Biting And Mouthing

It is normal for young puppies to bite and nip. It is a part of their normal play behavior. However, what is cute as a 3 month old puppy quickly becomes a problem when your puppy continues the same problem as a 90 LB dog it is no longer Cute. Play nipping and biting many times turns into true aggression as the dog begins to feel that he or she is the leader of the pack. Here are some tips you can try to stop your pet from putting his teeth on you:

Like all problems, prevention is always the best cure. Don't put your hands into the puppy's mouth when playing with him. Instead encourage your puppy to play and chew on toys. To make it even more undesirable for the puppy to put his mouth on you, you can spray your hands with a strong perfume or a bitter tasting spray lie "Biter Apple".

The next time your puppy puts his or her teeth on you, yelp in a loud high pitched voice similar to an injured puppy, Littermates let each other know when a bite is too hard by yelping. This should shock your puppy when he or she realizes that he or she has hurt you and they may lick your hand to show concern. Immediately praise your puppy for licking you and say "Good Lick".

If your puppy isn't responding when you "yelp!" it may be time to be sterner with your puppy to show that you are the leader in the house and biting isn't allowed. Start by telling the puppy "No Bite!!" in a stern voice and then ignore your puppy for a few minutes.

If your puppy still continues to bite at your hands you can give him or her shake down similar to that of a mother dog which is used on her young. Grasp the puppy by the scuff of the neck and give a GENTLE SHAKE. Then grasp the puppy by the sides of the neck and look into his eyes and again say "NO BITE". Another way from keeping your puppy from biting is using the LIP. What you are doing is pinching the top lip against the puppy's tooth. Of course you are doing this while the puppy is biting you and most of the time the puppy will think he's biting himself. This is instant discipline!!!! It may take a while for the pup to realize that you're in charge and you will not tolerate biting but gradually your puppy will get the message. Life for you and the puppy will be much happier once the puppy realizes that he is at the bottom of your family pack. It is never advisable to strike your puppy with you hand or newspaper on top of head, as it will make you puppy fearful of these things, and may lead to your grown dog biting a stranger that pats him or biting the newspaper boy.