My puppy keeps biting and mouthing. Is this normal behavior?

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! You are likely describing teething which is basically a normal type of behavior when puppies are growing up and it is secondary to mouth discomfort as teeth are growing. I recommend that you get Cooper teething type toys which you can get at your local pet store or online. Anytime that he tries to nibble at you, you say no and give him the toy. This is likely going to resolve the issue. Good luck and have a great day!

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! You are likely describing teething which is basically a normal type of behavior when puppies are growing up and it is secondary to mouth discomfort as teeth are growing. I recommend that you get her teething type toys which you can get at your local pet store or online. Anytime that she tries to nibble at you, you say no and give her the toy. This is likely going to resolve the issue. Good luck and have a great day!

Biting and mouthing during play and at other times including when you pet her, when you are walking, etc. is completely normal behavior for a puppy this age - this is how puppies explore the world, and how they instinctively want to play. I do not recommend scolding her for this or telling her "no!", as this often makes dogs more frustrated and worked up, and tends to make the problem worse. Instead, redirect her to one of her toys and encourage her to bite the toy instead. Make sure that she has a variety of different toys available to provide an appropriate outlet for this behavior - long floppy rope or fleece toys for tugging, plush toys for biting and carrying, and smaller toys or balls for chasing and fetching. She also needs lots of different things to chew on - bully sticks, rawhide chews, cow or pig ears, and puzzle toys such as a Kong stuffed with peanut butter are all good options you can try. This behavior normally resolves on its own as puppies get older, so there is no need to attempt to punish her for it - just redirect her to something more appropriate, and be patient while she learns :)

Hi there and thank you for using Pet Coach! Puppies are generally quite playful and the behavior you are seeing is typical in puppies. Many times puppies tend to grow out of this. To start, I would keep a harness on her so that when she jumps you can correct this behavior and control her better. As for the biting, a trick of mine that works great is when a puppy is biting, stick your thumb underneath the tongue inside the mouth and grip the underside of the lower jaw while applying light pressure under the tongue to keep your thumb in the mouth until she becomes annoyed with this. Every time she bites, repeat this. At first, it will seem like a game to her but after a while, this becomes negative reinforcement. I hope this helps! Please feel free to contact me with any other questions or concerns you may have.

Hi, thanks for using PetCoach! Nova is adorable! Play biting is very normal in puppy-hood, though at 6 months this should be significantly improved or resolved. Never use your hands to play with her or rile her up. Only offer toys. The minute she gets crazy and starts lunging for your hands, etc you need to make her sit or lay down. Always have treats on you to reward her when she listens. If she is too worked up and not listening, put her in a 5 minute time out. Try to have a leash on her at all times, I really like the muzzle gentle leader harnesses as it allows great head control. That way you can easily pull her off you. She should know how to look and leave it on command. If you are reaching a plateau with training I recommend hiring a trainer to focus on your areas of concern. Professionals can really help when we have exhausted what we can do alone. Exercise is also important: frequent walks and play time or consider doggie daycare a few times per week. I hope this helps and I think Nova will outgrow this stage very soon! https://www.petcoach.co/article/puppy-biting-nipping-of-hands/

This is very normal puppy behavior, but it’s important to discourage this ‘mouthiness’ so you don’t have an adult dog who tends to by mouthy or nip. This website has some great training tips in general, and this article addresses this problem specifically: https://drsophiayin.com/blog/entry/puppy_play_leads_to_nip_marks_on_hands_and_arms/

Hi there and thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to address your concern! Biting is a normal puppy behavior and will subside with time most likely. A couple of things you can do to help stop this behavior is to stick your thumb in Tommy's mouth every time he bites and hold your thumb in the mouth until he finds it annoying. If he comes back to bite after, repeat this again and again. Eventually, I find that the puppies will just walk up and lick your hand after a while because they do not want your thumb being stuck in their mouth. If that does not work, you can use a spray bottle filled with water and spritz Tommy in the face while saying "off" to help deter the behavior. I hope this helps! Please let me know if you have any other questions or concerns and I would be more than happy to help you further.