Those puppy teeth are SHARP so this is generally one of the biggest things people want help with! My main approach to any puppy biting is redirection to a appropriate surface. Now I saw a post that stated, if you give a puppy a toy to bite after they bite you, then you are rewarding them for biting you! But we are not talking about an adult dog here. A puppy is a baby. A infant in the canine world. They don’t run through thought processes the same way. If I feed my human baby cause he cries when his tummy is empty, I’m not rewarding him for crying because he doesn’t understand manipulation at 8 weeks old. A baby is a baby, they aren’t trying to dominate, manipulate or anything else. So please don’t be swayed by this manner of thinking. This advice is for puppies of any breed!
First, we get some fluffy tasty toys you can stash in your pockets and around the house. Easy access at any time when your puppy has the ability to bite you, so whenever they’re off a leash and free. When they go to bite you, whip out the toy and encourage them to bite the toy by wiggling it around and making it move.
When we do this , you’re communicating to your puppies, “hey puppy, I understand that you’re trying to interact with me! But this is how we play and interact. Teeth is for toys, not for human skin!”
Redirecting is teaching them to bite an appropriate surface, not your clothing and not wasting your energy. It teaching them HOW to interact with you, as that’s what they’re trying to learn. Babies need to explore and play to learn. And puppies unlike human toddlers don’t have hands, so what options do that have? Teeth! they explore with their mouths.
Now this is not the be all and end all of puppy biting, and depending on your circumstances there are always additional steps to take such as better management inside the house, and even potential consequences such as puppy time outs! Excessive biting can also be a sign that your puppy is over tired and need a nap 😴!! You can feel free to book in with us or contact us at any times if you feel like you need additional help in this issue and we will direct you on to appropriate people in your area. But no matter the additions, redirecting to toys is always a part of the process because play is such a fundamental part of any relationship with a dog.
