One method to stop a puppy from biting is to state “no” while holding his mouth/muzzle closed for a second, complied with by ignoring the puppy.
Holding the puppy’s mouth assists to get the point across – “don’t bite” – for some puppies.
I did this with my family’s last puppy, and it worked.
Some people will state “no bite” but “no” is all that’s needed. I show my dogs that “no” indicates “stop what you’re doing” so there’s no need to elaborate.
Oh my God that’s so imply to hold a puppy’s mouth shut!
People are sensitive to the idea of holding a puppy’s mouth shut because they don’t want to be “mean” or “too aversive” or – God forbid – dominant.
I can see where they’re coming from, and if it makes you uncomfortable, don’t do it.
Instead you can just tell the puppy “no” or “ouch” and walk away.
On the other hand, some puppies will be thrilled you’re holding their mouth shut! “Oh boy! Attention!”
This is yet another example where just walking away and ignoring the puppy for biting is the most effective.
Just be consistent.
Aren’t we lucky there are so numerous training options?
Gently grabbing the puppy by the scruff
Another option (thanks Sandy!) is to gently but firmly get hold of the puppy’s scruff as you tell him no with a gentle shake. This is essentially what a mother canine would do, and the basic touch works well to get his attention and gently “correct” him.
I know some people will be shocked I’m discussing this option, but it’s just not a big deal!
It works for cats too. just sayin’.
What about squirting the puppy with water?
This can work too, but for me it just complicates things. I don’t always have a water bottle handy, but I can always state “no” and walk away.
A squirt in the deal with with water is truly effective as a modification for some puppies. Yet, other puppies believe this is a fun game! My retriever Ace believes it’s great to be squirted with water! Silly Labs.
Another option is to utilize a product called the Pet Corrector (affiliate link), which shoots air at the dog. This is unpleasant for a lot of dogs and assists to stop unwanted behavior.
I wouldn’t utilize this for truly young puppies because it could frighten them. I’d utilize it for “teenage” pups six months old or so.
Reaching your fingers into your pup’s mouth to stop biting
This is not what I would suggest because there’s a danger of the person getting bitten even harder and I also believe it’s a bit mean. I wished to bring it up, though, because I know people do try this option or browse for information about it.
When your puppy bites your hands, the idea is to push your fingers additionally into the pup’s mouth so it’s uneasy for him and he tries to back away.
It sends a quite remove message. “Don’t bite me!”
Many fitness instructors will state not to do this, and I don’t suggest it either, but if it works for you and your pup, then so be it.
Yelping when the puppy bites
I composed a post on this last week. It can be truly effective to yelp when a puppy bites because this is how another canine or pup would communicate “Ouch! You’re as well rough!”
This works for some puppies, and it just gets other pups even much more “riled up.” It assists to consistently disregard the puppy after you “yelp.”
How do you stop a puppy from biting? Do you put your hand on the puppy’s muzzle?
Related posts:
Stop a puppy from biting for attention
Stop a puppy from chewing
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