My puppy bites when playing. Should I tap or crate her as punishment?

Playful biting and mouthing are very normal at this age - Piper is still quite young, so she is still learning how to control herself when she gets excited. You are doing the right thing by redirecting her to a toy or some other object to chew on when she starts to bite. To increase the chances of this tactic working, make sure that you have a variety of different toys to use when you play with her - long floppy rope or fleece toys for tugging, plush toys for biting and carrying, and smaller toys or balls for chasing and fetching. Experiment with different toys and different types of play to see what she likes, so that you know how to engage her effectively when she gets excited. You can also help by learning to recognize the signs that she is starting to get overly wound up, so that you can switch to a calmer activity (such as training, or giving a chew item like a bully stick or a Kong stuffed with peanut butter) before she starts to bite you. I do not recommend any kind of punishment for this behavior, as it often makes the dog more frustrated and worsens the problem over time. Instead, be patient and continue to redirect her to toys or other activities when she starts to get excited. She should grow out of this behavior as she gets older and more emotionally mature.

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 :)

Young dogs (and cats) often have to learn what is appropriate behavior during play. Necklace likely hasn't learned that her playing behavior is painful to you and others (or damaging to your clothing). Certainly attending puppy training classes with her is a good way to start to develop appropriate dog-human interactions. I also am a strong supporter of substitution training. When Necklace is playing appropriately you should be very positive, reward her good play with more playing, small treats, petting, attention, whatever is rewarding for her. When she displays inappropriate behavior I generally tell owners to say a firm "NO", and then immediately provide Necklace with something that IS appropriate to chew on. For instance, she bites at your pant leg, you say "NO" firmly but not aggressively, and then provide her with an alternate behavior like throwing a ball or giving her something appropriate to chew or bite on like a Kong toy or Nylabone. Saying "no" to a pet is only ever the first step in changing a behavior. First STOP the behavior then SUBSTITUTE the unwanted behavior for appropriate behavior. If all else fails I recommend reaching out to a dog trainer or a behaviorist. Good luck with your energetic gal, I hope this helps!

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!

Congratulations on your new puppy! It takes some time for puppies to learn to mind their manners. I recommend making sure that Percy has plenty of toys to chew on as his adult teeth are coming in. As you are playing with Percy and he starts biting, you should stop playing and tell Percy "no" and only begin paying attention to him again once he is calm. I hope this helps and am happy to answer any other questions you may have about Percy!

Dogs need corrections at the time of the misdeed, not punishments. [Positive reinforcement](https://www.petcoach.co/article/rewards-are-necessary-when-training-dogs-and-puppies) is more successful than disciplining a pet. When you catch her misbehaving, use distraction to pause the behavior then redirect her attention to something else. The type and intensity of correction needs to be just enough to distract her from the unwanted behavior, no more or no less. You can use a toy, treat, clapping your hands or using a shake can (tin can with pennies or marbles inside it). If you correct her and she shakes, cowers or shows signs of any type of fear then your distraction method was too harsh. Praise and reward her when she responds. If she persists, cease all interaction until she settles down or responds positively. Be patient and be consistent. Her aggression could be a response to your frustration or the punishment. Keep [training](https://www.petcoach.co/article/basic-dog-puppy-training-rules) sessions short to maintain her attention. [Work with her](https://www.petcoach.co/article/5-ways-to-polish-your-dogs-training-skills) when she is not misbehaving and teach her obedience, tricks, get her out to play, chase the ball, go for long walks, whatever it takes to get her plenty of exercise and TIRED. Get her a [puzzle treat ball](https://www.petco.com/shop/en/petcostore/product/star-mark-bumper-body-puzzle-ball-dog-treat-dispenser) to keep her mind occupied when you can't directly supervise her. A dog that is physically and mentally occupied is less likely to get into trouble in the first place.

I am so sorry that you are experiencing these problems with biting with Darby. I am sure it is very upsetting for you. First of all rest assured that this is a very normal puppy behaviour. Puppies learn through play biting and it is part of our role as pet parents to help them learn limits. The biting behaviour will diminish with age. I would not attempt negative reinforcement such as striking Darby or speaking harshly as this will potentially create more serious behaviour issues such as anxiety and fear-aggression. Try some calm corrections and positive reinforcement. If Darby bites you, simply say in a calm voice "no" and stop interacting with her for a few moments. This over time will teach her that biting is not a desired form of play. Also try reinforcing her as she starts to play in a good way by not biting, and give her a small training treat. If Darby does manage to bite hard enough to break the skin be careful of a possible infection. Monitor your wound for heat. Swelling, or discharge. Make an appointment with your doctor if this occurs. If you are struggling with the biting after a couple of weeks of the above suggested training methods, consider puppy socialisation classes or potentially a few sessions with a behaviourist. Distraction, increased exercise, and redirection will also help. Other games which may be fun with Darby are hide and go seek either with you and another person, or you hide her toys and she has to find them. Or classic fetch. This resource should help! https://www.petcoach.co/article/10-ways-to-stimulate-your-dog-s-brain/ I hope this was helpful!