How Do I Get My Puppy To Stop Biting
You can stop your puppy from biting by distracting him with something else he likes. Physical
punishment or yelling at your puppy can be ineffective when your puppy doesn’t understand
what the correct behavior is yet. So instead, try rewarding positive interactions between bites. If
your puppy continues to bite, you can try blocking his advances and not giving your puppy
attention at this time. Repeat the limp and yelp method several times. This should eventually
result in a timeout. Your puppy will learn to associate yelping with timeout.
Distracting your puppy from nibbling on other things
Aside, from the obvious consequences of play-biting, negative attention can also reinforce bad
behavior. By stopping play, you teach your puppy that biting is not rewarded. If your puppy bites
humans or other objects, distract them by providing alternative items. As a puppy grows, you’ll
have to provide different rewards for good behavior rather than giving in to the temptation to bite.
This can be achieved by using toys, food, or training as distractions.
One of the easiest ways to distract your puppy from chewing on other things is to use a toy.
Puppy’s love to explore the world with their mouths. Giving them a tug of war or a fetch game
will keep them entertained while ignoring your finger nipping. As a bonus, these games will also
train them to respond to the “drop it” cue. Making sure your puppy is supervised while they are
out of the crate can prevent them getting into things around the house.
Yelling at or physically punishing your puppy
A common way to discourage your puppy from biting is to yell at it or physically punish it. This is
will only cause more anxiety and misinterpretation. Instead of yelling at your puppy for biting, try
to redirect your puppy’s energy by giving it proper teething toys and plenty of playtime. Feed
your puppy three meals per day to reduce his urge to bite. Making them work for their meals
(enrichment) keeps your puppy busy and tired. When he is consistently fed, he won’t feel the
urge to bite.
If you want to stop your puppy from biting, you can put a leash on you puppy in the house to
redirect them away from objects. But you must remember that not all methods are effective.
Causing it to fear its owners or threatening behavior can make your puppy very insecure and
unconfident. Also, different people suggest different intensities and durations of an aversive
stimulus. In general, the stronger the force applied, the stronger the response. In fact, a painful
electric shock can be applied in milliseconds, whereas a barking dog might feel the same pain
for a few seconds.
Rewarding positive interaction between biting incidents
Using praise and treats to reward good behavior between biting incidents is an effective way to
discourage your puppy from biting. Overwhelming your puppy will only lead to more biting, so
focus on rewarding positive interactions. Try moving a toy around the floor while praising your
puppy. It is important to remember that repetition makes the behavior stick and you should focus
on rewarding positive interactions between biting incidents instead of focusing on punishing it.
Blocking your puppy's advances
Social withdrawal is a powerful tool for teaching a puppy to refrain from biting. If your puppy
chews on your hands, for example, you can avoid picking it up or playing with the puppy with
your hands around its mouth. This will confuse the puppy and they make the associtation they
wont get attention if they bite. Keep a log of the types of play your puppy engages in. If it starts
biting you, stop the play immediately. You can also try spraying your hand or leash with diluted
lemon juice.
It can be frustrating to ignore your puppy’s nipping, but remember that this behavior will reduce.
When your puppy nips, block their advances by closing a door or baby gate, or by returning to
the same spot. This will reduce the frequency and intensity of biting. Blocking your puppy’s
advances will only work if you can teach them not to bite in the same place.
You may also like:
5 Reasons why Dog Owners Need to Focus on their pet’s Mental Stimulation.