Ok you’re probably desperate for some help with that puppy biting.
Most new puppy owners find this phase the most challenging of all. I get it and I'm here to help!
I’m going to start off right away with one tip on what NOT to do.
Don’t speak!
Yes, really!
Do NOT do the thing that humans naturally want to do, which is saying “
no,
no bite, stop that,
bad puppy” or more.
Obviously, your puppy wasn’t born speaking your language and he or she doesn’t
understand what your words mean just yet.
Talking too much to our dogs, and thinking that they understand,
is a habit that humans do, but it’s not helpful.
So what SHOULD you do if you have a land shark biting puppy on your hands?
Well that’s the topic of today’s video.
Stick with me and I’ll give you
10 great tips on how to get through this very challenging phase of puppy raising!
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Michele here with How To Train a Dream Dog..
Before I go into my biting tips, let’s set a few expectations first.
I know you know this, but I need to remind you: Biting is a NATURAL behavior for dogs.
So instead of taking it away entirely, we have to teach them to do it
only on certain items - like their toys.
I like to use the analogy of a child drawing on a wall.
You don’t want them to use pens or markers on your wall, so you redirect them to paper.
You don’t take away the pens or markers entirely,
because writing and drawing are natural behaviors for children!
Redirecting to the appropriate item is a critical part of managing biting.
Redirection won’t work the first time you do it. It won’t work the second or the third.
But it WILL work if you are consistent.
It’s going to take TIME and it’s going to take TRAINING for these
lessons to really sink in to your little pup.
Getting everyone in the household on the same page,
being consistent,
being patient and working on it every day
are all so important to address this and other unwanted behaviors.
Now, puppies bite for a few different reasons, and it’s important to take note
of why they are biting because this can really help solve this problem…
Here are the top 5 reasons puppies bite:
Exploring: Puppies explore the world with their mouths.
They don't have thumbs to pick things up and investigate new and interesting
objects...instead they use their nose and mouth (and teeth) to check things out.
So if your hand is sweaty, has lotions on it or smells like food…
your puppy is more likely to nip and bite.
They aren’t doing it to hurt you,
they are doing it because they are curious and this is their way of getting more information.
Next up… Natural Urge: Puppies have a natural urge to chew and bite.
If you do not give them the right things to chew on they will chew on you and your furniture.
This is why it’s important to have good toys on hand when you have a puppy.
You can check out this video about some great chew toys I recommend and this one if you have
a Super Chewer in the house.
Here’s another reason why your little furry friend is a land shark: Teething:
Puppies who are teething - which usually takes place between 3 and
6 months - will naturally want to chew and bite.
You probably know that it can take more
than 20 years for humans to transition to their adult teeth, including wisdom teeth.
But for puppies, all those teeth grow in, fall out and the adult ones come in IN THE FIRST YEAR.
That is a LOT of teeth moving around and its probably really uncomfortable, don’t you think?
You're going to want to help your puppy soothe those sore gums by providing not only good
chew toys but things that feel good like frozen filled Kongs or other toys that can be filled.
I have a great video with some excellent options.
My pups tested out a lot of different fillable toys and
can tell you which ones they liked the best.
And you can check out this video to see what other healthy options you can stuff
in your Kong to keep them busy and aid those sore gums.
Next on the list… Movement:
Puppies are naturally drawn to movement which is why,
when you attempt to pet them, they might nip at your hands.
Or have you ever just walked through the room and been the subject of a land shark attack?
Hang tight, I’m getting to those remedies in just a moment…
but keep this in mind if you have kids who like to run through the house…
your pup is naturally drawn to those movements.
Ok, last on the list of reasons why puppies bite: the schedule.
Wait! What? “What do you mean, Michele?”
Well, believe it or not one of the biggest indicators of when
biting will be better or worse is the schedule.
You see, puppies who are riled up and have tons of that playful puppy energy
are likely to take it out in a way that comes naturally to them: mouthy play.
