Puppy biting can be a frustrating part of early training. Puppies explore the world through their mouths, but knowing this doesn’t make it any less painful when their little teeth grab your hands, nip at your heels, or pull at your shoelaces. The good news is that this behavior can be guided. With regular training, your puppy’s behavior can be redirected so that they chew on only appropriate items. In this guide, we will help you in teaching your puppy not to play bite using positive reinforcement.
What you will need:
- 4-6 Feet Nylon Leash. If your puppy is a chewer and regularly tries to nibble through their leash, a chain leash may be more appropriate.
- Collar (an all nylon collar with no chain or prong is best).
- 10-15 appropriate toys. Such as:
Avoid giving your puppy chew toys that have textures similar to household items, as this can confuse them about what is appropriate to chew on. For instance, plush toys can feel similar to your couch cushions or clothing. It’s also best to avoid giving your dog any toys made of fabric, leather, or rope. To help your puppy understand the difference, give them chew toys with distinct hard textures, such as durable rubber Kongs or hard plastic toys like Nylabones.
Play-Biting Exercise
The goal of this exercise is to teach your puppy that play biting is not acceptable while encouraging them to chew on acceptable toys. With consistent practice, your puppy will begin to understand what’s expected and make better choices on their own.
- Tether your puppy to a heavy, stationary piece of furniture, such as a kitchen table leg.
- Place several appropriate chew toys within your puppy’s reach, such as Kongs, Nylabones, or Benebones.
- Sit just outside of their reach.
- Wait until your puppy touches one of the toys with their teeth. Praise and play with your puppy for as long as they keep their mouth on the toy.
- Stop praising your puppy as soon as their teeth come off the toy. If your puppy chews on you or a piece of clothing, then immediately pick up all the toys and go out of sight.
- Wait 30 seconds, then return with the toys and begin again at step 2.
Try to practice this exercise for about 30 minutes per day, split into a few minutes at a time. Your puppy will learn that chewing on appropriate toys leads to praise and attention, while play biting will pause play time. This consistent approach helps your puppy understand which behaviors are encouraged.
Managing Play-Biting Behavior
When you’re unable to watch your puppy, it’s important to keep them tethered to a stationary object or confined in their crate. This will help limit their access to things they shouldn’t be chewing.
Rethink the Food Bowl
Mealtime can be a perfect opportunity to encourage chewing on appropriate toys. Instead of using a food bowl, feed your puppy with toys that dispense food, such as a Kong toy.
Reinforce good behavior with praise
Remember that by using praise and petting you can teach your puppy good behaviors (e.g., chewing on toys) and discourage playbiting. Over time, this exercise will encourage lasting positive habits.
We’re here to help
Do you need help teaching your puppy manners and obedience commands? From preventative behavioral exercises (like playbiting) to socialization skills, we are experts in raising well behaved and trained puppies across Houston. You can schedule a free consultation with our Pet Behavior Team, who can discuss a personalized program recommendation.
Do you prefer connecting online or live outside our service area? Our co-founder and Certified Applied Animal Behaviorist, Dr. Echterling-Savage, offers virtual consultation programs. During these programs, she will design a personalized training program to achieve your training goals.
We also provide free training videos where our co-founders, Dr Echterling-Savage and Certified Dog Behavior Consultant, Sean Savage, discuss puppy training topics.
For more informative articles, check out our Puppy Training blogs and Houston’s Dog-Friendly Guide on our website.
