Do you have a bitey puppy? Puppy biting is a normal stage of puppyhood. But this stage can also be challenging for us in figuring out how to stop the biting or how to live with a ‘bitey’ puppy.
Here are common reasons for puppy biting and tips for how to manage through this puppy stage:
TIP #1 – What to do when puppy is biting right now
The first strategy is to help your puppy play appropriately by giving them a toy as a better place to put their mouth:
-
A long or large soft stuffed toy often works well
-
Hold that toy at one end while the puppy mouths and bites the other end
-
If that puppy mouth moves towards your hand --> gently move the toy back towards the puppy mouth for biting
-
If the puppy persists in moving their mouth towards your hand --> hold your hand and the toy still – ending the ‘toy game’
-
When the puppy softens their mouth and moves off your hand --> immediately resume gently wiggling the toy while they mouth the toy
The second strategy is working on preventing the need for your puppy to bite (more below).
4 Common reasons for puppy biting
Common reasons for ‘bitey’ behaviour are (1) overtiredness, (2) being hungry, (3) lack of predictability in their daily routine and (4) not knowing how to settle.
At this age they don’t yet have the skills to regulate themselves or ask you to meet their needs in a different way.
TIP #2 – Four strategies for preventing puppy biting
1. Prevent overtiredness in your puppy
Just like toddlers who get cranky when they don’t get enough sleep, puppies get bitey when they’re over tired.
-
Is your puppy getting enough sleep/rest throughout the day? Puppies need 16-18 hours a day of quality sleep and rest
-
Is puppy’s sleeping area in a quiet part of the home away from busy areas?
-
At the same time, they likely need their sleeping area to be near enough you so that they can settle without concern about being alone
-
Establishing a routine around sleep will help signal when it’s time to sleep – good puppy sleep usually follows food, water, toilet, some exercise/play
2. Ensure your puppy is not overly hungry
Puppies grow fast, including growth spurts which we can’t always anticipate. Here are some tips to help meet their needs for satisfying hunger:
-
Up to the age of 6 months, puppies do best on 4 meals a day: breakfast, mid-day, late afternoon, evening (1 hour before bed)
-
At the age of 6 months onwards, you can gradually move towards 3 meals a day
-
At the age of 9+ months, you can move towards 2 meals a day
-
Weigh out food to make sure they’re getting enough – if puppy appears to be still very hungry, increase the amount being fed
-
For late afternoon and evening feeds, we recommend enrichment feeding
-
Using stuffed Kongs and lickimats for wet foods, scattering kibble on a snuffle mat or in the back garden for foraging
-
Licking, chewing, foraging, sniffing out food are all activities that promote calmness in a dog
-
You may have to help puppy with enrichment feeding to start – pointing out where the kibble is scattered, helping find each kibble, holding the Kong until puppy gets a good hold of it
3. Put in place predictable daily routines
-
Predictable routines help puppy learn when to expect food and sleep when they really need it, but also to know when it’s play time v. rest time
-
Building in predictability into puppy’s daily routine, centred around your household routine, is really important but can be trickier to implement
-
This might mean adapting your routine in the short term – less tv watching or social media scrolling while you help them learn to forage meals or use enrichment toys for eating
4. Start teaching your puppy a good settle behaviour
-
We can teach puppies that settling near you is a rewarding and happy but calm activity
-
A settle behaviour that’s positively reinforced is a good foundation skill for life
We offer puppy consultation sessions to help you put in place good daily routines to support your puppy’s growth and development. If you find you still need help in getting those sharp puppy teeth at bay, please get in touch 😊
Nada Chebib KPA-CTP ABTC
www.onkewdog.co.uk
ID 1: A small tri-colour curly coated terrier puppy is biting the end of a pink bed sheet in his mouth and tugging. He is standing on a bed with white sheets and the walls behind him are white.
