When Do Puppies Stop Biting? Managing This Stage Of Puppyhood

You’re probably experiencing all the joys and frustrations of puppyhood if you are a new owner. Especially when you are trying to teach your puppy to be a model of canine behavior. They are cute, but can be difficult to handle, especially if they bite. When puppies bite, they can cause pain and damage to furniture, clothing and skin. So, When Do Puppies Stop Biting?

You’re at the right place if you’re concerned that your puppy will always be destroying his teeth. We’ll look closer at the biting behavior of puppies today and how long it will take for them to get over it. Let’s get started.

Understanding Puppy Biting Behavior

So why do puppies bite? Just like babies, puppies explore the world using their teeth and mouth. The behavior of puppies is to bite and mouth. Why? They can learn more about their surroundings and other dogs. It’s strange, but a dog’s “taste of the world” mission is really more about improving smells.

“a structure called the vomeronasal organ (VNO) or Jacobson’s organ that has sensory neurons that detect chemicals and is used to enhance an odor by adding taste.” – Psychology Today (1)

According to reports, dogs have a much worse sense of smell than humans. It’s the extra smelling organ of a dog that makes them want to taste. Biting puppies also happens during play. This is when they develop social skills and bite inhibition. Bite inhibition refers to the ability of a dog or person to control their bite force. Before we delve into the subject further, here are a few important things to consider:

1. It’s nothing personal

Have you ever cried when your dog ruined your favorite jeans? I’ve done it! Although I was only 14, it didn’t matter. Remember that a puppy’s biting isn’t personal or vindictive. Although it may seem that way, your puppy is simply excited. It is normal for puppies be overly excited.

You’ll be more likely to use gentle training methods than punishing your dog if you depersonalize the puppy bite and accept it as normal.

2. It is not usually aggression

If you personalize the bites of your dog, even if they are not “personal”, you will be personalizing them. Puppy biting is neither personal nor aggressive. This is a normal part growing up. A tiny fraction of dogs may bite aggressively. Their aggression will be evident in other ways.

1. Stiff body language
2. Ears pinned flat against the head
3. Barking aggressively
4. Hair standing on end (piloerection)
5. Pupils dilated
6. Showing the whites of eyes
7. Bearing teeth and gums

The following are signs that your dog is aggressive: Consult a dog behaviorist if you believe your dog is acting aggressively rather than being playful. It’s actually better that your dog is aggressive as a puppy than in later life. Training can help to reduce their aggression.

3. It’s natural behavior

All dogs will eventually go through the puppy-biting stage. It’s true that some dogs stop biting sooner than others. However, it is rare for puppy-biting to continue into adulthood with proper training. This article will discuss this topic.

When do puppies stop biting?

How long does a puppy bite? It’s good to know that the majority of puppies stop biting when they reach age six. Between three and five month old dogs are usually able to grow out of this behavior. (2) They will also have learned social skills, bite inhibition and important social skills from their mother.

Some puppies will continue to bite after six to eight month, particularly if they are not properly socialized and trained. You should work with your dog to help them learn appropriate behaviors and bite inhibition.

How to Manage the puppy biting stage

We’ve established the inevitable puppy-biting phase. How do you handle the puppy biting phase before you train your dog to be a good canine citizen?

1. Be sure to warn your guests

Your grandmother might not be comfortable with your dog mouthing and nipping. Inform your guests that your dog may bite them. It is especially important to be aware of this when interacting with children.

“Behavioural issues are the leading cause of death for dogs under three years old.” – American Veterinary Society of Animal Behavior (3)

When your puppy is biting, should you keep them away from other people? No! Your puppy’s development is dependent on socialization. Socializing your dog fully is a key part of preventing them from becoming a statistic. We’ll discuss socialization in more detail later.

2. Don’t wear your best clothes during playtime

Remember those jeans my dog destroyed? These jeans were my favorite. It was my fault that I didn’t foresee the horror of tiny teeth. What is my advice? Wear old stained tee-shirts and leggings around your dog during playtime. You’ll have heaps There are holes, but there is no love lost!

3. Exercise regularly

Have you ever noticed that your dog is more likely bite you when you come home from work, since they haven’t been around you for a while? They have an enormous amount of energy. Puppies are generally energetic and need to release that energy. Exercise can reduce the biting behavior of your puppy. You can also find out more about the A-Team here. You can easily solve this problem by walking your dog as soon as you arrive home. It will redirect their energy immediately.

10 Tips To Stop Dog Biting – How to stop a puppy from biting

You’ve reached the stage where your puppy is biting and are ready to teach him to stop. This is the section you need. Here’s the section for you. These tips also apply to your dog if it is older than 6 months old and still tries to terrorize you and others by biting them.

1. Redirect their Attention

In my experience, the best way to stop a puppy from biting is to redirect it. Redirect your puppy’s attention towards a chew toy or bone if they start to bite. To keep this rule consistent, it is helpful to always have a small toy in the back of your pocket. It will help them learn that chewing on furniture and people is not acceptable.

2. Use Positive Reinforcement

Our philosophy at Gentle Dog Trainers is based on positive reinforcement. How can you do it well? Simple! Reward your dog when they are calm and play nicely. You can give them treats, praise or even more time to play. You can reward your dog in any way that suits their personality.

