When an adorable fluffy little ball of fur decides to sink their razor sharp teeth into your skin, clothes, or furniture it can be a nightmare trying to create a pain-free damage control plan for all involved. Puppies love to bite. In fact, they need to. Without hands, pups use their little jaws to experience the world around them. Training your mouthy puppy to stop biting will require a lot of patience and dedication, but it will be well worth it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
A puppy that doesn\u2019t understand and master bite inhibition will grow into a dog with stronger jaws and less self-control. This increases the danger of your pet becoming a dog that could injure someone whether by accident or on purpose. A pup that learns human skin is fragile has a higher chance of growing into a dog that won\u2019t ever bite hard enough to hospitalize someone even if severely provoked. That kind of skill is vital for a puppy to understand and master since it will eventually encounter potential high-stress situations like strangers, children, or other dogs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Bite inhibition takes time to teach. Some puppies master this quickly, while others take several months before they learn humans aren\u2019t chew toys. Teething also provokes gnawing tendencies since their gums will be aching and need relief. The key is to teach your pup that biting hard isn\u2019t fun and will stop playtime.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Something else you can do when teaching your puppy bite inhibition, is redirection. When your puppy bites too hard, you can entice them with a toy instead. This also works well when greeting visitors. Anytime someone comes to visit, you can create a habit of offering your pup a toy they can grip while greeting your guest. This relieves the excitement and gives your dog\u2019s mouth something to do. Keep some toys by the door so your dog comes to understand that when guests come they get a fun reward.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Another option while greeting visitors is to have your puppy sit before every introduction. This does several things. It teaches self-control, prevents jumping up, and gets your puppy in training mood. They\u2019ll more interested in the treat they might get for being good rather than gnawing on visitors.<\/p>\n\n\n\n