My dog playfully bites. How can I stop this behavior humanely?

Mouthing and nipping can be an issue in puppies, and at ten months of age she likely has some or all of her adult teeth in, which can hurt! There are a few things you can do: One is to loudly yelp "OUCH!" and immediately stop play and walk away/ignore your dog. This mimics when your dog was playing with littermates and played too roughly. Your dog will also learn that when she is too energetic and nips play stops and attention is gone, which is boring! If she is calm and not nipping, offer lots of praise and treats to encourage that behavior instead. Next is the "airplane" game. Place your dog in a sitting position and put a treat in your hand. Raise it above your dog's head and begin to slowly bring it down toward your dog. If she gets up out of the sitting position, stop, place her back in a sit, and then start again. Once she can calmly sit still for the treat coming to her, offer it and praise! This can help teach her to sit calmly rather than jumping or nipping. You can also work on taking treats gently/mouthing inhibition by placing a treat in your hand and closing your fist. At first, your dog may attempt to gnaw on or chew on your hand to get the treat. A small "ouch!" can help, but you will have to wait a few minutes until she settles down. Once she is calm and not chewing on the hand, offer her the treat with a "gentle" command. It will take a few tries (and a sore hand at first), but it will help teach her to wait for treats and toys from your hand without nipping and chewing on them! Trading your hands and other objects for toys that are appropriate to chew on can also help. Offer an appropriate chew toy instead, and be sure to praise any time she is found chewing on the right objects instead!

It is best if you don't let Toby bite at all, even during play! Even play bites in small dogs with sharp teeth can lead to punctures or bruising on human skin. When you play, always play with a toy, not your hands. That means you also have to refrain from using your hands to tease him, I know it can be hard to resist! If he nips, lightly tap him on the nose, tell him no, then re-direct his attention to a toy that you can play with together, like a squeaky toy or tugging on a rope toy. Stay consistent and eventually he will learn that biting humans is not good; it can take several months of consistency when playing for a young dog to learn. With any toy, make sure that Toby isn't tearing it apart or chewing off pieces that he could swallow!

I would recommend trying to stay away from scaring Toffee. I would recommend when Toffee bites to replace th object with a toy he is allowed to chew on. Also I would recommend working on some basic commands like sit, come and stay. That way when he starts to bite you can re direct his attention and tell him to sit. The last option is to just walk away so Toffee knows that biting is not play time. I would start with those steps but you really need to keep it consistent. hope that helps

Yes, you are correct that it is important to teach Cujo not to put his teeth on humans even when he is playing. Play biting and being excessively "mouthy" is very common in puppies and a normal behavior. I have not personally had luck with the techniques of saying "No!" or holding the muzzle. I find 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, Cujo wants to play with you. If you walk away, it is negative reinforcement, so he is 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. I also found that allowing him 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. I hope that was helpful! Good luck! Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

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 :)

I am so sorry that you are experiencing these problems with biting with Kimi. 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. I would not attempt negative reinforcement such as striking Kimi 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 Kimi 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 giver her a small training treat. If Kimi 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. Other games which may be fun with Kimi 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. I hope this was helpful!

A stern "No!" should distract Siena from biting. Once she stops, offer an appropriate item for her to chew. When she complies, praise and reward her. If she doesn't, cease all play and attention until she settles down. If she persists, gate her off in another room until she settles down. Be patient, firm and consistent.