Likewise, if a puppy is overtired and needs a nap,
they have very little impulse control and that can result in.. you guessed it… more mouthy play.
You can see what I mean from this amazing graphic I share
a lot in my FB group, puppy training w/ Michele Lennon.
By watching the schedule and noting when biting is worse or better,
you can take note of how you should adjust your pup’s playtime and nap time.
Most of the time, puppy biting has to do with an overtired dog.
You won’t know for sure until you start watching the schedule and pick up patterns of behavior.
Just remember, your dog’s behavior is telling you something. Are you listening?
Ok on to the juicy stuff!! The tips to reduce all this biting…
#1 - Always have the right toys for your puppy to chew on.
Nylabones, antlers, marrow bones and Kongs
are great toys to have on hand for a biting & teething puppy.
Don't waste money on stuffed toys that can easily be chewed apart and ingested.
Puppies can tear apart and swallow stuffing or squeakers
and cause a blockage that needs to be surgically removed.
When your puppy goes to bite you,
you’ll need to redirect him to a toy, and reward handsomely when he engages with it.
Remember what I said about having patience.
You will likely have to redirect hundreds of times - yes hundreds - before your dog
has the intellect and maturity to start changing his behavior.
But there are more things you can do to work through this process with your sanity intact.
#2 - Like I mentioned, puppies are drawn to movement
so if you reach to pet your pup, or try to walk away,
and your puppy nips and bites at you, note this was a trigger.
Whatever that action was, it’s triggering your pup to go for it.
It could be your child running into the room,
or you reaching down for a food bowl, or maybe opening a drawer to get out a treat.
When you figure out what that trigger is, it’s time to change up the sequence.
The more your dog gets to practice that habit, the harder it will be to break.
You can teach your dog what you want him to do at that moment instead.
Maybe he needs to sit politely while you fill his food bowl,
or wait on a mat while you get out a treat.
I can help you with those skills and many more as part of my online course.
Before I move on with the tips, I have some homework for you.
After you finish this video I want you to watch this one.
That video contains an amazing overview of how dogs learn
and how we can train them NOT to do the thing that drives us crazy.
It has so many good tips in there, you’ll find them to be helpful as you work on this.
#3 - Yelping “OUCH” or saying “eh-eh” doesn’t necessarily work.
Instead we recommend you teach what we call an “interrupter cue”
which is really just a noise that you have trained your dog to stop and take note of.
He will take note because you trained him to,
NOT because you scared him or he’s afraid of what you’ll do next!
This cue is only to get him to stop what he’s doing so you have a quick moment to
grab a toy or
put down what’s in your hands, so you can get ready to redirect.
Most people use a kissy noise or maybe a word like “hey” given with a neutral - not angry - tone.
You will need to first pair this word with treats while training,
so your dog learns that he SHOULD pay attention to it - because good things happen when he does!
Here comes tip #4 - Encourage forms of play that do not include touching your puppy,
such as fetch or gentle games of tug.
This flirt pole or extra long toy are great for these interactions,
which keep human hands away from puppy mouths.
I also like a long rope toy like this one. You can see where my hand is,
and how far away it is from the puppy. That’s a good thing!
And another pro tip for the flirt pole...
This is a great toy for puppies who love to chase - and most of them do.
Tie a favorite toy to the end here and you can really have
some fun while getting your puppy some exercise.
Save the jumping for when your puppy is full grown, however. Keep this on the floor for now.
Tip #5 is… Rotate the toys. Every couple of days, switch out the toys so they seem new and
interesting.
You might even store a few of them in the dog food
bag so they have a new scent and are especially interesting!
You can also give your dog a choice of what toy they might want to play with
that day! You might be surprised by his favorites.
#6 - Exercise your puppy! Your puppy should be getting mental and physical exercise
multiple times a day.
A puppy that has a ton of pent up energy will be more likely to bite.
They need an outlet to release all that puppy energy, otherwise they take it out on you or
your home.
