For puppies biting and mouthing is a natural part of their
development. They do this with their
mother and their brothers and sisters when they are quite young.
They also go through it while they are teething, the problem
can be when they do not grow out of it or if they are biting in
aggression. It is one of the most
important issues in training but everyone must know how to stop puppies from
biting.
When a puppy is with their mother, she has her own style on
how to stop puppies from biting. When a mother dog doesn’t like the way their
pup is treating them they yap at them and generally stop the play. As a surrogate mother or father to your
puppy, you must do the same. So if while
playing with your puppy he decides to nip at your hand rather than the cute toy
you are holding, yelp or make some kind of noise and walk away. Refuse to play.
Eventually your puppy will catch on that the fun times stop
the minute he uses his teeth. The important thing is to be consistent with
this. Don’t allow biting as part of the
play sometimes and then decide it isn’t okay later on. You must send clear messages to your puppy on
what is okay and what is not.
Another way to help stop puppy from biting is to be careful
of the games you play with him. Some
games such as tug of war, chase or tackle type games cause the puppy to want to
bite. It is important not to send mixed
messages by playing these bite provoking games and then being upset when the
puppy actually bites.
As with most unwanted behaviors that puppies can develop, a
lot has to do with how you take care of your puppy. A new puppy requires a good deal of time
spent walking them, training them, being with them and teaching them right from
wrong. You puppy will pick up signs from you.
In order to make sure they read more you correctly you must spend
time showing them what is acceptable and what is not. Not only do puppies need to spend time with
you learning, but they need physical exercise to burn off the tremendous amount
of energy they seem to have.
By giving them constructive ways to use their energy, such
as walks you accomplish many things.
They learn you are the leader, they get a chance to explore and they
learn what is acceptable and what is not.
