My 6-month-old puppy's biting is out of control. What can I do?

It sounds like Nova could benefit from a good trainer and maybe puppy school. Young dogs need to be taught what is acceptable and what is not, but taught in a way that does not damage their bond and trust with you. Ask your veterinarian for trainer/ school recommendations in your area. I still take my 4 year old do to school “refresher “ Lessons every few months. It keeps us both remembering how to communicate . Best of luck and thank you for using Pet Coach.

Hi, thanks for using PetCoach! It is very normal for puppies to be mouthy: want to chew on your fingers, play with your fingers like they are toys, jump up and try to grab your fingers, nip, etc. It isn't normal to do it aggressively. They tend to grow out of this behavior by 6 months. https://www.petcoach.co/article/puppy-biting-nipping-of-hands/ Have a great day!

Hello, and thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. It would help to know Luna's age, but if she is a puppy she is probably still in her teething phase. Puppies are playful troublemakers, and everything to them is a toy - including us! The most important thing you can do is keep lots of acceptable toys around, and whenever Luna tries to play bite with you, try to redirect her to something she is allowed to bite. You may need to give her a stern "NO!" when she grabs at your hands, then offer her a fun toy. Never encourage her to play bite with your hands - always engage her to play with a toy. I know it's a challenge, and puppies can be relentless! If Luna isn't getting the message and keeps going after your hands, it is fine for you to put her in her kennel/crate for a brief "time out" to calm down a little (this isn't a punishment, but rather a chance for her to calm down and be removed from the situation where she was doing an unwanted behavior). Fortunately, this should be a phase, and as long as you are careful not to make it *fun* for her to attack your hands, she should eventually catch on to what the acceptable chew toys are. :-) I hope this helps!

Play biting and being excessively "mouthy" is very common in puppies. (And at 9 months old, Floyd is certainly still a puppy.) I have not personally had luck with the techniques of saying "No!" or holding the muzzle. I that makes puppies more excited. My general rule for puppies is that you make a high pitched squeak (like a littermate puppy would do if they bit too hard), then walk away from the situation. More than anything, your puppy wants to play with you. If you walk away, it is negative reinforcement, so they are less likely to do that behavior again. Depending on the puppy, the goal is to get them to look away from you or start doing something else before you engage in play again. I found that a long rope toy made a good toy to play with my puppy because there was lots of toy for him to bite at without touching my skin. Especially if Floyd is biting down, it is vital that he NEVER puts his teeth on a person. If he does, then you need to walk away and the play session is over. It will take a while, but he will get it. I also found that allowing my puppy to play with other dogs was a great way for him to learn what is appropriate play. I took my dog to doggy day care twice a week as a puppy which really helped with his energy level as well as appropriate play technique. And finally, start a puppy class. A basic obedience class is so important for a puppy. They want to behave, but don't know what to do with their energy. And Floyd is a herding breed dog, so he is smart with a lot of energy, so he needs a good outlet for his energy. I hope that was helpful! Good luck! Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

Thank you for submitting your question regarding Lucy. At 6 months of age, most puppies are finishing up teething. Teething stimulates puppies to bite and chew as their teeth are erupting. Hopefully, this behavior will decrease as she should have the majority of her adult teeth by now. When she bites you, do not engage her, but redirect her attention to something positive such as a toy. Do not play with her with your hands, not even tug-of-war type toys. If she still goes after your hands even after you have given her a toy, walk away. She needs to learn that that type of behavior is not acceptable and she will lose your attention. I hope this information helps!

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!

That is a lot going on and it sounds like Oggy would benefit from a visit with a trainer or veterinary behaviorist in your area, especially if she is being aggressive to the point of bruising or drawing blood. Aggression usually looks very different from play/exploration biting and can include low growling, stiff bodies, showing the whites of the eyes, hair raising on the back, baring teeth, and then nipping or biting. This is unusual in a puppy of this age, so if it is happening, it is best to seek professional help in person ASAP since it is a complex issue that needs to be worked with. If the nipping is just puppy nipping, and she is also chewing on lots of things, it could just be normal puppy behavior and a puppy kindergarten/training classes is a great way to establish some ground rules and get used to interacting with each other in a positive manner. I'm also including some articles on general puppy nipping/chewing that may help as well. https://www.petcoach.co/article/puppy-biting-nipping-of-hands/ https://www.petcoach.co/article/puppy-biting-when-does-it-stop/ https://www.petcoach.co/article/chewing-in-puppies-how-to-control-it/ https://www.petcoach.co/article/6-tips-to-help-prevent-destructive-chewing/ https://www.petcoach.co/article/how-to-choose-a-dog-trainer/