Puppy biting hard, cutting skin. How to stop it even with toys?

No, please do not cut your puppy's teeth - this would be very painful for him, and could also cause infection and other serious problems. Biting and mouthing during play is very normal behavior for puppies, and will resolve on its own with age. In the meantime, make sure that Pocholo 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 for chasing and fetching. It can also be helpful to provide lots of different items to chew on - things like bully sticks, cow or pig ears, rawhide chews, and puzzle toys such as a Kong stuffed with peanut butter. If you are playing with him and he bites you, just redirect him to one of his toys and use that to play with him instead. If he bites your hands when you pet him, calmly stop petting and ignore him until he calms down. You may only be able to pet him when he is sleepy right now, which is fine - just be patient and consistent with him as he grows, and the mouthing will stop on its own.

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!

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/

This is very normal behavior for puppies and it sounds like you’re already on the right track. If Fry insists on biting you instead of a toy play time is over and you should remove attention and try again in a few minutes. It will feel like you’re not making progress if you’re consistent he will outgrow this stage. If you think he seems to be biting when he’s scared or showing signs of true aggression you should ask your vet about referral to a behaviorist.

This can be a very frustrating stage with some puppies! Biting and mouthing is a very normal behavior for pups this age - but if you think that what Dexter is doing is excessive, an appointment with a veterinary behaviorist would be the best option. He/she can evaluate him in person to help determine if what you're seeing is normal or not, and can show you some strategies to help with this behavior. A puppy class can be good for socialization and teaching basic obedience skills, but will likely not help at all with an issue like this. You can search for a board-certified veterinary behaviorist in your area here: www.dacvb.org

Chewing on lots of things, including human hands and clothing, is completely normal behavior for a puppy this age - this is how puppies explore the world, and how they instinctively want to play. She will grow out of this behavior as she gets older, but there are some things you can do in the meantime that will help. 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 :)

Hi there! I'm sorry to hear that you're having this problem with Chase. Without being able to observe him in person, it's hard to say if this is truly aggressive behavior (which would be extremely concerning in such as young pup) or just very intense play biting/mouthing - which can be normal for some dogs, especially high-drive working breeds, but is often difficult for pet owners to manage. Either way, it sounds like you could definitely use some professional help. I would recommend getting in touch with a good canine behaviorist who can evaluate Chase in person to help determine if this is aggression vs. play, and put together a detailed training plan to work on his behavior. You can find information on how to search for a qualified professional in your area here: https://www.rspca.org.uk/adviceandwelfare/pets/general/findabehaviourist