Having 4 legs might get you run so fast than a world fastest runner, but you will not able to grab on things with your leg. That is just what happen with dogs and puppies, their legs were built for running. To replace hands function, dogs and puppies use their mouth to grab onto things, and this include a set of sharp canine teeth. Puppies, especially at teething stage would chew and mouth everything from -slippers, shoes, rug, pillow, furniture- you name it and if you are a busy person you need to know how to take care of a puppy when you out for work.
It is a natural behavior for a puppies to mouthing and chew on everything including your hands and legs. But things get worse when he start to bite for good and you get hurt by it. Even more, if you don`t manage this biting behavior, this could harm you or someone else in the future. You don`t want him continue this mouthing and biting behavior until he is all grown up. There could be virus in his saliva and it is not something to hope for. To handle these habits, here are 8 right steps to make your puppy stop biting.
Normally, when puppies play with their litter mates they mouth each other and sometimes mouthing could turn into a bite. When he does, the puppy on the receiving end will yelp. Bye imitating the yelp sounds, we can take advantage of this behavior to make him learn that biting is bad. Whenever your puppy bite your hand or finger then it becomes too hard, imitate the yelp sound. When the puppy startle and release your hand or finger, ignore him for 20 seconds or more then resume whatever you are doing before.
Keep in mind to never pull away when the puppy bites you, as it will only trigger your puppy natural instinct to chase it. Do not train them to “bite and release” more than 3 times in less than 15 minutes, or he would think that biting is a fun games to play with you. More over, do not wave your hand or body parts in front his face, because it would only make him thinks that you allow him to mouth or bite your body parts. Spend a great time caring for your puppy if he is an adopted puppy. If he expends a lot of his energy, it would be easier for you to train him.
Mouthing and biting is a great things as long as you are not the one on the receiving end. This behavior can be redirected away from your body parts by substitute yourself with motivational rewards such as toys or treats. There are various kinds of toy available but some dogs only need one favorite toy to lure his attention. In situation where he is biting you too hard, use his favorite toy to grab his attention from it. You need to -Wave it, squeak it, or whatever it takes to move his urge to bite from you to the toy. If your puppy can shred his chew toys in less than 15 minutes then change to rubber or hard plastic material and make sure all the chewing toys are safe for your puppies.
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If biting is out of control, try Taste Deterrence
There is another trick to stop puppy from mouthing and biting unwanted parts of your house or your body. It is taste deterrence, that designed to prevent dog from licking or chewing by putting an unpleasant taste in their mouth. There are a lot of taste deterrence out there, and they available in different forms like spray, gel, etc and they come in different taste too. You can apply taste deterrence to various off-limit objects outdoors and around the house-and even their own hands.
When you first use a deterrent or a beginner in taking care of puppy , apply a small amount to a piece of tissue or cotton wool. Gently place it directly to your dog`s mouth. Allow him to taste it and spit it out. If your puppy finds the taste horrible, he might sniff the piece of tissue or wool but he will not pick it up again. He will learn the connection between taste and the smell of the deterrent so that he will avoid chewing objects that smell like it. Apply the deterrence everyday for a month or more just to be sure that your puppy will not bother chew or mouth the objects again.
Dog who does not get enough human contact as puppies is more likely to show aggression toward human. Lack of human contact would make your puppies grow up to be anxious and afraid to be touched, they are not familiar of human companies and just being around human is torture for them.
Build a connection with your puppy by playing tug-of-war or fetch. This will increase your bond with your puppy and let you train him “let go” or “leave it” command. Notice your puppy mood, maybe your puppy secretly upset at you .Sometimes, puppy mouth on people hands when stroked, patted and scratched. More over, slapping or hitting when your puppies mouthing will make your puppy thinks that you like it rough and he would play more aggressively. For that reason, encourage non-contact form of play with your puppy to teach him that playing with humans should be gentle and no bite.
Schedule your time playing with puppies and greet with other litter mates and vaccinated dogs. This will teach him how to be a dog and fulfill his needs to play rough.
Puppies are much like toddlers that need to be train constantly and in appropriate manner. There is no need to use force as it will only make him fear of humans and increase anxiety when surrounded by humans. Give him some privacy, a time where he could learn by himself and explore. Even tough you have trained your puppy well not to bite and he still bites furniture as a dog, do not worry as mouthing and biting is part of their natural behavior. Keep training him to play in appropriate manner.