Puppies naturally nip at each other during play with other puppies but what happens when
you’re the one getting nipped?
In this video, I’m going to fill you in on the dos and don’ts when it comes to puppy
nipping
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Michele here with How to Train a Dream dog
One of the most frustrating things that puppy owners deal with is all the biting and nipping
You want to be able to play with your puppy or snuggle with your puppy and instead, your
puppy sees you as their chew toy
Puppies have 28 razor-sharp teeth that eventually turn to 40 teeth as your pup gets their adult
teeth in
Puppies use those teeth to play with their littermates when they are pouncing, jumping,
rolling and pulling during playtime
When pups are little they are learning something called bite inhibition or how hard or soft
they can bite
When another pup yelps or their mother growls they know they’ve gone too far
The problem is you will not be able to duplicate the same sounds another dog makes nor do you
need to
Yelping can work but it may take some trial and error
Too high a pitch and your puppy may see this as an invitation to bite more or even harder
Sometimes it takes just the right tone to interrupt your pup’s nipping
It’s important to note that you can’t yell at your dog and create fear and you certainly
don’t want to inflict pain
So I do not recommend grabbing their mouth, tapping their nose, or yelling “no bite”
These methods are not effective and will actually agitate your pup even more.
I mention these because I often see bad advice online and in social media where people share
these methods as ways to stop the biting
I strongly recommend you avoid that kind of bad advice
Knowing what makes the nipping worse will help you make better choices about your interactions
with puppy
For starters, puppies are drawn to movement
Hands, feet, flowing clothing and fabric all pique your pup’s interest
Pups are drawn to these things because they move
This means you can bet that if your hands approach a puppy or you try to walk through
a room your puppy WILL be drawn to you and will bite
Instead, always approach a dog with a toy in hand, add some movement to the toy, make
the toy more enticing
Handing a toy to a pup without adding in some movement, to make it exciting is like handing
a kid the directions to filing your taxes… boring
The key to avoiding getting bit is to play with the right size toy so you have space
between where your hand goes and where your pup can grab on and bite
If the toy is too small your pup will likely bite too close to your hand.
Kids always seem to get bit since they move sporadically, they are lower to the pup’s
level on the ground and tend to make higher squealing sounds that rile pups up
For more information on appropriate interactions with kids and dogs check out this video here
Something super important to consider when you are trying to stop puppy nipping is…
consider your dog’s energy level
A dog that just woke up from a nap is going to have a lot of pent up energy to release
Without the right outlet, you may become the target of all the nipping
Your puppy needs both mental and physical exercise several times throughout the day
Mental exercise can come in the form of canine enrichment like the ideas found in this video
here and training games like the ones found in our
Online puppy training program called 30 days to Puppy Perfection
Not only will you learn the games to play to help your dog with biting but also all
the other skills like impulse control, manners and obedience
The link to the course is in the description below this video
Once your pup can tire out their brain you’ll start to see them relax more
You’ll want to make sure they get enough physical exercise as well to drain out all
that pent up energy
This means you’ll need to go for a couple of walks each day as well as allow your pup
space to run and play in the yard
You can check out this video for more ideas about puppy exercises to help tire them out
Now the key to curbing the nipping is to make sure your puppy sticks to a balanced schedule
throughout the day that includes exercise, training, play and naps
You heard me right, naps
Another reason puppies nip and bite is because they are overstimulated and tired
Puppies 8-10 weeks sleep a lot or at least they should be given the opportunity to do
so
It’s common for puppies to sleep upwards of 18 hours per day
But often puppy owners don’t realize the need for these naps or how long they really
should be napping for
Naps should be about 1-2 hours at a time
They should be napping in their crate, with the door closed and the cover on.
I talk more about crate training and how you can use the crate during naptime in this video
here
Without naps puppies become cranky and overstimulated, this leads to more than just nipping and biting
It can also lead to barking, jumping, and destructive behaviors
If you find that your pup has been out of their crate for about 1-2 hours and they seem
to be biting, nipping and just not abe to settle
Kinda like a little kid jacked up on sugar who has been at the amusement park all day
and desperately needs to go to bed
Then it’s time to put them in their crate for naptime
Honestly, the best thing to do is not to let your pup tip over what we call the threshold
This means we try to catch them before they get too cranky and overtired
Sometimes when they have tipped over they will have a tougher time settling in their
crate and they will bark, cry, and try to get your attention
If this happens you may want to watch this video here all about stopping a puppy from
crying in the crate
Before I share my last few tips to nip this biting be sure to hit that subscribe button
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Ok so far we’ve talked about yelping appropriately, redirecting to an appropriate toy, evaluation
your puppies energy level and either exercising puppy, or giving puppy downtime for a nap
in their crate
One of the best ways to curb the nipping is to teach your puppy what you want them to
do instead
It really is better to teach your puppy something productive instead of constantly correcting
them for a behavior that is natural to them
Just like babies who put their hands in their mouths… it’s a natural instinct
Teaching your puppy new behaviors takes time, it doesn’t happen instantly
We can actually teach our pups how to appropriately interact with us by playing a few of the key
training games such as hand touch and bump it
We cover these games inside our online puppy training course
I do want to mention that puppy biting can last a few months especially as your pup goes
through the teething stage
This usually starts around 10-12 weeks and goes till your pup is about 6 months
This means that if you’re looking for that 1 quick fix to stop the nipping or biting,
you’re looking for something that doesn’t exist.
What you should be doing is working through the management techniques I mentioned.
The nipping and biting don’t just go away on its own.
You do have to have an active part in the training process in order for your pup to
eventually stop the unwanted behaviors
If you have tried the above-mentioned tips and still find yourself struggling with nipping
It’s time to evaluate your interactions with the puppy
All too often I evaluate training videos and see puppy owners incorrectly interacting with
their pups
They are down on the floor on their pups level, they are inconsistent with their movements
and as mentioned before this draws pup in to nip and bite
They are taunting, teasing and touching pup which is actually riling them up even more
When you drop your body posture, lean over, sit on the floor, get down on your dog’s
level
This is extra super exciting for your puppy, this makes them think it’s time to jump
on your, nip at you and engage with you like they would another dog
They do not see you as their equal or like another dog but you are in play position when
you’re lower to the ground
This is one of the reasons I have kids sit on a stool or chair when playing with their
puppy
I also tell adults to get up off the floor and stand tall
Take your attention away and only give attention when your pup is showing you good behaviors,
and calmness
Remember your attention is a form of a reward.
If you are petting your puppy, playing with your puppy, talking to your puppy when they
are offering up unwanted behaviors like nipping and biting
You are actually accidentally rewarding them for the very behavior you’re trying to stop
If you’ve attempted to play with your puppy and they will not stop biting, you know they
don’t need a nap and they have already had some exercise…
then it’s time to let them play by themselves in their puppy pen.
We use the puppy pen to limit pup’s space so they don’t have accidents all over and
so they can stay out of trouble instead of chewing on your belongings like furniture,
and electrical cords
And still, play their toys and chew on their bones or frozen filled kongs
Kongs are great for teething puppies as they can help soothe sore gums and keep yur pup
occupied at the same time
Here’s a great video for some Kong FIller ideas.
Remember puppy nipping doesn’t go away immediately or without you working through the tips I
provided in this video.
Be patient with your puppy.
They are like babies and need to be taught and are a blank slate ready and waiting for
you to teach them each and everything you want them to know how to do.
Also, Your puppy is not stubborn!
Anytime you call your dog 'stubborn' or 'bad' you are judging their potential based on your
limitations as their trainer.
In the comments below tell me one positive thing about your puppy!