It’s important to note that if you are going to praise your puppy as a reinforcement, don’t squeal too loudly or excite him. Too much excitement could lead to biting.

3. Teach Bite Inhibition

The term “bite inhibition” is another way to say “bite control”. Is your dog able to nip someone or an animal without causing injury? This is an important part of socializing a dog to become a responsible canine member.

It is important to learn how to speak more gently. Let’s face it. When interacting with humans and you, your dog will use its mouth a lot. What other way will they get toys or treats from you?

This skill will evolve naturally over time. Your dog will learn to take things off of human hands without hurting them. You can still help them through this process. How? How?

• Complex chew toys or puzzle toys
  
  Toys that require your dog to use their dexterity can help them learn gentler bite techniques. An example of a good chew toy would be one with different textures. Over time, your dog’s dexterity will improve as they learn to navigate the different textures, ridges and nodules.
• Different sizes of feed treats
  
  You can also train your dog’s dexterity by using your fingertips. You will need a variety of treats in different sizes.
  
  Hold the treat between your fingers and let your dog eat it around your finger to get to the treat.
  
  Your dog will learn to adjust his bite and navigate around your fingers to reach the treat.
• Yelp for help
  
  If your dog bites you too hard, yell or make a high-pitched noise to let them understand that it hurts. Stop playing with them and ignore them for some time. It will teach them to stop biting so hard.
  
  This technique is only effective some of the times. Dogs often mistake your yelp for an expression of excitement. So your puppy may get even giddier.
  Try this technique, it might work for you. If not, you can try some of the other techniques that I have mentioned to teach biting inhibition.

5. Socialize Your Puppy

Let’s go back to socialization. It is vital to socialize puppies in order to teach them appropriate behavior and bite inhibition. It is important to socialize your puppy with other dogs and humans in a safe setting. Dogs instinctively warn each other if the play becomes too rough. Arrange some play dates with other dogs who are older to help your anti-bite education.

6. Use bitter spray

You can spray bitter liquid on your dog’s mouth to stop them from chewing furniture or other objects. If you want to repel dog bites on your skin, coat your fingertips in a dog-safe anti-nail-biting product.

Two disclaimers:

• Disclaimer 1 – Consult your vet before using bitter spray or nail-biting repellent to ensure you don’t poison your dog.
• Disclaimer 2 – Don’t try bitter sprays on your skin if you put your fingers in your mouth often! I’ve made that fateful mistake before!

7. Provide chew toys

Puppies must chew. The teething and biting stages often occur at the same time. Some puppies will chew on your furniture or knuckles to soothe themselves.

Give your dog a variety of teething toy and chew toys for their sore gums.

8. Supervise playtime

You should always supervise your dog during playtime. Intervene if the play becomes too rough. It is particularly important to supervise your puppy when it is playing with children. It can teach them the right behavior and help prevent injuries to people and animals.

9. Consistency is key to training

When it comes to training your puppy, consistency is the key. Stick to your plan of training and make sure your puppy follows the rules.

It’s the same for your family. Tell them what training techniques you are using.

Remember that biting a puppy is only a temporary behavior. With consistent training and socialization your puppy will outgrow this behavior.

Be patient, and be consistent in your training. It may take some time. You’ll see gradual progress if you keep at it.

10. Seek professional help

What do you do if your dog still bites despite all of your efforts? What should you do?

If you are not making progress in training your puppy or if the biting behavior is extreme, it is important to consult a professional behaviorist or trainer.

It is especially important to do this if your dog bites after six months.

You don’t know how to locate a professional you can trust? Ask your veterinarian! Ask your vet!

Troubleshooting Your Puppy Biting Issues

Consider me to be your puppy-biting, agony aunt. Let’s look at these scenarios:

Scenario 1 : My dog keeps biting me. I’ve tried all the things.

Have you tried everything? I urge you to learn as many techniques as possible by reading around the topic.

When you are sure you have tried everything and you still cannot get your puppy to behave, you should consult a professional. The last person you should consult is a dog behaviorist. They can make a huge difference in your puppy’s behavior. Try a puppy class if you cannot afford private consultations.

Scenario 2 : My dog is always biting, and it doesn’t stop.

It sounds as if your dog is under stimulated if they bite all the time. Increase their playtime and exercise to burn off their energy.

Scenario 3: My puppy keeps destroying my clothes

When puppies destroy clothing, there are two situations. This article will focus on the first scenario, which is play-biting. Wear cheaper clothing when playing and follow the tips provided in this article to help you stop the play-biting behavior.

We call it destructive chewing if your puppy uses your clothes as a chewing toy. We have an entire article on destructive biting that you can read for more information.

References

1. Bekoff, M. April 27, 2019. “Dogs: An Exciting Journey Through Their Sensory Worlds”. Psychology Today. Retrieved April 5, 2023. https://www.psychologytoday.com/gb/blog/animal-emotions/201904/dogs-exciting-journey-through-their-sensory-worlds
2. “Puppy biting and mouthing”. Blue Cross. Retrieved April 5, 2023. https://www.bluecross.org.uk/advice/dog/puppy-biting-and-mouthing
3. Donovan, L. July 7, 2022. “Puppy Socialization: Why, When, and How to Do It Right”. American Kennel Club. Retrieved April 5, 2023. https://www.akc.org/expert-advice/training/puppy-socialization/