Stop Future Bites

Puppies will be puppies.  Part of being a puppy is biting . The majority of puppy biting has nothing to do with aggression.  Instead, it is the normal way puppies explore the world.  Normal or not it is a behavior  which puppy owners want to stop but are unsure which method is the right one to use.  The truth is most puppy biting  goes away, regardless of method used, within a few months.  However, the method used plays a huge part in what your puppy is learning.  Avoid methods which require you get into a physical battle with your puppy - remember this is normal puppy behavior, not your puppy trying to attack you!  Instead, focus on methods which promote teaching bite inhibition and self control.

Bite Inhibition

The idea of teaching bite inhibition has been popularized by the well known behaviorist Dr. Ian Dunbar. Basically, bite inhibition involves teaching your puppy to control the strength of the bites rather than simply teaching your puppy to never bite. The goal is to make your dog a safer companion - a dog taught bite inhibtion may be less likely to do major damage should they ever bite a person.  While no one wants to imagine their puppy biting someone, it must be realized that all dogs are capable of doing so.
Bite Inhibition can be taught in several easy steps and may have huge benefits in the future.

Step One: No Painful Bites

For this step there are several methods which can be used to stop your puppy’s biting when it starts to become painful.  Most puppies respond very well to a loud “OUCH!” the moment the bite becomes too hard.  Other puppies don’t respond to your “yelp” or become more excited.  For these puppies simply walk away and ignore or otehrwise isolate the puppy for up to 5 minutes.  With either method it is the consistency that matters the most - you must decide what is “painful” and what you will not tolerate from now on.

Step Two: Softening the Bite

Once your puppy’s bites are no longer painful you can begin shaping them to soften their bite.  Using the same method as mentioned in Step One, gradually tolerate less and less pressure from your puppy’s bites until you can no longer feel his teeth on your skin.

Step Three: No Biting!

Now your puppy is ready to be taught not to bite in play.  You will again use the same methods (“OUCH!” or end the play session).  This time you will not tolerate any tooth to skin contact.  As soon as your puppy puts his mouth on you the game is over.  This rule will apply to all games your puppy enjoys, toys he likes to play with and even when taking treats.  If your puppy grabs at a treat or toy in your hand immediately walk away.  This sends a message of “Be more careful next time!” and is an important part of teaching your dog to control his biting.