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Adopting a puppy is all fun and games—until the biting begins! If your new dog responds to every touch with a mouthy nip, it’s easy to feel frustrated. Biting is a natural behavior in puppies and is often their way of exploring the world around them. Fortunately, with a little training, this behavior usually decreases as your dog grows and learns.
GoodVets Medical Director Dr. Jordan Beauchamp, DVM, shares insight into why puppies bite and healthy ways to redirect puppy biting. “Your puppy doesn’t necessarily understand what a person’s hands are, for example,” she says. “They might not realize they’re hurting you, but it’s still important to show them what’s appropriate to chew on versus what’s not.”
According to Dr. Beauchamp, most dogs grow out of the exploratory biting phase around the age of 8 to 10 months. “If you commit to training when they’re young, you’ll typically see a shift in this habit after a year,” she says.
Pro-tip: Nipping and biting won’t be the only puppy training you’ll need help with. Rover makes it easy to filter for puppy training near you.
Why Do Puppies Bite So Much?
Whether they’re nipping at your socks or nibbling at your fingers, it’s natural for your puppy to pick up the habit of chomping on things. Dr. Beauchamp explains that biting isn’t inherently bad during this stage of life. It’s developmentally appropriate—and it serves a variety of purposes.
Exploration
Since your pup doesn’t have opposable thumbs, they use their mouths and teeth to gain more information about their surroundings. “Everything is new to puppies,” Dr. Beauchamp explains. “They explore the world with their mouth like sharks do, and we see that manifested in biting or chewing.” Chewing on socks and shoes, for example, can be their way of trying to figure out what these objects are.
Teething
“Puppies typically begin to lose their teeth around 16 weeks of age, depending on how aggressive a chewer they are,” Dr. Beauchamp says. “Then, they’ll usually lose their puppy teeth in those next 1 to 2 months. You can see an increase in mouthiness when a dog is teething.” When your pup tries to soothe sore gums, they might start gnawing at things all over the house—including you.
Play
Mouthing can be a natural part of puppy play, just like growling or wrestling. If a puppy bites a littermate too hard, the puppy receiving the bite will typically squeal to let them know. Most of the time, puppy nips aren’t malicious—they’re just trying to figure out the rules of the game.
Hunting behavior
A dog’s natural hunting instincts, also called a prey drive, can lead puppies to bite. Puppies who don’t have siblings to practice hunting behavior with might redirect this practice to people in the house.
Boredom
Without toys or interaction, a bored puppy might self-soothe by biting or chewing inappropriate (and even dangerous) items. Dr. Beauchamp cautions against scolding a puppy who bites furniture or clothing. “It can feel frustrating, but keep in mind that they might not understand the word ‘no’ yet. They might be thinking, ‘If I chew on this, mom will come talk to me!'”
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Stages of Puppy Biting
“Mouthing,” or the behavior of exploring the world by biting, nipping, and chewing, is typical in puppies that are less than six months old. As they enter a new environment (your home!), they’ll likely increase this habit to examine their unknown surroundings.
A lot of growth happens during a dog’s first few months of life and, especially with larger breeds, you might find that their bite gets stronger too. While this part of puppyhood is a pain for the pet parent, it’s a stage that doesn’t last more than a year for most dogs.
According to Dr. Beauchamp, most dogs decrease their mouthiness around 8 to 10 months, though this behavior subsides for some puppies even earlier. She notes that if you’re helping your puppy learn the proper puppy toys and items to chew on, excessive biting should stop no later than the year mark.
If your puppy struggles with inappropriate or aggressive biting after a year, consider talking with your vet or a certified trainer to form the right training plan for your dog.
Puppy biting and breeds
Does your dog’s breed factor into their biting habits? The short answer is yes! Certain breeds are typically mouthier than others. “Golden Retrievers, Labradors, and French Bulldogs are known for being chewers,” says Dr. Beauchamp. “These puppies love to explore and play and might need a little more redirection to toys and treats when they’re biting. I see less mouthiness in more aloof breeds such as Poodles and Shiba Inus.”
Small breeds such as the Pomeranian or Yorkie might have difficulty losing puppy teeth on their own when teething. “At six months, if your dog hasn’t lost their canine teeth, we recommend removing them at a spay/neuter appointment or sooner. Keeping these teeth can affect the growth of adult teeth and the shape of the jaw.”
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Spiderplay via iStock
Why Is My Older Puppy Still Biting?
If biting persists in a one-year-old puppy, it could be time to chat with your vet or seek the support of a certified trainer. Consistent biting in an older dog might be a sign of stress, anxiety, or lack of mental stimulation and physical exercise.
While puppies usually grow out of their mouthy phase, teaching them healthy habits is key. “The best thing you can do in those first few months is focus on redirecting the biting behavior toward an appropriate object,” says Dr. Beauchamp. “I recommend carrying around a toy they like in your pocket so if they do bite on your hands or shoes, you can remove that item and give them what is appropriate.”
Once you have successfully redirected this behavior, offer plenty of praise to reward your puppy for a job well done!
How To Manage Puppy Biting
Since biting is a natural behavior, it’s helpful to teach puppies when it’s appropriate to bite instead of urging them to stop altogether. Determining the reason for biting is the first step to providing your pup with a healthy outlet.
Redirect exploratory biting
If your pup bites or nibbles on items they shouldn’t, consider redirecting the behavior to a good puppy chew toy. You might consider a toy that has a similar texture to the object they’re mouthing. Socialization is also important so that your puppy can learn to properly greet other dogs and unfamiliar humans.
Soothe teething aches
Teething puppies may appreciate a frozen toy like the Nylabone freezer chew. Choosing toys that are meant to soothe achy gyms and alleviate pain can keep your pup from turning to your favorite pair of shoes.
Offer opportunities for play and hunting
If your hands or feet are taking the brunt of your puppy’s biting, consider keeping a toy on hand. As soon as they bite, redirect their attention to an appropriate toy. Diversifying their toys can help a puppy chew, play, and practice hunting instincts safely and healthily.
Fight boredom
Spending quality time with your puppy is crucial for building the dog-human bond. Going on walks, safely exploring nature, and enjoying play and training sessions together at home can help provide your puppy with mental and physical enrichment. This can also curb excessive biting.
Additional tips
Remember to reward your puppy for good behavior and positive progress! If your puppy is biting your hand as you present them with treats, try closing the treat in your fist and touching your fist to your dog’s nose. Open your hand when your puppy displays gentle behavior, such as sniffing or licking.
Avoid yelling, scolding, or physically punishing your dog for biting and chewing. Instead, focus on positive reinforcement to encourage the behavior you want to see in your adult dog. Rewarding your puppy with treats, pets, and praise for good behavior will go a long way in setting them up for success!
If you still need help with the biting, learn how local puppy training can help you nip the nipping in the bud!
