for puppies or dogs to learn good behaviors. A well socialized pet know how to act, play with others and will not bite at the first sign of menace. They behave friendly while meeting other dogs outside.

Maintain your ascendancy over the puppy as soon you bring it at home

Though, puppies are very adorable and need special attention and care from owners. So, whenever you train your dog, always be polite and kind. Adjust clear boundaries where the pet is accorded to be in home or allowed to eat. If your puppy breaks any boundaries, try to teach him swiftly.

Admonish any biting at once by collapsing a verbal warning and then brushing off the puppy

Though, pet dogs are cute for their owners but sometimes their playful nipping becomes aggressive habits. Just give a clear verbal berate to them once they bite. Speak in stern voice and hold out your hand as if you are commanding. This will let them know that you are warning them to not behave so and you’ll not tolerate this kind of behavior. Secondly, you can also teach them by adjourning attention from the biting dog. Walk away from there and only bushel attention once they start behaving nicely.

Say “No” if your pet dog bites

If your dog is teething, say ‘No’ to them. If it bites or nips, jut give them a chew toy or bone to chew. As puppies like to chew things and if they’re teething, you should teach them that it’s a bad habit to bite others.

Make the dog feel that it hurts you every time when it bites

In animals, when dogs nip or bite each others, it stops only when they yelp in pain. So just say “Ouch!” or make a high yelp whenever they bite you. Stop playing with them afterwards, as they will understand that if it bites, you will stop playing with them.

Warn verbally when dog bites

Whenever you dog bites, don’t hit or slap it away, instead you can warn them verbally to not do it again. Use a spray bottle and spritz on dog’s face when it bites. This can make them stop their habit of nipping.

Proper exercise and safe play every day

Generally, dogs bite because they want to play or are bored. Leave your pet and allow them to play with children. Take your pup for a regular walk or jog every day.

Some ways to stop biting before it becomes a real problem include:

Using teething toys.Distracting with and redirecting your dog’s biting to safe and durable chew toys is one way to keep them from focusing their mouthy energies to an approved location and teach them what biting habits are acceptable.
Making sure your dog is getting the proper amount of exercise.Different dogs have different exercise needs based on their breed and size, so check with your veterinarian to make sure that yours is getting the exercise they need. Dogs—and especially puppies—use their playtime to get out extra energy. With too much pent-up energy, your pup may resort to play biting. Having them expel their energy in positive ways – including both physical and mental exercise – will help mitigate extra nips.
Being consistent.Training your dog takes patience, practice and consistency. With the right training techniques and commitment, your dog will learn what is preferred behavior. While sometimes it may be easier to let a little nipping activity go, be sure to remain consistent in your cues and redirection. That way, boundaries are clear to your dog.
Using positive reinforcement.To establish preferred behaviors, use positive reinforcement when your dog exhibits the correct behavior. For instance, praise and treat your puppy when they listen to your cue to stop unwanted biting as well as when they choose an appropriate teething toy on their own.
Saying “Ouch!”The next time your puppy becomes too exuberant and nips you, say “OUCH!” in a very shocked tone and immediately stop playing with them. Your puppy should learn – just as they did with their littermates – that their form of play has become unwanted. When they stop, ensure that you follow up with positive reinforcement by offering praise, treat and/or resuming play.
Letting every interaction with your puppy be a learning opportunity.While there are moments of dedicated training time, every interaction with your dog can be used as a potential teaching moment. Use the following video by Petco trainers to gain more useful tips and tricks for training your dog to stop biting.