If you haven’t already incorporated them,
definitely try Decompression walks as often as your dog seems to like them.
Most of my students report that these walks are key when it comes to reducing biting.
Moving on to tip #7 - Watch your body posture. Your body posture towering over
your pup may cause her to get excited and jump to greet you… with her mouth.
Alternatively, I have students who have figured
out that sitting down on the floor became the trigger for over-excited behavior.
Note your body posture when it comes to biting and change things up to see how it helps.
When doing training, I usually suggest sitting on a stool
or a chair, depending on the size of the dog.
Again, if you’re paying attention you’ll pick up on patterns of biting,
and then you’ll be able to switch these up to prevent it.
Tip #8 - Manage your environment.
That means using baby gates and puppy pens and
crates so your pup has some space for cool down times and safe alone time.
This helps him take a break from whatever excitement might be happening,
and it allows you to take a break and refocus on your training or what’s next on the schedule.
Keep in mind that crates and pens are never used as punishment,
but they can help refocus or redirect your pup and give them much needed rest.
Remember that puppies sleep a LOT, sometimes up to 18 or 20 hours a day.
But puppies often need some help transitioning from a high energy activity to a nap,
so do a few lower energy activities to help him settle before putting him in the crate.
#9 - Reward the behavior you want to see more of.
This means that if your pup comes up to you and greets you without jumping
and biting - reward that!
You don’t have to use treats for every reward. Kibble can work too,
especially if it’s the same brand but a different protein source.
At the pro level of my online course we have a fun activity called the 50 Kibble Challenge.
We are focussed on rewarding our dogs for doing things that we like,
which helps build up those skills and extinguish things we don’t like.
The key here is to catch the behaviors you like BEFORE they lead to the ones you don’t!
My pup Pickles gets rewarded when he sits nicely at the door when guests arrive.
He’s a social guy so that’s hard for him but we work on it every day!
Last but not least.. Tip #10 - Training.
Yes, you CAN train your dog not to bite on you,
but you’ll want to work on this outside of the time the biting is happening.
This means teaching your dog that good things happen when
he engages with his chew toy - not your hand!
We have a few games in my online course where we work
with the dog to choose the right thing - and he gets tasty treats!
Remember that this training cannot happen
in the moment of biting, it’s something you work out during training sessions.
Just like we can’t train the kicker to kick while he’s at the Superbowl.
I want you to Work on this in practice sessions so you’re ready for the real thing!
There is no one size fits all approach to biting, but with these tips you can work
through what’s happening in your home and with time and training, it will get better.
If you’re finding this phase particularly challenging,
consider enrolling in the pro level of my online course.
We can examine
what might be triggering the biting, how the schedule might need an adjustment,
and what you can do in training to help minimize biting.
We can work with you in a personalized way to design a plan just for you and your pup!
If that’s something you’d like, check out the link to 30 Days to Puppy Perfection
using the link below.
Before I wrap up today I just want to share a few NOPE tips.
There are tons of people out in the world giving horrible advice on how
to address biting. I hate to even mention them but I will for the sake of education.
These are aversive techniques that will lead to a breakdown in your relationship
and likely a frustrated, distrusting, MORE mouthy dog. So please don’t do these things:
1. Never hit your puppy when they bite 2. Never hold your puppy's mouth closed tight
3. Never yell at or create scary noises when your puppy is biting.
4. Never put them in their crate for punishment when they are biting. You can calmly
start a cool down activity followed by putting them in their crate for a rest.
5. Whenever you want to adjust your dog’s behavior, never leave them hanging. Always
teach them an alternate behavior or what you’d like them to do instead.
Ok that was a whole lot. But biting is a whole lot! I can’t solve it for you in a single YouTube
video but I think with these tips, you’ll be well on your way to surviving the land shark phase.
But you know where to find me if you need more help!
In the comments below, tell how old is your puppy
and what he or she loves to bite on…. Other than you!