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My puppy bites and chews everything. Is this normal? How to stop it?
Updated on September 23rd, 2025
My 4 month old Shiba Inu chews a lot and not just her toys. Sometimes it is me. Is this just normal puppy behavior? Is there something I should do? I usually hold her to my chest and restrict her from biting and sometimes she will calm down. My husband pinches her ear - biting us = pain for her.
5 Answers
Most Helpful Answer
Answered By Jennifer Summerfield, DVM CPDT-KA
Veterinarian, Certified Dog Trainer
Published on February 17th, 2017
Make sure that your pup has a variety of different toys 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 should also have lots of different chews and long-lasting treats to chew on such as bully sticks, large rawhide chews, cow or pig ears, and puzzle toys like a Kong stuffed with peanut butter.
You will need to keep your belongings put away out of her reach for now, just like you would with a toddler or small child. For furniture or other items that can't be put away, you can use Bitter Apple spray to make them taste bad, which should help to discourage her from chewing on them. If you are playing with her and she bites you, just redirect her to one of her toys and use that to play with her instead. If she bites your hands when you pet her, calmly stop petting and wait for her to settle down.
I would not recommend restraining her against her will, or pinching her ear to punish her for this behavior - these techniques often make things worse by causing frustration, and do not help her to understand what you want. In addition, doing things like this may cause her to be afraid of being picked up or handled, since she associates pain and discomfort with these things. Just be patient and calm, and redirect her to appropriate things to chew as needed - this behavior will go away on its own with age :)
2Pet Parents found this answer helpfulRelated Answers from Veterinarians
Answered By Jennifer Summerfield, DVM CPDT-KA
Veterinarian, Certified Dog Trainer
Published on February 10th, 2017
It's very normal for puppies this age to bite on everything they can - this is how they explore the world, and how they instinctively want to play. It's also possible that Bella may be teething, as this process normally starts around 10-12 weeks of age in puppies and continues until 5-6 months when all of the adult teeth are in.
This problem will resolve on its own as she gets older, but there are definitely some things you can do to help in the meantime. 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 should also have lots of different long-lasting treats and chews that she can chew on, such as bully sticks, large rawhide chews, cow or pig ears, and puzzle toys such as a Kong stuffed with peanut butter.
If she is biting you or chewing something she shouldn't, just redirect her to one of her toys instead. Most puppies have largely grown out of this phase by 10-12 months of age, so just be patient and consistent in the meantime :)1Pet Parents found this answer helpful
Answered By David Elbeze, DVM, MRCVS
Veterinarian
Published on April 10th, 2018
It's absolutely normal, all puppies bite pretty much everything until they finish teething (around the age of 4-5 months), buying many chew toys can help but it usually does not solve the problem 100%.
1Pet Parents found this answer helpful
Answered By Eryn Taormina, DVM
Veterinarian
Published on January 10th, 2019
Hi there! Let me see if I can help.
Bella is likely being very nippy due to teething, which will go on until about 6 months of age. Some dogs can become chewers as well, so it's important to break the bad habits now.
Having some chew toys, like kongs, or nylabones can really help as they're great for chewing, and dogs really like them. Whenever Bella nips or bites, always offer her a toy and give her a treat when she plays with the toy. This helps to show her that she should be chewing on toys and not hands and fingers.
It's also important to not play tug of war or hand games with Bella, as this can encourage her to nip more.
Sometimes puppies will also be bored and hungry, and that can cause them to nip. It is important to make sure Bella is getting enough nutrition. As a general rule, I'll give puppies 4 meals a day until 4 months, 3 meals a day until 6 months, and then 2 meals a day thereafter. You may want to increase the amount per meal too if Bella seems to be still seeking food after eating. Making sure she is full will help with the nipping.
In addition, I recommend treat or food dispensing toys, like the pickle pocket, a dispensing ball, or a kong wobbler. Being that Bella is a beagle, she will probably really enjoy toys like that that make her work for her food. The dispensing toys also keep her busy, help give her more nutrition, and will tire her out even better than physical activity can.
If you're not getting anywhere after trying these things for a couple of weeks, then I'd call in a trainer to help you!
I hope you find this answer helpful! Best of luck!1Pet Parents found this answer helpful
Answered By Dr. Heidi DVM, CVA, CCRT, CVTP, CVSMT, CVCH
Veterinarian, Certified Veterinary Acupuncturist, Certified Canine Rehabilitation Practitioner
Published on August 23rd, 2017
I see that Bella is still a puppy. Puppies can be very distructive as they finish teething and get their extra energy out. I would consider some of the tougher chews like Bully Sticks which should keep her busy for a longer period of time. My dogs also enjoy Kong toys. You can also consider other types of mental stimulation like Buster cubes for feeding. Be sure to keep her tired with regular training, walks and play. Finally, if Bella is chewing on things that may cause her harm, be sure to keep her in a kennel when she is not supervised to make sure she doesn't get into anything dangerous. I hope that helps. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.
1Pet Parents found this answer helpful